Not Sure How Much Baby Should Eat

Based on her weight and your description, it sounds like you are giving her just what she needs. If you were not giving her enough breast milk, she would be fussy, always wanting to nurse, and would not be sleeping through the night. You are doing a great job! Keep it up and enjoy it!

First of all, kudos to you for waiting till the 6 month mark (which the AAP and knowledgeable peds recommend) AND for continuing to breastfeed. Remember solids at this age is more for fun and practice and learning rather than for nutrition.It sounds to me like she's getting solids a little more often than necessary. Her main source of nutrition is still breastmilk and the closer you get to the 1 year mark, you go down on the breastmilk and up on the solids. But it's very gradual and breastmilk can still be an excellent source of nutrition even after the 1 year mark.

Here are some links with great info:

Dr. Sear's suggestions
http://askdrsears.com/html/3/t032000.asp

Solid Foods and the Breastfed Baby & Toddler
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/index.html

How do we get started with solids?
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-how.html
This one has a great chart to show you how that transition to the 1 year mark should look like. For example, it suggests only giving solids once per day at your baby's age then moving to twice per day between 7 and 9 months.

First Foods
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/first-foods.html
This on has a great chart that breaks down what foods are safe and at what ages.

First of all, a huge kudos for keeping up with the breastfeeding! I have breastfed two boys, and am currently breastfeeding my third. We just started solids yesterday (he is just now six months). I make my own baby food. I have found, that in order to keep my milk supply up (I want him to keep breastfeeding until 1 year at least), I keep him on the same schedule he's been used to. (My boy nurses every three hours... weighs 19 pounds). Right now, because he doesn't really need the solid food for weight gain, he'll eat about a tablespoon of veggies once a day, usually after his midday nursing. I always make sure he nurses well first. We'll try one new veggie about every 3-4 days (to make sure there are no food allergies). If he seems like he wants more solids, I add another tablespoon or more. I usually keep my babies at one lunchtime feeding until they have tried a variety of veggies. Then I intro fruits the same way at breakfast time, keeping the noon feeding of veggies. As he starts eating more and more, I may add a little cereal to thicken the puree a little. But because I want to keep nursing, I always feed him breastmilk before he tries his solid food. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Go girl! You seem to have it very much under control! You are doing just fine! Sounds like your little girl is very regular and very well scheduled and a big girl for her age too!! Don't worry, my son is the same way. Your schedule of food is fine, you can gradually increase the volume as she gets older, and remember the 4 day rule between foods, to make sure there is no allergy. Check out http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/ for tons of information and resources and ideas for food. The fun and neat thing about breast milk is that as long as she is exclusively being fed you really don't know how much she is getting in each feeding. However, the older she gets, the difference in your milk is the quality of the milk. She may not be getting a full 8 oz as you think, but maybe just 4-5 oz but it's in the milk that is the key. It has a higher fat content. The lactation consultant told me this when i was worried that my son was not getting as much as I thought he should, but as long as she is not fussy and seems content and is doing well, gaining weight etc...then don't worry. It's not in the quantity at this point, as it is in the quality of the milk! How neat is that!! Our bodies are just so amazing!!

Oh!! Do remember that as she starts to get a little older and you introduce more solids, to also introduce snacks through out the day, nothing big, maybe some Gerber puffs, or bits of banana before you serve a big meal. Do breast feed first and not feed solids, as you know, breast milk is more important. Also, the lactation consultant also made a good point, in that we are not replacing breastmilk with food, we are just using this time to SLOWLY introduce the idea and tastes and textures of food to babies, so they can eventually like the idea of weaning. Again, another ingenious point to make!

Go by your gut, and your baby's cues and you'll do just fine. Just introduce a variety of different tastes as they grow.

Good Luck!

Another thing to add, as I was looking through other responses, to much baby cereal will constipate her, just be careful how much you give during a day and keep an eye on her bowel movements. Nothing to worry about, but some parents think that cereal is key to getting them to fall asleep and stay asleep at night. Not necessarily true, as long as you make sure she is happy and full, then there is not need to worry. DO give her baby rice/oatmeal or whatever you choose, through out the day either mixed with fruit, or breast milk and she should be fine! Also check out Gerber.com for ideas of food menus etc...

A.

L.,
Hi, My namet is K. and I am a Board certified lactation consultant and a RN. I am glad you waited 6 months to start solids. The acadamy of pediatrics recommend exclusive breastmilk for the first 6 months. Then you can start to introduce solids slowly. You are right about the breastmilk being the key to were most of her nutrition is coming from. The AOP also suggests breastmilk at least till one year but with adding foods. To me, your response sounds like you want to keep on nursing and your slowly adding solids. You can try a different veggie or fuit everyday. I think your scedule is great because your baby is still going to be getting a lot of breastmilk. I know I have some research on this if you want more info. I love to help famlies. I don't have a baby yet but we are tyring. I know I will BF up to a year and then prob leave it up to my baby when to stop. If moms like nursing I just tell them, great keep on going. Some are babies are nursing at 2yrs but it is like 3 times a day or if they get a boo-boo. I think your doing an excellent job and giving your baby your breasrmilk is a gift only you can give baby. Breastmilk is always going to have health benefits no matter what the babys age is and has benifits for you as well. Please let me know if I was helpful. It helps me to be a better lactation consult. You will find that everyone will be telling you something different, like starting solids at 4 months, which is a big no no according to tha Acadamy of Peds. I use google a lot of I am tring to research something and I also compare with other LC I work with. Hope I helped
K.

I would say that if she isn't fussy or acting hungry during the day that you are feeding her plenty. She might go through a growth spurt where you'll need to add a feeding but worry about that then.

YOu are doing great sweetie! She will let you know if she is not getting enough!

Wow! Big baby! Sounds like she's getting plenty. Are you in the WIC program? They have great nutritionists and give great advice about feeding your child.

Sounds like she is on track, if she is not fussy and doesnt miss the nursing sessions she's fine. I would recommend that if she wants to nurse to let her. Solid food at this age is more for practice, and most of their nutrition still should come from breast milk. By the time she is a year it should be around 50/50. We did nursing on demand and she was allowed to nurse whenever she wanted, and we didnt actually limit nursing until around 15 months when she ate more solids and mostly nursed for comfort/naps. If this is working for you, then I say keep doing it.

Sounds like you have a schedule that works for your baby. I have a 6 month old also and I like to space her feeding and feeding solids a little bit apart to ensure she can digest all the food & to ensure she takes nursing at amounts prior to eating the solids. Ultimately, as long as her nutrients are coming from milk during the first 6 months, that's what's important. And with the veggies, let your baby dictate how much she wants. It could be between 2-4 tablespoons and that's okay. Also, if you'd like to group the cereal and veggies together at a time, it's okay to mix the 2 (cereal with a veggie she's not allergic to) to cut down the time.
For example, I mix 2 tablespoons of rice cereal with i.e. half a jar of squash with 1 oz. of breastmilk. If she wants more, I'd give her the rest of the squash. Good luck!

She actually should be eating a little more solids during the day, fruits, veggies, maybe just cereal at night time feeding it will keep her belly more full, as she gets older she will slow down on breast milk, 16 to 32 oz is enough for her. I am a peds nurse and we usually say start solids around 4 months. Good Luck J.

My six month old is eating like this (he's in daycare and they send home the log of all feeds, etc):
6:00 am 4 oz formula (we adopted, so cannot breastfeed)
7:00 am 1 whole mashed banana with 1 scoop formula and 2 tablespoons cereal mixed in)
8:30 am 4 oz formula
9:30 am 1 cup solids (could be fruit, veg, meat --I make homemade and send to day care)
10:30 am 4 oz formula
11:30 am 4 oz formula
12:30 pm 4 oz formula
2:00 pm 1 cup solids
3:30 pm 4 oz formula
5:30 pm 1 cup solids (with cereal)
6:45 pm 4 oz formula
2:00 am 4 oz formula
4:00 am 4 oz formula

Just wanted to give you something to compare to :)

He is 19 lbs. AS you can see, he eats almost every hour.

You may think about adding formula and/or cereal to the solid feeds.

As long as she is gaining weight and still taking the breast, you are doing well!

Good luck!

Hi L..

Your feeding schedule is perfect, your doing a great job. I can tell that you are a very caring and loving mom.

Keep Smiling,
M.

sounds like your right on track over the next few months slowly decrease her breast milk at each feeling and give her more baby food and after a few months she will be off the bottle/breast. good luck!

It seems you have her on a great schedule. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! :o) Your baby is growing and needs solids and breast milk for complete sustenance. Just keep doing what you are doing and let your baby fill in the gaps. She is the best judge of what you are doing. If she is not having adverse reactions to changes in her diet, i.e. fussiness, feeding more often, not gaining or losing weight, then you are doing fine.

Babies will tell you when they have had enough..but refusing to take more or spit out what they do have..good luck..
S. B

Hi L.!
Here's all that I have learned on this subject:
If you are breastfeeding, continue with 4-6 liquid feedings a day. Your baby is sleeping through the night, so 5 feedings is probably where you are and a great schedule for this age is 7, 11, 3, 7, & 10 or 11. But immediately after the feedings (2 times a day to start), offer cereal or other baby food of your choice. If you feed your baby every 2 hours to try and seperate the feedings, you are creating a "snacker" - not a healthy habit. A 6 month old baby should only be eating every 4 hours, but be eating more at each sitting. This schedule also makes sure that they are getting (2) 2-hour naps a day and a catnap in the evening. Hope this helps. :)

Sounds like you are doing fine. The baby will let you know when she is hungry and when she is full so don't be afraid. As a mother, you will offer her food all the time because you are a mom and that is just what moms do. She will let you know what she wants and needs but sounds like you are doing great. You are a wonderful mommy.