'Established on solids'?

[terrier2]

What do you class as being fully established on solids? I have 7 mo dd and am looking to start cutting out the 10.30pm dreamfeed (approx. 4oz), but am scared to do so, as I'm quite happy with how her nights are at the moment (sleeps from 6.30pm to approx 6.30am with 10.30 dreamfeed). I have read on other threads before to wait to cut nightfeeds until established on solids. She now has 3 meals a day, when I say meals I mean more like 3 opportunities to eat as much as she would like.
Her daily intake is for example
Breakfast: 1/3 weetabix with bit of milk, a bit of fruit, bit of yoghurt.
Lunch: Some mini rice cakes/crackers/half toast, bit of cheese or ham, fruit or cucumber.
Dinner: mash with meat mixed in/good helping of homemade dinner eg chicken casserole, some veggies, bit of fruit or yoghurt.
Would you consider this intake as ready to cut out dreamfeed? (she doesn't wake up expecting it or anything although haven't tried NOT giving it IYSWIM).

I'd try cutting the dreamfeed by an oz and see what happens!

I'm in a similar position with my 6.5 month old, he eats similar amounts to your dd, plus 5 breastfeeds a day and a formula dreamfeed - at the moment he takes anything between 3.5oz and 7oz at that feed though so it's hard to know if he's ready to cut it down yet.

MoonUnitAlpha - think I will start cutting by an oz. Just done dreamfeed now though and she took nearly 6oz! And she stops when she's had enough so she's not taking it just because it's there. 6oz is quite significant really. Although I do wonder if we cut out the dreamfeed perhaps they would compensate by having more during the day? As dd has been cutting her daytime milk feeds week by week since we started weaning, so there is room for her to build that up again instead of the dreamfeed? I might leave it a bit longer as too scared to mess with it, it's not a problem to do it, but would quite like to 'switch off' from duties for the whole evening, rather than have it hanging over me. 10.30pm comes round fast! Maybe they will self wean?? [wishful thinking emoticon]

My ds took 6oz last night and just over 3oz tonight! I'll have to see what time he wakes up in the morning though, last night he wanted feeds at 4am and 6.30am before getting up for the day at 8.30am, so we're all over the place at the moment.

I cut out DS's dreamfeed at a similar age. I gradually reduced the bottle down to 3oz (from 6oz) and then one day just stopped completely. It took a couple of days for him to stop waking up early, but it was fine after that. He's on a slightly different meal schedule, as he's in creche - breakfast, hot lunch, fruit in the afternoon. When I dropped the dreamfeed, I then introduced a small snack/tea around 5.15pm (when we get back from creche) of something like cheese on toast or scrambled egg, to help fill him up. DS was always a big boy though, and has a big appetite!

Thanks for the reply amyboo, it's reassuring to know that I'm thinking along the right lines. Might just give it a couple more weeks til she's eating larger portions (the amount has been gradually increasing naturally over the last 6 weeks) and then start cutting it down. Will be prepared for some early starts. Am hoping the dreaded 8 month sleep regression will pass us by too, but that's another topic!

A friend of mine droped this feed by watering down the formula, ie keeping the amount of water the same but adding one less scoop of powder. Once it got down to half strength their DD stopped waking for it.

With DS2 - bfed so the above method not an option - I brought the feed forward by half an hour every few days. The night subsequently got 'longer' and he took less because he'd only just finished his bedtime feed, IYSWIM. By the time the feed got to about 8.30 - 9 pm, we dropped it with no problems.

A couple of ideas for you anyway. I don't think she's too young to try. Good luck