When your baby is making the transition from breast milk to solids, one of the most common concerns that you may experience is how much breast milk he’s going to need. The fact of the matter is that your baby is an individual, and his needs are going to depend greatly on a number of factors. Some of those factors can include his age, his weight, as well as how many calories he has been consuming.
As a general rule of thumb, a baby will nurse about six times or more each day even when making the transition from breast milk to solids. In some cases, those nursing events will be more of a snack, some will primarily be for comfort, and others will be a full meal. The key here is to be able to respond to your baby’s needs, and to be able to feed when she has a desire to feed.
It’s important to not start making the transition from breast milk to solids too early. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, you should breast feed exclusively for the first six months of your baby’s life. After those first six months, you can begin to transition from breast milk to solids.
Keep in mind, as well, that the time from the age of six months all the way up to one year old, your breast milk is still going to be your baby’s primary source of nutrition. You will need to keep up your supply of breast milk. This means that you should consider offering your baby breast milk before you offer solid foods instead of after.
Your baby will continue to make the transition from breast milk to solids as she gets older. There will be some days when she doesn’t eat much in the way of solid foods, and wants to breastfeed exclusively. There will be other days when she doesn’t really seem to be too interested in breastfeeding, either. Again, the key is to watch for your baby’s cues, and to follow her lead. Her body knows just how much it needs in terms of calories and nutrition in order to grow and develop the way that she needs to.