Solids v’s Milk Feeds (6mths)
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Topic: Solids v’s Milk Feeds (6mths)
Posted By: mummymonster
Subject: Solids v’s Milk Feeds (6mths)
Date Posted: 06 November 2011 at 6:24pm
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My boys been on solids for a while, he's 6mths and a very hungry very chubby bubby. He's on 3xsolids per day and LOVES it. I have been giving him 1/2 a cup, sometimes more per feed (or 1 watties can). Most of the time I think he could go another 1/2 that serve again at least if i'd let him.
In conjunction with this he's not feeding as long, I can't tell exactly how much he drinks as he's BF - no gauge lol. He gets about 5 BF per day, and is completely disinterested at about 2 of them, and shorter feeds all round. I still BF before meals. I started to get worried that he wasn't drinking as enough so I cut down his solids portion sizes. My measure is 'ice cubes' (not a standard measure) but I've cut him down from 6/7 to 4/5. He's started BF longer, as I figure he's hungrier. I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing though. I'm sure I was told to feed them solids till they seem disinterested. So, my question is - do I fill him full of solids and BF as required, or cut down the solids and assume the BF will pick up the difference? ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Replies:
Posted By: maya22
Date Posted: 06 November 2011 at 7:56pm
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At six months the milk is the most important part of his diet, then at one year the solids are the more mportant part of the diet, and over the 6 months the balance changes slowly.
Your bm has the best nutrition for your 6 months old, you would not be able to reproduce it by feeding the solids. His energy needs might change as he gets ready to start moving, so you might find that this level of appetite decreases or changes. Also, if he was feeding himself he wouldn't eat as much, I am guessing it is all you spoon-feeding him. Maybe offer finger foods as well as spoon-feeding, over the next few weeks/months you want him to be able to feed himself, so why not start now. You might be interested in this link: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/babyselfwean.html ------------- DS1 July 2007 DS2 Nov 2010 http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Babe
Date Posted: 07 November 2011 at 7:58am
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I also had big chubba babies who both started solids quite early simply because even after a full feed they were still hungry. Because I was abit concerned about not being able to gauge the balance for myself, especially with DS2 being BF, I stuck to finger food plus I left off giving him solids til half an hr after a BF and would offer him another BF if he still seemed hungry then pop some banana and kumara pieces etc down for him to play with. I know with my boys there was a difference in how they demanded solids versus milk and that also helped me work out what they needed right then. -------------   
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Posted By: CJsays
Date Posted: 09 November 2011 at 4:24pm
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I have a different opinion from the norm, i say go the solids, 5 BFs is plenty, E was doing 4 BFs at that age and solids and getting more than enough. also their BFing is stronger at that age so they dont need as long to get as much milk. E was doing 4 solids feeds at 6 months, about 4 cans /jars worth a day. but i also had to try and get her BFs down so i could get her off the EBM which has only just happened now. oh the relief of not expressing and bottle feeding!! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: mummymonster
Date Posted: 09 November 2011 at 9:33pm
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BF may be stronger, but 10min is a long feed and I'd only get that once a day. Sometimes he doesn't even make it 5 seconds.
ATM i'm sticking with the reduced mush & adding more finger food. Result is that he's crying on the breast (I'm pretty sure he's trying to say 'feed me the real stuff') and looking like a starving gold fish for solid mush. Tonight he got through 1 1/2 pikelets, a couple of bits of pasta, and a little grated cheese (stuck to the pasta), that was after a bowl of mush which he gobbled in record time. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Babe
Date Posted: 10 November 2011 at 8:03am
I guess then you'd watch his nappies and make sure he was still getting nice and soggy. GL  its not easy!-------------
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Posted By: maya22
Date Posted: 10 November 2011 at 2:21pm
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You have probably lost supply... in other words, it is a supply and demand, if he has not been getting the milk as he has been eating lots of solids then your body has decided not to make it.
So you are now restricting the solids, but your body hasn't been able to catch up with the new demand. It may not be 'feed me the real stuff' at all, it may be 'feed me the milk, why isn't it there!'. An ongoing cycle, as if there is longer the milk there, then he won't be drinking it, and so your body won't be making it. Did you read the kelly mom link I posted above? So now you have to decide if you want to boost your breastmilk supply, or if you will provide the milk through formula. ------------- DS1 July 2007 DS2 Nov 2010 http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Jaune
Date Posted: 10 November 2011 at 4:04pm
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I agree with maya22.
Regardless of whether your baby is chubby or slim, milk is the main source of nutrition until 1yr. You are really doing your baby a disservice encouraging so much food in the form of solids when their immature digestive systems and very high calorie needs for growing are best served by breastmilk or formula. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: mummymonster
Date Posted: 11 November 2011 at 6:46pm
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Maya i've read the link and was surprised to find out I'm already doing some of the 'tricks' to get him to stay on longer. I sing, give him small toys to play with, etc to get him to feed longer already.
I'm on domeperidone as I don't have a BM supply on my own IYKWIM, so i'm sure there's plenty of milk there. Today when he rejected his lunch feed (we were out and i think the new environment was too exciting) I added an extra feed in when we got home. Not sure I can do much more. He doesn't have a dummy, and only has bottles once a week (on the day I'm at work). He's a confident solids muncher own his own, tonight he had 2 pikelets, 1/2 a crusket & 1/2 a zuccini on his own ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: maya22
Date Posted: 11 November 2011 at 7:43pm
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Are you still bfing at night, or has that stopped recently? Do you have a good bf before DS goes to bed at night? Have you introduced bottles (ebm/formula) recently at all?
I was long term exclusively expressing for DS1 so I understand about not being able to bf without the extras that most don't need. I wasn't on domperidone though, but my body had no feedback loop so it was pretty hard to keep up supply. Do you have any information as to whether domperidone continues being effective over time or if supply can still drop off? I know that 6 months is a bit of a crucial time when exclusively expressing as you lose any help with hormones, and because the baby needs to drink a lot more so you need to increase volumes which is pretty darn hard. If he is confident at finger foods, and you want to keep bfing, then I wonder if you need to drop out spoonfeeding completely. It is going to be really hard to provide the right balance of nutrition with solids alone, you need to get the milk in there somehow, whether bm or formula. What does your Plunket nurse say? ------------- DS1 July 2007 DS2 Nov 2010 http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: mummymonster
Date Posted: 12 November 2011 at 8:04pm
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Won't see plunket again for ages. (and i get different advice from each nurse)
I'm not sure if I'm supposed to or not, but i've recently (1mth ago) increased the domeperidone as my supply was dropping again. His best feeds are 7pm and overnight. I feed him when he wakes at night, but if that's past 4am then he's not into the first morning feed. Cutting back the spoon feeding has helped the BF, enough that I'm going to keep going at this solids level for a while yet. If only I could find some xmas flashing lights earrings I'm sure that help too - lol ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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