How much should he be eating at 7 months?

[vicdubya]

DS is 7 months old, exclusively BF until 4 months when started solids with gusto, and was going great guns until he started teething a month ago, when he lost his appetite and only wanted milk. His appetite is just returning but he isn't eating any more quantity wise than he was at 4-5 months.

He still wakes at night for feeds, usually twice between 7pm & 7am (e.g. 12.30, 5.30). He used to sleep from 10.45 through til around 6.30 when he was around 3-4 months but since then has reverted to feeding 2-3 times at night, and lately I have dumped the late night feed most nights because it makes no difference, really.

I think he ought to be eating more solids, currently he has between 2-4 tablespoons per meal, 3 meals a day. He is not keen to have more than this. Up til last week he was having 6-7 BF (including the night ones!) a day but have just dropped mid-morning boob & replaced with a cup of follow on, as he takes less from the cup. This has improved his appetite for lunch. Is it best to try & continue reducing day time milk first?

I am not into trying CC or anything yet, anyway, he seems ravvenous at night & can latch on to my boob before I've even laid down on the bed, these days. He does also feed to get off to sleep tho so some of it might be comfort as well.

Can anyone else tell me what their 7 month old is/was eating, quantity wise? I just want to understand what a normal range is.

He's a big boy (over 20lbs) and very active as already crawling & cruising.

Thanks all

A 2 year old eats on average 11 tablespoons of food a day (but not in meals .. they tend to eat only 1 what we could call 'proper' meal in a 48 hour stretch)

your 7 month old is going great guns .. i would try not to worry

however I'd consider starting to train him to sleep through at night .. its a question of teaching them how

check out the sleep threads .. you could let them cry it out, controlled crying, pick up put down .. there's many methods

Yes I am planning to try sleep training after we move (on Thursday!!!!) and we have got settled in the new place.

But I don;t feel ready to try when he still seems so hungry at night. i mean, if he needs the calories he is getting at night from milk, how can I get him to take them during the day instead?

Last night he had feeds at 10.45pm, 2.30am and his monring feed at 6am.

Today he had about 3 tbs redibrek for breakfast, 1 jar 4 month savory & 1 jar 4 month dessert for lunch, and then 3 tbs rice with lentils & veg, 1 petit filous, & couple of rice cakes, for supper.

Normally he would have all home cooked but we wnt out for lunch.

He had about 2oz follow on milk at mid morning, BF at 2pm, and will have BF before bed.

So, I can;t see how I could have got more food into him today!!! Yet night feeds did not diminish his appetite today, lol!!

We'll see what happens tonight as he has eaten well today, but he's also had an extra hour to eat in!

Thks!

Hi there, sorry, no words of wisdom except to say that for a 7 month old, that sounds like a really good amount of food. Like you say, you want to get him off the night feeds and then he'll be eating more. My DD is nearly one and I don't think she was eating that amount at 7 months and she is what I consider to be a 'good eater'. In fact, I now have the reverse problem, she isn't bothered by milk but will eat 3 good meals a day. Best of luck!

no words of wisdom, vicdubya, but sounds about the same, or probably slightly more than my seven month old normally eats.

That's considerably more than my 8-month old eats; we get at most two meals that are 2 tablespoons or more. This is true even at daycare, where they are thrilled to get 3 tablespoons of anything into her and put little smily faces on her chart, even on days when she takes almost no bottles! (I nurse her at lunchtime, but aside from that she generally takes only 8 oz of milk, if that).

sounds more than my ds (8mo) eats. although he hates being spoon fed and always wants finger foods - which I neve3r know how much he's actually eaten and how much the dog gets!
he also gets a milk feed at 10.30pm and sometimes sleeps till 7am and sometimes wakes at 4.30am. I know when he wakes at 4.30 I'M hungry too!

If his weight is good and he is happy and heathy then he is eating what he needs. Sounds like a great eater to me! The only time to worry is when they don't gain weight and the health visitor will let you know! You could try a bottle feed at bedtime to help him sleep through

If he's quite big, he's obviously doing fine. But here's what my ds eats (he's exactly 7 months old). He is quite big, but has a sick problem, so not sure how much he actually keeps down.

Breakfast:
a large banana
7oz milk

Lunch:
6 icecubes of pasta&veg puree
1 slice of wholemeal bread with dairy-free spread
7oz milk

Dinner:
6 icecubes of mashed carrots,swede, butternut squash etc.
1 slice of wholemeal bread with dairy-free spread
7oz milk

Hope that helps.