Feeding FAQ: 6-9 months – Weaning/Solids

My daughter of 6.5mths has begun to wake in the night wanting a feed since starting solids

I started giving my daughter solids when 6 months following Norwegian guidelines. Since starting solids she first started to wake up more often at night, about 3-4 times per night. Now she is back on twice. We decided to drop the afternoon nap after she took almost 45 minutes to fall asleep, if she did at all. Now she is really tired and grumpy from 4.30 instead. She also wakes earlier in the morning now since dropping the afternoon nap.
But our main problem is that she hates eating solids. I have tried baby rice and babyhirse, pear (her favorite so far), carrot, prunes and apple. She has eaten a whole cube of pear once, but normally only half a cube of vegetables or half a teaspoon porridge.

At present she is fully breast fed taking feeds at 7am 2mins, 8am 3mins, 10.45am 5mins, 2.30pm 7mins, 5.30pm 7mins, 6.30pm 3mins, 10pm 5mins and 2.30am 5mins. She will take 20mls of water at 11am and 5.30pm with her solids. At 10.45am she takes ½ cube of apple or carrot and at 5.45pm she takes ½-1 teaspoons of baby hirse porridge, this is equivalent to baby rice with more iron. This is mixed with 1 cube pear or ½ cube prune puree.

My daughter weighs 7500gr [16lbs 9ozs].

She naps at 9-9.25am and 12-2.30pm. She settles at 7pm.

In the early stages of weaning, when it is started at 4 months, a baby receives its milk before the solids but, as you have waited until six months to wean your daughter, you will need to move her much more quickly through the food groups. Take a look at Gina’s article Weaning Guidelines on the site.

At present your daughter is taking in a full feed before her solids so is just not interested in taking food from a spoon. You need to begin to really cut back on the amount of milk she takes at 10.45am so she is hungry for her solids. As well, your daughter is still feeding at 10pm and in the night which is probably the reason for her having a smaller feed at 7/8am. This, in turn, means she takes a bigger feed at 10.45am which then makes her less eager to try solids.

It would be better if you completely separated the milk feed from the solids to encourage her to more interest in her vegetables. Offer her solids at 10.45am, encouraging her to take as much as she wants and increasing the amounts, so she is beginning to have 1 cube of a carbohydrate rich vegetable such as sweet potato mixed with another vegetable, to help fill her up. Once she has taken her solids then offer her a breast feed around 11.30am. This will ensure she sleeps well at lunchtime.

From your notes it seems that you offer her water with her solid food. If you feel she needs this then offer it after her solids to prevent her from filling up with it and taking the edge off her appetite.

The same problem seems to be happening at 6pm as well. If your daughter is very tired due to her dropping the afternoon nap it is better to split this feed. Give her a very short breast feed at 5.30/5.45pm followed by her solids. Increase the amount of rice you offer her as it will fill her up more than fruit. Using expressed breast milk to mix the rice will give it a familiar taste. You can add the fruit as well to see if she will accept more. The fruit is offered with it to make it more palatable and prevent possible problems with constipation. Your daughter will probably be tired after this but try to keep her going to 6.30pm for her bath and then offer her a breast feed before she settles at night.

If your daughter starts to increase the solids at the 5.45pm feed her milk intake at 10pm should begin to decrease. Meanwhile, as she is still waking once more in the night for a feed you may like to let her sleep on for as long in the late evening as she can, rather than waking her at 10pm. When she wakes again later in the night she will still need a feed, but should take a full one and then may be able to sleep through to 7am. If you notice her cutting down or losing interest in her 7am feed you will know it is time to cut back on her night feed. Do this gradually by a few minutes every other night until she is able to sleep through without it.

If your daughter is getting very tired by 4.30pm and falling straight to sleep at 7pm this could be a reason for her waking earlier in the morning. The afternoon nap does not need to be in a cot in her room. It would be a good idea to take her out in her pram at this time to encourage her to rest and possibly cat nap for a short while. This will prevent her from becoming overtired and unable to feed or settle properly at 7pm.