6 months - what balance solids / breast milk?

[GlassSlipper]

My DD is 6 months.

She is happily eating 3 meals a day of pureed food and I'm already starting to supplement the pureed food with my food. Eg, yesterday DD had some of my ciabatta (purely by accident but sucked every inch of it)and she has tried banana and toast. veggies come this week. She can sit unaided, pick up the food and put it in her mouth (mostly )

Anyway, I digress.

My question is how much should I be breastfeeding as well as feeding. At the moment I give breastmilk before every meal. So her feeding goes something like this :

7.00 milk then breakfast
9.45 milk
12.30 milk then lunch
3.15 milk
5.45 milk then dinner
7.30 milk

Should I start giving milk after the meal, replace with water, or carry on as I am. Should milk be totally seperate from the 3 daily meals? I cant remember what I did with DD1.

Advice appreciated.

Hi, One of the most valuable things I was told was that to think about food as supplementing the milk, there are more caleries in milk than in pureed veggies etc. and until they reach one milk is what should consitute most of their diet. With that in my mind I suddenly didn't worry if food was rejected etc.

I read some amazing things about baby-led weaning, and as long as you are closely watching you can let her try what every she wants (within reason) babies tend to have an amazing ability to eat what they need. I used to offer an array of bits and bobs and just see he wanted anything. I followed a lot more relaxed eating attitude with my second and he was never really bothered by soilds until around 10 months, I also didn't worry about pureeing anything, some things used to get a bit mashed, but I just used to watch him, he enjoyed his breast milk, which is so perfect for our children. He is a lot less fussy about food than my eldest is, although he is pretty good for a 3 yr old anyway, and I'm sure its because I didn't push anything.

Everyone has different approaches to this and you'll soon find what works best for you. I tended to feed milk about an hour/ 45 mins before food and then offered water with the meal and then offered milk after if he wanted. I was very baby-led in it all.

I'm off for dinner so sorry for the short reply.

yummbunnymummy. thanks for the advice. It is my aim to stick with the breastfeeding. No question about that. I guess Ive been quite shocked by how much this LO wants /loves /needs proper food compared to my other DD.

until she's 1 - breast milk only. You shouldn't need to supplement with water. Between 9-10 months you'll be introducing protein and this is when she'll start the switch over of getting most of her calories from solid food and 'topping up' with breast milk.

Always BF on demand - don't start to regiment her milk feeds. As she starts to sit up and move around more, she may get thirsty and want to have snacky feeds. Don't worry about this (damn irritating though it is!).

What I'm doing with DS2 (8mo) is BF on demand and also having him in his high chair at our mealtimes. He gets scraps of fruit and veg thrown at him, but nothing specially made for him.

Do be very carefull that you're not over-feeding at this stage - she's very young and food should just be wee tasters at this stage.

thanks highlander. I still feed on demand. yesterday she had about 8 milk feeds which i put down to the heat.

Ny DS is 6 mths also, and is doing a pretty similar routine, though formula fed as I am back at work.

As I understand it, their milk is the most important thing in the first year, and food should be in addition to this, so I wouldn't cut back on bf's at all.

thanks pistachio. agree about the cup. dd1 went straight from breast to cup and i want dd2 to be the same.

I would keep the milk feeds as they are (as long as you and your lo are happy with them)but at meal times offer a cup with water in so your lo can play with it and get used to it and even take a few sips. My ds has been able to use his since 6 months (a lidded tommee tippee first cup). He has also had protein since around 6.5months