Confused first time mamma

[thisfridayfeeling]

I've recently started weaning my 6.5 month old. I'm very much winging it. We're following BLW and she's taken to it pretty well but I'm confused about a few things.

Times - we don't have any set routine and the time she has her solids (which is usually after her first nap) depends on what time she woke up, nap time, nap length, what we're doing and so on. I can guarantee it's at a different time each day. Is that OK? Everything I read says to be consistent with times but I just don't see how I can be. It's not like she can tell the time and I'm very much led by her.

Milk feeds - she is fed when she wants, which if I left it completely up to her would probably be from sunrise to sunset some days but it varies each day. Some days she wants to feed before and after a nap and in between, some days not. I don't leave any specific time before/after milk feeds and solids. Should I? Today for example, she woke up from a nap, didn't have any milk, had her solids and as soon as I got her out of the high chair, she wanted boob.

Breakfast - at what point did you introduce a second solid meal? I've been thinking of introducing breakfast but I didn't know whether it's too soon. It's not as if she's eating loads at "lunch" so I don't see what harm it would do. Most of it ends up on the floor/in the dog anyway.

I'd just like some help please, or any stories of how you managed the above things! Thank you x

Hi OP, as far as I know

• different meal times don't matter,

• the recommendation is to give boob before a meal when they're still so young, so that they don't wean off breastmilk too quickly, but I don't think it makes a huge different either way either,

• introduce second/third meal once the previous meal is going well and baby seems happy to eat at the other times too (ie. always fine to try and offer something- as long as you don't force it)

Honestly if she’s happy, feeding and gaining weight normally I think you’re doing absolutely fine.

Just like the others have said

I'd probably introduce another meal at 7 months. The aim is to start offering solids 3 times a day between 8 and 9 months.

Thank you for your comments. They've made me feel a bit better. Her night time sleep has gone to utter shit since turning 6 months so I was thinking maybe I'd done something wrong with weaning.

Her night time sleep has gone to utter shit since turning 6 months so I was thinking maybe I'd done something wrong with weaning. the little buggers do that around 4 and 6 months. Hopefully you'll get her sleep back on track before the next regression at 9 months

People have mostly covered it, but yeah, I wouldn't worry about the timings at all. In fact, by following her lead it's all a lot easier as you're not stressing about needing her to be awake for food at a certain time or whatever.

My daughter always preferred boob over food at this age (and a lot longer!) At this early stage of weaning I think the recommendation is to offer milk first, so that they're not starving hungry at a solid food mealtime. The reason for this is that at this stage with BLW they won't actually be ingesting much, so if they hadn't had a milk feed they might get frustrated and hungry. Also at this age (and for many months) she'll be getting the vast majority of her nutrition and calories from milk so important not to drop milk feeds in favour of solids, though it sounds like she wouldn't let you!

Introduce a second and third meal whenever you fancy! I did quite early because a) she was often sitting with us at the table for mealtimes anyway so it made sense to offer her something too and b) she actually swallowed so little food I wanted to give her more opportunities to eat!

With BLW at this stage it's all about exploring tastes and textures so try to have fun and not worry too much about whether she's actually eating or not!

@PanicBuyingSprouts I thought 4 months was bad but 6 months is a whole different ball game!!

Mine were breastfed and all fell into pretty much the same routines by themselves at 6 months, so easy I still remember it without having to try! milk on waking around 7-7:30ish, short nap somewhere between 8:30-10ish, milk again about 10-10:30. Lunch about 11.30-12ish, followed by nap 12:30-1ish of about 1.5-2hours. Milk on waking about 2-2:30ish. Sometimes a short nap again about 4ish. Milk at bedtime, 6.30ish followed by bed.

I introduced lunch first as it was the time they were most alert. The next meal I introduced was dinner at about 4-4:30ish, only once they were taking in so much food at lunch they dropped that mid afternoon milk themselves, and dropped that late afternoon nap too. Last meal to introduce was the breakfast, again because they dropped that morning milk themselves- not wanting it on waking because I guess they were taking in so much food at dinner and milk the night before.

So eventually by 3 meals a day it was milk with breakfast, milk at bedtime, and when they were ready, milk in a cup with dinner followed by the bath and bed routine.

We did BLW too with all our children, no set ages for doing things, just followed their lead according to how much food they were feeding themselves. My eldest was onto 3 meals and 2 milk feeds by about 9 months, I never bothered writing the others down but they were all different!

Sorry to have to tell you this @thisfridayfeeling but the 9 month one was by far the worst for both of mine.

I've heard that some babies do sail through it though with minimum fuss...

@PanicBuyingSprouts looks like I'm putting concealer and coffee on my Christmas list then!

looks like I'm putting concealer and coffee on my Christmas list then! I'd ask for a couple of IOUs for people to have her for a couple of hours whilst you have a break sleep