Feeding Solid Food to My 8 Month Old...

Hi M.:
It seems like I'm feeding my 8mo. old a bit more than you are right now (I hope I'm not overfeeding!) But she seems to be doing very well. Here's what's on our menu: Fruit+cereal for breakfast, Veggies for lunch, fruit/veggie mix for dinner. Between those feedings she drinks two 3oz. bottles of breastmilk during the day and then nurses (quickly) 3-4 times between 6pm & 6am. We've also been integrating some "snacks" into her diet. Have you seen those great mesh teethers? We put a few slices of orange, pineapple or melon in there and she LOVES it. She also munches on the occasional teething biscuit or cracker between meals.
Hope that helps...

You're doing fine! We started offering solids at 6 months, but my daughter didn't really start eating them (except for the occasional pea or a few bites of jarred food) until she was 9 months old. My friend started offering at 8 months and her son was well over a year before he started eating anything substantial. At his first birthday party she was telling us how proud of him she was because he ate four peas. Anyway, what I'm getting at is that breastmilk contains everything your daughter will need for the first year, and the solids you're offering are more for "practice" than anything else.
Here's a good link for some info on nutrition and your breastfed baby: http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/toddler-foods.html

My child will be 8 months next week, and he basically eats the same thing. He has 2-3 tablespoons cereal and 6oz formula for breakfast, a jar of stage 2 fruit and a 6 oz bottle for lunch, late afternoon he has a 7 oz bottle, then 2-3 tablespoons ceral and a jar of stage 2 veggis for dinner, and last he gets a bottle before bed of 4-6 oz. I am trying to cut out the bedtime bottle though. My child seems very healthy, and is already crawling and pulling himself up, so I think that is enough for her. I increase when he gets fussy after a feeding.

Just continue to watch your daughter - she will tell you when she wants to nurse vs when she wants solids! Follow her lead & trust your mothering instincts. Breastmilk is supposed to be the *majority* of her diet for the entire first 12 months, with solids being a fun, experimental thing. As she becomes increasingly mobile (cruising, walking especially), she'll very likely increase her solids intake and at that point it'll probably be pretty darn obvious to you both. Let go of the struggle to "figure out what she should be eating" and just have solid food available for her whenever you are typically having a snack or family meal. Enjoy the ride. :) If she seems to increase her solids, but then goes back to nursing more frequently for a spell, it could be physical discomfort of some kind (teething pain starting up, or a cold coming on, or even intestinal upset from a new food that she's sensitive or allergic to, just a few examples) and will likely be temporary (so again, don't get discouraged - this too shall pass!).

And a huge, huge congratulations for breastfeeding your daughter! What a wonderful gift to her *and* to you! :)

Hi M.. I also think you are doing great. My daughter is 7 months old and it seems like she eats all of the time. She is also nursed and I am trying to get her off of that except for morning and nights (not much luck so far). My little one loves the Zwieback Toast and of course Cheerios. She likes the toast better b/c she can hold it and put it in her mouth by herself. As long as your little one is gaining weight I wouldn't worry about her weight.

You sound like me. One thing to keep in mind is that she will let you know when she is full and when she wants solids. I am kind of struggling with my 10 month old in that he is going backwards. He used to eat a jar full of baby food and now he gets through a very small portion. A friend of mine gave me the same advice and said remember they will eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. She also said indroduce the solid food prior to the formula or breastmilk. It is a learning part for them that food does not just come from mommy but other sources. To me it sounds like you are doing fine. I think we are always concern about how much is to much or not enough. But we forget that the infants know when to say when and we have rethink that ourselves.

Sounds like your daughter is doing fine. My first grandchild, a girl is 9 mos old and she eats several times a day, probably about the same as yours and a few bottles. She is doing fine. In fact she didn't eat a whole lot of food until probably a month ago when the dr told her mom to feed her food and not so many bottles because she weighs over 21 lbs! Too big. Since then she has stopped gaining but is getting a lot longer. She is approximately 29" tall. Hard to remember how fast they grow but she is doing fine and sounds like your little girl is too. Don't feel bad, my boys are 21,18, 13, and 9 and I can't remember what any of them did at certain ages. Good thing I took videos, that's one thing I do recommend. They are so funny to look back at for me but especially for the kids:)
Have a super day