Almost 7 month old dropping day time feeds - should I persevere?

[RitaMorgan]

My almost 7 month old ds has been losing interest in day time feeds since starting solids (eats like a horse!) - he was feeding 8+ times a day before weaning, now I offer 5-6 times a day but he rarely initiates feeds anymore. Sometimes he only has 4 feeds.

Today he fed well at 6.45am. I tried to feed him at 11am and he refused. Tried again at 2pm and he had a short feed and hasn't been bothered since. I expect he'll probably be happy to have a feed at bedtime though, and I'll give him a dreamfeed before I go to bed.

Is this amount of milk ok for a baby his age? Should I continue offering feeds every 3-4 hours, or just let him take the lead?

I've been wondering about giving him so formula during the day as a lot of the time he seems too distracted to feed - at least then I'd know he's getting some milk, and I could still breastfeed him morning, bedtime and once at night.

MMmmmm..my youngest dc are only 2.4 but this seems ages. Trying to dredge my memory and I hope someone with better info can appear.

Sounds like a lot of feeds you're offering on top of a lot of food. I would prioritise the feed over the food, as they do really need milk at this age, and I believe food is more for 'taste' than much nourishment or calories. I would offer the feed before the food (that's why he took a lot at 6.45am, I assume it was before breakfast). Maybe wait till later in the morning and offer a feed before lunch, then some food. Then a mid afternoon like 3.30pm. He could maybe have his tea without a feed (around 5.30) and a bedtime feed. If he won't take a bedtime feed 2hrs after eating food, then leave it till the dreamfeed.

Basically fewer, but bigger feeds. And mostly before the food is offered, so he is not filling up on food.

I think 4 feeds is fine.

Have you tried feeding in a quiet, maybe dark room. Might be he's too interested in the world to want to spend time feeding. Also you could try just before or just after a nap.

Hopefully in a few days he's return to previous feeding habits.

DD dropped two feeds at one point, but then picked them up again a few weeks later.

MerryMarigold - I do tend to offer an hour or so before food (11am before lunch at 12pm). He generally sits at the table and feeds himself when I eat, so it would be difficult to limit him to a taste! I did just try offering mid-morning and mid-afternoon today and he fed better.

PenguinArmy - unfortunately we've quite busy at the moment so not much opportunity to go somewhere quiet. Being distracted is a big part of the problem though. I used to get lots of feeds in before/after naps but at the moment he's having to get a lot of naps on the go in buggy/sling so not so much opportunity.

If you reckon 4 feeds sounds alright though I might try to relax a bit about it.