Snacks

[adeline123]

My 9month old daughter enjoys 3 meals a day, and 5 breastfeeds during the day.she does not wake in the night for feeds and is happy and on the 50th centile. I have recently started her at a creche for 2hours once a week. The creche have asked me to provide a snach for her during the two hours she is there. I'm immediately available in another room so can easily be contacted if a breastfed is required. My question is does my daughter need a snack at 14:00, when she has breastfed at 13:00, and will be breastfed at 15:00. I do not want to hold her back if she should be having snacks but am worried that she will then not want her milk feed which may affect the amount of milk she gets.

[Cheekymonkey85]

It could just be that the other children take in a snack too, and she wants a bit of everyone else's. She probably doesn't need a snack, but a bit of something can't hurt- a bit of fruit or veg sticks- doesn't have to be much does it, just something to nibble on & it probably won't make much impact on milk feeds. My little girl has just turned 1, and I've never really bothered with a routine snack time, but I do take a few nibbles when out & about or share what I'm having if I eat a later lunch than her. Can't say it interfered with milk feeds much (formula fed) xx

[SilkeP]

My boy doesn't get many snacks here at home, but he does at nursery (he's 14 months). I know your daughter is only at the creche once a week but at 9 months would it be worth considering dropping another milk feed and replace it with food/snacks? Sadly, I had to stop breast-feeding at 6 months, but I don't recall any of my friends breast-feeding quite so much at 9 months and my son was not getting that much milk anymore either. I might be totally wrong, and only you will know the answer to this but maybe it might be worth considering a move towards more food, bearing in mind that in 3 months the 'standard' milk supply is just mornings and evenings. Maybe that also depends on how you are going to progress in terms of work and the creche. If she is going to be there more and more often it might be worth going along with what the creche does.

[Lizzie13]

As cheekymonkey85 said , its probably just because the other children are having something at that. A small snack once a week will not have any impact on your milk supply. There will be days when she eats more solids and days when she drinks more milk.....your body will just adapt to her needs day by day. There is no need to be trying to drop feeds to get her to eat more solids , she will eat more solids when she is ready and she needs to. It can be difficult as people think milk is 'just food' so need to reduce it when they start eating solids. That is true if you are formula feeding but not if you are breastfeeding. When breastfed babies are eating solids the breastmilk changes and becomes more about immunity and health benefits. You may even find she feeds more after shes been to creche as they also use breastfeeding as a way of re bonding if they have been separated and also a way of 'notifying' your body about which bugs and germs they have come into contact with. This then lets your body know which anti bodies to make........its magic really

[craftingfoxcub]

Hi,

Don't worry, and don't feel pressured to give a snack if you prefer to bf. For breastfeed babies, at least, the majority of their calories should still be coming from milk at 12 months and the reduction is a gradual process. For many mum's this isn't possible because of a return to work, but they are the guidelines. If your baby takes a bottle you could give expressed milk as a snack, but it's fine too say no, or give a 1/4 Apple or something. Your baby, your decision. I know lots of babies and toddlers who feed more often, which is normal for them, so you aren't unusual in feeding that often by any means. I believe things are different with formula.

[Bramble7]

I understand where you're coming from but I think I would give her a snack, the other children will be having a snack too and at her age she is becoming more socially aware so it will include her (and stop her 'sharing' everyone else's - ha!) I wouldn't worry too much about the feed, she may still take it and you could always introduce a snack at that time every day

[adeline123]

Thank you all for your replies. I supplied two rice cakes this week but she only ate one of them. Breatmilking feeds no change.