Breakfast isn't happening here (7MO) - is this a problem?

[Essie3]

He's doing well on eating, and is exclusively bfed otherwise.
Routine :
8am wake up and bf
11.30 lunch
[12-12.30 bf if I'm around]
3.30 snack often cereal
4-4.30 bf
6 tea or dinner (!)
7.30-7.45 bf

(also, alas bf at 11.30 and 4am)

We've tried breakfast but he just isn't interested. We've tried yoghurt (which he loves), and various baby porridges which he hates. On a good day it's half a pot, on a bad day it's nowt, and there are more bad days than good.
My suspicion is that the first bf is too close to breakfast time.

Does this matter at all? Should I do something or just carry on without forcing the breakfast issue?

I don't think he's hungry because of the 11.30 and 4am bfs. Until he is hungry, he won't get into a sensible eating routime and he won't increase the quantities of solids. His late tea means he won't be having a huge bf at 7.30 so he is less likely to go through the night. But it's horrid letting them cry for a night feed, isn't it? I've had to do it with all 3 of my DDs. I even brought in a bottle at the 6.30pm feed so I could see what they ate. My friends HV said dropping the 11pm feed would (within a few days) stop the night waking. Sounded odd, but it has worked for us both. Must confess, after a horrid time with first DD I went on to Gina Ford (despite thinking it was v regimented) and things settled down within days. Good luck, whatever you try.

Essie we used to feed DD at 7 with milk and then she would have breakfast about 8-8.30 so she was hungry.

Can you try a top-up after your 7:30pm bf? I always offer a formula top-up after the last bf and dd practically inhales it. Also, instead of a snack at 3:30pm, you could give some milk around 2:30 and move tea a bit earlier (what daftbat suggested) so that he'll take more milk before bed.

he only needs to be trying food at this point, not getting much nutrition from it, or replacing milk feeds
milk is still most important thing until age 1 at least
so i would just let him gum on a piece of fruit, or wave a crust around, to keep you company at the table, and not worry about what is actually going in

milk feeds always come first for the time being - you are doing the right thing

dd is 9 months and having no where near this much food - spoonfeeding is always a screaming fight. She likes to gum on a piece of toast at lunch and evening, and i give her bits of my food at other times but is just not very interested. I do almost forcefeed her some baby rice in the morning as worried she has so little solids, but at 7 months i really wouldn't worry.

ruty have you read on the kellymom site about milk being much more important at this stage, or on blw site about letting them go at their own pace? i know food is such a worrying subject, but it would be so much nicer for you if you could relax a little bit

• the screaming fight sounds horrid for you

if this helps: starting solids gradually

also mentions that food allergies may cause babies to refuse food until they are older - this may have a protective effect
my friend experienced this with her son

Thanks, all - I had a suspicion that it made very little difference really, and just because I can't leave the house without breakfast it doesn't mean he can't - he has milk for breakfast!

daftbat interesting what you say about the night feeds. We're about to try to drop the middle of the night one (we want him happy and settled in nursery before we do that and he's only been there a week and a half) and I'm due to see my HV - she's brilliant, but pregnant and sick and has cancelled twice due to scans and sickness. But maybe the 11am feed is the one to drop first?

Thanks franny, yes, probably a very bad idea to get into a screaming fight with her, but she is really happy not to eat anything ever. Thanks for that link, reassuring. Because ds had food allergies i was trying to keep her off gluten and dairy, but of course the one thing she likes to eat [after grabbing ds's] is toast and butter! So i've kind of let her take what she wants. [sorry for hijack]

She's crawling all over the place though so unhindered by lack of food it seems! Hope your boys ok...