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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

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Original poster

Am I getting the BF/food balance right?

29 replies

Stefka · 12/05/2008 13:21

My DS is six and a half months and we are well into weaning. I have no need to or desire to rush the cutting down of BF but it seems to be happening on its own. I am worried that he might not be getting enough milk though - how can I tell if I am getting the balance right. I don't have a routine as such but a pattern has emerged over the last couple of weeks.

Early morning (4/5ish) - BF
Breakfast - 8
BF - 10am
Lunch 12:30 followed by BF although he's not too interested in this - he does have a wee drink though
Snack (a rusk or some kind of finger food) - 3pm
Tea - 4:30 (I was offering a BF after this but he never wanted it)
Before bed/supper - 7pm

He also wakes up in the night a couple of times usually and feeds then. Should I be trying to get him to BF more?

OP posts:

Lulumama · 12/05/2008 13:25

personally i would not give a snack at 3, but offer a breastfeed, as otherwise he is not getting a breastfeed from 1o am until the evening...also, offer, the breastfeed before the food.

at 6.5 months, you are only just really starting on introducing food, there is no hurry to get onto 3 meals a day too quickly, at this stage it is more about textures and tastes than big meals...

Seona1973 · 12/05/2008 13:39

At 6 1/2 months my ds had this sort of routine (he was formula fed but I dont suppose that matters too much)

7am - milk
8am - breakfast
11am - milk
12pm - lunch
3pm - milk
5pm - dinner
7.15pm - milk
in the night till 8 months - milk

I didnt offer ds a snack until he started dropping his mid-morning ad mid-afternoon milk feeds (around 9/10 months) and then the sncak and a drink of water replaced them. I also always split up the milk from the solids so that he didnt drop his milk too quickly but still had room for his meals.

You could you try offering a top up breastfeed of milk before breakfast and substitute the 3pm snack with a breastfeed if you feel your lo isnt taking enough milk during the day at present.

Original poster

Stefka · 12/05/2008 13:45

He gets a BF at lunch time so he is getting one between 10 and the evening. I will add one in the afternoon.

OP posts:

twinkleymum · 13/05/2008 20:41

Seona1973, where did you fit naps into this routine? It sounds quite good to me. Sorry to interupt thread but I'm also trying to sort out weaning with my 6mo, not having much success.

SenoraPostrophe · 13/05/2008 20:44

all ok, but I would give the lunchtime bf before lunch and before tea until at least 9 months. he doesn't even need to be on 3 solid meals a day yet.

Pannacotta · 13/05/2008 20:46

Think you are generally advised to give a milk feed before solids/meals until 1 year.

twinkleymum · 13/05/2008 20:57

If I give milk first my DD wont eat anything. Then she's hungry again a bit later and cries for another bf. My hv suggested food first in order to increase her intake and improve sleeping at night, is this bad advice? Dont mean to hijack thread, sorry x

Original poster

Stefka · 13/05/2008 21:16

Same here twinkleymum - if I give him BF first he won't eat anything else. I was doing it that way because that is what the HV said to do - said the meals should start to take over. Ah it is all so confusing!!

I offered him a feed at three and he wasn't interested. His lunch was late though so that is maybe why.

OP posts:

Pannacotta · 13/05/2008 21:22

Milk is supposed to be the main source of nutrition for the first year.
Not meaning to sound rude but HVs are not always that well informed about feeding issues, often their training is a bit out of date.
Eating food rather than milk wont have much effect on sleeping.
Some useful info here:
www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-how.html

SenoraPostrophe · 13/05/2008 21:27

milk does have more nutrients than food though. if solids make that much differnec can you feed on one side, then give solids? def a good idea to give milk before solids.

DisplacementActivity · 13/05/2008 21:29

Message withdrawn

IAteRosemaryConleyForBreakfast · 13/05/2008 21:31

Offering a BF first is fine. It doesn't matter how much, if any, food your baby eats at 6.5 months. It's all about giving them opportunities to try out new tastes and textures. I have been approaching weaning for a baby-led perspective which has helped me to chill out about DS's intake, but I think regardless of how you do it it's really vital not to stress about how much your child is eating, because the aim of the game is to make mealtimes relaxed and positive.

Personally we haven't much of a routine and some days he eats next to nothing. If he's tired or unwell for example, he BFs more and eats less. Sometimes he goes to be without dinner cos he's tired. It all depends. No stress though

luvaduck · 13/05/2008 21:32

displacement
do you mean in the evening she sleeps for 45 mins and then you offer another feed (milk or solid?) before nighttime sleep???
if so ds does exactly the same. weird.

Original poster

Stefka · 13/05/2008 21:38

DS has certainly been sleeping longer since I started too wean which is soooo nice!!! He only ever takes one side at a time. Where I am they are very pro BF so I am surprised that my is giving bad advice. I feel very stressed about weaning in general I have to say. We had got into a nice little pattern and now I feel all stressed about it being wrong and him not getting enough. He does seem to enjoy his food at least - especially if it is pudding!

OP posts:

Pannacotta · 13/05/2008 21:43

Stefka I do agree with the others who say to try not to worry and enjoy weaning if you can.
If you do offer milk first then your baby will get the necessary nutrients.
Have a look at Aitchs website for good down to earth advice:
babyledweaning.com

IAteRosemaryConleyForBreakfast · 13/05/2008 21:49

I think some HVs think that if you don't enforce it babies will continue to subsist on milk forever. Of course this is not true, because as they get older they change and they will want to experiement and try out foods for themselves. Nourishment and fun are the important things, so milk for nourishment and food for fun (until they're one, isn't that right Aitch?!)

DisplacementActivity · 13/05/2008 22:12

Message withdrawn

luvaduck · 14/05/2008 00:38

us too! (think i get what you mean...)

i think i need to wean him off the habit though as need to clean those teeth - 45 mins after teeth cleaning he's having a BF again so defeats the object

does she settle straight away after that feed (in other words
630feed - small, 7pm sleep 745 wake up another feed sleepagain 815ish)

i think its because his sleep cycle is 45 mins and he wakes up before realising its time for his longer sleep...and i got into the habit of feeding him as for while he wasn't taking muhc...now its habit

luvaduck · 14/05/2008 00:42

just re read your post displacement - think you mean in the daytime - so think it os only us with our weird evenings!

thread hijack over....

JodieG1 · 14/05/2008 00:47

My ds2 is 16 months and has lots of bm still. Two/three times a night, more some nights, 5/6am, 10/11am and mid afternoon, before bed also. He eats well most of the time too.

twinkleymum · 14/05/2008 08:44

I thought that it was important my DD started eating solids as my iron supply would be running out in breast milk. Should I worry about this or not stress that my DD doesn't seem interested in food at 6mo?

DisplacementActivity · 14/05/2008 10:38

Message withdrawn

twinkleymum · 14/05/2008 10:45

Can I give her finger foods at 6mo? I'm terrified she will choke on something. I've given her the spoon to play with and she stuck it right down her throat gagged and then poked it in her eye. That was the end of that. I dont know why I find the whole feeding thing so stressful, hopefully one day I'll look back and wonder what I was so uptight about

Original poster

Stefka · 14/05/2008 10:49

I give my baby finger foods - just always stay with him. He's had bits of toast and pitta bread with butter, bits of potato and bits of our pasta. He tends to just suck on them mainly but he enjoys himself.

OP posts:

twinkleymum · 14/05/2008 10:52

Pannacotta, just read the kellymom link, it was very useful, I'll try not to worry about lack of interest in solids now, thanks x

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