He LOVES his solids.....maybe too much ;)

[besjoux]

For instance, this AM he had 4 cubes (4 oz) or peaches and 1/3 an avocado mashed. He is almost 6 1/2 months old. We started at 5 months but quit when he was almost 6 months old because of terrible constipation. The cereal was the major culprit. After that I started him on feedings once a day but it was clear he missed his "dinner" so after about 5 days I started him on dinner again. Just 2 days ago I started lunch. He wants more and more! This morning was the most he has eaten but I usually stop him at 4 ounces. Is that too much? He still nurses well and I do think he was going through a big growth spurt this past weekend. I am following his lead and he loves it....but does he love it too much?

Also, due to his constipation they recommended some water so I have been giving him 3 oz a day spread out (1-2 ounces at a time after solids). Anyone else do this? He has been FAR from constipated (a bit loose now) but he's also on stool softener (milk of mag) per the GI specialist. He's a small kid, less than 5th%. But his height and weight are both consistent (he isn't just skinny).

[RachelC]

Are you offering breast milk before solids (about an hour)?

[besjoux]

yes

[RachelC]

Hmm, then I would continue following his lead.  You may find he slows down after a bit as the growth spurt wears off.  And if you see any change in the amount of breastmilk he is getting, I would cut back on the solids for sure, since breastmilk is still the first priority at this age.

You could try cutting back on the water... that will help ensure the breastmilk intake. 

FWIW, my dd2 is tiny... she's making her own growth curve down below the 5% line 

[besjoux]

Well, yesterday I did follow his lead and after his nap (a few hours after breakfast) he didn't really want to nurse much. So I am cutting back....AND he is starting to get constipated again (probably not enough BM) so I had to give him more water and pear juice UGH, that boy keeps me guessing! So, you are right.....I should cut back. I can't believe how much he likes it and will eat. Even though he ate less breastmilk he was still eating the solids like crazy.

[b0nni3]

Hi, I also have a similar question. DS is 5.5 months and for fun we thought we'd try to give him some rice cereal to see how he'd take it. He was totally into solids and two days later I gave him pureed carrots. He ate it all up. 4 days into "starting solids" (which we never intended to do...we just wanted to see his reaction for fun!) he already downed a 125 ml jar of baby food at dinner PLUS 2 cubes of mushed peas... So my question is, should I "de-wean" him a bit? He doesn't seem to be taking any less milk (but I'm EBF so I don't know how much he's taking per feed). Usually I BF every 4 hours (8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm) and then offer him a little something to chew on (banana, carrot, grean bean, etc) when DH and I are having breakfast/lunch/dinner. Last night at around 6pm he got REALLY fussy while I was making dinner. We had one of those sample jars of baby food so we thought we'd try giving that to him - he ate the whole thing.

So my question is, should I limit his solids and nurse more frequently? Of late he has been needing a top up at around 10pm to last him through the night. And last night he woke up at 2:30am for no apparent reason (after sleeping through from 9:30pm till 7:30/8am for the past 2 weeks), nursed, then went back to sleep. So I can't quite figure out what to do - should I just increase feeds to get my supply up? I don't want to wean him too early. (but maybe I have already!)

[RachelC]

Yes, I would suggest at this age to wean back the solids, and try to add in another feed during the day.  At this age breast milk is still the main source of calories.  Also, he is at the age for a 6 month growth spurt, so waking for a feed is not uncommon during this time.  Being fussy and hungry at odd times is also a sign of a growth spurt, so instead of reaching for the baby food, I would offer the breast, as your supply is extremely important during growth spurt times.

[b0nni3]

Great, thanks! We'll cut back on the solids a bit (I think he enjoys it so don't want to cut it out altogether - he always laughs a lot when eating his solids) but will nurse more frequently in the day.

Does anyone know if there's a 'recommended amount' of solids to feed per day at 6 months? My LO didn't pretty much ignored the "a few teaspoons a day" and went right to the whole jar. So, is there any recommended amount of solids to complement breastmilk?

[RachelC]

Maybe this will help: http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-how.html

[b0nni3]

Thanks for the link. I think I need to wean him a little earlier than is recommended 12 months of EBF because he is starting nursery when he is 1 and it seems silly to go through the whole pumping business when he'll just be weaned soon after he starts nursery. At around 11 months I want him to be on 3 meals + maybe 2-3 nursing sessions (i.e. for snack) so that I can do a morning and night feed and pump once in the day for his mid afternoon snack.