Why has NHS advice changed?

[testy1997]

Weaning my baby and she is 6 months. I see the NHS guidance now says to offer food before milk.. why is this the case? I'm worried my baby isn't drinking enough milk and thought food before one was for fun so why would it come before milk?

I don't think it really matters too much to be honest. I think the logic is that babies will be too full from milk to be bothered by food. But to be honest, by the time my second came along I just plonked her in the highchair and offered food whenever She took to food just fine!

I took more heed about making sure she had iron rich foods etc.

@headcheffer is it a problem if they drop too much milk is my question I suppose? In that if it's food before milk then is it expected my LO is less interested in her bottle?

The advice was food at 6 months baby rice then milk for starting when mine were little. They are 18 and 15 now.
I actually weaned them at 4 months because that's what my mum and my friends did and the advice had fairly recently changed from 4 months .
I don't think 'food is for fun before 1' has ever been official advice.

Since when? It was milk before food last year ?

Food before one isn't for fun, there's no NHS guidance that says this. It's just one of those annoying, incorrect sayings people trot out.

Food before one provides vital nutrients your baby does not get enough of through breast milk or formula alone, for example, iron.

Also the guidance hasn't changed, it's common sense if you fill the baby with milk they won't be very motivated to eat food. Just do a bit of both your baby will be fine.

If it's worrying you that much don't follow the advice and give her milk first just because the NHS says it you still have to use your instincts as well

Food first in the ‘moment’ otherwise they won't take the milk. Milk is still the main source of nutrients.

They need around 22oz in 24 hours if bottle fed 4 to 6 breast feeds ....dairy products like cheese and yoghurt count

I think at the beginning it’s fine just to feed them whenever suits you. It’s more important to prioritise food once they are closer to 12 months as you wouldn’t want to go straight from mostly milk to mostly food. I started prioritising food from around 10 months.

I think I started mine off on one small dish a day at 6 months and gradually increased the food and decreased the milk. By the time he was one we dropped formula and started giving him a cup of cows milk every morning instead and he was eating 3 meals plus snacks.

I never subscribed to food is for fun before 1 as I couldn't afford the waste and my son has always been big so I wanted him to have lots of food and nutrients!

Food isn’t really for fun before one - it’s better if they can crack on and wean well. However that saying is there because equally before one if it’s not going well and they still have loads of milk and supplements it’s not going to harm.

I always offered food first. If weaning goes well there’s no need for them to have tons of milk age 9 months plus - 2-3 feeds a day more than adequate

I didn't give food with milk. I gave milk then gave solids an hour or more afterwards (kids are 17 and 20). You don't need them to drop milk too quickly as it's still important up until 1 year.