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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Weaning baby off breastfeeding

14 replies

Scarlottio1 · 19/02/2015 22:47

Can anyone tell me what foods are good to start your baby on from 6 months? I want to then start weaning DS off breast feeding too(refuses bottle at the mo though!) do u always still have to breast feed in the mornings/night still aswell as breakfast etc? Hmm

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Writerwannabe83 · 19/02/2015 22:55

My DS is almost 11 months and although he is well established on his solids and has three good meals a day I still BF him three times a day. If your baby won't take formula in a bottle then it's important you still breast feed as milk is a very vital part of their diet, especially until when they are 1 year old.

I started weaning my DS at 6 months but due to it being quite a slow process and the intake only being small I was still breast feeding him up to 5 times a day until he was about 8-9 months.

I am considering dropping one of DS's BF's now though and just feeding him in the morning and bedtime. I feel happy about this as he has 5oz of milk with his cereal and lots of dairy in his diet too.

Have you sought any advice about weaning and BF from your HV?

Scarlottio1 · 19/02/2015 23:11

Thanks for the advice :-).Im going to get my HV round to help me with the weaning too,I'm a bit worried about going back to work etc as he'll be 9 months then and was hoping to have weaned him off breast feeding by then,I'm thinking that's a lot harder than I'd thought to do?

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Cooki3Monst3r · 19/02/2015 23:13

Milk is an important part of an infant's diet up until they are at least 1, if not 2+. You are a long way off weaning him off milk yet. Just keep persevering with the bottles if you want to stop bf'ing.

The idea with milk is you gradually build up the solids, but continue to offer the same number of feeds. Solids first, milk straight after. The more solids he takes, the less milk he will want. Eventually you'll find he just doesn't want any milk after eating, in which case you then drop that feed.

At a year old, mine were down to a small bottle for morning and afternoon snack, plus 180ml for bed.

In the meantime, what I did for solids weaning was -

Week 1. Pureed vegetables/fruit for lunch only.
Week 2. Porridge and mashed banana for breakfast. Puree for lunch.
Week 3. Add in potatoes, meat and pasta in to the equation for lunch.
Week 4. 3 meals a day, eating all sorts, chopped finely in the processor rather than liquidised.

If you've left it late enough, your DS will really quickly get the hang of it.

If I were doing it again, I would probably look at baby led weaning instead. I think it makes for less fussier eaters. It means that straight from the start they get used to the shapes, colours and textures you're going to want them to eat later on.

Scarlottio1 · 19/02/2015 23:20

Ah yes I thought I'd do baby led weaning,thank you for the food ideas though! I think right now I don't know how I'm going to stop feeding DS asleep etc,do you give the bottle right before they go to bed,after bath?

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Cooki3Monst3r · 19/02/2015 23:23

OP weaning off boob to bottle is a nightmare! However, try not to stress about that now. 9 months is VERY different to 6 months.

Just get started on the solids for now.

By the time he gets to 8 months he'll probably be really in to his food and you can perhaps just start giving him a bottle or a cup after his lunch as a 'that or nothing' option.

My DS never really got the hang of a bottle, he just went straight to a cup after refusing the boob at 13 months.

Cooki3Monst3r · 19/02/2015 23:25

I used to, yes. Even after they'd brushed their teeth. bad mother shocker!

My DC1 was having bedtime sleepy bottles (laying down, after story) right until she was just over 2!!

Scarlottio1 · 20/02/2015 09:33

Why is that seen as a bad thing to do,milk before bed?! It's so hard to know what to do for the best as a first time mum! Thanks everyone for good advice :-) x

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Cooki3Monst3r · 20/02/2015 09:58

It's not bad to do milk before bed, but the 'advice' is to brush their teeth after they've drunk the milk, rather than before like I used to. Mine are 5 and 3 now and they've got lovely teeth!

It is hard. But I'm sure you're doing a great job. Try not to worry about going back to work just yet.

Writerwannabe83 · 20/02/2015 10:12

I used to have a huge problem with feeding to sleep so I changed my routine to break this habit.

I now wash DS and put him in his pyjamas then take him into his nursery and have the curtains open and the bedroom light on. I then feed him and if he looks like he's getting sleepy I stimulate him to wake him up again. When he's finished his feed I then put him into his sleeping bag, put his lamp on, turn off the main bedroom light and then draw the curtains. I then read him two stories, turn off the lamp, give him a cuddle and then place him in his cot.

I still BF him before his afternoon nap but I feed him in the living room where it's nice and bright and the TV is on and then once he's finished I take him up to his nursery and carry out the exact same routine as I do at bedtime (without the wash and pyjamas of course).

squizita · 20/02/2015 10:19

I understand from mates with bottle refuses that the nuk training sippy cups (they have a silicone spout) are very useful after 6 months.
My dd takes a bottle but prefers breast. I'm not back at work till she's a year so am hoping she'll be on a cup bar bedtime and morning by then.

squizita · 20/02/2015 10:20

... oh and goes without saying breast milk, follow on milk etc until 1! Smile

Scarlottio1 · 20/02/2015 10:22

Ooh that sounds like a brilliant routine! How old is ur DC? Mine is 4 months,is that a bit young for me to do the story time? I've been trying to feed him with the lights on but he then looks around loads and doesn't feed/laughs and thinks its playtime so I've had to make it dark again?!

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Writerwannabe83 · 20/02/2015 12:53

My DS is 11m but we started the routine at 9m and I so wish I had done it earlier.

You can definitely read books at 4 months, he will have no idea what you are talking about but he will find the soothing tone of your voice really relaxing. I find that if DS is still a bit hyper/alert after his feed, by the time I'm 2-3 pages into a story he really calms down.

Scarlottio1 · 20/02/2015 13:31

Great thank u! I just resisted feeding him to sleep then,it's just so hard at night! He feeds for over an hour after bath so cluster feeding still I think...:-/

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