BLW but reducing milk already - 5 months

[AngelofTroy]

My tiny 5 month old has started eating (baby led, she's a bit younger than they say but the HV approved it as she is sitting well and feeding herself, and HV advised me to give cheese etc as higher calories).

She loves food and the whole act of eating! But her breastfeeds in the day are now 5 minutes at best. She loses interest, gets distracted and grins at me instead! I switch sides a lot to keep her interested. She's never been a big drinker. She has formula for one feed a day and will only ever take 3-4oz. Her breastfeeds are short. She feeds often, every 2-3 hours day and night but like I say they're short. She's been slowly dropping centiles since birth but not at an alarming rate. Is happy and healthy apart from a very very small hole in her heart which is closing.

I know "food is for fun until one" but I feel like she's showing a preference for solid food, so I have two questions:

1) How can I encourage her to take more milk? (Breast or formula)

2) What foods/nutrients are especially important if she is getting more of her intake from food than she's meant to?

Edit to add that she is between 9-25th centile and has been steadily dropping to there from 91st at birth.

 

[lau86]

All mine have preferred food from shortly after weaning. My oldest two turned away from the breast and wouldn't have a bottle. My youngest had an afternoon bottle till fairly recently but then didn't want that. She drinks no milk now. Her weight is fine. I give lots of full fat yoghurt and give weetabix or porridge in the morning so she gets milk with that. She also has vitamin drops. Curly veg is a good sources of calcium

 

[minties]

Emma does the same thing but isn't on solids, I just thought it was an age and stage thing? The pulling off and smiling? Emma nurses every 1.5 hours but takes one breast only.

Sophie also loved solids and she refused the breast by 11 months .

If dairy is tolerated well then I would think cheese, butter etc. When Sophie dropped centiles about the same age the health visitor said coconut oil in yoghurt, and mashed banana and avocado were good. I held out till 6 months though, an wish I had never given Sophie these "fattening" foods as she then flew back up the centiles and I have struggled with her weight since!

 

[Left wonderin]

My LO is 8 months and is exactly the same , I'm lucky to get 3 5mins a day . She loves her food !! Still is growing and weeing and pooing .... I'm sure your LO is just fine

 

[babyjan]

My son done this when we first introduced solids (thread in bf section) I seriously thought he lost interest but now at 7 months he bf longer and isn't easily distracted x

 

[noon_child]

I also wonder whether it is her age/stage rather than a preference for food. She could be much more efficient at getting milk so maybe it doesn't take much longer than 5 minutes, but 5 months is also a very distractible age where they like to play rather than feed.

Have you noticed any difference when she is sleepy/relaxed. Maybe feeding her after a massage, or in a low lit room with calming music might help. Also remember the easiest time to feed is when baby is showing "calm alert" behaviours - but often we tend to wait till "active alert" as that's when baby seems overstimulated and we want to head them off before they get fussy or cry. Feeding a baby during "active alert" is a great way of ensuring they get a chance to destimulate etc but it might not make for the most relaxed feeds.

 

[AngelofTroy]

Thanks, noon_child I think you might be right. She feeds longer at night and upon waking from a nap.

 

[minties]

Em only nurses for a few minutes at a time.

 

[AngelofTroy]

That's reassuring too minties, I guess they just change so quickly I'm always attributing it to things when it's probably just age! It's interesting Sophie dipped and then went back up the percentiles with weaning. I remember she was such a gorgeous chubby baby!! Those cheeks!

 

[Zephram]

This is age related breastfeeding behaviour, I wouldn't say it necessarily has anything to do with eating solid food. Both of mine became very efficient and nursed for 5 mins tops around that age and they also became absolutely distracted and would pull off to any sound or movement or eye-contact with me. I had to take them into a dark, quiet room to nurse as that was the only way we could get it done. They've both been frequent nursers too, so to be honest your post sound totally normal to me! I didn't start solids until 6 months with both, but like I say, the way you describe her behaviour is the same as they were at that age.

 

[minties]

Emma's has dropped off too, she had her 4 month check today and had gone from above 85th to between 50th and 75th for weight, and length centile has gone up a bit. I expected her weight to be 7.2kg or so and it was 6.8kg. Length is 63.5cm which is smack on 75th. I've never ever ever had a baby who's length centile exceeded the weight one so it's different!

 

[cjb]

I'm finding this with my almost 6 month old. It's such a struggle to get a full feed in him.he is bottle feed . He's been hard work 4 while only have a few ounces at a time compared to having a 6 or 7 oz bottle a few weeks before.
Now I've just started to wean with baby rice apple and pear. And he seems to already be filling up on that and not want his milk.
For example he slept for 11 hours at night. So it was getting close to 12 hours from his last feed. But still only had 2oz bottle when he woke . But then ate all his rice and pear.
Then 2 hours later then had a 7oz bottle.
But he definitely seems to fill up more later afternoon .
And I definitely notice he feeds better when he's sleepy.

 

[minties]

From what I remember with my other kids, I was only meant to aim for a mouthful or two of food for a 'meal' when first starting out, so maybe your guys LO's are having large portions compared to their tummy sizes?

 

[dani_tinks]

Esme's been on and off her feeds since about 4 months old. So much throws her, distractions, teething, feeling off, over tired, being a cheeky monkey... never had any of this with my son!