Overfeeding????

[summerrain]

Hi,

My baby daughter is very nearly 6 months old and has been having 2 meals a day since she was about 4 months. I normally give her about half a pot (Tommee Tippee food pots) of veg puree mixed with breastmilk and baby rice, and ALWAYS after a full milk feed. I'm scared to go up to 3 meals a day now that she's almost 6 months because I don't know if that will end up as overfeeding. And I don't know whether to give her milk first or second anymore. So three questions that are worrying me are:

Should I move to 3 meals a day yet?
How much shall I give at one meal?
Do I give her breast milk first or after she's eaten solids?

She was 8lb 3oz when she was born, so not a small baby. She is also waking up about 3-4 times every night, if this helps.

I would be so grateful if someone could help me please!

Thank you x

[lilmonkey]

Hi and welcome to BW.

That is great your lo likes solid.  Just a couple of suggestions.  BM/formula is still more important than solids at this age.  It has more nutrients and more calories than any solids.  Until 1 yo, solids is just for taste and experience.  So I would hestitate to introduced a 3rd meal especially if you are nursing.  Establishing solids too quickly can compromise your supply.  At this point it is best to offer solids AFTER a full milk feed.  The amount of solids is usually about 1or2 ice cubes.  She is approaching the 6 mos growth spurt so you may want to nurse her more or encourage her to take longer sessions.  Solids wouldn't provide enough calories for her. 

Here's also a link to help you maintain your supply while intruducing solids.http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/index.html

As for her nightwakings, are you feeding her?  Is this a new thing?  Some moms found that NWs starts to appear because of solids. 

Have a look here to help you with the night wakings.  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?board=33.0

[summerrain]

That's what I thought. Breast milk has loads more calories. I just read so many things about certain foods I must be introducing, and how it's time to move to 3 meals a day/or not. Everybody tells me different things and it stresses me! I knew milk was the most important thing, and I'm glad you've reassured me, so thanks 

She's always woken up once or twice in the night, but it's only the past couple of months that she's been waking up more. I feed her when she wakes up because I know she's hungry - she easily settles to sleep from being awake for naps and at bedtime, so I know she doesn't need the breast to get her to sleep. I left her to cry the other night when she woke (keeping checking of course) and she continued to wake crying every 10-15 minutes after settling. It got to 1.30am so I fed her. She slept a good 4 hours after that, so I know the crying was down to hunger.

I'll stick to 2 meals a day and the same amount I think. Thanks for your advice. I'll go check out the links now.

x

[Tobysmum]

I have heard that it's quite common for babies who start solids to wake more in the night - this can be due to them not taking enough milk in the day due to their tummies being too full from solids and also due to the food not "sitting well" on their tummies if you are offering solids later in the day.

I too am battling with the right quantity of solids to offer my 8 month old as he is waking twice per night and taking two full breastfeeds each time - I am actually going to cut back on his solids intake again (have done it once already).
4 months is pretty young to be offering solids, most don't start until 6 months so you are already ahead of the game from that point of view, so I don't think you need to increase as you are probably offering more than what most 6 month olds eat anyway.  I would just stick with what you are offering and perhaps even experiment in cutting down a little to get more milk intake in the day.

Now, I haven't found the magic answer of for BF and solids - but last night our first NW wasn't until 12.55 (had been 9.30-10.30 previously) - I think the reason for this was that I cut down on the solids that I gave him at bedtime and as a result he took a great feed (I struggled so much before trying to get him to take decent feeds).  Now, I have also decided to feed my solids not long after I BF him, so he's actually properly hungry for his next BF and will take a full feed.

I have definitely found that since I've been offering more solids that he's cut right down on the milk in the day and eats at night - as I said, I put this down to his tummy being too full in the day from milk.  Although the quantity doesn't seem much to us, it is a lot for their tiny tummies.

Good luck!

[summerrain]

I'd put DD up to 3 meals a day and realised that was way too much. She wasn't wanting milk much at all in the day and was taking about 2 minutes to feed before she'd had enough. She'd take a full feed at 7pm, 10.30pm, then 3am. 1st thing in the morning and during the day it would be next to nothing. So I cut it down again not long ago, and she's taking more milk through the day now. She's actually refusing solids now so is getting the equivalent of about 1/2 jar's worth per day. I assume this is OK as she's only 6 1/2 months.

All this solid feeding malarkey is the one thing I've stressed about more than anything else. It's impossible to know! Tobysmum, your advice makes total sense.

How much are you giving your baby to eat per day at the moment? Knowing how much they need minimum at each stage worries me! When she gets to 8 months I'll have no idea!

[lilmonkey]

Your lo will tell you when she has enough (turning head, closed mouth, fussy, etc) as long as you offer bm first then the solids.  Most moms don't switch the order until around 9/10 mos where you offer solids then bm/formula.  Think of the first few months as introducing her to new tastes and textures. 

[summerrain]

What's the average age babies move to 3 meals a day? The Annabel Karmel book tells me DD should already be on 3 meals a day, with a pudding after her third meal of the day! Conflicting advice all over the place I'm taking her lead completely now, and we're back down to 2 small bits of solids (about 4-5 teaspoons) after a milk feed, and she's doing fine. Night wakings are once around 10-10.30pm and again around 3ish.

[Tobysmum]

I think Annabel Karmel is pretty agrressive in her introduction of solids - that's just my own personal opinion!  Gus is 8 months and I give him 3 small meals per day.
I would be interested to hear what others do.  My friends with babies the same age as Gus are offering much more in the way of solids - but Gus seems to be sleeping better at night now I have reduced his solids as he's obviously taking a bit more milk in the day now.

[summerrain]

Yeah, that seems to have happened to my LO - upping the milk and reducing the solids - she doesn't wake up as much as before. Just wondered if they need all the extra vitamins that breast milk can't provide, and how much food will provide them.

Tobysmum, when you say small meals, how much do you mean? And of what kind of foods? And how long did it take for you to put him on 3 meals? I wouldn' know whether to introduce a pudding at the 2 meals, or give 3 meals of one course. And I don't know when to move to that either. Sorry about all the questions... Have you moved onto protein foods as well as veg/fruit?

I know what you mean about AK being aggresive. Within a few weeks a baby's moved from 1 to 3 meals. Seems a big step to me.

[Tobysmum]

I am still only giving veg and non-citrus fruit.
For breakfast he has 1 ice cube of fruit with a sprinkle of rice cereal mixed with EBM.
Lunch - has 2 cubes of veg and 1 cube of fruit.
Same for dinner.

That's it.

I think I am going to introduce some fish next week.  My  DS#1 was on fish and chicken at the same age.

[summerrain]

When you say ice cube, is that a normal drinks ice cube or one of the baby food cube sized ones which are bigger? I know I'm so fussy and keep asking questions... sorry!

[Tobysmum]

Mine are normal size ice cubes.