help!

[mummytopoppy1]

I have just started giving my DD some tasters of purees this week, she has so far enjoyed a little bit of carrot, some sweet potato, and some apple. I've been giving her this about 11.30am a while after milk, and before a nap.

She has her milk feeds normally at approx. 7, 10, 1.30-2, 5, and 6.30 and they are nearly always 7oz. She doesn't feed during the night.

My question is, when does solid food become a proper meal, and when do I start to cut back on milk? My (well meaning) MIL says that I would give her a proper lunch soon, and reduce the milk feed prior to or after this feed, but I just have no idea. She is always very hungry at 7 and 10am and I think it would be a struggle to cut milk from 10am. Should she have breakfast? I just don't get it - I don't understand when you increase solid food, at what time, and when you reduce milk. Help!!

Don't worry. Our mums (and MILs) weaned us around 3 months, so prepare for lots of comments about how 'late' your LO is eating solids.

About 6 months babies start tasting and trying food. Some will eat huge amounts, and start having full meals very quickly and drop bottles. Others will play with it for six months before they 'get it'. The easiest thing to do is offer finger foods and purees whenever you are eating (so probably just breakfast and lunch for a while) and take your cue from her. When she gets the hang of it, start waiting for her to ask for her bottles.

It could be days, it could be months...

What age is she?

you can increase food when you want and she will naturally cut down on milk as she takes more solids - you dont have to work out amounts to cut down as she will do it herself. At first solids are more about introducing new tastes and texture and not for filling her up so milk intake should remain the same as before. Don't worry and be guided by her.

I would just follow her cues with the solids and if she wants more, give more. In time and when she's getting a good variety of nutrients from her solids, she'll reduce her milk intake. DS did this at about 9 months btw. You don't say how old she is but definitely don't reduce her milk before 6 months as she won't be able to replace the calories and nutrients in her milk with the fairly limited range of solids she can have.

It's good to get breakfast established, offer porridge or weetabix mixed with breast milk/formula/whole milk. DD likes a bit of lightly buttered toast to wave around and chew on as well
A good breakfast after the 7am bottle should mean that you can push the 10am bottle a bit later and incorporate it into lunch at 11.30.
If you've only recently started weaning then you probably haven't introduced protein yet. I didn't start cutting down DD's 11.30am bottle until she was having a good portion of protein at that time. I then cut back the milk 30ml every few days and offered it halfway through the meal - one day I substituted cooled boiled water and that was the end of that milk feed!
It is important that you increase the other bottles though - she should stil have 500-600ml of milk a day (I think, better check that)
My DD's pattern is (she's 9m): 7am bottle (210ml) followed by breakfast; 11.30am lunch with water; 2.30pm bottle (180ml); 5pm tea with water; 7pm bottle (210ml)

HTH