How much food

[deanbean]

Hello

My 8.5 month old daughter has never been a great solids eater. She is happier having finger food than food from a spoon and I am acutely aware that the amount she feeds herself or I feed her in 'finger foods' is less than what I could (sometimes) feed her with a spoon. Other babies her age seem to be eating a great deal more than her.

My question is really how much is appropriate for a baby my daughters age? I realise that there is a pretty big range of 'normal' but what some of the babies in my mothers group eat for lunch my daughter would take 2 days to eat!

On average a meal consists of a slice of tinned pear, a 1/4 of a piece of toast (sometimes with avocado spread on it) maybe a piece of cooked carrot about the size of a little finger.

Having said that though she seems to be refusing most things the last couple of days - even pear which is her favorite normally. Certainly I haven't been able to feed her anything from a spoon either, though sometimes she will have rice cereal and fruit.

I have also been trying not to BF her til after solids to encourage her to eat more - though this is not very successful either.

Thankyou

[the pero clinic]

Dear Deanbean,

There certainly is a big range of what is ‘normal’ for bubs and their appetites. At 8 ½ months, your little girl should be having 3 solid meals a day now, in addition to her breastfeeds. These meals should be smooth purees, lumpy or mashed purees or soft finger foods by now.

Healthy babies are very good at monitoring their own hunger levels and knowing when they need more and when they have had enough. If your bub seems generally happy and healthy, it could just be that she has a small appetite. You really need only be concerned if she has increased her breastfeeds to make up for what she isn’t eating in solids.

Persist in offering solids before breastfeeds, and where possible, continue to feed her baby rice cereals (pureed or mixed into other foods) as they are good sources of iron. Try to let your bub feed herself finger foods while you slip in some spoonfuls of something else. Offer her a spoon to help feed herself if independence is a priority for her now.

If you are concerned that she has increased her breastfeeds, or her current disinterest in foods continues, I would advise talking to your CHN or GP to discuss a plan for reducing her breastfeeds to increase her hunger for solids. It is important to rule out any other medical issues when doing this, and to determine the best way to reduce milk feeds.

the pero clinic