When do breastfed babies drop feeds
When and How to Drop a Milk Feed — Malina Malkani
Once a baby has more or less gotten the hang of eating at meals, it can start to feel like you’re feeding constantly. No sooner than one milk feed ends, it’s time to offer solids at the table, and once the table meal is done, it seems like time to prep a bottle or breastfeed again!
If a baby is eating and growing well but you feel that you are feeding around the clock, it may be time to drop a milk feed, although many parents are unsure how. There is no right or wrong way to approach this very personal process; this post is meant to provide information about the choices and considerations that can help guide you while you decide what’s best for you and your baby.
The transition from breast milk or formula to primarily table foods can be seen as a progression of phases or steps, which can look different from baby to baby. In general, these steps usually begin at around 6 months of age and end around 12-15 months, but every baby develops at his or her own rate and on his or her own timeline.
It is not wrong to start dropping milk feeds later, nor is it wrong to take plenty of time to move toward the end of the progression. Parents of babies born prematurely also need to take corrected age into consideration. And there are often backtracks during the process. For example, you might find a couple of weeks here or there where your baby seems to want to eat less solid food and breastfeed or formula feed more as a result of sickness, teething discomfort, or a variety of other reasons.
The 4 phases of weaning:
During the first phase, a baby begins trying different solid foods. This phase is mostly a time of exploration, so milk feeds usually continue normally.
In the second phase, a baby begins to swallow more food. If the meals offered are balanced and nutrient-rich, parents can consider dropping a milk feed. It is also perfectly fine to keep milk feeds at the same amount.
In the third phase, a baby’s feeding skills are developing and he or she starts consuming more solid food at meals.
For many babies, this happens at about 9 months of age. Meals start to feel more like actual meals as opposed to mostly exploration and play. Babies at this stage usually start filling up more from food and as a result, taking in less milk. Dropping a milk feed or two often happens naturally. In the fourth phase, baby is getting most of his or her nutrition from food, and if 12 months of age or older, he or she can transition to cow’s milk or a high-quality plant milk in lieu of formula. Toddlers can also absolutely keep breastfeeding after turning one year old. In fact, the World Health Organization supports breastfeeding up to age two and beyond. Do what works best for you, your baby, and your family!
Many parents want specific ages for this developmental progression, but as with many questions regarding weaning, the answer is, “it depends.” Specifically, it depends on the baby’s development, whether the baby was premature, how much exposure to solid foods the baby has had, and more.
A baby’s exposure to solids can be increased by parents and caregivers, but the amount of food a baby eats is dependent on different variables such as level of interest in solids, development of feeding skills, and specific medical concerns.
That said, many babies are ready to drop a milk feed by around 8-9 months given that they are usually in phase two or three at this point. The dropped milk feed can come at any point in the day that works best for you. Many parents find it easiest to drop a midday milk feed and replace it with lunch. There’s no right or wrong way to go here!
As far as when to offer solid foods versus when to offer breast milk or formula, a general rule of thumb is to move toward feeding milk after meals, rather than before. This way, the baby feels hungry for mealtime and begins to associate solid foods with satisfaction. Note that drinking a lot of milk right before a meal can reduce interest in foods, even in older children.
Many parents are worried that if they offer milk after meals or drop a milk feed, the baby will get too hungry.
This makes perfect sense given how concerned we are as parents about nourishing our little ones and keeping them comfortable. However, if we feed the baby too many times throughout the day, he or she may never truly feel hunger, which denies him or her the opportunity to connect solid foods with satisfaction from hunger. As babies develop, it’s okay to let them go for longer periods of time between meals and milk feeds. The key is timing meals and finding that sweet spot where your baby is hungry enough to enjoy the solid foods, but not so hungry that he or she has a meltdown.
I’m often asked if it’s okay to wean “cold turkey.” In general, except for some medical reasons, it is better to take a gradual approach if you can. If mom is breastfeeding, stopping abruptly can increase the risk of engorgement and mastitis, and the baby may intensely resist the sudden change. If immediate weaning is necessary, however, this link has some helpful information about how to avoid severe consequences.
In the same vein, gradually transitioning from formula to cow’s milk is also often more successful than abruptly switching from formula to a bottle of cow’s milk right at age 1, which can sometimes result in a baby who refuses all bottles. Instead, gradually mixing in small amounts of cow’s milk or another nutritionally adequate plant-based milk to breastmilk or formula can help ease the transition gently.
However, you decide to drop a milk feed and move toward full weaning, know that there is no wrong way to do it. Take comfort in the fact that babies are incredible at meeting their nutrient needs when we let them lead the way!
If you have specific concerns about your baby’s nutrition and need 1:1 guidance, feel free to book a session with me in my virtual private practice and we will get to the bottom of it together.
And if you’re getting ready to start your baby on solids, or if your baby has recently begun his or her feeding journey and you need guidance on food sizing, balanced baby meals, introducing the top allergenic foods, and making sure baby is getting the important nutrients needed for growth and development during infancy, check out my online course for parents, based on my best-selling book which will walk you through the whole process of starting solids using a baby-led approach.
Thank you to my dietetic intern, Annie Hanes for her research and contributions to this post!
Dropping milk feeds from 7-9 months
As weaning progresses, your baby is developing a greater appetite for solids by the day, but until he’s a year old, the bulk of his nutrition and calories will still come from breastmilk or formula.
How much he takes can vary from day to day, depending on how much solid food he eats, but you’ll need to make sure that he’s still having regular milk feeds, even once he’s on three meals a day.
How much milk does your baby need?
Your baby needs a minimum of 16-20 ounces (500-600ml) of formula milk a day, or regular breastfeeds. See our guide to drinks for your baby at 7-9 months.
Is your baby ready to drop a milk feed?
Once your baby is enjoying three meals a day, he’ll probably be ready to drop a milk feed. This is usually around seven to nine months, although it varies from child to child. Mums tend to drop the midday feed first, as it’s easily replaced by lunch.
If your baby is now eating a decent amount at lunchtime, offer him solids before his milk feed. You’ll know when he’s ready to drop the feed, as he’ll start to take less of it, or not want it at all.
How to drop a milk feed
This will depend on your baby. Some just naturally refuse milk feeds at lunchtime, while others will gradually take less and less milk until you stop offering it completely. There’s no harm in continuing to give him his lunchtime milk if he wants it, as long as he’s eating a decent amount of solid food too, but if you’re keen to drop the feed, try offering him milk or water in a cup with his lunch instead.
Remember that if your baby is poorly or teething, he may lose his appetite for solids and want more milk, particularly if he’s breastfed, as he’ll crave the comfort. Don’t force solids on him in this case; just wait until he’s feeling better.
What if he tries to drop the ‘wrong’ milk feed?
It doesn’t really matter which daytime feed your baby drops first.
For most babies, the lunchtime milk is the first to go, but some may go off their breakfast or afternoon feed first. Be guided by your baby, and just make sure that if he does drop a feed, you replace it with a drink of milk or water in a cup and a healthy snack.
Some babies start by dropping their bedtime feed, and then end up waking at night because they are hungry. If this happens, try bringing your baby’s solid tea forward – perhaps to 4pm – so that he’s hungry again by bedtime and will take a full bottle or breastfeed.
Your baby’s typical daily meal plan
On waking: 7oz milk or breastfeed
Breakfast: Cereal or porridge, fruit, 4oz milk or breastfeed
Lunch: Pureed chicken, mashed potatoes and veg, fruit pudding, water
Mid-afternoon: 4oz milk or breastfeed and a snack such as fruit slices or rice cakes
Dinner: vegetables, pasta and cheese sauce, mashed fruit and yogurt
Bedtime: 7oz milk
All babies vary enormously, so use this information only as a guide.
If you have any concerns about the amount of milk your baby is drinking, talk to your health visitor or doctor.
reasons and what to do if the baby does not eat complementary foods
Published: 09.12.2019
Reading time: 5 min.
Number of reads: 68991
The author of the article: Ponomareva Yulia Vladimirovna
Pediatrician, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Allergist-Immunologist . Indeed, nutrition is also the most pressing topic at a pediatrician's appointment in the first year of a child's life. Food is the most important need of the human body in all age periods, but it is especially important that nutrition is complete and correct at an early age. It is during this period that nutritional programming of metabolic processes in the body takes place, and the foundation is laid for the healthy functioning of all organs and systems throughout life. Therefore, the child's refusal to eat or unwillingness to eat complementary foods is very worrying for parents and, of course, requires careful attention.
Let's try to understand the causes of poor appetite in infants and find ways to solve this vital issue.
Content: Hide
- Newborn baby
- Transition power
- Taste buds
- Problem Solving
- Practical tips
- First porridge Bebi Premium
- Vegetables and meat
- Other causes
- The baby is ill
Newborn baby
The first year is one of the most difficult in the life of a child and the whole family. The baby gets used to an independent life outside the mother's body and adapts to external living conditions. Breastfeeding (LF) is an important bridge between mother and newborn. Mother's milk is an ideal food for babies, as it contains all the nutrients and biologically active substances necessary for a growing organism, and is also easily absorbed by the still imperfect digestive tract. For the first four months, the baby is not ready to digest any other food.
During this period, a healthy child's refusal to breastfeed is most often associated with severe colic: the baby willingly grabs the breast, but then abruptly stops sucking and begins to cry. Another possible reason for poor appetite is a change in the usual taste of milk, for example, when mom eats foods with a sharp taste (onion, garlic).
Transitional nutrition
No matter how ideal nutrition breast milk is, the baby grows up and its needs can no longer be met exclusively by breastfeeding. By the fifth month of a child's life, it is necessary to decide on the start of the introduction of complementary foods. If the baby is artificially fed, then it is safe to expand the diet from the fourth month of life: the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys of most children are already ready for the introduction of food other than the adapted mixture. As a rule, parents' complaints about the child's poor appetite are associated with the introduction of new products, the taste of which is very different from the usual taste of milk.
You can often hear the baby's mother say that the baby refuses to eat complementary foods or does not like cauliflower or meat.
Taste buds
Why does the baby refuse vegetables or meat? There is a logical explanation for this. A person is able to distinguish between sweet, bitter, salty and sour foods. And immediately after birth, the child distinguishes these four basic tastes. Specific taste buds in children are located on a wider surface than in adults. All of them are highly sensitive to the perception of mother's milk. In the first months of life, only sweet taste causes a strong sucking reflex. Foods with a different taste cause facial wrinkling, salivation and expulsion of food from the mouth, sometimes even vomiting and restlessness. These mechanisms ensure that the child adheres to a strict milk diet for the first four months of life. But by the second half of the year, taste buds are gradually tuned in to the perception of the entire existing variety of tastes.
The process of maturation of the taste perception analyzer is individual for each person. Therefore, so often the acquaintance of the baby with new products causes a negative reaction, and the child does not eat complementary foods.
Solving the problem
What should I do when my baby refuses to eat the necessary foods? First of all, it is very important for parents to be patient. In order for a child to get used to a new taste and begin to recognize it, it is necessary to try it at least 12–15 times. Be prepared that the baby will violently express his dissatisfaction and categorically refuse to eat a new product. Do not insist today, but do not get tired of offering it again and again. Around the end of the first year of life, most babies already recognize the taste of the products on offer. Of course, each child develops personal taste preferences, but gradually and persistently introduce the baby to a variety of complementary foods, and you are sure to find his favorite in each food group.
Teach your child to the variety of types and flavors of food, because it is those foods that the baby will get acquainted with in the first 9months, will determine his gastronomic preferences in adulthood.
Practical advice
Many parents agree that taste development is not a quick process, but the child needs nutrients already at the stage of introducing complementary foods. Is it possible to speed up the child's addiction to a new product? Indeed, the stage of acquaintance with new food can be softened by using the tastes already familiar to the baby. The modern strategy of feeding children in the first year of life recommends using porridge or vegetable puree as the first complementary foods. The introduction of cereal complementary foods is a better choice, not only because porridge is a complete meal that provides the nutrients and energy needed by a growing body. This product is a logical extension of the baby's diet. Using mother's milk or a familiar adapted formula as a base, make your baby's first cereal.
At first it will be a semi-liquid consistency, and then, focusing on the reaction of the child, gradually thicken it. Feeling the familiar and favorite taste of milk, the baby quickly gets used to the taste of cereals. Give preference to baby food products of industrial production, in which the composition and quality of production meet international standards. So your baby is guaranteed to receive the best for health.
Read also: How to feed a capricious child?
The first Bebi Premium porridge
Baby food of the Bebi Premium line is manufactured at the factory using the most modern technologies, and according to the quality and safety criteria of the finished product, meets the level of medical production. Products for the first complementary foods of the Bebi Premium line, which can be safely introduced into the menu of crumbs from 4 months, are represented by “Rice Porridge with Prebiotics” without milk and “Buckwheat Porridge” without milk. Without using heat treatment, while retaining all the beneficial properties of mother's milk, you can easily and without lumps prepare a complementary food dish for your baby.
In addition to the beneficial properties of milk and cereals, Bebi Premium cereals are enriched with a unique complex of vitamins and minerals that help the baby become healthy and strong. Nutritionists develop a formula that meets the needs of the baby at every age stage. A valuable addition is the enrichment with prebiotics, which helps in the work of the own intestinal microflora and healthy digestion, and also strengthens the immune system. For a baby older than 6 months, you can diversify the diet with Bebi Premium cereals, which contain fruit components in their composition, thereby gradually and safely accustom the child to the taste of natural fruits and prepare his receptors for the introduction of fruit and berry complementary foods.
Vegetables and meat
According to the presented algorithm, you can continue to introduce your baby to new tastes and expand his diet. When the child is already familiar with the taste of porridge and he eats it with pleasure, prepare a dish for him that combines familiar cereals and a new product from the vegetable group.
As a base for breeding, use baby water or vegetable broth. From the age of 6 months, meat can already be introduced into the baby’s menu, and let the first acquaintance with a new taste be accompanied by your favorite vegetable puree or cereal that your baby likes. Do not forget that the child's dental apparatus is only developing, and his desire to eat the offered food is affected by the degree of its grinding. This is another advantage of industrial products, since it is very difficult to achieve homogenization of the product at home, which is necessary for children in the first 8 months of life.
Other reasons
A rather common complaint of parents is not a lack of appetite in the baby, but a very fast satiety of the child, when literally after a few spoonfuls he does not want to eat anymore. Never use distractions to feed your baby. This leads to eating disorders and serious problems in the future. Also, do not try to add additional, for example, sweeter foods to saturate the baby.
The baby is ill
The baby's appetite is certainly affected by the state of his health. If the child suddenly refuses food that he previously ate with pleasure, and is also naughty more than usual, carefully observe the baby. Perhaps he has a fever or a stomach ache. Teething is also a very common reason for a sharp refusal to eat at this age. In these life situations, do not insist on eating or offer the child his favorite complementary foods. If the baby is still breastfeeding, be prepared that for some time he will ask for a breast more often. Mother's milk at this moment is not only easily digestible food, but also psychological help when the baby does not feel well.
And, of course, in all incomprehensible situations, do not neglect the advice of a pediatrician: at an early age, the health of a baby can change very rapidly.
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The child does not eat complementary foods well - the reasons for refusal, what to do for mom.
— Polina Alexandrovna, for starters, let's talk about complementary foods?
— Complementary foods are solid adult foods that a child begins to receive first of all on the background of milk feeding. Before complementary foods, the child eats only breast milk or milk formula adapted to his age.
— Until how many months is exclusive breastfeeding the norm?
- If breastfeeding is understood as feeding only with mother's milk and nothing else, then the norm is up to 4-6 months .
It is during this period that babies are first introduced to complementary foods.
When should a child start eating complementary foods
— It used to be thought that formula-fed or mixed-fed babies should receive complementary foods a little earlier than breast-fed babies. And the terms of four to six months were only valid for babies who receive formula. Modern experts are coming to the conclusion that it is also optimal for breastfed children to introduce complementary foods at the age of four to six months.
- Can a baby over 6 months old eat only formula if there is no breast milk, and he refuses complementary foods?
— You should try to introduce the baby to new foods. Perhaps he does not like what is offered, and something else needs to be given. But complementary foods must be present in baby food, and at six months the baby is already required to get acquainted with one or more food groups. Otherwise, a deficiency of certain substances will develop, as the child grows and his needs become greater.
Another factor also plays a role. If the child is not taught to eat on time, it will be much more difficult to do this in the future. 4-6 months is the optimal time to introduce complementary foods both in terms of nutritional value and psychological preparation.
How to introduce your baby to new foods
— We can talk about a differentiated approach to the introduction of complementary foods.
Consistency of Complementary Foods
- Some experts recommend the first to introduce homogeneous purees (maximum crushed products without pieces), others - to give from the plate what the parents eat. However, these are large pieces, and they can only be offered as pedagogical complementary foods and to get acquainted with tastes. For good nutrition, such complementary foods are premature: the baby’s gastrointestinal tract may not be ready for it, and the bulk of the food will pass through the intestines.
Therefore, if we talk about nutritional value, then it is better to use homogeneous puree - ground food is quite easily processed by enzymes throughout the gastrointestinal tract.
Food groups to start complementary foods
- Depending on the weight, stool and age of the child in which complementary foods are introduced, either cereals or vegetables are selected. There is nothing wrong with sweet and tasty fruits, but they are rarely introduced first, so as not to risk provoking the rejection of less tasty and less sweet cereals and vegetables.
Feeding schedule and combination with breast milk and formula
— It is acceptable to feed an adult enough baby first with breast milk or formula and then offer complementary foods. At the initial stage of dating, it is better to give complementary foods first. A very small child does not know that he has to eat something or that there is a spoon with which to get something tasty.
If you give complementary foods after milk or formula, the baby will get enough of them, and he will not have the need to try new things from an unusual spoon.
Baby does not eat complementary foods - what not to do
- Do not give foods that are not age appropriate.
- Do not give foods that can cause allergies.
- Do not give poorly ground food.
- Do not disguise eating as a game or turn on cartoons and at this time try to cram in a few spoonfuls of complementary foods.
An attempt to distract a child with cartoons will lead to the fact that he will sit at the table not to eat, but to play. Food will be of no value to him. The body, although we do not notice, is controlled by the brain. And if at the time of feeding the child is distracted and thinks not about food, his body adapts worse to unconscious eating. The secretion of enzymes necessary to properly control intestinal motility is disrupted.
Digestion is not as smooth and less beneficial than when the child understands that he is actually eating and participating in the process of eating.
— Does it happen that a child does not eat complementary foods well, if he has not yet grown up to him?
- Here it is important to consider the age at which complementary foods are introduced. At a very young age, an infant may really not be ready for it and will begin to push the contents of the spoon out of the mouth, spitting out everything that is given to it.
Later, the refusal of specific foods is mostly related to the baby's taste preferences or discomfort when swallowing food. If the mother sees that large hard pieces are still difficult for the child, it is better to offer him a homogeneous puree or very soft and fairly small pieces. The child will not notice how he swallows them.
The body's unpreparedness for a particular type of product can be manifested by dyspeptic symptoms and stool disorders (diarrhea, streaks of mucus or blood), the child's anxiety due to increased gas formation in the tummy.
Why the child does not eat complementary foods
— Polina Alexandrovna, why might a child not like complementary foods?
— There are various reasons why a baby does not like complementary foods. Here are the most common:
- Taste preferences. A very common product for the first complementary foods is zucchini, which a mother can cook herself or purchase in the form of ready-made baby puree. Homemade and store-bought mashed potatoes have completely different taste qualities. Therefore, some children like what their mother cooks more, while others enjoy eating a canned product.
- Consistency of the first complementary foods. For example, a child does not eat porridge well. This is possible if the porridge is thick - in consistency it is too different from breast milk or the mixture that the baby used before.
- Sometimes a baby does not eat complementary foods simply because he does not like the environment or is not up to feeding at all.
Read also
- about the problems of introducing the first complementary foods.
— If a baby does not eat one type of food well, can it be changed?
- You need to make sure that the child does not eat precisely because he does not like a particular type of product, for example, broccoli. Try offering the vegetable several times in different settings or in different preparations. If during the week the product does not “enter” in any way, there is no need to torment the baby. Instead, you can offer him mashed zucchini or cauliflower. When the baby gets used to the new diet and the age norm, you can mix broccoli in different proportions in the puree and watch how he will eat this vegetable. There are no such irreplaceable products that you need to force-feed a child. The main thing is that the baby eats a variety of complementary foods.
— Will special drinkers, spoons, bottles help in feeding the baby?
- It is necessary to distinguish between the reasons why the baby does not eat well.
If he does not like the taste of the product, then no spoon or drinking bowl will help. But if the baby is bored while feeding, plates with animals and a bright spoon will come in handy. It happens that a spoon does not fit, it is physically difficult for a child to eat from it - then you need to try others. Dishes should be comfortable, especially when the baby begins to eat on his own.
Strongly advise parents not to give bottled food . Thus, an adult meal is disguised as feeding a small child. The kid does not get used to eating at the table, moreover, the digestion of food does not start quite correctly. When bottle-feeding, the product is practically not processed by saliva enzymes because contact is minimal. For breast milk and formula, this is acceptable, but for solid food, the bottle plays a negative role.
Watch videos on introducing complementary foods and preparing for the transition to the common table.
— What if the child is not interested in "adult" food?
- The best thing that parents can give their child - and this applies not only to nutrition, but to everything that happens to the baby - is personal example .
It has long been observed that children learn through imitation. They are more willing to play not with toys, but with remotes and phones, they always repeat the movements and facial expressions of their parents. In the same way, they repeat what their parents do at the table. Therefore it is important to put the child at the table from the age of three months, and not isolate him at the time when you eat.
There are a huge number of high chairs for feeding from 2-3 months. The baby can be placed almost in a supine position without strain on the back. The child at the table will see what you are eating, how the process is going, and will understand that this is normal. And by four to six months, she will beg food from her parents. The most important thing is not to miss this opportunity, to encourage the child and give him the food he asks for.
A child's refusal to eat is motivated by various reasons, from the fact that the child does not like the offered product, and ending with the loss of food interest.
