Should I substitute food for a milk feed at 7 months?

[Frenchsticker]

DD has just turned 7 months and we're doing a mixture of purées and finger foods. Trying not to be too offended that she prefers Ella's Kitchen to my purées... She's enthusiastic about porridge and fruit for breakfast, the rest is a bit hit and miss (she'll basically eat anything as long as it's mushed up and plonked on top of a bit of bread, but she's not taking in huge amounts. Some days she'll hardly have anything).

Anyway, our pre-weaning day went like this:

7am bf
11am bf
2pm formula 200ml
5pm bf
7pm formula 200ml
1030pm bf
3am-ish bf

So now I've introduced breakfast at 8am, lunch at 1230pm and tea somewhere around the 5pm milk feed.

My question is: do I drop one of these milk feeds? It seems like I'm always either feeding her or giving her milk but the HV said they still need pretty much all their nutrition from milk until they're a year old. Now, whether I can get her to drop the night feeds is for another thread...

[BeauNatt]

I didn't. I think the advice is correct. I know at first it feels like you're constantly feeding her but it soon becomes part of your own mealtime routine, especially if you can get her to share some of your meal. Feed milk on demand and you'll find she chooses to feed less herself by around 10mo in my admittedly limited experience! Hang in there!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

If you feel like you are constantly feeding her and something has to go, I'd only offer solids once or twice a day. According to the NHS you should gradually build upto 3 meals a day between 8 and 9 months. You might also find So how do we get started with solids useful

[Frenchsticker]

Thanks for the replies, I'll keep at it. I've actually started to enjoy breastfeeding after a very tough first few months so I shoudn't really moan about it!

[Phineyj]

My DD also prefers Ella's to my purees, especially the veg ones! I expect their texture is perfect and they can buy the nicest fruit and veg etc. mind you, I also prefer COOK meals to my own cooked ones and M&S cakes to my bad ones .

I have had some success with mixing fruit puree with thick Greek style yoghurt -- I am hoping if DD will eat more dairy then she will want less milk. I am also finding it hard to cut down milk, but friends with slightly older babies have reassured me that it happens of its own accord.