Food before 1 is just for fun, but what about after?

[too_scared]

My guy just turned 1 last week. We are doing BLW and he's still not eating much at all. He's mostly still playing with his food and spitting a lot out. He's still bf every 2-3 hours in the day and even more overnight. I'm bf'ing on demand.

What do you think?

 

[Rachel_C]

Is he healthy and happy? It's not a sudden switch of 'now he's one everything he needs must come from food'. Weaning is a very gradual process that's supposed to happen over several years so I wouldn't worry if he's healthy and doing well in general development.

After a year, I would look at making sure food is offered before milk if you want to encourage eating more, so when he's hungry offer him food and a drink, leave it for a while then offer milk, but if he asks for milk I'd still give it straight away.

 

[too_scared]

Thank you

I knew it wouldn't be a sudden switch but I kind of thought it would have gradually started happening before now. Haha!

He definitely seems healthy and he is definitely happy.

I'll start offering food and water first. He usually bf's when he gets up and then we will slowly get up and get breakfast (or lunch if it's after a nap) on the go. It's usually 45 minutes to an hour after he drinks last before food.

He's a little stinker.

 

[Rachel_C]

My 2.5 year old often has milk before breakfast still, but it doesn't affect her appetite (she is Miss Three Breakfasts Before 10am ) so I wouldn't worry too much about the first feed of the day, but for lunch and dinner I'd try stretching it out a bit so there's longer between his last milk feed and food - let him get a bit hungry before food

 

[too_scared]

Thanks I'll give that a try.

 

[MindUtopia]

You might also try introducing snacks here and there in place of a breastfeed. Not that you should discourage him from feeding, especially if you aren't ready, but it really could be he's just not hungry. I don't think my daughter would eat much if I fed her milk 45 minutes to an hour before lunch. Sometimes I find a snack holds her off until meal time, then she'll eat well and have some milk after to top her off. Not to mean you should wean him off the breast too much, but it might be helpful to put food first, even if it's a snack sometimes in place of a feed, and have boob there for after and comfort.

 

[too_scared]

I usually try a snack before his nap and the bf him to sleep.

OK, I have to do better. I have to eventfully stop bf'ing him, right? That makes me so sad. Haha! I love our time together like that.

 

[Kellen]

My munchkin is a greedy gobbler. I typically offer food for breakfast, then she'll nurse, then a snack before nap, then she'll nurse to put herself to sleep, then wake up and eat lunch, then nurse, then grab an apple slice, then nurse for another nap, then play and nurse, then eat dinner, then nurse before bedtime. Plus a feed at 2am. You would think the child would be huge, but she only weighs 22lb.

 

[too_scared]

Haha! My guy pretty much only has breast milk and is around 24 lb. He was the chubbiest little baby! He's thinning out now that he's been cruising for a few months.

Bad time for me to try to get him to eat more, poor little guy has a sinus and ear infection. He had his first ever fever yesterday morning. Lots of bf'ing and cuddles lately. His nose is so blocked he can barely swallow when he tries to eat.

 

[Kellen]

Awe, poor little guy. BF'ing cuddles are the best. Try some BM or garlic oil in his ears as both help clear up infections.

 

[too_scared]

No access to garlic oil but I could try bm. Thank you.