Meals/day for a 9.5 mo

[@llli*agh717]

How many solid meals per day should my 9.5 be having? At her 6 month checkup she had already been having cereal for breakfast and the doctor said to have her start pureeds. She had said to start her with a brunch in addition to her breakfast and then work up to 3 meals a day. I have been feeding her solids for 3 meals since she was about 7 months. Now I'm starting finger foods at dinner. She seems more interested in these than the pureeds at dinner time. I was only giving her about 3 tablespoons of cereal at breakfast and 3 tablespoons of pureed at lunch and dinner. Her caregiver seems to think that at her age she should be eating more solids. She says the other kids she had were eating more baby food than Avery is at her age when they were the same age. She doesn't fuss for more so I'm not sure this is needed. I figured that I'd give it a try but I'm wondering if it could be responsible for her being up more often at night. That could also be due to teething too but I'm not sure. A whole container of baby food just seems like a lot. I also know that my caregiver gives her solids before her bottle. I don't mind this as long as she is drinking all her milk and not filling up on the solids and not wanting to finish her bottle. The other day (after having a full container of baby food), one of the first days I gave her more solids she only drank 1 out of 3 from her next bottle. I'm wondering if this was also due to having too much baby food for lunch.

Also what are some good first finger foods that she won't choke on. She is really liking self feeding.

[@llli*mommal]

A 9.5 month-old baby doesn't NEED any meals. At all. Until a year, solids are just for fun with new tastes, textures, and motor skills. Breastmilk alone meets all the baby's nutritional needs, and solids should not replace breastmilk in the baby's diet. They should only complement it. This is because breastmilk is the healthiest thing you can feed a baby. It contains the ideal, perfectly balanced nutrition for promoting healthy growth, and also contains immune support that you cannot get from solids.

In practical terms, this means that:
- Until a year, breastmilk should always be offered before solids
- A baby may eat little or no solids until she is around a year or even past it
- If the baby is consuming so much solid food that it is impacting her breastmilk intake, solids should be restricted
- Solids can be offered as infrequently as once or twice per day, or the baby may be fed 3 times a day- but again, solids intake should not be decreasing breastmilk intake!

I personally would be willing to fire my caregiver over solids, if I were in a situation like yours and the caregiver was going against your wishes. I would really assert myself, and demand that bottles be offered before solids. If you need support, get a note from your physician (I know a good group in State College, if yours is unwilling).

Good finger foods for self-feeders:
- Cheerios
- smashed black beans
- steamed, mashed vegetables and soft fruits (squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, steamed apples, peaches, bananas)
- whole peeled fruits than baby can lick and gnaw
- pasta
- soft meats (chicken from a soup, pulled pork, ground beef)

[@llli*debbers]

How many solid meals per day should my 9.5 be having? At her 6 month checkup she had already been having cereal for breakfast and the doctor said to have her start pureeds. She had said to start her with a brunch in addition to her breakfast and then work up to 3 meals a day. I have been feeding her solids for 3 meals since she was about 7 months. Now I'm starting finger foods at dinner. She seems more interested in these than the pureeds at dinner time. I was only giving her about 3 tablespoons of cereal at breakfast and 3 tablespoons of pureed at lunch and dinner. Her caregiver seems to think that at her age she should be eating more solids. She says the other kids she had were eating more baby food than Avery is at her age when they were the same age. She doesn't fuss for more so I'm not sure this is needed. I figured that I'd give it a try but I'm wondering if it could be responsible for her being up more often at night. That could also be due to teething too but I'm not sure. A whole container of baby food just seems like a lot. I also know that my caregiver gives her solids before her bottle. I don't mind this as long as she is drinking all her milk and not filling up on the solids and not wanting to finish her bottle. The other day (after having a full container of baby food), one of the first days I gave her more solids she only drank 1 out of 3 from her next bottle. I'm wondering if this was also due to having too much baby food for lunch.

Also what are some good first finger foods that she won't choke on. She is really liking self feeding.

My LO is 9.5 months and our caregiver gives zero meals a day. I'm gone for work 9.5 hours and DD drinks 12 oz breastmilk on a low day and 16 oz on a high day. She weighed 5 lbs 13 oz at birth and now weighs 20 lbs. We occasionally let her taste foods but I primarily nurse her.

[@llli*agh717]

Thanks for all the information and advice. So far solids haven't been preventing her from drinking her bottles that's why I haven't had a problem with her giving her the solids before the bottle. Once maybe twice when she was sick she ate her solids but refused her bottle. I have told my caregiver that if this ever happens drinking her milk is more important than eating the solids. I will just reiterate this to her and whenever she is sick tell my caregiver to give her the bottle first then the solids or no solids at all. Or do you think she should be drinking her bottle first regardless of whether or not she is sick? Do you have any or know of any articles or studies that I can quote or provide people who think that solids are more important than breastmilk at this age? Everybody always asks what the doctor says and unfortuately my doctor was the one who said that she should be having 3 meals a day shortly after 6 months.

[@llli*mommal]

The AAP's policy statement on Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk (http://pediatrics.aappublications.or...-3552.full.pdf) says that until a year, solids should be "complementary". In other words, they should COMPLEMENT but not REPLACE breastmilk in the baby's diet. The best way to do that is to offer milk first, solids second.

If people are asking what your doc says, I suggest telling a little white lie and saying "My doc follows the AAP recommendations regarding the complementary nature of solids until a year, thanks for asking!" Just pretend your doc is smarter than he/she is.

[@llli*agh717]

Perfect! Thank you!

[@llli*andie613]

I just wanted to add that giving more solids will not lead to better/longer sleep. My LO is proof of that! He did his best sleep at 4 months, before any solids, then teething started. Even eating 3 meals a day he still wakes to nurse at least 2x per night. Now he's starting to refuse purees and wanting to self-feed, leading him to eat less solids than before, but that has not translated into more night wakings, just longer nursing sessions. Also, he will wake and need help back to sleep if he sits or stands up in his crib, so all the new developmental stuff along with teething is contributing to night wakings. I've been told things will get better, so I'm just taking the sleep when I can get it!

[@llli*agh717]

That's what I've kind of figured out too. I decided to try giving her a little more just to prove/disprove the point that it wasn't because she needed solids. It definitely didn't help the frequent night wakings (I'm not sure if it made them worse or not, due to lack of sleep I'm not quite sure). She was sleeping pretty good till the teething started but I would get a break her and there in between teeth. With this last tooth it just seemed to get worse and doesn't seem to be getting better any time soon. I had determined that solids didn't help with night time sleep around the first tooth when my child care provider suggested giving her cereal before bedtime to help her sleep. That did not work so I quit. Then her first tooth teeth made their appearance and I figured out the culprit. Last night when she woke both times she was sitting up which she has never done in the middle of the night. She is usually on all fours when I rescue her.

andie613, How much of purees were you giving your son? I had been giving my DD (who is 9.5 months) only 3-4 tablespoons per meal (3x day). My childcare provider had told me that the other breastfed babies had been eating an entire container when they were my daughters age. My DD didn't fuss when her purees were gone so I didn't see why I should increase them. I'm trying to support her breast milk intake as much and as long as possible like most BFing women do. My DD has been growing steadily and the doctor did not mention any concern over her weight at her 9mth c/u so I figured I must be doing something right. I've also decided to use my new found advice to lie or withhold certain information from certain people so I am just going to tell the childcare provider that she is sleeping good from now on and give my DD the amount of purees that I think is sufficient. Like you I am still anxiously awaiting the day that "things get better". I could really use the sleep now though. There are days that I'm tempted to call off sick and still send her to daycare so I can sleep all day other than waking to eat and pump .

[@llli*agh717]

Also Andie, at what age did you start purees and feeding 3 meals a day?