snacks?

[VNW]

Hi-
Not sure if I'm starting a new topic or if it already exists and I just can't find it.  Feel free to move this to the correct spot if it's not in one now!

I have an 8mo 2wk old and I am sorta lost on how to manage her solid food intake when it comes to snacks.
Currently her schedule is this:
 7am BF
8:15am b-fast-cereal/fruit (about 3-4oz)
naps 9:15-11am
11am BF
11:45am-lunch/veggies and fruits(2-3oz)
1:15-3pm-nap
3:pm BF
5pm-dinner/chicken/veggies/fruit (3oz)
6:3pm BF
7pm bed

Ok, she's not a big "drinker"  she only takes 3-4oz of milk (in the AM she takes more). I feel that the more I stuff her with solids the less liquid she'll take and she needs her liquids.
So, this is why I'm curious about snacks.  Should I try giving her snacks?  Should I drop the 3pm BF and replace it with a solid food snack?  When is the goal to drop down to 3 BFings a day? 9 months? 10? Does anyone include snacks in their lo's schedule? And if you do, how do you do that without interfering with the naps and also filling them up so they don't want as much liquid?
Thanks!

[Freya'sMum]

Hello! You're in the right place

Milk is the most important part of a baby's diet until 12 months old, and I usually advocate maintaining a baby's pre-solids quantity of milk (for bf you'd gauge it more on length of feed than quantity) until at least 9 months old. At this age, babies don't actually need solid food for nutrition, but for the experience of learning what solid food is and what to do with it, so that when they do need it for nutrition, they've got the hang of it!

Your routine looks pretty good to me, a good pattern of milk and solid feeds, with milk as the Eat in EASY and solid food in Activity time. There is no rush at all to introduce snacks or drop milk feeds (in fact this wouldn't be at all helpful for dd's growth and development) - in the future (after 12 months) the mid-morning and mid-afternoon milk feeds will become your snack time, but my 19 month old dd still has 7oz cow's milk at these times as well as some fruit!

I wouldn't change a thing

Ax