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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

At what age did your DC start three meals a day?

17 replies

matchstickmoocow · 04/08/2022 10:03

How old was your child when they transitioned to three meals a day?

I know NHS guidelines say 10 to 12 months, but health visitor is recommending we move to three meals for our daughter who is only seven months! This seems a bit early to me.

What have others done?

OP posts:

Catallia · 04/08/2022 10:10

Three solid meals a day with breast/formula feeds in between as well? Or being fed with milk/solids only 3 times total? The former seems OK, the latter seems not.

Lou98 · 04/08/2022 10:14

8/9 months we introduced the third meal.

Some people jump right in with 3 meals at 6 months, it's really your choice.
We did dinner only at 6 months, then added breakfast about a month later and then added lunch another month or so after that.

My Son was BLW and still had his formula in between as well. He's nearly 15 months now, is a healthy weight and will eat anything! He now has 3 meals a day and 2 snacks in between, he's off formula but has a cup of cow's milk before bed

FindingANewLifePlan · 04/08/2022 10:15

My DS is 9 months and on 3 meals a day now

Original poster

matchstickmoocow · 04/08/2022 11:22

3 meals a day WITH breastfeeding on demand

OP posts:

Porridgeaddiction · 06/08/2022 15:24

My DD was on 3 meals from 6 months, although at that age, she barely actually ate anything. It was just a nice routine for us to breastfeed, 2 hours later was solids, then an hour later another breastfeed, 2 hours, then offer solids, one hour, breastfeed, etc.

We started her off on just breakfast, then after a week did breakfast and lunch, then she had an early dinner as well a few days after introduction of lunch.

SavingsThreads · 06/08/2022 16:11

From the off. We offered her the same food as us (mainly) when we ate. Why, how many meals do you do?

MajorCarolDanvers · 06/08/2022 16:13

Sometime between 7-9 months.

ChocoButterfly · 06/08/2022 16:15

From 6 months I offered 3 meals a day.

Caspianberg · 06/08/2022 16:20

From 6 months I offered 3 meals straight away. When I say 3 meals it was something at each meal as we ate, not necessarily a full meal.

ie: breakfast: porridge/ bit banana to play with. lunch: crust of bread, some grated cheese, raspberries. Dinner: some peas and roasted carrot from our roast.

kikisparks · 06/08/2022 16:24

By 7 months

BeanieTeen · 06/08/2022 16:29

Can’t remember exactly m, but definitely not by 7 months - DS barely showed any interest in the food until then. I think he must have been around 10 or 11 months. Although apparently I’m in the minority!

rumplestiltskinp · 06/08/2022 16:46

My HV said that too. I stopped going. It's ridiculous. There is not one reason why someone needs to have three meals a day. I fed my child when she was hungry. She wasn't even fully onto solids at 7 months, she was picking at my foods, which I then followed with, letting her have what she wanted to try. I'd say we got to what we are now, which is basically three meals depending on what we're doing, at age two, and she tried foods before that off and on.

Neurodiversitydoctor · 24/04/2023 06:11

This nearly 20 years ago but DS was on 3 meals a day by 5 months, he loooved solids. No wheat till 6 months though: baby porridge for breakfast with fruit, root veg mushh at lunchtime then something like baby rice at tea time. He also breast fed at 6, 11,3 ,7 and my bedtime.

Catsonskis · 24/04/2023 06:28

First dd I did 1 meal at 6, 2 at 7 and 3 at 8 all BLW.

second dd gets something most meal times because she’s sat in the high chair whilst the rest of us eat. Unless she happens to still be asleep at breakfast/over lunch. I don’t expect her to eat much (she’s nearly 7m) and it’s all about practise/play and explore.

bloody messy though!

I give her cucumber or fruit sticks alot admittedly to sooth her teething. Those little packs of watermelon are life savers to nom on

onthefence23 · 24/04/2023 06:28

That's what I did with DD more or less from the start, offered solids 3 x a day when I was eating and bf on demand in between

Ostryga · 24/04/2023 06:31

I bf Dd on demand and she didn’t reliably eat 3 proper meals a day until well over 1. She’d have a good breakfast, reasonable lunch and then wouldn’t really eat dinner. It wasn’t until she went to nursery at 15 months and away from me did she start eating more solids.

I did BLW with her and was quite a chonk so I never worried. She’s 6 now and eats fine!

LBFseBrom · 24/04/2023 09:24

I don't remember the precise age but certainly when during babyhood, well under a year old, and sat in high chair at the table with us for dinner at home and if we went out somewhere child friendly to eat. Mine always had a very good appetite and enjoyed food. I realise not all babies and toddlers are like that.

This is an issue in which you need to be baby-led, op, and trust your own judgement, never mind about health visitors. If yours does not show signs of hunger and is content to eat little and drink milk, don't worry too much, however do gradually introduce different things to his/her diet.

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