Author Topic: Too much milk ? Help with eating schedule for 8 month baby.  (Read 2154 times)

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Offline Jojo290615

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Too much milk ? Help with eating schedule for 8 month baby.
« on: March 03, 2016, 15:58:57 pm »
Hi
I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on solids and milk schedule for 8 month baby.

We went for my lo health check up yesterday. All is great but she seemed to think lo was eating too much and still having too much milk.

Here is our schedule:

5:30: wake up and 220ml välling ( swedish drink/ translated as "gruel" its like a runny porridge )
7:30: fruit and porridge
9:00: nap
10:30: 210 ml milk
12:00 lunch ( baby led and smoothie )
14.00 nap
15:30 210 ml milk
17:00: toast with various spreads.. And porridge ( health visitor told me to drop this out)
18:30: bedtime and välling

Does this seem a lot ? He refuses to spoon fed purrees so we went for baby led. He will only allow us to spoon feed him the porridge and Greek yogurt.

The thing I'm just a bit confused about is that he never refuses his bottles :) and I have always heard that food is for fun until one ?

Also although he tries and eats everything I give him.. He doesn't eat lots of solids. That's why I make sure he gets veggie smoothies.. This he likes to feed himself with the reusable pouches.
« Last Edit: March 03, 2016, 16:10:47 pm by Jojo290615 »

Offline creations

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Re: Too much milk ? Help with eating schedule for 8 month baby.
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2016, 18:53:23 pm »
Well for an 8 month old I'd still expect to see 4 milk feeds which it looks like you have (I assume the valling is a sort of milk drink?) and I'd expect to see 3 solids meals which you also have. Timings look ok and LO will guide you as to the amounts to serve so I don't really see that you are serving too much.

However it does seem like much of the food is porridge type, if the valling is a runny porridge twice per day, then you also serve oats porridge twice per day I can see that the overall balance of foods seems a bit 'milk and porridge' rather than varied. When you take into account hte smoothie too it's all a bit liquid/puree/porridge if you understand me?  I'm not sure how you are serving the fruit, perhaps that is puree or mashed up too which makes the overall intake all rather sloppy.
Perhaps your health visitor means that LO can take a wide variety of foods now and that you can move to a more grown up way of serving foods, for all of those solids meals?
I would look at the overall balance of foods, select foods from all the food groups and which offer a variety of nutrients and vitamins.  You haven't said what the finger foods are or what spreads you are putting on the toast so perhaps these offer a range?  if that's the case I would just drop the 5pm porridge as your HV advised and vary the 5pm solids meal so that at lunch and dinner there are vegetables, protein and carbs (you can offer dairy too but LO is getting dairy in her milk feeds).

To be honest even a puree weaned baby would be eating finger foods by this point, purees are really only for the first few weeks before moving on to mashed, mushed, lumps and finger foods.  The idea of purees goign on for months and months really comes more from a time when LO were given solids much much earlier than we do now so they did stay on puree for longer.  These days with starting solids at 6 months it is the right time for finger foods or a brief entry into solids through puree then moving on.  Staying with purees for too long can in some cases make it difficult to transition to more grown up meals and LO does need to practice eating solid foods between now and 1yo so that at 1yo when solids become the primary food intake they are willing and able to take a proper meal of varied and balanced foods.

I don't think you've done anything 'wrong', I do think now is a good time to move on :)


Offline Jojo290615

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Re: Too much milk ? Help with eating schedule for 8 month baby.
« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2016, 19:26:04 pm »
Hi creations ! :) thanks for your reply .. You are also helping me with lo's sleep and nap routine :)

Yes sorry didn't really explain what I give as solids

So morning I will give him some slice of fruit.. Mango or banana, kiwi sometimes avocado, pear etc and he will chomp on that while I prepare his porridge. Then he has his porridge

For lunch, I try to give him something different every day. .. So either, omelette, meat ball, chicken eggy bread etc.. Then I give him a veg with that.( I find if i give him 3 different foods, he gets a bit overwhelmed haha. Then I give him either a fruit smoothie or veggie smoothie for desert or a piece of fruit or some yoghurt

I have to admit I do struggle for the evening meal inspiration wise..That's why I give him some toast and vary the topping ... Like avocado, banana, Philadelphia..fish or egg mixed with avocado.

I think what would make the most sense would be also to drop the morning välling. And just give him milk.

I always kind of worry he doesn't eat enough solids .. I suppose that's why I give him the smoothie so I make sure I can put some spinach in.

But as I mentioned lo really tries everything and eats most things .. Just not much I guess
 
How much milk per bottle should I give him ? Is 210 ok ? He finishes the bottle everytime .. And I'm sure he would drink more haha!



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Re: Too much milk ? Help with eating schedule for 8 month baby.
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2016, 19:53:57 pm »
You are also helping me with lo's sleep and nap routine
You know I was looking at your routine thinking, I know this lady, where do I know here from? lol  :)

The solids sound fine really there is lots of meat, fish, veggies, I think I'd just hold off form the smoothies. Some people love the smoothies and hidden veggies but personally I think it's better to introduce the foods as they are in their more recognisable form.  Taking calories on board in a liquefied form might not satisfy appetite in the way that taking in 'solid' foods would, it may also alter the the rate and effect of nutrient digestion. Smoothies with fruit added can end up being very high in sugar...more than LO would eat in fresh fruit form iyswim.  Some soothies can end up being very high in sugar without filling LO up or he becomes hungry sooner than he would had he eaten that amount of fresh/steamed veggies and fresh fruit.

Totally understand limiting the meal to 3 different foods, it really can be overwhelming for LOs to have lots of different thing in one go. Aim to balance the diet and food groups over a day, several days or a week rather than every meal, it's fine.

If you struggle for the evening meal how about just offer something of your own meal?  If you eat later then you can save something from the day before, this way he learns the particular tastes of the family meals.  I always ate with my DS but I tended to make extra portions of veg and put a portion in the fridge for his lunch or snack the following day.

I would think that if he is draining the bottles at 8 months you can increase the bottle again, although you might see it level out if the solids are more solid if that makes sense.Don't forget to offer water with meals so that he is not thirsty too.


Offline Jojo290615

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Re: Too much milk ? Help with eating schedule for 8 month baby.
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2016, 05:05:37 am »
Thank you for your help ! :)

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Re: Too much milk ? Help with eating schedule for 8 month baby.
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2016, 12:27:41 pm »
You're welcome :)

Shout out if you need more help or ideas :)