Xavier is currently 8 months old and we started weaning at 5.5 months. Tbh, he still doesn't eat very much (technically we're TW as we do do some spoon feeding/purees, but he predominantly has solid/finger foods).

He is having four bottles per day of 8oz each (7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm) and very occasionally one bottle the same size at night if he wakes up (usually teething etc). So probably averages a litre (30 oz) per day.

Just wondering if it's best to just let him increase food and decrease milk at his own pace or whether there is a point we should reduce the amount of milk he has? I know he's only eight months so not too worried at this stage but he is not eating that much more than he was two months ago, so not sure how much more he will be eating in another two months.

At what age do they start associating food and hunger rather than milk and hunger? I know that 'food before one is for fun' but does that mean until one most intake should be milk and then when they are over one it should be mostly food?

At what age did other people start reducing milk intake? And, when it comes to the stage, is it best to drop one whole bottle - and if so, which one? - or is it better to keep four bottles but reduce the volume of each?

I was told by HV that if my LO was on 3 meals per day (ie, solids) then to drop to 3 bottles... breakfast, afternoon (3pm ish) and then bedtime. Lucy will usually have a bottle in the night as well. I was worried about dropping her mid morning bottle but she didn't really seem to notice.

xx

Thanks, hun. He is technically on three meals but how much food constitutes a 'meal'? sometimes it's literally a couple of spoonfuls of food or, say, 1/8th slice of toast.

That's good your DD didn't notice the morning bottle going. I really can't imagine Xavier doing that. Going 7am to 3pm seems such a long time. He's only recently gone from having 5 bottles to four bottles a day, so he's normally more than ready for his milk after four hours.

What time are your meal times in relation to the milk feeds? xx

It varies depending on the plans for the day, but typically the day goes:

7am - milk
8am - breakfast
11am - milk
1pm - lunch
3pm - milk
5pm - dinner
7pm - milk/bed

Sometimes breakfast is a bit later or lunch is a bit earlier, depending on what we're doing etc. He generally eats very little though. This morning he ate 1/16th of a piece of toast (I give him half a round, cut into four soldiers and he ate half of one of those at best). Yesterday he had porridge though and had more.

That sounds fine, I was just wondering if maybe he was having bottles that were to close to feed times but they sound well spaced out xx

Thanks, hun. I try not to give food within an hour after a bottle if I can help it.

I reduced Jessicas milk at 9 months but only because she was having 3 solid meals per day plus over 30oz of milk

Did you take one bottle away or just reduce the amount in each? How did she react, or did she not really notice?

I'd wait till he drops it himself, even once there on three meals a day it can take them a while to be eating big enough portions to get enough calories to drop a feed