Breastfeeding Vs Solids for 8 month old

[Miamamma]

Hi ladies. My 8 month old DS is bf and the HV recently told me that I am feeding him too much milk. She told me to reduce his breastfeeds so that he is more hungry for solids. She scared me by talking about iron deficiency in babies after 6 months who don't eat enough iron rich foods. We are doing BLW and despite exploring / sucking / chewing foods, DS isn't actually eating very much at all at the moment. I do try spoon feeding him too sometimes but he's not keen.
He currently bf at wake up, after morning and pm naps and bedtime (plus 2 night feeds). I can't really imagine him swallowing more solids just because I have cut a bf. I'm really confused as I always believed the mantra 'food before one is just for fun'. Now I am paranoid I am making him iron deficient. There's no issue with weight as he's always been on 91st percentile. What should I do?

[Proud Mammy]

Sounds to me that you're doing a great job.
Is he showing any signs of being iron deficient? You could always ask your doctor to do an anaemia blood test on him if you feel it might be an issue? How's your own diet?

Someone else might be able to better advise you, but, to me, it all sounds good. 

[Miamamma]

No, no signs of iron deficiency and my diet is pretty good. Does the amount of breastfeeds sound normal for his age? I wasn't concerned about the little solids he was eating until the HV made a thing about it. I understood it can take till around 9 months for them to get into the swing of BLW. I also read that at this age they do not associate eating solids with satisfying hunger.... So dropping breastfeeds would be pointless surely? I'm so confused... Health visitors always mess with my head. 

[Sarah - Enfys' Mum]

Medi is a bit younger, she has 5 bf during the day plus one nf. We're also doing blw but like your ds she's not taking much either. I remember a convo I had with the LC at the bf support group I go to, basically the gist was that while iron levels in breast milk are low, it is absorbed very well. Iron in food may not be as easily absorbed. That said, I do try to give Medi iron rich food, like meat and lentils but it often goes on the floor or in the dog! 

[creations]

There are a couple of links here which might help
http://kellymom.com/nutrition/starting-solids/delay-solids/
http://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/iron/
Basically what pp has said; iron in breast milk is more easily absorbed, and babies who are exclusively BF are less likely to have low iron.

[*Ali*]

The WHO recommend breast feeding as often as the child wants and specifically says "when starting complimentary foods, continue breastfeeding as often as before - meaning as often as the child wants. Keep the length of each breastfeed the same as before."
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2000/WHO_NHD_00.1.pdf?ua=1
Bear in mind that this link is from a 2000 document which was before the studies done that showed the iron in breastmilk is better absorbed. Even then it suggests only 0.78mg of iron is needed some of which is met from breastmilk anyway. The rest can be met from a very small amount of solid food.

So if I were you I would continue breastfeeding as you are and if you are worried about iron then concentrate on giving iron rich foods when you do offer solids. You can't make your LO eat though and many LOs don't eat much until later but grow just fine on breastmilk until they get the hang if it.

Sounds like you are doing just fine and the HV is just a bit out of date which current research on iron deficiencies.

[Beara]

I got the same advice as you from HV as I intend to wait until 6 months to wean. So I checked it out.
Among the high risk group for iron deficiencies are-
'Breastfed babies who after age 6 months are not being given plain, iron-fortified cereals or another good source of iron from other foods.' There is a list of foods on the below link. 
http://Http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/vitamins/iron.html its 2011.

I agree it's confusing  and hopefully it doesn't have to be a question of breastfeeding versus solids but its good to keep the iron requirements in mind.   

[*Ali*]

But bear in mind that even the sources that say iron rich foods are needed still say to breast feed. None recommend cutting down breast milk. Honestly 6 feeds a day is not on the higher end of number of feeds. There should be plenty of time in between those feeds (especially as two are at night) to fit in solids. Many LOs who aren't BWed are fed on demand many more times a day than that and still manage to eat solids.

[Beara]

I totally agree. I was just amending my post actually.  My  HV did not advise on reducing breastfeeding.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Just a side note - here they recently stopped recommending the fortified cereals as a first food as the iron in them is not absorbed well by the body, instead they recommend iron rich foods as baby's first foods. Was surprised as 5 years ago with DD2 it was totally the opposite.

[Miamamma]

Thank you for all your comments. I have been on holiday this week and he's been bf like mad due to the heat. However, all inclusive hotel means he has tried and enjoyed a huge variety of foods (how much he actually swallowed though I'm not sure). I feel much more confident that he's getting what he needs now, having researched your links and read your posts.

[creations]

What a lovely update - so great to hear he enjoyed the hotel food

[*Ali*]

And that's the most important thing