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Weaning

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

9.5 months, still not eating much

4 replies

leftangle · 08/02/2010 20:22

Very keen now to cut down on the breastfeeding, especially at night but dd just isn't getting the hang of eating.
We started with blw but she only really eats bread, rice cakes, corn snack things and apples so after about a month we started on purees and cereal. She now has ready brek or weatabix for breakfast, blw lunch which is mostly breadsticks whatever we offer her and then fruit puree with youghut for tea - but not much. I always offer more interesting purees with meat and cheese and thing but she's not having any of it.
So we are still doing 3 daytimes breastfeeds and one formula feed and 2 nighttime feeds. I'm tired and have to go back to work soon.
She is a good weight though slipping from 50th to 25 percentile and full of energy.
She seems to enjoy mealtimes and usually tries things before rejecting them! Her poos are adult style now. She just still seems to be drinking a massive amount of milk and not eating any calories or protein.
Help (sorry for the lenght of this).

OP posts:
DeirdreB · 08/02/2010 21:22

My HV recommended cutting down breastfeeding at 8 months and letting the food follow. I was feeding 3 times in the day and 2 3 4 several times at night. Her suggestion was to reduce to morning and evening only. We also had sleeping issues so were trying to help DS settle himself without feeding. His appetite did improve alot!!

leftangle · 09/02/2010 12:17

Thanks - did you just stop completely on the daytime feeds? Can you settle without feeding if they are hungry - she won't take water at night though I keep trying?

OP posts:
DeirdreB · 09/02/2010 12:39

I was feeding at 7, sometimes at 11, at 3 (ish) and at bed time. Then around 10/11 and once more in the night. I continued to feed at 7 (or earlier, when he woke up) and about an hour before bed time so it was not settling him to sleep. This helps with the middle of the night settling. I continued with the 10pm feed for a week or so, but stopped the later feeds. Then dropped the 10pm so he was never settled with a feed. I'm not sure I would bother with water.

Settling without feeding was really hard but did work with time. We shushed and patted and stayed with DS until he "settled himself", then gradually withdrew. Took about 6 weeks and felt like it was going no where for a while!! (He was waking up to 10 times in the night and really hard to settle even with a feed, but your DD sounds like she alrealy has some settling skills so "should" be easier!)

In theory, reducing the little meals (additional breastfeeds) should increase her appetite at meal times and sleep routine should follow. Though as I said, I've read all the theories and this was my third and unfortunately, all babies are individuals and not everything works in the same way for every baby!!

Good Luck!

leftangle · 09/02/2010 13:00

Thanks, she does settle well after a feed at night so I have been taking the easy option and giving her a breast but I think I'm going to have to go for it and try and get to go without.
Thank for your support

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