Eating Schedules

I would say she is definately ready for more food. I started feeding 3 times a day at six months, and breast feeding only before nap/night time. She now eats 3 meals and two snacks with the rest of us, and is starting to sleep better at night. Good luck!

Well, I started feeding my son 3 meals a day as soon as he started eating baby food and cereal. He still had bottles of formula throughout the day, and that gradually tapered off the more babyfood he ate. As far as when she's ready for more? They'll stop eating it when they're full. When I first started out, I'd try for cereal and one small jar of fruit for breakfast, and then a bottle and 1 jar for lunch and dinner. A few weeks later, he would eat cereal and 1 big jar of fruit for breakfast, and 2 jars and a bottle for lunch. My doctor told me that he should continue to have formula with his meals until he was a year old, so, i continued with that, but I would give him as much baby food as he would eat at each meal (not letting him gorge himself of course). As far as sheduleing, he ate when i ate. I don't believe that her still wanting to nurse means she needs more food, she probably just wants a snack. Nursing is also comforting to a baby, so that could be it.

For children that young they can't digest a lot of fruits and veggies (as you might have noticed in the diaper) so they really can't get much from them. They need the breastmilk as their main nutrition and now that she is nursing more it means she is going through a growth spurt and needs more breastmilk. Until the child is 1 their main diet should be breastmilk and then solids can take over if you want.

Hi S.,

When I introduced solid foods at 6 months, my son ate when I ate. We had been on a routine feeding schedule since day one, which worked well for us but it isn't for everyone. You may just have to try a few different things and see what works best for her.

He would have cereal with fruit for breakfast (around 7am) and then I would breastfeed, a veggie and fruit for lunch (around 11am) and then I would breastfeed. I would usually have to breastfeed again at 3pm and have dinner at 5pm. At about 8 months I started giving him table food.

I also breastfeed my son and he seems to still want food every two hours if we are at home. Several of the doctors at the practice I go to (its very large)tell me to continue nursing him as much as he wants until at least a year. I started feeding my 8 month old breakfast and dinner at 6 months and nursing him the rest of the time. My plan is to add lunch at 9 months, but no one told me to do that, that is just my instinct telling me that it is time. Congrats on nursing so long as many mothers find it hard. You are only benefiting your baby as Im sure you know, being a nurse. Continuing to nurse him as long and as much as possible only benefits him. Your baby is wanting to continue to nurse so frequently out of habit and comfort, not because he is starving. If you are out and about and he is entertained, I bet he won't bother you to nurse as often, like he would if you are at home. I know I have not given you a straight answer to your question, but that is because I think you should follow your instincts and do what feels right to you and for your baby and you will be fine. Good Luck and keep nursing! S.

My pediatrician started my son on veggies at 4 months old. By 6 months we started introducing fruits. I give him baby food along with a bottle 3 times a day (I didn't nurse him). He gets cereal and fruit for breakfast, veggies and meat for lunch and dinner along with bottle each meal. He also gets a bottle before he goes to bed at night. He's only 7 months right now and he has already started eating a few finger foods (the baby kind). Basically in response to your question, I started feeding my son 3 times a day at 4 months old.

Hi my little girl is 5months and 3 weeks old and is already eating 3 to 4 times a day on baby food. she not only has cereal but fruits vegies and sone other stage two products and is doing verry well with all of them. she started acting like the milk was not filling her up and was going back and forth on eating every two to four hours untill i started giveing her more baby food. I asked the docter and he said all baby's develop different and if she was doing fine with them than its ok to giver her them. right now she has cereal around 7 in the morning and lunch a veggie and dinner a meat and deseart. and is doing well. If she is starting to want to feed every two hours than I would start spoon feeding more often. Good luck and hoped that helped.

I completely agree with the other responce. Feed her when you sit down to eat. Cereal and fruit for breakfast is perfect then choose a vegetable for lunch and supper along with a fruit after she finishes the veg.. as she wants to eat more then add some of the meals..or I never used baby food just the cereal and some fruits but I gave all 5 of my children what I fixed us to eat...you can smash it with a fork or blend it up just add alittle more of the liquid with it and she will be very happy!! good luck.....D.

This is the schedule i was given by my daughter's pediatrician:

she should have around 4 or 5 bottles a day and then include
meals/snacks:

breakfast: bottle / cereal / fruit
lunch: bottle / fruit / veggie
dinner: bottle / cereal / veggie

It may be deffierent for your child depending on how much or how often she eats.

Hi S., congratulations. You have made it past the first step, having her! I am still nursing my 16 month old and loving it. When he was starting to eat solid foods at about 7 months, he still nursed every two hours sometimes too. You milk level may be dropping and she needs more and they do that by eating more often. It is perfectly normal. It does not mean that she needs more food though. If you think she is still hungry after she nurses, offer her some fruits and veggies. Stay away from the gerber graduate type snacks because they are full of sugar. I would nurse Ryan and then he would eat his food. She will let you know when she is hungry and nursing her first is best. And as far as a schedule, jsut pay attention to what time she eats everyday and try to hold her off until then and the schedule will fall into place.
I hope this helps.

my daughter is 7 months and we nurse this is her schedule the times vary:
Nurse when she gets up(norm 5-6am)
cereal w/ fruit(norm 9)
nurse(norm 10-11)
Veggie(norm 11-12)
nurse(norm 1-2pm)
fruit(norm 3ish)
nurse(norm 4-5pm)
veggie oo cereal(norm 6pm)
nurse(norm 7-8pm)
nurse(norm 1-2am)