When do you start offering food first?

[NuzzleandScratch]

Just started weaning dd2 at 6 months, going really well. We're doing homemade purées, & she's tried lots of different fruit & veg, & also purées with cod and with chicken. She's also had cereal with milk & banana for the past 3 days.

So I know she shouldn't cut down her milk feeds just yet, and at the moment I'm always offering a bf first, but I'm wondering when you start giving solids first? Is it when they start eating more? She's only eating small amounts at the moment, but I suppose this will increase soon. I just feel there's so much to fit in the day now, with milk & solid feeds! (plus trying & failing to get her to nap/sleep at all!).

The current advice is to offer milk an hour before solids until they are one. If you are having difficulty fitting it all in I'd drop a meal rather than a bf. she's still so young and needs the milk much more than she needs the solids.

Thanks, somehow the books I've read don't explain this. So it could work out that she alternates solid & milk feeds? Prior to weaning, she was feeding every 2 and a half hrs or so, but I can't say she's wildly enthusiastic about milk, & often doesn't seem to take much. She's tracking her centile line anyway, which I suppose is the main thing. The only thing is that I'll be going back to work when she's 8 and a half months, mostly 1 day a week, but sometimes 2 or 3, so she needs to manage on solids only during the day in those days (will obviously still feed morning & evening). I have already done all this with dd1, but still find myself a bit confused!

2 months is a long time and things could really change in that time, just look at the 4 month pictures

She'll have two options anyway. She can eat or just wait for mum

Yes, you're right that 2 months is a long time! With dd1, I went back 2 days a week when she was 9 and a half months, & by that point, she was on a morning & evening bf, + one mid afternoon on my days off. So are you saying that they will drop the milk feeds by themselves? It's not so bad if I'm at home, but if we're out, it could end up an endless round of feeding!

Hi JiltedJohnsJulie, I don't know if you're still reading this thread, but just wanted your thoughts on dd2 today. Despite me offering milk first, she has refused a number of attempts for me to bf her today!

She had her usual good feed upon waking, at about 7am (both sides). I was going to give her bfast at about 9, but with dd1 distracting me, this didn't happen, so I offered her another bf at 10, which she refused. So she then had about 1/4 Oatibix with whole milk + apple purée at 10.30. I was worried she hadn't bf for so long, so tried to bf her again at 12, which she refused again. She eventually did bf at 1. She nodded off, then we had to go out, so we didn't bother with any solids for lunch. I then offered her a bf at 3, she wasn't keen, but had a little. Then at 4.30pm, she had a homemade lentil, pepper, sweet potato & tomato purée, which she loved! I offered her another bf recently, which she refused (although this I can understand, as she may be full from dinner).

I'm a little mystified. It's not like she's refused to bf having filled up on solids. Is this what they call a nursing strike? She seems very happy, & has been pooing & weeing normally all day!