7mth old (bf baby) - how much solids and when?

[sjv]

my dd hasn't been sleeping well for a while now, i think it started when she first showed signs of wanting solids but i delayed this for a few weeks until she was 6 mths . things still haven't settled down but my HV tried to reassure me that it was still fairly early days so to try to grin and bear it. i'm hoping this is the case as i don't want to have to resort to cc as i don't think this treats the underlying cause...but lets not get side tracked by that!

anyway, HV has suggested putting lunch back and bringing tea (and therefore bedtime) forward which makes sense but also to cut out mid afternoon bf and nap which seems a bit odd. still, some mealtimes are still a battle and i'm wondering if sometimes she's not quite hungry enough or maybe i'm just trying to feed her too much. maybe i'm still not feeding her the right things - is there a food which aids sleep?

can other bf mums let me know the times of feeds and naps (+ length) and if you know the quantities of solids as i really could do with a guide right now. this is all starting to get me down a bit but if i'm happier that i'm feeding her correctly then i'll be happier to grin and bear the poor sleep.

thanks!

[mandymac]

Like you I weaned my bf dd at 6 months and so 7 months was still very early days. I think we were still experimenting with various pureed veg and fruit at that stage and thickening with baby rice. At 7 months, my DD was on 3 pretty small meals a day, maybe 4 icecubes of apple or pear puree for breakfast. 6 or 7 cubes of lunch (mixed vegs purees mixed with baby rice). Tea was a bit more fruit puree or baby rice. Sometimes she really wasn't that interested, but at this stage I was reassured that food was really just for tasting, not really to supply much in the way of nutrients as breastmilk is still doing that job. Sleep wise, she would have 30 - 60 mins at 9am and 1 to 2 hours at 12pm. She had pretty much dropped her afternoon nap unless her lunchtime nap was really short. Bed time was about 7pm.

She was in nursery then, but if it helps, milkfeeds were as follows:

7am - Breastfeed
10.30am - 5oz ebm
2.30pm - 5oz ebm
5.30 - Breastfeed
6.30pm - Breastfeed
10.00pm - Dreamfeed (although we dropped this at about this age)
and sometimes a feed in the middle of the night.

Sorry to say that DDs sleep got a bit worse once I started weaning, but I think that was more to do with colds she caught at nursery and the onset of teething. Apparently carbs are better as the last meal of the day to help sleep - but maybe google this, as I am no nutritionist!

We did try and avoid introducing new foods at teatime just incase they upset her digestion or caused tummyache (following a bad experience with Mango).

hth

[Thomcat]

I'm not only breastfeeding anymore, gone onto mixing but thought I'd post anyway.

7am - breastfed
10am - formla - 200ml
12.30 ish - about 3 / 4 ice cubes woth of solid food or half a banana and soem suashed blueberries or a peach siced up etc. and some milk
3 ish - 200ml formula
5ish - same a lunch
7pm - breastfeed and bed

[Thomcat]

Oh and sorry, she's 8 months now.

Toay she had 4 icecubes wrt of fish, spinach and potato for tea and lunch was half a banana, about 10 blueberries and 3 twigglets.

oh and for breakfast which `i forgot to mention, she's gone off cereal so had a slice of wholemeal toast with her milk.

[lilstarry1]

My little girl is 7 months and this is our general pattern, it is definitely working for us...

7am - up
7:45 Breast feed
8-15: 1 weetabix/porridge
9-10 nap
11: Breast feed
12 - Lunch (sometimes she eats lots, sometimes she eats little). I always give her something to feed herself with as well!
1-2:30 nap
4 - Breast feed
4:30 - 5 nap (some days!)
5:30: Dinner
7: Bottle and bed (she has 5 oz of formula most nights!)
10-30: Dream feed.

Am contemplating removing the dream feed! She certainly gets plenty to eat, and is actually not that big for her age!

We found if Bee was overtired she didn't sleep well at night - she needs at least 2 maybe 2.5 hours of sleep during the day! As for amounts of food - it varies. I try and encourage her to eat, but if she doesn't I make it clear that dinner is over, leave it a little while and then breast feed her.

I wouldn't fret about her getting enough, they soon let you know! It is fine for her to be getting more milk than anything else, so if she seems hungry just feed her.

A routine is always nice, but ours goes out of the window almost every other day. The important thing is to ensure she gets plenty of sleep and enough milk!
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