When is it enough food?

[Morgansmama]

Hi,

Our lo very rarely indicates when she is full when we feed her solids.  She is 8.5 months old and has been getting solids for a month and a half.  She was a slow starter, but now loves to eat solids (ok, mostly purees).  If fact, I'm finding her Bfs are slowing down and she's uninterested some days (that's another topic for discussion).  My concern is that she just keeps eating, if I keep shoveling.  Her tummy becomes hard as a rock.  Are there certain amounts of each food (ie: fruit, veggie, cereal) I should feed and leave it at that? Our lo is slowly coming into her own in the weight department.  As at last weigh-in at 8 months, she was 14 lbs.  She was not premature.  The solids are certainly helping the sleeping at night, but I'm also concerned about the lack of interest in bfing.  Suggestions?

Thanks,

Corina

[tylersmommy]

Well, at her age, she should still be getting most of her nutrition from breastmilk. She should still be nursing 3-4 times per day. If her interest in nursing is declining, that's often a sign that she's filling up on solids and just doesn't have an appetite when it comes time to nurse. It might be a good idea to keep close tabs on how much she's eating and use that as a starting point to cut down a bit. If she's not giving you signs that she's full, it's up to you to limit how much you offer and work out her routine so that she does have more of an appetite for nursing. Other than limiting solids, you can also ensure you nurse first. If she's still on 4 or more nursings a day, consolidating them can sometimes help too.