Author Topic: 10mo prefers milk to solids  (Read 2076 times)

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Offline lepetitmatin

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10mo prefers milk to solids
« on: November 16, 2015, 19:49:00 pm »
Hi all - my 10 mo has been eating solids since 6 months. She was eating a lot of solids at one point, but now has cut back a lot and is upping her milk intake. She easily takes 4 6-oz bottles now, whereas in the past, it was a struggle for her to finish that much, as she'd eat a lot of solids. She pretty much feeds herself with her fingers (she gets frustrated if we try to feed her, though she does let us sometimes). And if we let her, she'd eat sweet fruit and drink water all day and all night!

I think she's lost a tiny bit of weight, though nothing alarming, as she was in the 75th % for weight last month at the dr. (which is high for her). I have always given her bottles of milk when waking from sleep, and then about an hour later, given her solid meals. Should I switch this around for a meal or two to help her consume more solids? I ordinarily wouldn't be worrying about this since she's not 1 year yet, but I wonder if she might be hungry in the mornings (which may be leading to early wakings), and my ped doesn't want us to increase her milk intake too much at this point, as most kids do the opposite at this age. Any tips? Here is our EASY, in case it's helpful. She is teething - just cut her 5th tooth, and 3 more look to be soon on the way.

wake - currently around 545/6am, but on a rare great day, 645. (we're trying to work on this)
bottle - 630/645
breakfast - 745/8
nap - 10-11:15
bottle - 11:!5
lunch - 12:30
nap - 3/315-415-430
bottle - 430
dinner - 545
bottle - 745
bed - 8

Thanks!
« Last Edit: November 16, 2015, 20:09:14 pm by lepetitmatin »

Offline Kellyjs

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Re: 10mo prefers milk to solids
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2015, 20:15:25 pm »
I really wouldn't worry about her solids intake at all hun. I'm going to presume it's all teething related and it will work itself out. My DD went off solids too whilst teething and would only eat roasted sweet potato! Milk is their primary source of nutrition before they're one, anything else is fair game. I drove myself nuts wondering if DD had the right balance of everything, and tbh it was always the blasted teeth that messed things up. Once a hiatus in teething happened, lo and behold more solids! Xx



Offline lepetitmatin

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Re: 10mo prefers milk to solids
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2015, 20:17:19 pm »
But teething can last forever, no? So many teeth yet to come in! I feel like teething is continuous/neverending.  :'(  Should I increase her milk intake?

Offline creations

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Re: 10mo prefers milk to solids
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2015, 21:34:20 pm »
Teething can have a big impact on eating solids. Mine would also cut back how much he ate but also he liked hard foods like bread sticks as I think he found some comfort to gnaw on those with his gums.

At 10-11 months it would be fine to introduce a snack. Rather than switching to solids before milk you can leave all your E times where they are (less disruptive to the routine) but switch either the mid morning or mid afternoon milk to a solids snack (I would just switch one for now).  If you like you can do the snack and still offer milk too (bottle or cup).

If you think she is eating too much fruit and her diet is becoming unbalanced you might want to spend a few days focusing on regulating portions back to a more normal balance. Fruit is healthy of course but could be filling her on fewer calories than she'd get from something else, protein and fats are higher calorie.


Offline lepetitmatin

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Re: 10mo prefers milk to solids
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2015, 21:45:32 pm »
Sounds good about the snack + milk

I totally agree on the fruit - I'm not happy about it. I offer it to her last, at the end of the meal, as I try to get in a more balanced, nutritious diet first. But she'll often just take a few bites here and there of things, and throw everything else on the floor (with gumption!), whine a bit. I'll give her water/fruit at that point, and she goes to town. Not sure how else to get her to eat non-fruit things....

Offline creations

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Re: 10mo prefers milk to solids
« Reply #5 on: November 16, 2015, 22:18:11 pm »
Not sure how else to get her to eat non-fruit things....
Well this may sound harsh but she can only eat what you give her.  If you provide large portions of fruit she will eat large portions of fruit.  Only you can decide if the range of food groups is out of balance (seems like you already decided that it has slipped towards too much fruit) and only you can change it.
Babies meals are often not balanced within each meal, more often they balance over a day or a number of days, perhaps eating lots of protein one day, lots of veg another, that's fine and normal, but when you see the intake over say a week being too much of one thing and not so much of another and if it isn't only one week but another and then another then really that's the time to do something about it.  And it is literally to reduce the portions.
If/when she kicks up a stink about not getting the amount of fruit she wants you can sympathise, you can cuddle, you can explain to her this is all there is because it's Mummy's job to make sure she gets the right foods.  If she is hungry she will begin to increase the other food groups, maybe not on day 1, maybe after 3 days or so.  She's not going to starve in those 3 days, or a week, she has milk and she has the option to eat protein, carbs, vegetables and the small portion of fruit.
The thing is for you not to become 'trapped' in the idea that you are making her go hungry by not letting her have as much fruit as she wants, you are not making her go hungry, and neither do you need to wait for her to fill up on other food groups before you reduce the fruit.  She'll get the message.  Just be calm and supportive when she has a tantrum about it.

Something else you might try, rather than holding the fruit back until after her 'savoury' meal give her a very small portion at the beginning of the meal.  You might be surprised, a little fruit (2 or 3 bites) can be a great appetizer and lead on to a full savoury meal being taken.  We had several phases where I dropped 5 or 6 sultanas onto DS's main meal plate for him to eat at the beginning of his meal, without these little sweet appetisers he would seem to have no appetite at all, with them he'd eat a whole meal up with gusto!

I suggest you stick to non-fruit snack if you introduce one. It doesn't need to be like that for ever but for now I wouldn't give another portion of fruit.  A small piece of toast, a cracker, some cold meat or fish, a cooked egg, left over veggies, a piece of cheese... there are lots of options for snack which are not fruit.


Offline lepetitmatin

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Re: 10mo prefers milk to solids
« Reply #6 on: November 17, 2015, 14:27:58 pm »
thank you! yes, the issue is that i feel like i'd be making her go hungry :( and that this will in turn affect her sleep at night time, making her wake early... as i think this is happening already. but i will try to stay strong. thanks!

Offline Bella89

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Re: 10mo prefers milk to solids
« Reply #7 on: December 10, 2015, 18:08:01 pm »
I feel like we have the same exact problem:/ My 10month DS takes only bottle and bread for 5 days now:/ I offer regular meals and things he liked before, but he only tastes it and that's it:/ Maybe it's just a phase?