Breastfeeding/solid food help! 9 month old

[Canihaveacoffeepleasexx]

Hi all

Not an AIBU but positing here for traffic

My baby has just turned 9 months. She was EBF until I started weaning at 6 months. This is my first time breastfeeding a child so I’m not sure I’m balancing milk feeds / solids right and just wanted some ideas of how other people do it!

She always has breakfast lunch and dinner and il now be introducing 2 little snacks per day (suggested online that now is a good time). I just let her bf as much as she wants around meals - is this ok? I would say she feeds maybe 4/5 times per day but eats a good amount of solid food. I’m trying to swap some bf for milk in a cup but she will refuse everything but an open cup so I have to help her sip it!

Am I doing things right?

Thank you xxxx

At that age I did:
BF
Breakfast
Nap
BF
Lunch
Nap
BF
Tea
BF
Bed
No overnight feeds.

I didn't bother with snacks until I fully weaned at 13 months. One of mine would only drink water from a cup (even after weaning, I had to give him loads of dairy in meals) and the other started drinking milk from a cup but not til 13 months.

I think that sounds great. I let mine bf as regularly as they wanted as long as they wanted at that age as well as 3 meals...some days there was a snack, most days not as it affected what they ate at meal times.

I did similar to other posters. Always offering a BF then adding breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Around the same time I returned to work 2 days and just gave meals and small amount of expressed milk . She seems to regulate and just catch up with a big bf when I picked her up and the end of the day. BF more when I was available.

Sounds good but I don't think baby needs snacks yet.
I've found this useful

www.nhs.uk/start4life/weaning/what-to-feed-your-baby/7-9-months/#anchor-tabs

I think I just winged it. DS is now 17 so difficult to remember. I fed on demand both bf and solids. Bf until he was two so always had a backup if he was hungry and we didn’t have access to food. The beauty of bf is that they tend to eat when they are hungry and you are very in tune with their needs. I avoided snacks because they suppress appetite and they don’t eat well at mealtimes or refuse food.

I wouldn't give snacks until 12 months.

At 9 months with ds2 I'd recently introduced a third meal and I think he was having 4/5 bf a day.
At 10 months I introduced a 'dessert' after lunch or dinner of yoghurt or fruit. He was down to 4 bf then.
At 12 months he went down to 2 feeds a day and I introduced an afternoon snack.

He's 14 months now and his rough schedule is

6.00am Breastfeed
7.30am Porridge or toast & berries
11.00am Lunch & yoghurt
12.00pm Nap (hence the early lunch)
2.30pm Crackers / banana
5.00pm Dinner
6.15pm Porridge or toast
6.30pm Bath & PJs
7.00pm Breastfeed

I think he barely takes any milk at bedtime now and I'm hoping to cut it out soon and just keep the morning feed for a few months

I wouldnt bother with snacks if they are having 3 meals a day, then the bf is a snack really. I found they needed them to keep them going between meals when I dropped feeds to just first thing at morning and last thing at night

But everyone's different, if your baby seems happy and healthy and interested in food then you're doing it right!

Feed as and when they want to. I used to offer regularly throughout the day and still do actually. Unless you are aiming to wean off breastmilk continue to offer it, don't just rely on demand.

NHS advice is snacks after 12 months. Not needed till then for most babies.

Our situation is a bit different as DS 8 months is in nursery so follows the same food routine as the older babies but with breast milk added in. I’ve put it below anyway if it’s useful.

I generally trust that they’re good at self regulating, so if they want/need food they’ll eat it and the same goes with breastmilk. I express and give the nursery bottles of breast milk.

Breastfeed

Breakfast
Fruit snack
Milk
Lunch
Milk
Tea/dinner
Milk

Breastfeed when I get home
Supper
Breastfeed at bedtime

He varies in how much of the bottled milk he drinks and he’s almost dropped the post breakfast bottle but like I said I trust that he’ll move himself over to more food as he gets older.

Thank you all so much for the amazing advice ♥️ Super helpful and I won’t include the snacks for now!

‘Food is for fun just before 1’. Let your little one take the lead. In my experience there will be days where they have nothing but breastmilk and days where they’ll eat an adult sized bowl of pasta. Just keep offering different foods and textures. Sr_nutrition on Instagram is great for weaning advice.

Or ‘Food before 1 is just for fun’ Early morning brain apologies!

I really am not in the mood for anxious first time mums posting in aibu for traffic

Yabu!

@Marvellousmadness

I really am not in the mood for anxious first time mums posting in aibu for traffic

Yabu!

Who cares what mood you're in? Off you pop.

I’m trying to swap some bf for milk in a cup but she will refuse everything but an open cup so I have to help her sip it!

Just checking that it is still breast milk you're offering in the cup? Cow/plant milk is fine to cook with but shouldn't be had as a drink in place of bm/formula until after 1

You're doing brilliantly. I also think it's a bit early to add extra snacks, DS didn't start snacks until he was running everywhere. Maybe a few slices of apple to chew on mid-morning if she's teething.

Sounds good.

I’d skip the milk in the cup - BF + water with meals is enough.

Snacks - maybe fruit if she wants it, nothing if she doesn’t?

@Marvellousmadness

I really am not in the mood for anxious first time mums posting in aibu for traffic

Yabu!

Alright I didn’t realise you were the AIBU police. I’m not a first time mum, but I have never bf before. If you don’t like it then don’t read the thread. It’s not my fault you don’t have any self control :)

Thank you for all the helpful advice xxx