Health Visitor - is this bad advice?

[doadeer]

DS is nearly 8 months. We have a good routine with his meal and nap times, he eats 3 full meals, typically it's:
6am - breastfeed in bed, back to sleep
7.30am wakes
8am Breakfast (porridge and fruit)
9.45 breastfeed
10am nap
12 lunch (veg, toast, fruit or something like that)
1.45 breastfeed
2pm nap
5pm dinner (proper dinner like chicken casserole then yoghurt)
7pm breastfeed

He will usually wake 1-2 times in night.

Today, health visitor said I shouldn't be giving any milk in the day, it should be 3 meals and two snacks so instead of any milk it should be a piece or cucumber or toast. And only breastfed morning and evening. What's the nutrition in a bit of cucumber compared to milk?

It feels very young to drop milk --- can anyone advise?

Ignore the advice and if you can, challenge it the next time you see her. It’s wrong, contradicts NHS advice as people have pointed out and she’s going to keep telling people that unless she’s corrected.

My dd fed until 14 months and we only stopped because I got proper flu and was so unwell for 2 weeks that I dried up. She also ate 3 meals a day and snacks by that age so it was mainly morning and night feeds with the odd comfort feed in between.

The pressure to stop breastfeeding was insane! From healthcare professionals to family they all thought I was ‘odd’ and should have stopped once got onto solids. I didn’t care, I was happy with it, she was growing beautifully and it didn’t affect her appetite for food.

Ignore your health visitor. Listen to yourself and your baby.

Melon and cucumber are good for getting water into reluctant drinkers.

Breath
That's a great point! Maybe I do need more cucumber as he just isn't bothered about drinking water

Goodness I think your baby is enviably and beautiful fed. It all sounds so well managed and balanced!

I think the advice you’ve been given is (I’ll put it nicely) advice I wouldn’t follow. Keep on doing what you’re doing!

I was told to try DD with cucumber, melon etc to get more fluids into her if she wouldn't drink water but she loves milk so that's what I give her. She's 15 months old and has 3 8oz bottle per day. I don't care if anyone thinks that's too much. It's what she wants and I'm happy to give it to her as I know she's had a good amount of fluids throughout the day then. I try and give her water with meals but she spits it out or pours it everywhere and she does the same with cows milk. Stick to what you are your baby wants. As long as he's happy and healthy then listen to your gut.

Poor advice yet again from a HV.

Sounds like you're doing a fab job.

Yes good before one is just for fun.

Ignore the silly hv

Food, not good

I can't really comment on breast feeding as mine were ff.

But dd2 tried stuff here and there but I wouldnt say she was on 3 actual meals a day until 8/9 months. She liked to try food but wouldnt be spoon fed so most the food she did have was probably dropped or worn.

If I had dropped her milk ( she was cmpi so I'm pretty sure that once she was on the milk that didnt make her feel like crap she didnt wanna give it up and was naturally a bit food wary ) and tried to give snacks akd meals only shed have been ill.

What you are doing sounds a really good routine actually. I wouldnt be changing ot just cos the hv reckons some carrot sticks or rice cakes are more important than milk

It’s shit advise... breastfeed as much as you/your baby wants for now. Food shouldn’t replace milk in the first 12 months.

Strange advice. Is she a young inexperienced health visitor? What you are doing sounds very normal to me. Is your baby well and thriving? If so I would ignore her.

I don't know her experience but she was in her late 40s/50s.

Thanks everyone you've really reassured me. 🌟🙏

The guideline (not the rule) is milk feed morning and evening, 3 meals and 2 snacks, when they are one.

Doing that now would not be great as milk is meant to form a large part of their diet until they are one.

I think I was doing 4 or 5 brestfeeds a day at that age and gradually cut down to 2 at 12 months.

I think the HV is talking bollocks and what you're doing sounds fine

She's talking utter bollocks. Sounds like you're doing a grand job.

My HV insisted there was absolutely no benefit to continuing with BFing past a year! And she was the 'pro BF' HV in the area. Then, they wondered why the BFing rates there were so low...

I don't like to generalise and I'm sure you get a lot of up-to-date, knowledgeable and helpful HVs. I just haven't come across any...

Just nod, smile and then carry on with what you are doing. Health visitors annoy me. I thought babies were supposed to have milk until at least 12 months of age anyway?

Food before fun until 1 is my motto and I AM a hv

It's not uncommon for breastfed babies to self-wean before 1 but this saying makes it sounds unhealthy for them to be totally on solids

Agreed. Both my dds just wanted to eat by 12 months. Any milk was ordinary cow's milk in a cup. Neither were interested in either breast or bottle at age one. It was a long time ago when weaning was recommended at 4 months. They both were pretty happy and contented babies.

We were still on morning and evening at about 18 months. Probably from about 12 months when she could have soya milk (CMPA) as she was at nursery so couldn’t BF during the day. I probably still would have done a lunch feed if I wasn’t working.

HV have really silly ideas about weaning!

Absolutely identical to my 7 month and I have no plans to change any time soon! She's growing perfectly and enjoying food with no pressure to force 3 big meals in because I know she has the milk. I think that's ridiculous advice from the HV and I've worked with children for nearly 20 years 🙄

Feed when suits you and your baby best! What a crazy health visitor! Morning and evening feeds are for when you are trying to cut down feeds, not for an 8 month old.

I didn’t do health visitors. They just peddle nonsense. Your routine is perfect!

Mine is nearly 12m and still has 3x formula a day, and that's on top of food and water, my eldest only drop his last bottle at 16m.

I might be wrong but I'm sure I read that WHO advised on BF until 2, obviously circumstances changed etc, but there is nothing wrong with your 8m old having milk in the day!

Oh I forgot to add my HV said to me that if mine drops a bottle anytime soon he will need vitamin D drops, not sirs if the advice is the same with BF, but to show that BM or Formula is still needed whilst weaning

8 months seems very young to stop the daytime milk unless he had chosen to cut it out himself. He is still fairly new to solids so does still need the milk.
I would offer water with meals or snacks but remember breast milk will keep him hydrated.