8 month old still eats solids ONCE a day

[mercedybear]

she has never been a big eater but is still gaining weight. I can only manage to get her 1 or 2 feedings a day of 1-2 tb oatmeal or chicken and 1 tb fruit or veg, the "guide" has them eating 3 times a day at 3-4 tablespoons each meal!! I feel like I am under-feeding my LO solids, but any more and her amount of formula goes down. Should I worry???

 

[Jamandspoon]

Emilie is exactly the same!! Some days she'll have more than others but generally 1-2 meals a day and only 1-2 tbl spoons if I'm lucky!! I've decided to give up on reading the "guidelines" , she's gaining weight, looks healthy and has lots of energy! My theory is she'll take more as and when she's ready for it I don't want meal times to become a battle where I try and feed her once she's full, I just think it'll cause upset for her and stress for me?

 

[JWandBump]

My DS is the same at 11months! He's getting there slowly, I'm not worried he's still gaining weight my DD was the same at about till about 1 and 1/2, then she was stating to eat normally now at 3 she's fine I just have slow eaters lol xxx

 

[MumToEva]

Have you heard of baby-led weaning - i find it a lot less stressful than trying to spoon feed. I just put LO up in the high chair beside me any time I'm having food, and give him anything that I'm having. Like lunch might be a chicken sandwich and an apple - I just cut the apple into wedges and the sandwich into grab-able pieces and let him work away. It's amazing how quickly they start to get it! Though you do have to throw the guidelines out the window and just not worry about what they are actually taking in for a while! Might work for you too.

Oh, and it's normal for their formula intake to go down as they start to eat more solids - just go with what LO lets you know they need.

 

[clever_blond]

I second baby led weaning. Its amazing and much less stressful. My 7.5 month old loves to feed herself and is a fab little eater now. Her milk intake hasnt gone down yet which is also normal before the age of 1 if blw as you cant be sure how much they are actually eating. Xx

 

[iiTTCii]

I'm doing BLW and I really don't stress myself over it. She gets everything she needs from milk. Some days she will have 3 meals a day and eat loads then she will eat next to nothing for the next few days. The first year is all about them exploring food, not how much thy can eat. As long as your LO is not losing weight, that's fine.

 

[kirstybumx3]

Rio was the same at that age and didn't really show a lot of interest in food until he could feed himself things. He is 11 months old and we have only recently got to 3 meals every day. But even now occasionally he refuses lunch x

 

[mercedybear]

Thanks Ladies! I feel better now to know that my LO is not the only one!

 

[Pink Petals]

We are doing BLW, as well as some purees on a preloaded spoon. On a good day, LO might eat a teaspoon or two. Not much!

 

[misspriss]

We do BLW for most things, we spoon feed yogurt and saucy things though, but not pureed foods.

LO didn't show any interest in solids until over 1 year, his ped was fine with it (he was preemie). He still gets at least half of his nutrition from milk, probably more, but he eats 2-3 meals a day.

 

[meli1981]

Nope! Solids before a year is just to get them used to different textures and tastes....firmula or breast milk should be their primary source of nutrition until they turn one

 

[Rato]

Same here. My daughter does through phases. I breastfeed her 1st thing in the morning around 7.30-8am, then at around 9-10 I make us pancakes for breakfast and she was about 1-2tb of that max + cow's milk - less than 100ml, then usually she had some cow-s milk in a beaker a few times, then sleeps 12-1.00/1.30 then eats 2-4tb food for lunch + 2tb banana, then dinner at around 6.30pm same amount if I-m lucky but sometimes she eats close to nothing if she['s teething or just not in the mood but she also looks healthy, has a normal weight and very tall and energetic, also normal development so to be honest guidelines are just guidelines. When I started weaning her at 4months she was eating like a monster, more than she is now, and yet she went through a 2month stage where was she just refused all solids, so there you go. Just play it by ear. As long as their diet is balanced, and if you are complementing with breastfeedng you can never go wrong I don-t think xx