after 1 yr, how to balance breast/food?

[Sylvansmom]

My daughter, currently 11 mo. is still exclusively breastfeeding, which is fine with us. We have offered her a variety of foods, so far has only taken to rice cakes and Cheerios. We've read that around 1 year breast milk won't meet all her nutritional needs. We want to continue her on the breast as long as she wants it, but also don't want to shortchange her nutrition.

How have people balanced milk, solids, and water? How much milk do you offer during the day when solids are supposed to make up the majority of her diet? So far we have offered milk first before solids since we read that during first year milk gives all important nutrition. Should we stop that practice around 1 year?

Thanks for advice and personal experience.

[Funny Face]

Ds turned 1 this week and we still offer breast first and as often as he wants. We offer foods when we eat or when he asks (he'll start pulling on me when I'm in the kitchen) but he doesn't eat that much. His favorites are still fruit and toasts.

He likes to take sips of water from a straw because it's cold but he doesn't drink much (as a matter of fact most of it gets spit out when he's trying to swallow).

He nurses 4-5 times during the day and 4-5 times during the night.

I don't think you have to do something different at the magical age of 1 year. If baby is happy and growing I'd guess his needs are being met.

Around this time is one of the greatest risks for undernourishment in children but that is because people take away breast/bottle even when child doesn't show much interest in eating that many foods.

I know babies that breastfeed exclusively for years because of autism or other issues and they were very healthy babies as well.

Continue to follow the child's lead.

[fruitfulmomma]

How much milk do you offer during the day when solids are supposed to make up the majority of her diet?

I don't think solids made up the majority of any of my children's diets until they were around 18 months to 2 years old. I just offer them as much food as they want when the rest of us are eating and they are free to nurse as often as they like besides that.

Currently my 3yo nurses for about 5 minutes at a time once or twice a week and my 1yo nurses 2-3 times a day plus snacks and night nursing and she generally eats solids three times a day when the rest of us are eating.

[crunchy_mommy]

You might want to read this if you haven't already:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html

My opinion is that there is nothing magical about 1 year. From what I have read, most babies start to increase their solids intake around 10-14 months. If your LO isn't interested yet, I'm sure she will be soon! I would just follow her lead (my DS is 10.5 months and this is what I plan to do). Offer her lots of variety for solids, and offer to BF as frequently as she wants. I like to think of BF'ing & solids as 2 unrelated things. We BF whenever he indicates that he wants to, and he has solids whenever DH & I are eating. Sometimes he eats and then BF's, other times he only eats or only BF's. He also is only eating very small amounts of solids at this point. I think there would be much more likelihood of nutritional deficiencies if you weren't nursing her, or if you replaced breastmilk with cow/soy/rice milk or water, as these things aren't as nutritionally balanced for a human baby.

[prothyraia]

I'd offer milk (which is nutritionally complete) before solids. As she needs more solid food, she'll eat more.

If she's developing well and growing and thriving, don't overthink it. Your job is to make sure there is food (and milk!) available; her job is to decide what and how much to eat.

[Anna's Lovey]

Be prepared: your lo might not have gotten the memo that she's supposed to start easing off the breast milk and eating more solids! At sixteen months my lo was nursing More than at ten months and eating bites of food here and there.

[annettemarie]

Moving to Breastfeeding Beyond Infancy since this isn't a strictly CLW issue.

[hrsmom]

My LO is 20 months, and I offer her food when I eat, whatever I'm eating, and don't worry about the rest because of the fact that we're breastfeeding. Sometimes she eats a ton, sometimes she has zero interest in food. The way it seems to work around here is that I put a small amount of food in her bowl. She eats it, and asks for more if she wants more. (She didn't start gesturing for more until she was older than 1 yr, though!) When she's done, she starts throwing her food on the floor, then we're done. At 1, I would just put some food in front of her and if she finished it, give her more, if she didn't, eat it myself and/or give it to the dogs!

(P.S. I originally said my LO was 20, not 20 months! )

[Materfamilias]

Sounds like we pretty much do what other ppl are doing. If DD wants breast she asks and if she wants food she asks. I didn't change what we were doing at a year. Once she knew how to sign for nursies (10 months or so) I waited for her cue and before that I offered breast first.