do i give solids before or after milk???

[kirstym]

my DS is 6 half months old and trying to introduce lumps now instead of just smooth purees, what a challenge!!! just need a little help with this....
he is on a 4 hour EASY and has a bottle at 7.30 and so on... he has a nap 1.5 in the morning and 1.5 hour in the afternoon and his catnap later on for 30 mins.
but do i gaive his breakfast first thing before his milk, then his lunch when his due his 3.30 feed or can i carry on with my routine like so.........

7.30 E
       A
9.30 S 1.5 hour
11.30 E
        A 
1.30 S 1.5 hour
3.30 E
       A
5.00 S cat nap 30 mins
       A
7.30 E                     

he has his breakfast first thing
has his lunch about 12-12.30
then his tea at about 5.30 just after he wakes from his catnap.

please i would really appreciate some advice whether this is ok or should i be feeding him at different times.
i know soon he will drop his milk intake, when and which feed.
may seem confusing but just want to do things right

thank you x

[DebMcGee]

Hi
I think it sounds ok to me and if he's happy then I say leave it be - all babies are different and suit different routines. I don't see the point of changing it just for the sake of it. Our routine is:

milk at 7 then solids at 7.45, then milk 11, then solids 11.45 and finally milk at 3 then solids at about 4ish, with last day feed at 7 and DF at 11. Seems like she's eating all the time but we've gotten into it now!

I personally think 6 months is too young to be having bits and I'd wait another month before you give lumps to him. My DD is nearly 6 months and she definitely isn't ready for lumps yet. If you do want to make the transition, try giving thicker purees for about a week and then introduce a few lumps but not the whole thing lumpy and see how he goes.

[Mimi 2]

Hi Kristym,

How much milk is he taking?  Is he still finishing his bottles with ease?  At 6 mos, it is so much more important for him to get his fill of milk instead of solids.  Solids is slower to digest and because it sits longer in his stomach, he may not take in as much milk and thus not get the proper nutrients, calories and fats that his body & brain requires.  Here on BW, we do suggest that babies just starting out on solids be fed milk THEN solids for the first few months.  By 9/10 mos most moms switch the order to solids then milk.

As for lumps, if you feel that he is not ready for them wait a bit longer.  Developmentally, some babies can handle lumps or finger food at a this age and some can't.  There are some moms (myself included) that found their babies going straight to finger food and skipping the lumpy stage. 

A milk feed is not usually dropped until about 9/10 months when solid is well established.  It is usually the middle 2 feeds that get combined into one feed.

Have a look through these

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=118497.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=68458.0

HTH and remember that all babies are different.  Listen to your lo and he will tell you when he's ready to go to the next step in solids.