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H Leanne,
I have a 7.5mth old daughter that has been on solids for about 2mth I have had problems with her filling up on breast milk and not wanting to eat a thing. I had tried everything, spacing the solids out up to an our after her milk feed but no success. With advice, I have since turned it around and am now offering her solids first followed by her milk feed 30min-1 hour later. The problem now is that she won`t drink her milk. It seems as though she is too full or simply doesn`t want it??? I feel as though I can`t win either way. She pulls away and cries after a couple of minutes. Se can go for over four hours without wanting to drink. I know that her milk is so important, this is why it is worrying me slightly. I offer her 4 breast feeds a day and have just started givng three meals. She has also started waking at night for the past 2mths an needing a feed so realistically she is getting 5 breast feeds. Her feeds at night seem much longer than her daytime feeds.
I`m sorry I have written a book! Your advice would be greatly appreciated. I am not sure how to create a good balance.
Thanks
Becs
Sounds like you have a little girl who is enjoying her `food` either way, so that`sa good sign.
Yes you are right breast milk is still her most important food source, but as you know there are foods also important for certin nutrients. Other than that food at his age is really about preparing for whole meals, so working through textures and tastes. It can be a fine balance act as you say.
What I have done is copied in the Karitane routine, it is for a slightly older bub, but I have done this so you can see where you are taking it all. If you are managing 4-5 breastfeeds a day then it sounds like you have hit the right balance, don`t be too worried f those BF`s don`t come in nicely spaced intervals, as baby is on solids her total breastmilk intake over the 24 hours is whats important. You may find that she is in nee of an extra big feed towards the middle of the morning both because her stores of energy are running low and if she hasn`t had enough water she may need more fluid also. So quite normal.
On routines, Karitane, recommend the following for bubs 9-12 months:
- Up time 3 ½ to 4 hours. Milk Feed. Breakfast. Play. Sleep (1 to 2 hrs).
- Up time 3 ½ to 4 hours. Lunch. B`feed. Play. Sleep (approx. 1 hr). Afternoon tea. Play.
- Up time 3 ½ to 4 hours. Solids. Bath. Milk feed. Quiet time. Bed time.
So you can see from this you are heading in the right direction. Everything with bubs changes, they ove from one stage to another rapidly, so expect more changes until about 12 months and then you will find yourselves in a more stable pattern.
Also it might help to keep in mind that even babies are good at self-regulation, so as long as you are offering, it is a bit of `leading a horse to water…` to be honest.
If you notice any changes in baby`s growth or development it would be a good idea to pop into see your CHN.
I hope that eases your mind.
All the best,
Leanne