Weaning Hell.

[Catchmesomezzzzzzz]

Apologies in advance, I'm sure 80% of the threads on here are similar to what I'm about to write.

My DD is almost 10 months old and combination fed- breast first followed by formula top up. I always thought by this age she would reduce her milk intake but the amount of formula she is needing is just increasing! Her intake of solid foods really vary. Most days she can be super fussy- have a few bites of what I'm giving her with no problem, and then it's as if she realises she is having actual food and just starts fussing and eventually crying in the highchair until I remove her. She will obviously still be hungry and then just gulp down a ton of formula. Going out has also become a mission for us because she is always grumpy/cranky/hangry because she didn't eat properly before we left home, and often ends up in my abandoning the outing or spending the outing trying to feed her and her refusing and melting down. I'm probably getting more stressed than I need to (I hope) (PND/PNA) but I feel as though my entire day revolves around getting her to eat. I try both spoon feeding and BLW.
She does have occasional good days where she will pretty much eat anything and everything and a couple of times has even skipped her last bottle of formula after being breastfed! I just don't know how to make those particular stars align that way repeatedly lol.
She also will come and want to try whatever I'm eating if she is NOT on the highchair and is just playing around. She will come for a bite, go back off to playing then return for more.

My usually routine is breast, followed by solid foods, followed my formula (which I thought would gradually reduce). But now that she barely has much solid food, the volume of formula is just increasing.

I am at my wit's end...please help!

Have you tried feeding solid food around an hour after the milk feed as a seperate event when baby isn't too hungry and isn't too full ?
Perhaps your baby is refusing the solid food as milk is easier and faster sorry if you have tried this already.

Can you drop the breastfeed before the solid feed? X

Food before 1 is for fun - give it in between feeds, when baby isn't very hungry but has some room. Maybe try out of the highchair and on a mat on the floor so she can play around with food like cooked spaghetti and some veg and see what happens

Well she definitely won’t eat if she is full of milk so if you really want her to eat, then do the food separately.

It will all be ok, I don’t know any children that can’t eat by 18, I’m not saying that to be funny, but just take the pressure off yourself. There could be something else going on, some days her gums could be sore or she could have a touch of reflux or just not fancy eating food, as she can’t talk yet you just have to guess. She will eat eventually, and once she is growing ok then she is getting enough. You are doing great.

What type of stuff are you feeding her?

She's maybe feeling your stress and anxiety about the whole thing? Do you eat with her? I agree with PP. give her milk then an hour or so later you can give her food. But eat with her and don't put any pressure on her. Just put some food on her tray and you crack on with eating. Model some good behaviour for her. Praise her when she eats and ignore the fussiness.

She might just need her routine changed a little. She knows if she doesn't eat then she'll get a bottle of milk which is way easier for her.

Honestly my 15mo only really started to eat properly just after he turned 1yo.. before that was just tiny bits of food and he wasn't able to reduce his milk intake for ages. I think all babies have their own timings for things so best not to force it and get stressed. She'll eat in her own tim. Hard not to be worried though. I'd just keep offering. Mine was spoon fed but then decided himself he wanted to feed himself so we've been BLW since.

Oh and he sits at the table with us so I found he was eating much more at dinner time when we all ate together rather than lunch when it was just him in his high chair. Think he likes the social aspect and also copying us eating.

I agree with PPs. I always done milk then food an hour later so milk at 7, 11, 3 and 7 and food at 8, 12 and 5.

When my DD started getting fussy with food and her bedtime bottle I knew it was time to drop a bottle so she then had milk at 7, 1:30 and 7 and food at 8, 11:30 and 5 and she started eating more at each meal.

Agree with eating with her, just set her up in her high chair and eat your food next to her and give her bits of what you’re having to see if that encourages her.

I'd also make sure she'll take some water as sometimes they're are just thirsty. My DD will happily BF and then eat a full breakfast or dinner, but lunch is impossible. So I think it can often be tiredness.

Just stop giving milk. You’re topping her up after meals and then filling her up before her next one even starts.

Also food before 1 is absolutely not just for fun and I’m really sick of seeing that trotted out on these boards. Breastfed babies in particular are at risk of iron deficiency, and iron deficiency in infancy been linked to lower test scores in school-age children. Too much dairy will inhibit the absorption of iron from her food.

Also weaning is an absolute pain in the arse, you have my sympathies!