My baby is almost 6 months old and I started introducing "solid" foods when she became 5 months old.

Question

We feed her baby cereal, mashed bananas in breast milk, applesauce, and baby food (stage one) veggies. She enjoys eating and thinks it is a fun "game" but when she finishes she wants her bottle and still drinks 8-10 ounces! I am pumping and feeding breast milk in a bottle and I am having a hard time keeping up with her. How do I help her understand that food is nourishment, not just fun, and help her fill up a little bit on food so she doesn't drink quite as much milk? I know she should be getting most of her nourishment from breastmilk/formula still, but I was hoping "solid" foods might eliminate a few ounces of milk per day or per feeding and keep her full longer. She really enjoys sucking and I think the bottle is soothing to her, but I have been told not to put cereal in the bottle with the milk. What should I do?

Answer 1

She's not even six months old yet- her main source of nutrition should be your milk, not solids. Try the link below for tips on how to increase your pumping output.

Answer 2

Her milk intake should actually not decrease when you begin offering solids. She is doing exactly what she should be doing. Breast milk intake should remain the same, and she will naturally up her solids as she grows and her nutritional needs increase. It is usually recommended that you offer breast milk first, but where she is taking the same amount regardless, it is not an issue. You might notice a slight decrease in milk intake between 9 - 12 months, when solids begin to take on more importance.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-how.html

Solid food, before one year, is for fun. That's actually a helpful way to look at it. Her nutrition and meals come from the breast milk and the solids are more of an activity. Especially when you are first beginning, you don't expect that a baby will eat that much, and it's more about learning about tastes and textures. She will start to eat more as the months go by, and it won't be long until she's eating the family meals.

It might also be that she is going through her 6 month growth spurt. Have you considered feeding her directly from the breast more often rather than pumping? That can help to stimulate your supply. If not, there are things you can do to help boost your supply. For more info on increasing supply:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html

Answer 3

No cereal in bottle.

If you're having a tough time keeping up, you could always supplement formula or you could offer her more cereal. Breast milk is still very important at this stage. I used to make a 6 oz bottle, put 2 oz in with the cereal/babyfood and give him 4 oz. Most of the time he would only drink two after he ate the food, so just experiment with her and the amount that you're giving her. I didn't start cereal til 5.5 months and baby food til about 6 or so months.

Answer 4

As much as we hope that food will cut down on their need for milk, it doesn't, not until 9 months on.... and even then most of the calories need to come from breast milk/formula. Right now she is just learning how to eat from a spoon, trying out the new textures and flavors, and it is not about nourishment at all at this point.

Answer 5

Stop worrying. She'll stop eating when she's full. Let her continue her bottle and you are right to not put cereal in the bottle. If you are giving her solids once or twice a day, increase it to 3 times a day. Keep letting her drink as much breastmilk as she wants.

Answer 6

Just keep with what you're doing. She still needs the milk, but make a smaller bottle and give her a little more food. Add cereal to her regular baby food meals to thicken them up.... it'll be easier for her to swallow, plus fill her up more. Also, buy a pacifier. If she doesn't use it now, she will when she's teething. She'll let you know when she's full, but pay ttetion to the signs. Maybe she gets full, and that's why she plays. If she turns her head away, or you make it into a game with noises, then she'll see food time as play time. Change your routine and see how that works. Good Luck!