6mo DD - how to persuade her to eat a bit more

[stowsettler]

DD is 6mo, but has been having a go on fruit & veg for a few weeks. She is a HUGE milk-lover (FF), taking about 7-8oz 4 times a day (plus a smaller dream feed) - she's very tall and on 91st centile for weight too.

She doesn't really seem bothered about food at all though. She'll have a few spoonfuls of porridge and will play about with fruit, veg, toast, etc but has less interest in food now than she did a month ago.

I know it's early days but should I consider reducing the sizeher milk feeds to encourage more food? Or maybe actually dropping a bottle? ATM she's only having 2 'meals' a day, which I'm planning to increase to 3 per day next week.

TIA

babies don't need to eat food until they are a year old. They get all their nutritional requirements from milk.

Weening is purely to get them used to different tastes and used to the idea of eating.

Relaz and let her keep trying food, but don't see it as 'feeding' her, leave that to the milk.

Exactly as over says but I wouldn't introduce another meal just yet, according to the NHS, the idea is to gradually build up to 3 meals a day between 8 and 9 months. Have a look here.

What is it that is worrying you about her disinterest in solids?

Thanks Julie, I'll hang on then. She's been eating 2 meals for a while now but I'm happy that it's fine to leave it a bit longer before adding another.

I'm not immediately worried exactly - anyone with half a brain can see she's getting plenty of nutrients, she's a chunky little monkey. I'm just a little concerned that she seems to have 'regressed' food-wise from how she was a few weeks ago.

I need to keep remembering what someone said to my sister: "how many three-year-olds do you see still drinking from a bottle?"

I second (third?) the advice to stay cool and keep it slow. DS1 went backwards and forwards in his interest in food until he was over 1 - teething, illness, all sorts of things reduced his "appetite" and still do now (he's 2.3). I eventually relaxed by thinking of mealtimesmore as "sensory play" for a while which included taste and touch in his mouth, as opposed to calorie intake. This amused my family when I'd sing "sensory play" through a fixed grin while chipping dried weetabix off the kitchen floor.

They should build roads with weetabix. It's impossible to get up once it's dried.