When do babies generally start eating decent amounts of food?

[user1493075386]

I'm not sure if I phrased that question quite right, but just wondering when your babies started eating decent amounts of real food?

I am exclusively breastfeeding my five month old son and am hoping to start introducing solids in the next few weeks. I was planning on continuing with breastfeeding until 12 months, however a lot of other mums are telling me to just go to formula already because it will make my life so much easier and my son will probably be a happier baby too. I would prefer to continue to breastfeed but I admit it is making me feel pretty down at times, but if there is a light at the end of the tunnel I would like to soldier on.

I am longing for the day when he isn't solely reliant on me for food - partly because I feel very homebound at the moment (feeding sessions have historically taken a LONG time and there are days that he fusses so much I'm too anxious or tired to go out) and also because I am always worried if he is getting enough milk - especially at the moment as he seems to be crying and fussing at the breast (am unsure if this is a supply issue or if he is teething and finding it uncomfortable - there have been more night wakings since this last bout of fussiness started).

At the moment I am feeding him when he starts to fuss during the night because I am worried about him being hungry, but I am also concerned about introducing bad habits of him not being able to self settle back to sleep without me nursing him (which he is typically quite good at). The reason I started to worry is that he has only put on about 50g of weight in the last few weeks, whereas beforehand he was putting on decent amounts of weight every week. I think in part the slowing of weight gain, besides the fact that he is now older, may have been because he has grown in length. But I still worry as I have been so used to seeing the scales going up nicely every week assuring me he is content.

So I was wondering if there is a general tipping point where they start getting more satiety from real food during the day?

If you’ve been breastfeeding and never given a bottle even of expressed milk then you might well find your baby won’t take a bottle. So it might not be as easy as just swapping to formula. By all means try if you want to, but only if you feel it’s what right for you, not because of what your friends say.

As for weaning, they’re all different. My DD was eating 3 meals a day and having 3 bottles (morning, mid afternoon and before bed) by 7 months-ish but some babies take much longer. It’s really impossible to say when the ‘tipping point’ will be.

If you’re worried about weight gain be sure to discuss it with your doctor or health visitor. I was lazy with weighing though and definitely didn’t weigh weekly after the first month! So I probably would never have noticed the slower weight gain.

Thank you. I thought it would probably vary but would like to hear other's experiences as it might give me a bit of an idea of what I could expect. I guess I am hoping it isn't until he is a year old!

I often express a bit of milk to give him before he goes down of a night (unfortunately can only get about 2.5 oz between feeds during the day so it's not much of a top up) and he will guzzle it down, so I know he will take to a bottle and he is always happy for more milk. Whether he takes to formula or not I am not sure though. I think he would miss the nursing for comfort too.

All babies are different. Mine was a major foodie and bang on 6 months ate his way through a whole Christmas dinner-smoked salmon and bread for starter, roast beef Yorkshire pudding potatoes veg etc followed by pudding and at that age would quite happily eat a child’s meal in a restaurant as soon as he started on food he started going off milk it was like he didn’t see the point. By 10 months he wouldn’t touch it and still won’t now as a child.
As far as weigh ins I never bothered as long as he looked healthy I didn’t bother.

Oh wow, Florin! What an appetite! That is terrific. I hope my DS takes to food with such gusto.

I breastfed exclusively and introduced solids at 6 months. Mine only started taking a bottle (with bottle to sippy cup spout) at about 7 months.

He was ok at eating and I introduced formula at 9 months as breastfeeding was becoming very uncomfortable and I was rubbish at expressing.

I dropped to breastfeeds morning and night, then just night and then switched to formula (morning, night, one night wake up) at a year.

He’s nearly 16 months now and goes through phases of eating well and not. We never had any issue at all with formula.

I went back to work when DD was 8.5 months. She was a bottle refuser so went 8-6 on food (with milk in cereal) and water. I still fed her morning, evening and night. In preparation for that she was only having one additional day feed. I did carry on the night feeds a bit longer though, night weaned just before 11 months.

Mine wouldn’t eat properly until about 18 months. And even at just before 3 she still would never refuse a bottle of milk.

Why do your friends your baby will be happier if you switch to formula? You’ve done well to breastfeed for so long, and honestly after 5 months bf just felt very easy. It’s a wonderful way to calm them down during sleep regressions, illness, teething etc. And it offers excellent benefits to immunity and overall health for the baby. Of course if a mum can’t breastfeed its great there is formula, but breast milk is always better for a baby than formula.

And some babies take to solids very quickly, others are a bit more reluctant. My DD eats a fair amount when I am not around (when she’s with my parents or my husband) but when I am she snacks and has more breast milk. Ounce for ounce breast milk is more calorific than solid food, so it’s not a problem if the baby doesn’t eat too much in the early days.

In terms of being able to step out, you can express and leave a bottle for the baby, or give an occasional bottle of formula while you go out. Or even a regular bottle of formula at a set time while you have someone else caring for the child. That could give you much needed time for yourself?

With my first, I would say it was about 10 months. My second is nearly 8 months and though he eats well (3 meals a day, genuinely enjoys his food), I wouldn’t say it’s loads. We’ve done blw with both of ours and it definitely took a few months to master chewing well enough to swallow and also to grasp that food is something that fills you up and not just a messy thing to play with. 10 months though seemed like a real turning point with my dd when she suddenly started to gobble proper meals. I think they must all go through that, but probably not at the same time.

I’m not sure why the other mums think formula is easier than just getting your boob out. Ultimately it’s up to you.

Every baby is different. My first didn't really eat much food at all until 13 months. I BF until he was 2 years 3 months ( though was back to work after a year so latterly it was only really morning and evening).
Current 11 month old loved his food from 6 months and did feed less often initially as a result but is currently going through a phase of refusing food. Neither liked bottles but will have milk from a cup if need be.
It sounds from your post you're weighing your baby weekly? Stop doing that. You'll drive yourself insane. Once a month is fine unless any other problems. Also, why does breastfeeding make you house bound? Boobs are totally portable and in all the time feeding my babies I've never had any comments or stares. Just go out and enjoy yourself.

I tried to stop BF at one, as they can have cows milk from then ( ideally in a sippy cup) But DS was not going along with that idea.

So in the end I BF him until 2 when I cut him off. He was fine but it was uncomfortable for me for a few weeks. He did start eating more but it wasn't drastically more. He didn't loose any weight. He certainly drank more water though.

Night feeds prob finished around 14-15 months. He just stopped waking for them unless occasionally unwell.

It's not easy to stop but I think it's worth it. You can cut them right down at 1 ish. If you go back to work it would be fine to just do first thing in morning, early evening and feed to sleep.

Me being a SAHM I found it harder to cut down the feeds as I was there all the time. It's draining but you get through it.

My baby wasn’t much interested in food. At 6 months he frequently refused to eat the food I offered, or perhaps only ate a couple of teaspoons. He’s now almost 9 months and still varies in how much he feels like eating. He still won’t eat breakfast, and lunch/dinner can be several tablespoons or nothing depending what mood he’s in.

He still breastfeeds regularly and I’m not sure why other mums think formula would be easier? I’m certainly not going to give up popping a boob in my baby’s mouth and faff about with powder, bottles, sterilising, etc. I have no intention of getting out of bed to fetch milk for night feeds. If you prefer to breastfeed then breastfeed. I fully intend to breastfeed until my baby decides to stop at 1yr+.