Hints and tips for weaning (merged)

candygirl

cookiesncream wrote:

Is she showing signs of wanting to wean? (Irritable before next feed is due, chew hands, screams/looks for more, earlier waking times and doubled birth weight) The recommended is 4-6 months with all the above signs showing. I think 7 months is very late indeed!! My babies I have looked after are all on 3 meals a day (plus milk) by then. Do you know who advised them? If it wasn't the Health Visitor then they need to speak to her. HTH

sadly it was the health visitor.she is now double her birth weight, chewing her hands, screaming etc!!this was the same health visitor who said it was ok to feed on demand and jump up every time she cried as "they don't wrap you round their little fingers!!"Her mum and dad are fantsatic first time parents but obviously listen to the health visitor before us, but i can tell she's ready for baby rice at least!!

cookiesncream

I'm in total agreement with you then, if she's left any later and they feed her more milk, then she will become a milk addict by 7 months and it will be a nightmare getting her off it. Plus, she needs 'fillers' at this stage ie baby rice to take the edge of the hunger and let her last longer between feeds. I'm also very shocked/disappointed in the other advice about demand feeding and lack of controlled crying but unfortunately there are alot of HV with the same advice. If she has a bottle at around 11am then my advice to them would be to give her 1 tsp of baby rice (this is recommended in a COMA report) after it for a few days and then slowly increase. HTH

Lillibet_2

Erm...I fed on demand, went to my son every time he cried (& still pretty much do at almost 1 year old) and began weaning at 5 months. I firmly believe that
A) a baby will tell you when it's hungary : it hasn't read the schedule you know!
a baby cries for a reason. Even if the reason is only for attention, what is wrong with wanting attention? (it has now been proven that during the first year at least you should respond to any cries as this results in a more confident less clingy toddler, so far my son is a shining example of this)
C) A baby will exhibit signs of when they are ready to wean, age is only one indication of when to wean, size & the consquent developement of the body are far more reliable. However, the offical health line is between months 6-7. A lot of harm can come of weanign too early, the only harm to come from weaning too late is a restless hungary baby for a while.

It actually sounds to me like the HV is one of the better ones giving good soild medically-supported advice, which is the best they can do, it's upto the parents if they want to take the advice or use their own judgement. Have the parents actually asked you for your advice? I don't mean to sound harsh but, as you are probably aware, bringing up a baby is the hardest thing EVER! Everyone offers unrequested well-intentioned advice which is totally confusing & makes you as a parent feel utterly inadequate. I found the best thing I could do was find a few people who had similar views to me & trust their advice when I needed it, and ignore everyone else, otherwise I'd have been a total basket case! If the parents are happy with this advice & the baby is fed with pleanty of milk then the best you can do, IMHO, is leave well alone.

I hope you aren't offended, just another view for the mealting pot;)

candygirl

cookiesncream wrote:

I'm in total agreement with you then, if she's left any later and they feed her more milk, then she will become a milk addict by 7 months and it will be a nightmare getting her off it. Plus, she needs 'fillers' at this stage ie baby rice to take the edge of the hunger and let her last longer between feeds. I'm also very shocked/disappointed in the other advice about demand feeding and lack of controlled crying but unfortunately there are alot of HV with the same advice. If she has a bottle at around 11am then my advice to them would be to give her 1 tsp of baby rice (this is recommended in a COMA report) after it for a few days and then slowly increase. HTH

yeah this sounds just like what i did 19 years ago!!ta for the advice anyway!!:o

missk_ensington

My little boy messed aith his milk and from 0 to 12 weeks never drank more than 1oz in any one feed. As a result, I was up every 30 minutes in the night! He wasn't putting on a lot of weight and I was very tired and very worried.

I started him with a bit of pureed fruit and he wolfed it down! He was clearly happy with solid food, so I carried on and he put on weight and looked much better, but I got an almightly b0ll0ck1ing from my health visitor and ended up lodging a complain against her. The cheeky cow said to me 'Do you have any idea how to make food for a baby?' Bet she wouldn't have said that if I was 30 with a husband! Was rather annoyed, especially as I was and am a very keen cook!

She then said 'well, don't come crying to me when your child's got rickets' How rude! And uneccessary still his main diet was yogurt! Still, the point is people have mixed views about weaning so you're best leaving to your own gut feeling as a mother and sod anyone else's opinion.

Kimberley

Show them this thread and ask them to ask another health visitor They will be making a rod for their own back if they listen to her though Mine were all weaned by 5 months, hungry beggers they were. If baby is still hungry after a bottle then baby needs to move onto solids

woohoo

Hi,
I weaned both mine at about 18 weeks. My little boy is 7 months now and has 3 meals a day (finely chopped food). He has cereal at breakfast time a little mini meal (like a baby version of ours) at lunch and a more finger foody tea or banana and yoghurt type thing at tea time. 3 bottles a day - 8oz morning, 7oz at 2pm and 7 oz at bedtime. These seem to be the amounts he likes!! He eats the amount of food he wants - lets you know when he has had enough. I must say he is a big lad though - obviously needs plenty.
The health professionals are always changing their advice (I know all the reasons why, really I do!) but it is confusing. My daughter is 3 and a half now and it was advised to wean at 4 months then. Now its 6 months. There is no way my baby would have waited until then for solids!!! Personally I would have felt cruel trying to pacify him with milk only (my opinion only). My friend recently weaned her baby at 12 weeks on the advice of the health visitor. Her baby was big and was obviously hungry. It must be said that this health visitor seemed to be the common sense variety, and not the sticking to every rule with no flexibility variety. Babies are all different aren't they??!!

However, having said all that, I would have had a different view if my newer baby was my first! With my first I was paranoid about everything. Ignored advice from others and listened only to the health visitor. In fact was downright rude to my mother in law when she offered her advice! I worried constantly that I wasn't doing it right! Now I am a bit more relaxed about the whole thing. My perspective is - your baby will let you know when he wants solids and how much he wants. Babies are clever little people who learn quickly and soon find out what works with you and what doesn't. Someone higher up in the thread mentioned about controlled crying. I believe it has its place, but things don't ever need to get to that (although very often they do). Routine is vital and I firmly believe babied thrive on it! A good routine means everyone is contented, well rested and knows whether they are coming or going. This is totally not related to the original post so Im stopping my waffle now! :rotfl:

emma_b_4

the advise now is to wean babies from 6mths and to use finger food and soft food that babies can pick up and put in ther mouths themselves to sto the gagging and also to avoid the purree rubbish in jars. just start on real food is the idea.
i have been working with a health visitor and dietician on the childrens ward and had a lengthy chat with her abou it as when i was a nanny we were told 4 mths

Addicted2Chocolate

as other said the advice is now exclusive breast milk (if you can) until 6 months. early weaning is linked to increased incidence of food intolerances and allergies.

jo_b_2

The World Health organisation recommend delaying weaning until 6 months. Essentially, this is to reduce the likelihood of allergies etc.

If the parents do start to wean before this date, it is best just to stick to baby rice as this is unlikely to lead to any food allergies in the future.

I do agree though - best only to offer advice if you're asked for it!