milk first and then solids or otherwise??

[mena]

Hi,

I just started DS on solids. Although he's only 4 months old, he's a big baby (7.5 kgs) and his doc gave me the ok.
Well, I've started giving him fruit (apple, and today is pear), stewed and very well pureed. He knows the spoon, so that's not an issue.
My mom told me to give him the fruit first and then his milk (I'm breastfeeding), but when I did so the first day, he didn't drink much milk (obviously). So then I read in Tracy's book and Gina Ford's, that milk is still nourishment-source number one at this age, thus on day 2 I breastfed him first and then gave him his fruit, but he didn't eat much (a bit more than one teaspoon). Did the same yesterday (day 3), but he didn't eat much either.

My question is do I breastfeed him as much as he wants first and then give him his fruit OR give him his fruit first and then his milk?
Aslo, the way I'm doing it is that on day 1, I was supposed to give him on teaspoon, on day 2, 2 teaspoons, day 3, 3 teaspoons, and so on, until 10 teaspoons. (That's the way my mom did it with us, and we turned up pretty well). So if I do fruit first, he will obviously cut back on his 11am feed big time... and that could lead to me drying up, right? Or maybe b/feed him first for 5 mins only and then the fruit? Or space the solids throughout the day, among its feeds? He's on a 4 hous EASY.

Thanks for reading and I'll appreciate any advice or feedback.

Jimena

[KellyC]

Hi

At your DS's age milk has to be the main part of her diet so I would do the same as the books advise and give the milk first.  If the milk is satisfying her then she won't take much in terms of solids and I'd say at her age that this is actually preferable.  If she does want the solids it may well only be a very small amount and I wouldn't worry about counting teaspoons either but watch her and guage when she's had enough.  If she only takes one or two teaspoons full then this is fine but she needs to get the milk!

Kelly x

[Sarah O]

Hi there!

Just wanted to add that you really can't assume that his interest in BF at 11am will be less just because he's had a bit of fruit.  With my DD, if anything her interest in milk increased as she got into solids, at least at first.  I find it amazing how self-regulating these babies are...they will let you know whether it's water, solids, or milk it is that they're after.

Good luck!

Sarah

[josie k]

Hello all.
I was hoping for a little advice about a similar scenario as Mena. I too have started weaning my DS a month ago-at four months on my health visitors advice, to hopefully help him to go longer stretches at night without a feed. I know this can simply not work but hurrah, for him it seemed to. He now only has one feed if that and is happy to go about eight or nine hours now at night.

Anyway my issue is he is really, really losing interest in the breast now and i practically have to fight to keep him latched on drinking. This was before i introduced solids and there is no change here. I too have been confused as too whether to give solids or milk first, but now it's one breast, give it half an hour then a little veggies or fruit . Doing this though pretty much  leaves me feeding him constantly either milk or solids throughout the day, which is more work than just breastfeeding alone!!

I have gradually been increasing the amounts over the previous month and now he has a over two tablespoons of fruit and veggies a day, which he seems to be enjoying. Over the past few days though he also has lost interest in his 7.00ish feed which he has ALWAYS drunk really well and then projectile vomited, i have literally never seen the like of, all over me and himself. I ended putting him to bed at 8.30 in the end after all of this, leaving me feeling i must be totally going wrong with his feeding. His fontanel is looking a little sunken today too. I am guessing i have given him to much too soon and so today i have cut back the solids a lot.

I would really appreciate any advice.
Josie K

[Lªuren]

Mena
I agree with Zandersmummy, milk is the main part of her diet and you don't want to fill her with less calorific solids.

Josie K
{{{hugs}}} DS was projecting all last week (but for a different reason), its not a nice experience and frankly quite frightening for both of you.

To be honest to sounds like you need to just cut-back a bit on the solids and re-establish breastfeeding as the main food source, then give solids after bf'ing. If your DS is projecting it could be because he is too full, Calum has been known to do this (little piggy) and I cut his food back. if his fontanel is sunken he is dehydrated, and needs more milk.

I too have been confused as too whether to give solids or milk first, but now it's one breast, give it half an hour then a little veggies or fruit . Doing this though pretty much  leaves me feeding him constantly either milk or solids throughout the day, which is more work than just breastfeeding alone!!

Can you post your routine so we can have a look, can you include the amounts of solids he gets? And how long he stays latched-on for  each feed, was he an efficient eater before solids.

[tylersmommy]

Doing this though pretty much  leaves me feeding him constantly either milk or solids throughout the day, which is more work than just breastfeeding alone!!

Well, you hit the nail on the head there! That's one of the things about starting solids that you don't hear much about...you really do end up spending a LOT of time feeding, especially with a younger LO who has shorter awake times.

The other gals gave some good advice...breastmilk/formula HAS to be the main source of nutrition for many more months. Solids are only for practice and supplementation. That's why lots of folks do solids after bf/bottle, it's easier to make sure your LO is filling up on that and not solids. Most beginning solids eaters only eat maybe 1-2 teaspoons at a time...that's it.

Mena, I know your mom increased your solids in the way you described, but that's not generally what most health professionals recommend anymore. I know, we all turned out fine, but there are lots of things our parents did that we now know ought to be done differently. I never rode in a carseat or wore a seatbelt as a child, but now we know how important that is, KWIM? Your best bet is to make breastmilk or formula the main part of his diet and follow his cues on solids from there.

[mena]

Thanks for your replies and advice.

Yesterday was the same: he only ate 2 teaspoons of pear (he liked it more than the apple, though!) after his milk. And I gave him more milk after his fruit, so he was pretty full and content by the time we finished.

Sarah, if I follow his cues now, I can tell you he's definitely more interested in milk than solids. However, now that I've started with solids, I'm just going to continue giving him just as much or little as he wants once a day after b/feeding.

there are lots of things our parents did that we now know ought to be done differently.

Melissa, I know this too well... I've had lots and lots of arguments with my mom just because I want to do things differently with my LO to the way she did with us. Feeding solids included... she started us on fruit when we were one month old. By the time we were 4 months, we were eating egg yolk already... We turned out fine, no allergies, we're not fussy eaters, but man did she give me a hard time when I told her I was going to wait a bit longer to start Paul on solids!!!!

Josie, I hope things have calmed down with your LO... Send you {{{hugs}}}

Thanks again.

[bugbert's mama]

just wanted to let you know what we're doing...

i BF upon waking in the morning, everytime DS gets up from a nap, and before bedtime (as part of our routine).  i also pump once a day to keep my milk supply up (so we total 5x/day that i'm getting "drained.")  we're on a modified EASY routine (ours looks more like EAEASY).  so i BF, then we play, then he eats solids, then we play, then he naps.  we have about an hour or so between the time i BF and the time DS eats his solids.

it does seem like i'm either BF or feeding him ALL THE TIME, but i tried other methods (BF immediately before feeding and BF immediately after feeding) and the one we're using now seems to work the best for us.

oh, DS is about 7-1/2 months old, in case you were wondering. 

HTH!