Does this sound right?

My daughter is 7 months old, just started a little bit of solids last month.  I make my own food for her, and she loves all of it so far.  I freeze it in trays that have approximately 1 oz servings, and are made specifically for baby food.  She eats twice a day, a cube at breakfast and a cube at dinner.  During the day she also nurses 10 times or so.  She is gaining weight at the same pace.  What I am wondering is, is that enough?  I am in no hurry to wean at all, but I read where women have 6 month olds that are eating 3 meals a day of a full 2nd stage food jar!  Whenever I read that I begin to feel like maybe I am starving Emma!  I love nursing, and we only added some foods as a supplement to breastmilk.  Should I be feeding her more of the regular food, or is what we are doing appropriate for an exclusively breastfed baby that is happy and content?

[angelsrejoice]

I would say if she is gaining weight normally and content then you are ok but just make sure as she starts to take in less breastmilk  to increase her solid food. (as she gets older).  My daughter wanted to eat solid food at 3 months....took a huge bite of a hamburger...with no teeth! LOL But my son was the opposite and preferred breastmilk to solid food. Seems like it took him forever to learn to enjoy solid food. I thought at first he had a problem with chewing but he was fine, just picky. He was close to 12 months before he would eat solids consistantly.

[tiredbuthappy]

Sounds perfectly normal to me, although I am sure plenty of people, especially older ones, will tell you otherwise! I can't tell you how many times my grandmother made comments when she heard that my baby didn't get solids till 6 months.
Your milk is superior to any solids you can give her right now, so if she is willing to continue at this pace, then do so by all means. I would offer more food only if she inhales everything and seems to want more, or if she begins to be less interested in nursing. At this age, solids are introduced to get the baby used to different tastes and textures. You are doing that. You can vary what you offer her at those feedings.

By the way, my first didn't eat much solids until well after her first birthday. At that point we had already switched to formula, so we just continued that until she was eating more. I figured if ppl nurse past 12 months, I could do the same with formula to make sure she got the calories and nutrients she needed. At 3 she is a fantastic eater, so the later start certainly wasn't detrimental. My second also started solids around 6 months. I couldn't keep her from food, so by 8 months she was eating everything (including steak, despite being toothless). This is in addition to breast milk and formula (still getting at least 24 ounces). Follow your babys cues- sounds like you're doing great.

[DoulaSummer]

That sounds about right to me.  For the first year primary nutrition should always be breastmilk/formula, not solid foods.  Although, many parents do the exact opposite.

[mikaleen]

Thanks!  We have moved onto finger foods, we didn't spend much time on the purees.  I am giving her a little bit of whatever I make for myself now (which is helping me eat healthier), so she may have some blueberries in the morning, some plum with lunch and some peas with dinner.  I serve her and let her eat what she wants, with a little assistance if needed.  She likes to eat a lot, but she is still nursing very often all day, and pretty frequently over night as well.  I feel better just hearing from some women who don't think I need to shovel food down her throat. =)

[KATE535]

My health visitor said when dd was 8 months (just last month) that the best thing we can do is to offer our baby our food while we eat it. So giving a little from our plates is a fantastic way of introducing a variety of food and flavours. This is said to help avoid picky eaters later on. The earlier you introduce the variety, the less chance they will have a negative attitude to new food by two years old. This is what I was told.
So I thunk you're doing the right thing.
8 months is a great age - they are willing to open their mouths to almost anything at that age (as I've experienced with my own)
:)

[zazou]

At that age my daughter ate twice a day but I was mainly breastfeeding her and on demand. In the first year, milk is most important. My daughter also went through hepas of phases, eating well then nothing then well then nothing...............so I've just accepted that especially as many factors play a role (teething, weather, illness).

[Super_sally888]

Yep, absolutely agree with the other ladies here.  A 7 mo does not need food, but definitely needs plenty of breastmilk, which is the main food.  Finger feeding small amounts of whatever you are eating that is appropriate is by far the best way to go.  

You are doing exactly what you should.  Your baby will lead the whole process to some extent....

My daughter didn't start to eat "meals" until she was over 1 year old..... before that like you i just offered her bits of whatever I had that was appropriate.  For a breastfed baby there is no hurry to be giving meals of solids as all the required nutrition comes from breastmilk.

She is now 18 months old and eats anything she is offered (mainly fruits, veges and meats), and still breastfeeds on demand when I am home from work (I am able to get home at lunch time most days also, which is a bonus) about 3 - 4 times during the day and 2  or so times at night.  I have a much more comfortable breastfeeding relationship with her now that I bf on demand and am no longer pumping or feeling pressure to 'produce' milk.