Typical eating schedule for 10.5 mo old?

[JennVanessa1083]

Hi!

I was wondering what an eating schedule may look like for an almost 11 month old. I'm wondering about type of meals (he doesn't do puree) and amount per meal. Also amount of food per meal? What about milk? This is what we are typically doing: (although we just got back from a trip so we are working on getting back on track)

WU/BF 7:30 am
Breakfast 8:30-9 am (4oz or so)
Nap 11-11:45 am
BF
Lunch 1 pm (4-5oz)
Nap 3:30-5 pm
BF
Dinner 6:30ish
BF/BT 8:30

1-2 NF

I'm wondering if I'm just not feeding him enough?

[creations]

Around now or between now and 12 months is a good time to introduce a couple of solids snacks.
One snack time could be in place of the 11.45am BF, the other would be in place of the 5pm BF.  If you like you could offer solids snack and offer the BF too or just solids snack with water.
This means LO gets 2 full BF (WU and BT), 3 solids meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and 2 snacks.

At 12 months it your own choice to continue to BF or switch to cows milk, it is also okay for 1 of the 2 milk feeds to reduce so long as the other stays as a good portion.  For example at 12 months I switch the BT milk to a slightly earlier supper snack with a sippy of milk, but I kept the WU milk as a big milk drink.

The type of meal, well, healthy balanced meals, he can eat the same as the family so long as the foods are not high in sugar and salt (and contain no honey, fish bones, whole nuts and other choke hazards - the standard rules).  I altered my cooking so that DS could eat pretty much everything the adults ate, where I knew he would not like something (eg rice he could not eat) I provided an alternative (chapati or naan or even just a piece of bread or  home made pancake).

WRT amount of food per meal, this varies hugely. It really is down to the individual need.  Your LO will guide you well and so long as meals are healthy and balanced (across a week rather than every meal including every food group) he will eat to his fill and show clear signs of being finished or wanting more.  It is quite normal to have varying appetite too, some days eating lots, other days not so much.

[JennVanessa1083]

Ok I can start working on that since the boy loves to eat! I was wondering how much food constitutes a snack?

Also, if I offered a snack and BF plus BM in a cup during breakfast and dinner would that help reduce NF? I remember one mod mentioning that not too long ago regarding offering BM with meals.

[creations]

I'm not great with BF advice, sorry. From what I hear it is quite normal to have night feed but from 12 months I really wouldn't expect any LO to wake at night form hunger where FF or BF.
Whilst milk intake is important this is not really an age to be increasing milk intake unless it has significantly dropped way too low.

A snack might be something like a quarter of a small apple or a quarter of a small banana...on the other hand if I had given mine a quarter of a banana he would have screamed the place down demanding the rest of it.  or a couple of small crackers or a stick of cheese (say a finger).  Whilst it isn't huge if your LO seems very interested in solids at that time he may prefer to eat on the early side rather than the later side which is not uncommon.
I remember mine having a gigantic 'snack' which was more like lunch around 10.30/11am (he might have been a bit older maybe) so I made sure his snacks included more than just fruit because he ate so much.

[JennVanessa1083]

Interesting!

Today I gave him a few blueberries right after BF and he gladly took it lol plus he ate 1.5 hrs later. Perhaps he is ready for a snack along with BF? So would it be BF then snack right afterwards then wait 1.5hrs for the meal?

[creations]

Well, when you introduce the snacks it can be in place of milk so you don't have to offer the BF at all for those tow snack times but it's up to you.  When I switched DS's mid morning and mid afternoon milks to snack I just gave him a sippy of water with it, not milk.  When I switched the BT milk feed into a solids supper though I did give him milk in a sippy cup (it was cows milk then), that was at 12 months when I weaned the BT milk.

[JennVanessa1083]

Ok that makes sense. Do I replace one snack first for say a couple of weeks then the other?

I want to completely wean at 12 months so do I just go cold turkey in terms of giving milk rather than nursing or is gradual the way to go? I'm wondering what the timeline would look like so he can be fully weaned at 12 months.

[creations]

As your LO is almost 11 months you can change those two milks to snacks any time now or over the next few weeks. I would switch one (either) and see how it goes for a few days then either switch the other or wait another couple of weeks. It really depends how LO takes to it.

If you wanted to fully stop BF at 12 months I would think that the snacks being offered with water would be more suitable rather than offering a BF at the same time so that LO gets used to the routine and your body has a chance to adapt.

At 12 months and beyond your LO does still need a good amount of dairy.  If you wish to stop BF you would need to consider your options on how to offer that dairy.  Cow's milk is fine at 1yo but it depends if your LO will take cows milk and you'd need to think about how you serve it (sippy cup, straw, open cup etc if your LO has been taking a bottle at all this could be an option too).  If your LO won't take, or is reluctant to take cows milk you might try a period of a gradual change over (offering breast milk in a cup for instance then switching an oz at a time with cows milk so he gets used to the change of taste gradually).

The other alternative (if you do not wish to continue BF at all after 1yo and if LO will not take a cup or straw or the cows milk) is to ensure all dairy needs are met via solids so giving decent portions of cheese, yoghurt (full fat, natural, no added sugar), milk puddings (you can make a milk pudding such as blancmange or custard without adding sugar), white sauces (eg parsley sauce with no added salt), milk on cereal counts although might only be a small amount.  This way is perhaps harder to keep track of but not impossible.

It's also possible to provide nutrients via non-dairy solids (those with an allergy would have no choice) but I would say this is likely harder still - it's just easier to know LO gets a really good milk portion at either WU or BT and anything else in solids is additional.

If you wanted you could begin practising now with milk in a sippy cup or teaching LO how to use a straw so that you have more chance of switching to cows milk at 12 months and know that there is a method where your LO will accept a good amount of milk.
With mine I switched the BT milk (bottle) to a solids supper earlier in the evening with a sippy of milk at 12 months, I didn't mind if the sippy cup meant he took less milk because he got a good milk feed at WU.
Over a few weeks and ending at 13 months I introduced a straw for his WU milk,  many days he shouted at me and I gave the bottle so he could have a good feed, but eventually he got the idea of the straw and was able to happily take a full feed with that instead.
Our route was different to yours as I was not BF.

[JennVanessa1083]

Thank you creations!

As always, your insight is so so helpful as I feel though I'm rather clueless!

So I am wondering:

-When you say practice now in a sippy, I assume with pumped BM? He loves his sippy and drinks water freely from it so I can definitely start pumping milk for one of his afternoon feeds to start practicing.

-Also, do I go ahead and start this process despite him teething? He has been having a horrific 3 days of teething (lateral incisors and my DH believes his canines are coming as well). He has been nursing more often as a result both day and night. At first I tried not to as my goal is to wean but it's the only thing that seems to comfort even though I am medicating. Anyways, do I just wait? Or do I go ahead and start the process in hopes that he adjusts?

-I am also wondering how will I know if he isn't ready to switch to snacks instead of milk? For example, will he start picking up NF if he isn't ready to cut down on milk? Or would that be a sign to bulk up solids?

[creations]

When you say practice now in a sippy, I assume with pumped BM? He loves his sippy and drinks water freely from it so I can definitely start pumping milk for one of his afternoon feeds to start practicing.

pumped BM or formula, yes. I would imagine at this age a very small amount of cows milk for a practise of the sippy cup would be okay but before 12 months cows milk is not supposed to be offered as a main milk drink.  As you would still be breast feeding at least twice per day for good milk feeds I doubt it would be a problem to have a small sippy of cows milk with a solids snack if you aren't able to pump. It's a personal choice really.  If he took lots from the sippy though then I'd say you really would need to use BM or buy in a couple of cartons of ready to drink formula as this would ensure the right nutritional balance.

Also, do I go ahead and start this process despite him teething?

It's really up to you. Sometimes teething is the worst time to make changes, some times it makes no difference.

I am also wondering how will I know if he isn't ready to switch to snacks instead of milk?

I would imagine he'd be quite vocal about it and make it quite clear if he is unhappy with the solids snack (ie just scream in your face until you offer to BF )  Usually with these types of changes it was always me that was nervous and DS wouldn't bat an eye, he just got on with it and left me wondering why I'd made such a big deal of it.
Just try the snack, I imagine it will be fine and he'll let you know if not x

[JennVanessa1083]

Thank you so much!! I will for sure start just waiting until the worst of the teething is over.

Is there such a thing as too much solids at 11 months?

[creations]

Sometimes solids can help with teething. Mine particularly liked something hard to gum on, it relieved the discomfort.  DS liked a bread stick (or a big plastic toy letter!).

I would doubt you could give too much solids, he will show signs when he is full, turn his face away, throw or drop the food etc.  So long as he still takes a couple of good milk feeds then you can offer as much solids as he likes really.

[JennVanessa1083]

Ok that's what I thought but figured I would ask. I'm planning to start with the the feed after the am nap and see how it goes. Thank you for all your help!!!

[creations]

You're very welcome x