Boring weaning questions

[Spanglyprincess1]

Baby is 19 weeks old. We started weaning as he's a very big boy, 99th percentile for length and he was heavily watching everyone's food.
He's eating everything and really well. Love's his baby porridge, general veggie mushes etc and fruit. He has some baby snacks which he devoures and apple slices.
When do I up his meals to three? He's currently having breastmilk X 8-10 feeds a day from first thing to last thing at night. He's also ahving porridge in the morning a snack and then vegetable mush and fruit mid afternoon. But he's seeming really hungry and crying for more food quite often. Am I feeding him enough?
He is passing fluids and solids fine still.

I would not introduce any more food yet as he's 19 weeks old and strictly speaking shouldn't be having any food yet. If he wants more to eat give him milk

How long have you been doing solids?

The health visitor was happy with him having solids. He's four months so it's normal to introduce food at his age (4-6 months according to HV).
He is having milk but gets very very angry that's there isn't solids and when he finishes his main meal is still angry and wants more. Should I introduce a pudding for example? So a fruit mush after porridge or some such rather than another meal?

Two and a half weeks.
He's wolfing down the food

You need to give him more milk - milk has all the nutrient he still needs, the odd plate of mashed veg etc won't be a complete meal for him the way milk is.

He has milk. He has around 26 Oz or more. He takes both breasts at a feed and if he has solids he feeds straight after on the breast anyway.
So should I ignore his anger that the solids are finished then? Is it normal?

Sorry if I seem thick, it's my first and all the guidance is confusing!

Pureed veg and fruit aren't very calorific whereas breast milk is full of fat and calories so I would be increasing the milk feeds.

I'm surprised the HV is saying it's normal to introduce solids between 4-6 months. The advice from the NHS to wean from 6 months has been round for yonks (with the exception of a medical need for early weaning of course). I appreciate other countries have different advice.

HV was very happy within having solids . Four to six months is what she told me but they prefer six but he is extremely happy.
So would it be better to do smaller more often mush feeds of solids and then more milk between and afterwards?

You have to remember that 'veggie mush' has a fraction of the calories of milk and so he will still be hungry. It will fill him up in the short term (as in literally fill up his tummy as he eats it), but he'll soon be hungry as it won't sustain him - most of it is indigestible fibre.
It's the more substantial food that will fill him up, but 19 weeks is v young to be introducing wheat etc (cereals, toast etc). I'd seek HV advice TBH.

He's not.having cereal really apart from baby porridge which says suitable.from.four months and most mush has breastmilk added.
Okay cool, the best advice is stay as is and give more milk. I'll vary his veggies and fruit but keep feeding him as much milk as I can

The packaging says from 4 months because they are not allowed to market it at children any younger. It does not mean that it is ideal food or recommend for babies.

Hes fine very healthy and piling on weight. Consistently in 75th percentile

My daughter was on the 99th centile and still is, although 13 now!

We introduced solids gradually at 4 months. One thing at a time, pureed veg/fruit/baby rice etc. It meant we could see if she had any allergies to food.

As her food intake increased her milk gradually decreased.

Interestingly the advice changed between my two kids despite being only 3 years apart!

Ignore the weaning police- some babies need weaning early and that's ok! Just go with him, maybe try more milk?

To answer your original question, the NHS guidance is to get to 3 meals a day by around 8 to 9 months. So no rush yet.

As everyone else has said, breastmilk or formula will have more calories and nutrients than pureed veg, so I'd concentrate on keeping up milk feeds for a fair while yet.

As everyone else has said, breastmilk or formula will have more calories and nutrients than pureed veg...

This is not entirely true. 100mls of breastmilk or formula contains around 66 calories. There are several fruits and vegetables that are more calorific, e.g. potato, sweet potato, banana and avocado. OP can also try to offer her DS full fat yoghurt or scrambled eggs.

I am personally a proponent of weaning before 6 months (if the baby is happy to eat solids). I weaned DD at 17 weeks and I specifically focussed on offering her allergenic food (e.g. eggs, fish, cow milk with porridge and toast) and vegetables. DD initially had a minor reaction to eggs but it sorted itself in 6-8 weeks. DD was on 3 meals by 6 months. She has always been a hungry baby and I just followed her lead and offered her more food when she asked for it (within reason).

Thank you.how do you introduce eggs? Baby has tried cow's milk as had brocolli cheese but not eggs yet.

It really isn't recommended to give them before 6 months. Same goes for dairy, meat and wheat

Try mashed potato and rice

Mmm yeah all those nutrients in mashed potatoes and rice 😂

Calorie for calorie breastmilk far outweighs anything you can give solid wise in relation to nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antibodies.

If you must wean early, then try and go with high fat, nutritionally dense foods - avocado, eggs, full fat dairy products, meat etc. Avoid baby rice as it’s a pointless food with no nutritional benefits.

You could do full fat natural yogurt with homemade fruit purée, really soft scrambled eggs made with full fat milk, mashed avocado, mashed sweet potatoes with full fat creme fraiche, puréed chicken (with the skin) etc. Just no salt/honey/chocking hazards.

And then when he is able to sit up by himself, his tongue thrust reflex has gone and his hand/eye coordination is good start him on finger foods.

Teddyisahe thanks for your sarcasm, you'd be even more judgemental if you knew what I did for a living!

Im trying to think of foods that will help fill up what sounds like a hungry baby

This is obviously in addition to fruit, veg and milk.

Try adding puréed pulses to mixes - cannelloni beans are nice added to cauliflower cheese for example.

(Weaned ds at 17 weeks, also under HV advice but due to reflux)

We're weaning before 6 months, as are about half of my nct group, so based on my own circle of friends it's not as outlandish as people seem to make out on here. Also the guidance is around 6 months and when your baby is ready. In fact the intro to solids group at my childrens centre run by an nhs nursery nurse specifically talked about it along these lines.

There are indeed plenty of foods as calorifically dense as breast or formula milk and lots more that you can supplement with formula or breast milk if you like. They don't contain the same range of nutrients, which is why you carry on feeding milk. My 5mo DD much prefers solids and has always been a milk dodger, so we do things like nice soft scrambled eggs made with her usual formula milk and mashed veg with milk mixed in - you can add loads to roasted sweet potatoes. Fish is good as it's easier for them to handle than meat, especially oily fish.

We've added lots of things that are on the after 6 months list to give her a balanced diet of first tastes and we've not looked back!

I used to be all for this weaning at 6 months, they don't need food before then blah blah blah. That was with DD and it suited her but DS is much bigger and the boy just wanted food!!!

DS could feed himself when I started about 20 weeks. The advice is to start weaning AROUND 6 months when they are showing signs of readiness. My HV also told me to crack on at 4/5 months. I'd just go with it OP sounds like he enjoys his food!