How to introduce solids without endangering BF?

[SuiGeneris]

DS1 had his first solids on Saturday, on his half-birthday. I cannot find reliable information as to how to fit solids into his day without endangering breastfeeding (it was extremely difficult to get it and keep it going and now it works I am keen to continue until he is at least 1). So, here are my questions:

1. when to have solids (time of day)? I thought evenings, when milk supply is lowest, would be best, but am concerned that if he has solids then it will be the first milk feed he drops, while in the long-term I would ideally like to keep evening and morning feeds for longest.

2)when to have solids relative to the milk feeds? Before (but then he might not take enough milk)? During (but he might get annoyed)? or after (don't want to overstuff him, and presumably he's just had as much as he needed)?

3. how long do I have to make up baby rice with expressed milk? it is a bit of a faff to express just before his feed, and am concerned about not having enough left for his feed (if he has solids before) or to make up the rice (if he has solids after the milk feed).

Would be grateful for your thoughts...

Do BLW & breastfeed on demand would seem to be the obvious solution - he might cut down his feeds but that's natural. You can use cows milk in cooking - I'd use whole milk. If you find expressing easy, express, your body will cope with it I promise you will have enough.
What exactly did you struggle with?

DH is v keen on BLW- I am less so, as the only study I could find about it was a PhD thesis and many non-scientific articles peppered with "it is believed", "it might" etc... Main concern is that the baby may choke...

BF problems: supply took too long, so DS1 hospitalised for jaundice and excessive weight loss, tongue-tie, thrush (twice), cracked nipples, plugged ducts (in April I had only two days without a plug), milk blebs, mastitis...

you've had a rough time!

Why not read Gill Rapley's book on blw and Annabel Karmel (?) on puree and then decide what you want to do.

You're right that there's no specific research about BLW, but it's just another method of your baby eating (as in it doesn't need scientific evidence), and is baby led which might help with the worries you have about milk.

FWIW, my DS has been bf and blw. He still hasn't really dropped a milk feed at nearly 10 months so it does take a while for food to take over from milk - I don't think it generally happens much before 12 months.

There's a bit more research on infant self-feeding, but you'll also note that there isn't much research proving that purees are necessary either!

Either way, you don't need to use baby rice at all. If you use purees, he can have pretty much anything, same as BLW, save honey, whole nuts and runny egg. NHS recommends finger foods alongside purees anyway, so the best tip if to make sure you know what to do if the baby does choke.

Just offer little bits for now, anyway - either purees, mashed or finger food. Well done fro sticking with bf through all that!

How I have worked starting solids is always breastfeed first, stick to same breastfeeding routine if u have one then offer solids.
DD is 6 months and we just starting, tried baby led weaning, letting her hold carrots and broccoli etc but she puts whole thing in her mouth and starts gagging and choking.
Soooo just mashing stuff and she is great, likes to feed herself with spoon.
She is quite light for her age 14lbs so breastmilk more important as not much calorie in carrot's.

I have never bothered with babyrice, it's yuk.

I give water along with meals, in a wee sippy cup, did same with DS and at 5 that is still all he will drink so a good habit to get into.

I remember that I used to give solids about an hour after a milk feed, and then a milk feed before going to sleep.

You've been through a lot so it's no wonder you're worrying about it. But they only take very, very small amounts of solids at first, and as long as you lead with the milk feed it will continue to be the main source of nutrition for a good while.

I honestly don't think it matters which meal you start with, just whatever works for you.

My dd is 2.2 and can eat loads and loads for dinner but will still always want her milk feed afterwards. Bf is about more than food for her, I suppose.

BLW best approach if you don't want to drop milk feeds to soon. We did purly BLW with DD she didn't drop a milk feed untill 8months.

The main appoarch is to offer milk first then food. There isn't much reaearch on weaning full stop to be honist. I go along the lines of well our cave men ansesters didn't have blenders so how did we manage before they where inveted. Probably soft pre-cewed food, so any well cooked veg works well to start with.

I'd also recomened you read Gill Rapley's book

With DS1 I just continued BFing on demand and gave him cut up/overcooked (i.e. soft) versions of our food when we were eating. He just grabbed what he wanted and went from there.

Worked a treat so will be doing the same thing with DS2. Much easier than phaffing about with purées and trying to feed him etc.

I did the same as Morloth, worked really well. People will be on at you about getting them onto the magic 3 meals a day, but really it's more about them trying different sorts of foods in the early months (even if that just means playing with it...)

Well done for carrying on with bf with all you had to put up with, I hope introducing food goes smoothly.

Agree with the others re: BLW (and pretty sure there's no studies done on purees either?!)

If you follow your LO's lead, you're not likely to affect your supply at this stage. You've been through the mill though - not surprised you're anxious!

Thanks all, this is really interesting, and useful- as well as very kind. As some of you point out, there is no research on pureed food (I think, though will check) and I should find out more about BLW, so off to find the Rapley book you mentioned and do some further studying.

DS had grated apple today- I remember it as favourite food which I rather liked well into toddlerhood, but it does not seem to have gone down v well with Master SG. The only thing he liked so far was baby rice... Then again, we are on day 4.

With my last 2 babies I just sat them in the highchair at mealtimes and gave them bits of whatever we were having. With DD1 I did the whole AK puree/ice cube malarky.

Didn't do babyrice after DD1 who hated it anyway.

this is roughly what i did with DD and DS1 at 6 months

7am BF
8.30am breakfast
10am BF
11.45 lunch
2pm BF
5pm dinner
6.30pm BF

I'm no expert but I think your milk production may be more flexible than you think. People drop down to two feeds or even one feed a day with older babies and toddlers and can keep it going, and I've heard people say that when their baby's ill and wants more for a week or two then their body responded and made more. So I shouldn't worry too much about that (and he'll only be having tiny bits to start with).

With BLW, the idea is that you give them their first solids
a. when they are neither too hungry nor too tired
b. ideally when you are eating.

I found a. and b. didn't often coincide (but this could be because at 6 months DS was still feeding every 3 hours and had 3 naps a day). My advice would be whether you do purees, BLW or a mixture just try and find a method and time that's convenient for you. After all your BF problems, you need to try and make weaning as unstressful as possible!