Daily calories from breastmilk - 6-12 months

[violetta555]

DD is 10 months, will try some of whatever food she's offered (she sits with us at family meals and has some of whatever we're eating on her highchair tray) and still has plenty of BFs. I'm happy with this and trust her to take what she needs to get the right combination of vitamins etc! I think she'll gradually take more solid foods as and when she is ready to do so.

However, I've come up against the usual concerned friends, relatives etc who think she's still having too much breastmilk and not enough solids. I remember seeing on here a link to a WHO recommendation - what proportion of daily calories should come from breastmilk at age 6-12 months, age 12-24 months and so on. If I remember correctly, the figure for age 6-12 months was reassuringly high, but I can't be sure! Does anyone have a link to the figures I'm thinking of? (do they even exist?)

Many thanks in advance.

Phew. Thought you were trying to put your baby on a diet

Can't help though, I'm afraid.

I can't help you although I'd be interested in seeing some numbers, DS is 8 months old and eats like a horse, he has 3 baby sized meals a day but still wants bfing everytime he's on my knee, he's like a little bird with his mouth open or rooting around! The HV said there is no 'need' for him to require so much milk though so I shouldn't always feed him when he comes looking for it.

violetta, your baby sounds fine.

The tables you are referring to exist. This page kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/#solids will give you some info and some references.

But your issue is not lack of information.Your issue is 'concerned friends, relatives etc' who feel free to share their ill-informed opinions with you.

Who are these people who think it is ok to comment on your care and her nutrition? I am assuming your dd is growing, that she looks healthy and well-fed, is doing all a 10-mth-old is expected to do by way of social and physical development, and that anyone with any experience of babies can look at her and see she is not deprived or under-fed in any way.

How about practising some polite assertion with these comments? 'I have checked out her needs, and I am meeting them - I am confident she is healthy and doing well....please don't comment any more, ok, because it sounds like criticism to me. Thank you!'

Titsalina, your HV needs asking why she thinks you would decide not to breastfeed your baby when he is asking for it, and when you are happy to supply it. What does she think is wrong with this? You can then judge from the quality of her reply whether you want to follow what she says.

:)

Thank you tiktok for your advice and the link. DD is certainly thriving and full of energy! The statistics were just to reassure me as I already believe I'm doing what is best for DD. Now I just need to practise telling people it's none of their business

AnythingNotEverything nooooo, no diets here!