Weaning - started solids at 11am feed at home, going back to work and wondering how to combine with nursery routine? (long sorry)

[littleduck]

Hi there

DD was 6 months last week and I started introducing her to solids a few days before I started back at work and wanted to at least start her off at home before she starts nursery 2 days per week. She has had baby rice, pear and carrot so far and seems to like them. Feeding pattern goes like this up till now:

7-7.15 am - Milk feed
11am - Milk feed and solids
2.30pm - milk feed
6-6.15pm - milk feed
10.45pm - milk feed

I introduced the solids at her 11am feed. Ideally I would have then perhaps given her some solids at teatime and then introduced breakfast further down the line.

Nursery feeding routine is a bit different, they offer as follows:

Breakfast 8.30 am
Lunch 11am
Tea 3pm

DD started Nursery and I fed her 7am before dropping off. They know I have only just started her weaning and I gave instructions re: solids at the 11am feed and giving milk only at 2.30 rather than solids at 3. Forgot about their breakfast and when I rang earlier to check how she was going the mursery manager mentioned that she had some breakfast - a few spoonfuls of solids at 8.30. I hadn't told them not to feed her then so can't really blame them and she happily took the food it seems, she would have refused if she really didn't want it!

Am wondering how quickly to build her up to 3 meals - any thoughts?.

Also the nursery offer their tea much earlier than I would plan to offer it at home and I was wondering how to cope with that. I would have planned to offer her some solids at 5 or so rather than 3pm and then have a milk feed just before she goes to bed at 7.

I am looking to cut down her 10.45pm feed with the aim of dropping it in the near future in the hope of getting her to sleep 7-7. She sleeps from 7pm until her 10.45 feed and then goes back down until just before 7am at the moment and has done so since she was about 10 weeks. I am worried that giving her tea at 3pm rather than 5pm will mean she gets hungry in the night?

Any thoughts anyone, I am very new to this weaning thing and would really welcome some advice.

Many thanks

[boundarybabe]

I had the same worries but my nursery just follow DS's routine. He won't be expected to slot into theirs until he leaves the baby room (at 2). Can they not do this and make sure your DD has her tea later? 3 does seem awfully early and I think they should be more flexible for young weaning babies.

If they insist on feeding her at 3 then I can't see the harm in you offering her more solids later. You can always ask them to make sure it is a very light tea and then when she is established on solids that can be her snack time at home.

I wouldn't worry too much. I fretted for ages about DS's routine but whenever he stays with MIL she just feeds when he likes and it never seem's to bother him. TBH I think once they're eating propert food you can afford to be a bit more relaxed about timing.

HTH