Meal Vs. Bottle

J.,

You should always breastfeed or give a bottle first, then feed. Solids are for practice and not nutrition at 6 months old. Breastmilk is 20 calories an ounce so it is really nutrient dense. No solid will measure up to that. I've breastfed both of my kids on demand when I'm home (I work full time), bottle fed them breastmilk while I'm gone and just fed them solids when it was convenient (a good time is mid way between bottles or nursing - if they tend to nurse or have a bottle every 4 hours, 2 hours after they've done it is good because they aren't starving and freaked out but it shouldn't interfer too much with how much MM or formula they take in).

:-)T.

Nurse first, solids second. The solids are still just a bonus at this point. The breastmilk is still providing the vast majority of nutrition, so he should be nursing on an empty stomach so he doesn't fill up on solids.

My ped told me to feed him the breastmilk first and then the food.
Good luck,
B.

I have a 5 1/2 mos old and we are in the same situation. Our dr told us at this age should be getting the bulk of his nutrition from breastfeeding or formula. So, we feed him his bottle first, then offer food about 1/2-1 hr later.

Hi J.! At this point, the bottle/breastfeeding takes priority over the meal. When my four kids were this age, I would breastfeed/bottle first and then let the meal supplement. Hope this helps. ~K.

I think they say that the bottle or breast should come first. Then you should feed the cereal or jar food. The milk is where your baby is getting his nutrients. The food is just for learning and growing his belly.

Hi J.,
At six months old, your baby's most important nutrients will still come from breastmilk so always breastfeed first and then offer food. At this time, he will be learning about different textures and tastes so the chances of him getting nutrition from food will be minimal. They actually say babies can easily live off of just a mother's breastmilk for the first year without anything else. The eating part is just to get him used to using his pallet and swallowing. Good luck.

Hi J.,
Your questions is certainly not trivial....Of all the things we are told how to do, feeding is the least explained but is usually a source of great angst for parents!!

With both of my kids, we offered breast/bottle first. However, we ran into a glitch...once they started solids they LOVED it and only wanted to "eat". Try to offer the bottle/breast first then feed. If they don't want the milk then put it in the food. Hide the feeding they dont finish in their cereal, fruits, veggies, whatever.
Our doc also told us, if they were not getting about 17oz of breastmilk/formula, to offer full-fat yogurt and cheeses (yes, they can have pre-digested milk products before one year).
My last suggestion, we make bottles/breast the between meal snacks. our schedule looks like this..

bottle
breakfast
bottle + cheerios (or yogurt, or fruit)
lunch
bottle + crackers, cheerios, whatever
dinner

Our kids never took the recommended 17oz after starting solids and they are fine, but you should try to get as close as you can.
Good luck
K.

Hi J.,
I have a 10 mth old and here is what works for us:
Morning:
* he wakes up around 6am and is breastfed.
*at 7:30 or 8am he is given solid foods (cereal, yogurt, fruit and a handful of cherios)
* 8:30 or 9 he is breastfed before a nap.
Lunch:
* Solid food at 12:30 or 1pm (meat/vege baby food, cottage cheese, fruit)
* Breastfed at 2 before nap

Snack and maybe a short breastfeed after nap

Dinner
*5:30 or 6pm solid food(meat/vege baby food, shredded cheese, fruit)
*7:30 breastfeed before bed

Other:
* he gets "real" food/table food with any meal or snack depending on what's avaialble.

* My son wakes at night so he gets breastfed then too.

Hope this helps.

I would nurse after his meal. From what I have heard that is what is best for the little one as far as digestion and nutrients go.

At six months I would not cut out any breastfeeding and maybe slow down on the solids, I nursed almost exclusively for the first year adding sporadic food when he seemed really interested. Now at 2 he eats everything and has been one healthy kid. I hope that this does not sound too preachy.

Hi J.;
This isn't trivial, it is a wise question. My "baby", my youngest, is now 20 but I remember these confusions. THe breast feeding moms' advice below is good. But if using formula, there is more life force and nutrient benefit from freshly prepared baby foods in certain ways more than dried or canned formula. If Baby craves the solids (best not to favor sweet things rather cereals, proteins and veggies first) yes, find the rhythm that works for the two of you!

How much your baby is eating actually effects the bottle scene also of course. But as milk (if dairy based) is not a healthy food combining with lunch and dinner type tastes, with meats, veggies or fruits, especially banana (carcinogenic over time), or with yoghurt or cheese, but fine with cereal, I'd do in the middle of the night and/or early am, mid morning and/or with breakfast, mid afternoon snack, and bedtime. Or 1/2 hour or more after a meal, just before a naptime is nice. I"ve yet to ask my mentors about these issues with breast milk, and usually we do what works anyway.

Variables depend also upon how much and what he is eating for "solids", when he eats breakfast, if he wakes predawn that would be a good time, and if he wakes in the night then would be time for such a young one. It is normal for breast fed babies to still nurse in the night at this age, and I would not hesitate to support a baby on bottle either to take one then.

Best -
Y. Oakes
Postpartum Ayurvedic Doula, 15 Years
www.sacredwindow.com

As was previously mentioned, always breastfeed first. The solids are not the primary source of nutrients that an infant needs, it is all in the breast milk.

At 6 months of age the American Academy of Pediatrics states that breastmilk/formula still be your childs primary source of nutrition. I think 4 bottles/nursings is a bare minimum. most babies at that age are nursing/getting bottles 5-7 times a day. (which they should be).

Here is a typical day with a 6-9 month old... just an estimate, not a schedule of any sorts:

Your best bet is to nurse first thing in the morning. Wait an hour or so and then feed the breakfast meal, then typically morning nap (maybe nursing a bit before sleeping). Upon waking, nursing. Then an hour or so later, lunch. Then another nursing before afternoon nap. A little bit after nap, nursing again, then an hour or so later have the dinner meal and then one more nursing before bed time.

Hope this helps a bit,
J. at www.everymotherandchild.com

Give him the breastfeeding time after he has had a chance to try the "meal". If he is not hungry he will have no intrest in the food. Would probably just think it is a new toy.

Always, always breastfeed your baby first. Most of his nutrition comes from your breastmilk. At this age, the food should just be for practice.

It should be about what works best for the two of you. When I breast fed my daughter, I was loving the special time we spent together so I always breastfed first and then gave her "the other stuff". I was so afraid that if I gave her cereal or applesauce, even vegetables or fruit that she wouldn't want me anymore or would fill up and not need milk. Turns out that my body quit lactating before my daughter gave up on nursing. So what I'm trying to say is that you should try it both ways, nursing first and then a meal and visa versa, to see which is best for the both of you. My daughter always liked nursing as soon as she woke up and wouldn't eat breakfast for another hour and she liked nursing just before going to bed. Your son will help you determine when he needs and at 6 months you may find that the schedule that works one day is not going to work the next, they grow and change so much in their eating habits the next few months... good luck, I hope you find a good fit for the two of you! And I don't think that your childs nutrition is trivial, I believe every first time mother has the same questions ~ especially working full-time.

I read the book On Becoming Babywise about eating and sleeping schedules and it recommends nursing them and then feed them their baby food or rice cereal all in the same sitting. I nurse first so my baby isn't too full and will eat an adequate amount of breastmilk, which I think is more important for her nutritionally at this point than the babyfood. I often blenderize our steamed vegetables or soup or what we're eating, especially as the baby gets older because it's healthier.

Here's my schedule that works great for me. It has 3 naps and 5 nursings with 3 solid feedings that line up with normal mealtimes. Be careful about not going below 4 nursings a day if you want to keep your milk supply up, plus she needs the liquid:

7 or 7:30 Baby wakes and nurses, then eats rice cereal
9:30 Baby naps until 11
11:00 Baby wakes & nurses & immediately has babyfood for lunch
12:00 Baby naps (I did it this way so her nap overlaps a little with my toddler's nap so I get a little break. I put her down right before me and the toddler eat lunch because it's less stress to have her down while I prepare and eat lunch.)
3:00-ish Baby wakes and nurses (no babyfood this time. Maybe some baby cracker puffs as a snack--the kind that dissolve)
5:00 Baby naps (this is the nap I'm trying to get rid of)
6:00 Baby wakes and nurses, then eats babyfood or rice cereal
8:00 Baby goes to bed with cuddling and story and song
9:00 I wake baby up for one last nursing without food, and then put her right back down to bed unless she's so smiley I can't resist playing a little with her. I'll eventually merge this and the 6:00 nursing and just nurse her once at 7:00-ish before bedtime and then not have to wake her up again after that.

So I tried to line up the solid foods with normal mealtimes to make that transition easier when she gets older and so she can sit at the table now with the rest of us when we eat. I like a schedule because I plan outings around it and have a pretty good idea when my kids will be well-rested and fed, so they won't be grumpy.

Here is what we did with my son at 6 months:
7 am - morning bottle/breastfeed
10 am - morning solids
1 pm - afternoon bottle/breastfeed
4 pm - afternoon solids
7 pm - bedtime bottle/breastfeed
If you need a fourth bottle, I would try around 9 pm (cluster feeding).
Obviously, you would change the times to your child's normal waking schedule, but we found this worked well. The last two bottles or breastfeeds are before his nap and bed so they work well to send him off to sleep. As far as solids, our Dr said to try feeding solids first and if they won't take them or are still hungry, give a bottle second. That way, they eat a little of the solids even if you do have to resort to a bottle/breastfeeding to top them off.

Not a trivial question, and I have to throw my bit in for those who say never compromise breastfeeding for the solids, six months is still really young for solids and the breastmilk is an invaluable resource for nutrition, immunity, and all around nurturing. I was fortunate enough to be able to be home with my infants and so I just breastfed on demand pretty much 24 hours a day. It isn't so simple when you have to work full time, and I think it is great that you are still making the breastfeeding work in spite of the difficulties. I gave my oldest solids at four months because she was reaching for food all the time and already had teeth, but we kept them minimal--for fun, really. The younger one had zero interest in solids until she was a year...I don't think there is a "right way" to feed your child, they each have their own needs and system. Good luck.

I remember trying to figure this out too. If I remember correctly, I nursed first thing when he woke up. Then an hour or so later did breakfast. Then nursed mid to late morning with lunch to follow an hour or so later. Then a mid afternoon nursing/bottle (perhaps before afternoon nap followed by dinner. Then I nursed him before his bedtime. Hope that at least gives you some ideas. Good luck!

The answer to your question depends on a few factures. Is he taking milk after his meal? If not then you might want to give him the milk first and when he is done with his recommended ounces then fill him up the rest of the way with solid food. If you wish to feed him solids first you can offer milk as a drink during his meal or you can feed him less solids so that he will finish the milk too. Some working parents offer the milk in the morning and let the daycare feed the solids later. You can offer milk at snack time or before bedtime. Whatever fits your schedule and your provider will agree to. I really can't remember what the recommended ounces of milk/formula are at 6 months old but your pediatritian can help you with that one. I think that the thing that people forget is that the milk is more important than the solids so the baby should always get the recommended amount of milk even if this means reducing the amount of solids that you feed. Your son will likely love cuddling with you for his morning feeding and for an evening feeding. Maybe this will give him enough milk? Perhaps you can squeeze in another feeding on your lunch hour? Hope this helps...

This was easy for my first baby....
I breastfed him when he first woke up in the morning, when he first woke up after each nap, and last thing before he went to bed at night. The babyfood meals just fit in during his awake times. He used to prefer waiting a bit for breakfast after his morning breastfeed (I had lots of milk in the AM, 'cause that's when he was really sleeping through the night).

Good luck!

Always offer milk first, then food. Once you begin food, you are beginning the weaning process, but at 6 months of age, milk should still be his primary source of nutrition, especially your breast milk, which is far superior to any food you can offer him. Don't rush the process....let him continue to enjoy the best nutrition he will ever have, his mother's milk. He has a whole lifetime to eat food. Continue to enjoy him and your breastfeeding experience. My youngest (of four) who weighed over 10 lbs at birth, was nearly 12 months before I introduced food as I had ample milk for her. The longer you wait, the less chance of baby developing food allergies.

I was always told to give them the bottle or breastfeed first then their meal. They need the milk more than the solid food right now. I still gave my little ones 6 bottles a day. Breakfast, snack, lunch snack dinner and sometimes a before bed bottle if they were up later than usual. Now my little guy is 10 months old and he is loosing interest in his bottle so it is slowly being pushed aside by him, he would much rather eat table foods. I am hoping by the time he is 1 he will be totally over the bottle and we can just take them away! :)

I have a 6 month old little boy also-loves to eat!! For each meal I give him a smaller portion of solids than what I know will fill him and then nurse him (about half a normal nursing) after. It helps to "flush" the solids through his little GI tract and makes it a little easier for him to digest, since breastmilk is familiar to his body. He actually longs for the nursing time after each meal. It also gives him the additional nutrients, calories, protein and antibodies on a regular basis that he's not getting from homemade sweet potatoes and avocado!! It is imperative at this age that they still get those nutrients!!

Dear J.,
As long as your son is eating, he'll probably be fine. But to ease your worries, I'll let you know that I actually do it both ways. Milk is most important (I do both breast and bottle), so when my baby was 6 months we always offered milk first.

Now my girl is 9 months old and sometimes is hungry before it's time for milk. (I have 5 scheduled milk feedings per day). So I give her a very small snack to take the edge off her hunger. Also at dinner she has solids with us before having her milk.

Knowing what "small" meant for my baby took me awhile to figure out. It's easy to offer too much solid food. Our pediatrician recommended that solids make up 1/4 of the baby's diet at age 6 months. But that was too much for our girl and she wasn't interested in milk when we offered that much solid food.

Keep up the good work. Good for you for breastfeeding and working at the same time.

--M. W

Hi, J.

I would say that if your son has a tendency to get full when he gets the bottle or breastfeeds, I would feed him the breakfast first, and then "top it off" with the breast or bottle. The food would help keep him full longer and he'd be more content if he was fuller longer.

L.

Don't worry-nothing is trivial when it comes to babies!! I found it is akways best to feed solids before nursing or a bottle - otherwise they will fill up on milk and not be interested in the solid food. Good luck!

I'm having the same issue. My son in 7.5 months and I am breastfeeding. I never know what to do first: solids or breastfeed. Thanks for asking this question.

At six months old I would slow down a bit on the solids unless he is really into it-- at this age- the majority of his calories should be from the breast milk-- the meals are more for practice. I would stay at two meals and breast-feed first (its higher in calories). So for example- if he starts the day at six- nurse him, have him fed breakfast around 8-9, nap, bottle/breast... lunch...nap..breast/bottle. If you are working full time- nursing him in the am before you go to work will help you too. Wait till at least seven months for a third meal-- again unless he is eating like a pro. Hope this helps

I have a two year old son and a six month daughter. We are currently doing the same thing with her. With my son I found it easier to keep it to two meals until he was about 71/2 months and eating solids because he was getting really full on three and wouldn't touch his bottle...and I felt I was feeding him all day, so with Jordan we give her a bottle (with some rice cereal in it to thicken it a bit) around 6am and this seems to keep her happy until 10, and that is when I will feed her breakfast (one large jar of fruit mixed with rice cereal). If she gets a little fussy before then I will give her a teething bar to munch on. Then I give her another bottle about an hour later and then she will sleep for a few hours. When she gets up I will usually just give her another bottle and then feed her dinner a couple hours later before she goes to bed at 7. Sometimes I will giver her another bottle around 11ish if I am still up.

I was a nanny for over ten years and after much trial and error I find this works best. Especially if you have been just giving him liquids until recently. He is still craving that suckling, so I just thicken their bottles with a couple scoops of rice cereal. The best tip I can give you is do what works best for you and him! I have read all the books and was trained in this field and I can honestly say I have found what they say "works" only 10% of the time!!

If it's easier to do a meal first thing, do that...if it's easier to give him a bottle, do that. He will "tell" you what works best for him, and that will always be what is best for you!!

Hi J.,
I am a mother of a 5 year old and a 6 month old also. My understanding is that you should bottle or breast feed first then follow up with the baby food. At this point there is more value in the milk. You are just teaching them how to eat solids. The extra food can also help to fill them up especially if your baby is not yet sleeping through the night. My 6 month old is still having a hard time opening his mouth while I'm feeding him, so he really doesn't consume much. He does, on the other hand, drink plenty of breast milk. Hope that helps. B.

J.-
I don't think your question is trivial at all. I wondered the same thing a few months ago when I started my son on three baby food meals a day - and he is my second baby! :) Anyway, I am not sure if this helps because my son has a HUGE appetite but here is his feeding schedule:
8:00 am - bottle (half the time he doesn't want this bottle though)
9:00 - BABY FOOD
10:30 - bottle (goes down for nap)
12:30 - BABY FOOD
2:30 - bottle (goes down for nap)
4:30 - bottle
6:30 - BABY FOOD
8:00 - bottle (goes to sleep) (I put a teaspoon of rice cereal in this bottle)
11:00 - bottle

He is not sleeping through the night so he gets one more bottle around 4:00 am. I know that a lot of people will say to feed your son the bottle first and then baby food (because the milk is more important) but in my experience you really have to plan what you feed your baby when around his sleeping schedule. Most babies need a bottle or to be breast-fed to fall asleep so try to find a schedule where you aren't filling him up on baby food prior to his naps. Good luck!

If I recall correctly, breastmilk and/or bottle should come before meals becuase they get so many more nutrients out that then "food" but of course I could be wrong!! But that's how I did it! You'll find what works for you and baby but don't be afraid to try both ways (bottle/meal or meal/bottle). Good luck!

Hello J., I have an daughter who going on 8 months old and she usually gets up around 4:30 a.m. and I give her a bottle and she goes back to sleep. She gets up again to start her day around 7:30 a.m. and I give her another bottle and around 9:00 a.m. I give her breakfast. Then she eats at around noon and in between she gets bottles until dinner around 6:00 p.m. I hope that helps. :) T.

Dear J.,
This is NOT a trivial question.....it is probably the most important you could ask!

You should always breastfeed before giving him a meal, unless you intend to wean him. Also, doctors really push the babes to eat really early,but this is not necessary. Alternative medicine recognizes that babies don't even produce necessary intestinal secretions which protect them and prevent food sensitivities until they are at least 7 months. (If you have allergies in the family, you should wait at least that long if not longer). I have a 12 month old. We didn't even introduce food until he was almost 8 months and he was hardly interested until 10 months and then began eating solids and more meals per day as it was clear that he wanted food and was hungry.....around 11 months. ( I realize all babes are not alike and some should eat sooner than others, but there is NO reason that a 6 month old should be eating 3 meals a day....unless your diet is really poor and he is not getting the nutrients he needs from the breastmilk).

Always start with a bottle or breastfeed first before a meal. Re: food, introduce foods gradually (ie: single foods and the same foods for about 3 days to watch for reactions) Start slow and keep and eye on his poop to see what he is digesting or if he has constipation, diarrhea, or mucous in his stools. If he is not digesting it....(if its in the same form when it comes out as when it went in), then it is hard on his system and he could develop food sensitivites to that food. PLease do not rely solely on a doctor, but use your own intuition and your baby's guidance regarding food. I am a health care practitioner who has treated FAR to much eczema and allergies due to babes that were fed too early, too many foods too fast, or due to the Mom's diet being unclean or having too many allergens in it for the sensitive baby.

Breastfeed, breastfeed, breastfeed!!!!! That is what is best for him at this point. You can think about it this way....he has his whole life to complicate his system with foods. Give him what is pure and easy to digest now. Move slowly and don't feel the need to rush. there are many babes who are not even eating 3 meals a day by 12 months.

good luck and keep listening to your own intuition and your baby's body. Please email me directly if you have any questions!

C.

breastfeeding trumps solids EVERY TIME. take advantage of your milk supply and don't do anything to compromise production!.
there is nothing, but nothing more nutritious and important to his diet than mother's milk. this is like having a specialized diet for your child at every stage of his early development, and it helps/prevents him from getting sick. jar food is...commercial food. it doesn't matter if it's a pear it's still never going to be better than breastmilk. you won't be nursing forever, and his new solid food will always be there...for the rest of his life!
just my opinion~ once you start introducing solids and nursing less it signals the beginning of the end of nursing. unless you're ready for this process to begin, i wouldn't put such an emphasis on the solid food.
:)

Hi J. -

For proper digestion, food should be eaten without liquids. When a person is done eating, then they can drink - but it should be room temperature or warm drinks. The reason for this is because cold drinks actually stop or severaly slow down the digestion process. When this happens, your body can not break down the foods to retrieve the nutrients it needs to work properly.

Hope this helps.

M. M. Ernsberger
Holistic Health Practitioner

Theories may have changed since mine were babies, but I would feed a bottle AFTER breakfast, as a morning and afternoon snack, and before bed.

I usually breastfeed in the morning around 6AM and then feed him solids around 9AM he usually wants to nurse again right after this meal, solids at noon, nurses again around 3PM, solids at 6PM and then he nurses again before bed.

With the exception of the first solid meal I usually have about three hours in between solids and meals. Hope this helps.

We had one son who nursed first and one who ate first. The one who nursed first had an appetite like no other kid I've ever seen. The second one ate first and nursed after since he wasn't as interested in food. That way he ate. This is a fun age. Enjoy. You'll figure out a schedule that will work.

Hi J.,

I think by reading the responses, you'll see a majority recommend BREAST FIRST. In fact, unless your son has a unique circumstance, there is no need to supplement with food at all.

Feeding a child solid food BEFORE the age of ONE can actually cause food allergies later on. Because a child's stomach lining isn't fully developed until age one, solid foods can leak out of the stomach and cause toxicity (which ends up being food allergies).

BREAST IS BEST!!! :)

I was unable to breastfeed my child so I formula feed so my first pediatrician gave me this advise and it always worked with my 3 children and I do it now for my daycare kids. I give them their meal but don't finish it all. I wait about 10 minutes to let the food to settle in their tummies and then I give them a 4-6oz bottle. I do this with every meal and I give 2-4oz in between meals. I've never really seen a problem. When I first did this I was worried about my child getting big but all my children have always been average on the weight scale. Of course as your baby gets older he'll start to tell you what he wants. Good luck & Congrats!!!!

If memory serves, my doctor asked that I nurse first, and then feed my daughter, because milk is more important when they are that wee. Good luck!

My six month old daughter woke up at around 5:40 a.m. to be nursed. At around seven we will be dropping her brother off at the bus stop. Around 8:00 am she will have breakfast (cereal and fruit) and before she goes down for a short morning nap between 9-10:30 she will nurse. I offer her food around noon and she nurses again in the afternoon. She eats dinner and then nurses before bed. I offer her nursing at any other time she seems to want it or when she may need to be comforted and calmed. It is strange to put it in writing as sometimes things vary due to schedule, but we have it just about figured out it seems to be working. Hope this helps...

I just started introducing solids (fruits and veggies) to my now seven month old. Her schedule often goes something like this, but it depends on how she is doing that day....

7AM wake up/nurse
9AM if fussy/seems hungry she gets a small amount of cereal
11AM Breast milk bottle/nurse if I'm home
12:30PM stage 1 fruit
3:30 PM Breast milk bottle/nurse if I'm home
6PM Stage 1 veggie while we eat dinner
7:30-8:00 Nurse/bedtime

I use foods as a snack for right now. Milk is still given as her main meals. I did the same with my first, and as she approached her first birthday, I slowly started switching things around. In the next month or so, we will start with giving food at lunch, followed by the bottle/breast. And slowly changing all meals over by her first birthday. I hope that helps

Hi J., I have a 7 1/2 month old daughter and recently went through this same thing. I found that if I give her a bottle at the same time as meal time, it is too much. We've found that the following works for us: 1) We give her a bottle when she gets up in the morning after we've changed and dressed her. Thankfully she holds her own bottle. We put her on our bed so she is eating while we're getting ready for work. 2) Breakfast is about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours later (from the time she started the bottle). 3) Second bottle is given to her about 3 1/2 to 4 hours after the first bottle, so only 2 1/2 to 3 hours after her breakfast. 4) Lunch is about an hour after her bottle start time. 5) She gets her third bottle mid-afternoon after her nap, which is about the same timing between first and second bottle. 6) Dinner is fed to her 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours after her mid-afternoon bottle. If she is really hungry before dinner is ready, she sometimes has a smaller bottle to tide her through. 7) Last bottle is about an hour after dinner. I'm sure that you'll find a schedule that works for you!

I would breastfeed first as that is still where he gets most of his nutrition. When my daughter was that age (&up until 12 months) I basically alternated; bottle, meal, bottle, meal,etc.. She was eating every couple of hours between the 2. It seemed to work well for us & I certainly was never concerned that she was hungry. I kept her bottle 'schedule' the same & gave her the solids in between them.

Thank you for writing this question. I have a 6 month old and was wondering the very same thing! Look forward to reading your responses!
PS: Not trivial at all!

breast then meal or your milk supply will plumit

Hi-

What I did with my daughter (and what I still do even though she's almost two now), is I feed her her regular meal first, and give her milk second.

I breastfed her for over a year, and what I found was that if I nursed her first, she wasn't interested in the food. So I gave her the food first when she was hungry, nursed second, and that worked beautifully. Even though I was worried she'd be full, she always had room for a little milk. Even now in the morning she eats first. I give her a little bit of water in a sippy cup, then give her a sippy with milk when she's done. It has worked really smoothly for us.

T.

hi J., my son is 10 months and i breastfed untill he was nine months. Anyways, when we started the food, i kinda followed his lead. When he woke up i nursed him first. Then we got up, i fixed coffee and we turned on cartoons. I then made breakfast for my family and then sat him in his highchair and he ate with my oldest son. Even if it was half of the jar, he still got the hang of family at the dinner table. I will say that the routine is still the same. After breakfast, before his morning nap i nursed and then put him down. He woke up and i nursed. Then i fixed lunch. He sat and ate with me. Then i nursed him before his afternoon nap. He woke up, then i nursed and then i made dinner. He sat in his highchair and ate with the rest of the family. The schedual is still the same and he is doing great. At ten months he eats 3 meals and has four bottles. Good luck. Hope this helps. (FYI the "meals" don't really increase in size untill after the bottle or breast stops. ) Feel your child out and go with the flow. Keep a routine and your baby will do great.

I think your baby will let you or your sitter know when he wants a bottle/nursing. He seems a little young to start phasing out breastfeeding or bottle, so don't even think of that yet. The breast is still far more important than those solid meals at 6 mos.

Breastmilk is your baby's PRIMARY source of nutrition. Breasfeed first and then supplement with a little food. Good luck.

I was always told that breastmilk/bottle/formula was always first, since that was complete nutrition. Then do solids directly after. At first it will seem like alot of food, but you will be surprised at how quickly they catch-up. This is also a good time to add sign language for all done, and please(super easy).

I am in the same situation with a 5 month old. We are giving her one solids meal a day at lunch. I was also confused as to when to give a bottle/nurse. I asked some friends and it sounds like whatever works best for you. I nurse her just before giving her solids, a friend said she nursed afterwards. You can also give the bottle/nurse between the solids meals, first thing in the morning, or before bedtime. The thing to remember (which I had forgotten) is that the solids at this point is just supplemental, his main source of food should still be from breastmilk/formula. Think of the solids as practice at this point, not as actual way for him to get nutrients.

Hi J.! I remember wondering this same thing with my first born (my son is now 3), so don't think it is a trivial question! :) My doctor just told me to use nursing/bottles to wash down his meals, so I would feed him his solids first and then offer him a bottle afterwards. I also offered him bottles after he woke up from his naps for snacks in between meals. I hope this helps!

L.

I guess this all kinda depends our your routine. I have an 8 month old and still breastfeed (fun now with teeth;) and he wakes up early in the morning and usually nurses a little then. Once he gets up and outa bed we hang out around the house and play or head off to my job and he does not usually get hungry until a few hours after he has woken up. Then when we get around to lunch he eats until full and usually has some water to wash his meal down with. Then he will nurse before his nap (sometimes he takes his nap before lunch, in this case he usually has lunch shortly after waking and then nurses again before a late afternoon nap. Then he has diner when we get home (bout 5ish) and takes a short nap (sometimes) after nursing between then and bed time.
I guess Your request caught my attention mostly because I think its funny how doctors put everyone in the same category and expect that everyone will be the same and need to do the same thing. Dr's seem to be helpful to give you an idea to start with but your baby will let you know also if they are hungry or not. Also if your son is with a sitter that may make a little difference but so far for us all had stayed mostly the same. The times are not always the same everyday but my son has a general schedule he follows. I try to just find out what he needs:) Hope things go well!

Hi J.,
We did meals first and then "topped baby off" with nursing or bottle. Otherwise baby will fill up with milk and have less interest in eating meals. Sounds like you have a system for meals, and we were advised to do 3 meals, and 2 in between snacks. Remember, your little guy has a tiny stomach, so a meal, and a snack, will still be very small in quantity! Good luck.
L.

I was always encouraged to breastfed first and then feed solids. I believe the reason is that breastmilk is best and if they get full on solids they won't want milk. I have a 2 year old and when we started feeding solids I had a four hour schedule - I breastfed at 8am, noon, 4pm and 8pm - I fed solids after the 8 and noon feedings and sometime in-between the afternoon/evening feedings.

Best of luck!

ive been playing around with my grandson's schedule too. he was a preemie so he is still on 22 calorie formula. i pick him up at 8 am my son tells me he has a 6 oz bottle of formula around 6. at 8:30 when we get home he has rice cereal and a fruit and some juice. we play on the floor until about 10 when he takes a nap. he usually wakes around 12 and then i give him a 6 oz bottle of formula we go to the park if the weather is nice or to the library if its windy and get home around 1:30. at that time he has a vegetable and a fruit ( he has a hollow leg so he eats two containers per meal) he also has some juice or water i offer both. he naps again until about 3:30. when he gets up he has a 6 oz bottle of formula and at 5 he will have dinner whcih usually consists of whatever we are eating for dinner and some fruit and juice. i use a hand blender to make his food but he is very interested in what we are eating so we give him our food. at 7 he will have another bottle of formula and his mom picks him up around 8 pm. i really had to play around with his schedule because he was so hungry all the time that he wasnt napping. the pediatrician had us start him on cereal at 3 months but it wasnt enough. he started baby food at 4 months. he has two teeth , is sitting, getting up on all fours but hasnt grasped mobility in that position yet. he is still small he weighs 15 lbs and is 22 inches long. i jsut done tknow where he puts all that food because he is not chubby. he is very active and that may be why he doesnt retain any weight. i hope this schedule helps but mainly you just have to listen to his needs and make sure you get soem forumla or breastmilk in between. at this age they need the formula to develop the brain so you just shouldnt give food.