How much should an eight month old be eating?

[PirateWeasel]

DS has always been a hungry baby and although breastfeeds are dropping since we started solids, he still takes 5 or 6, sometimes even 7, in each 24-hr period. I give him three solid meals, much of which ends up on the floor, and some of which he tries a couple of spoonfuls of and then decides he doesn't like it. Is this normal for eight months, or should he really be finishing his solid meals properly by now? He's starting nursery at 13 months old when I go back to work and I'm worried he'll end up going hungry!

There's a really wide variety at that age.

DS was on only one or two meals a day which he mainly played with.
He started eating a bit more around 10m (he was late getting teeth so that might have affected it)
I went back to work when he was one and he ate really well (because he no longer had access to my boobs)

Milk should still be the main source of nutrition until at least 1. Food is really just for exploration.

My youngest started nursery at 10 months old, still only really liking the first stage puree type food. He suddenly "got" food around 11 months and has loved it since!

I would say my DD only properly started eating her meals at around 10 months to. She also started nursery at a similar age and was fine by then. She still bf a lot at home but in nursery she just has normal milk or water with her food.

My 11 month old took a while to take to solid food too- going by pp it seems fairly normal! I was not convinced she'd ever eat. it's impossible not to worry but do try not to about nursery- remember how quickly things change with babies. 2 months ago he probably wasn't eating any solid food at all, now he is, and by the time he's going to nursery he'll likely have got the hang of it much more- it's still 5 months away which is a massive time in baby development.

My first DC ate very little and certainly really only purées/ soups/ yoghurt etc until about 1. She’d try a bagel etc but most of it was just smooshed in her face or on the floor. Circa 18months eating got better and then at 2 it was like someone flicked a switch.

Fast forward a couple years and I have another DC who is the opposite - a ferocious appetite. Took the bowl of mac and cheese off me today cause it wasn’t coming fast enough. Eats 3 meals a day, most of it goes in. Takes any pouches off you to hold, will try and eat almost anything.

I let them both go for it. Food before one is just for fun and all that but go with what the baby wants. A HV once told me a baby won’t starve itself and it certainly won’t. The move to solids is gradual and they all do it at their pace xx

DS2 rejected all solids until after 7 months, and now, 4 months later, is on three full meals a day with snacks.

Milk is the main source of nutrition. At this age, it's not just about swallowing food, it's hand/eye coordination, exploring taste, texture.

Milk should still be the main source of nutrition until at least 1. Food is really just for exploration

This is not true. After 6 months babies need iron and zinc from food.

Don't worry about nursery ; it's ages away and he will watch the other children and copy what they are doing.
You can't force eating . My children were very different from each other in this regard. DD didn't get going until she was 10 months , she cut feeding out within a few weeks. DS1 was on three meals a day within days of starting weaning and cut down feeds rapidly.DS2 took to food well but continued breast feeding until he was 4 !
I'm a very strong believer in eating with the child and giving them what you are eating within reason; also on trying not to worry about it.

This is not true. After 6 months babies need iron and zinc from food.
Yes, this is true but food shouldn't be replacing milk before one and there's no need for three full meals a day.

First 2 on baby food. My son youngest when straight away on solids. First foods bananas . Then toast

Thanks everyone, some brilliant experience sharing here. Am a FTM and my HVs seem pretty vague about everything so speaking to real mums about what they've done really helps put things in perspective!

Yes, this is true but food shouldn't be replacing milk before one and there's no need for three full meals a day.

Why not? How can you gradually move towards a solid diet without cutting down milk? My DSs both did this naturally as their solid intake increased.

Do you mean three meals are optional, or that they're something to avoid?

"food shouldn't be replacing milk before one"

Erm, yes it should, gradually. You are supposed to drop some of the milk feeds gradually between six and 12 months, as the baby's solids intake increases. If a 12mo is breastfeeding or bottle-feeding as frequently as a tiny baby, you are Doin It Rong.

Gradually is the key though, isn't it. Babies don't go from milk only to three solid meals a day overnight when they hit six months. The OP was looking for some reassurance so before we start saying things like 'doing it wrong' let's refer back to the OP and I think we can all agree a baby taking on some solids is a baby moving in the right direction. I mean, you can't force them to eat food, it's a natural process.