How much food/milk at what age?

[silverten]

Have started weaning my daughter and she's loving the food, so no problems there. I'm still breastfeeding, we do about 3/4/5 feeds a day depending on what's going on and what she wants, in addition to three decent-sized solid meals. She's nine months old now and I'm going back to work when she's a year old.

I'd much prefer to give her breastmilk for as long as she needs milk in addition to other foods, and I'm trying to work out what quantity of milk she is likely to need in the next three months so as to try and prepare for my return to work. It would be great if I could persuade her to only have a morning and evening breastfeed, cos then I can continue with these for as long as is necessary without having to faff about expressing milk at work.

Does anyone know of any information on how many breastfeeds/solid feeds are recommended at certain ages?? I can't find out anything that helps me work out if I can realistically start trying to drop the daytime breastfeeds now- or whether it is realistic to hope that I can just do the two feeds morning and evening at 12 months.

My daughter is currently 6 months old, and I intend to go back to work part time when she is 10 months. I would like to continue bf until she is at least 1, so I asked my health visitor how many milk feeds I could expect her to need by 10 months. She said that by then it would definitely be fine to just breast feed her morning and evening, so no need to express, which I was pleased about, so long as she's having dairy during the day, such as yoghurt or cheese. Hope this helps.

My little one is 9 months and I just feed her morning and evening. I do give her milk during the day but from a cup, and I think sheprobably only takes a few ounces at a time.

She dropped daytime feeds herself. Just lost interest. Maybe yours will self-wean soon too?

lazzaroo - babies v. rarely self-wean before 2 years. The fact that you're offering milk from a cup is encouraging early weaning. See www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/babyselfwean.html

silverten, there is no point worrying about it now - enjoy your maternity leave. Your baby, as with many babies before her, will be fine catching up on breastfeeding when you finish work for the day. :)

The WHO says breastmilk should be 100% of a baby's nutrition up till 6 months, 50% of their nutrition between 6 and 12 months and a third of their nutrition between 12 and 24 months.

Early self-weaning from the breast can be linked with introducing solids too soon or offering solids before milk. Here.

Milk is obviously important but I think the first thing in the morning and last thing at night are the ones where they take the most after 6 months.

My DS is almost 7 months and only has one day time feed (4pm) as he just isn't interested since being on 3 meals a day. I even kind of make him have the 4pm one (BF) as I know he needs the milk but he doesn't ask for it. I have tried all sorts of things but this is the time he will take it.

I think he has quite a lot first thing (BF) and I give him 250mls of formula before bed so personally I think this is fine for us.

He sleeps well and is very happy. However, it is almost impossible to feed him during the day as he is WAY too interested in everything and has a paddy if I try to feed him and I end us sitting there with my boob out wondering if he will get interested again soon.

Hi,

I would say morning and night would definitely be fine (nutrition-wise) from 12 months. At that age I'm presuming she will be able to have some cow's milk during the day anyway from about that point?

My DS had formula from 7 months but I went back to work at 10 months. By then DS had formula 2x a day (8oz each) plus milk during the day at nursery (in cereal etc) and he was fine.