Hints and tips for weaning (merged)

GeorginaAlexi

go with your instint- my 2nd daughter was totally bf until 5mths then i started weaning but thats because she showed interest in food and people eating. babies tend to lose a little weight when you start weaning for some reason.
if you go to the WHO website the new charts for bf babies are there- i printed one out and plot on it alongside the red book as according to red book dd is underweight but not on the new charts.
hth

GeorginaAlexi

go with your instint- my 2nd daughter was totally bf until 5mths then i started weaning but thats because she showed interest in food and people eating. babies tend to lose a little weight when you start weaning for some reason.
if you go to the WHO website http://www.who.int/nutrition/media_page/en/index.html the new charts for bf babies are there- i printed one out and plot on it alongside the red book as according to red book dd is underweight but not on the new charts.
hth

Snaggles

You are her Mum, I would trust your instincts, but possibly have her weighed more often to ensure she doesn't start losing weight or dropping down the chart significantly. If the trend continues, then maybe you could think about it, but I don't think you need to panic on the strength of one 'weigh-in'.

If she is sleeping through, that's surely sign that she is getting sufficient milk - otherwise she would be waking up hungry.

Try not to worry, you are the best person to judge if your baby is happy and healthy.

mirrorimage0

i weaned my eldest at 4 months because he was hungry (dont htink he was getting enough breast milk) and my youngest at 5 months, you are their mum and generally you will know when things are right or not for your child. i as a general rule always found out as much info as i could about any concerns i had and then went with my gut instinct. (its generally right as a mother)

2pinkgiraffes

The World Health Organisation(WHO) recommend exclusive breastfeeding until six months because of the health benefits of breastfeeding. Having said that I know my daughter wouldn't have lasted until 6 months before weaning!

Its up to you, if you think she is satisfied with just her milk feeds then just keep a close eye on her weight for a while.

Should you decide you do want to wean her then its important to continue breastfeeding and make sure any babyfood such as baby rice etc is made up with your milk instead of formula. For some reason a lot of mums seem to change to bottle feeding once they start weaning (which is a shame I think).

Either way - trust your instincts - mum knows best:)

black-saturn

Firstly I wouldnt listen to anything the health visitor says and I would throw those centile charts away. They work on national averages. Your baby just inst average. A baby will only eat what it needs to. If it eats too much it will be sick but they never eat too little (unless mother doesnt feed them but this obviously isnt the case here). Some adults have smaller appetites than others and babies are no different.

If it makes you feel happier with DD1 I was forever worried about her weight and the HV was always going on about how small she was (she was 5lb 4 at birth). Now she's 12 and 5ft 7 tall, with boobs of 36C and is taller than me. When DD2 came along I never once took her to a HV and made sure I was out every time the HV came round. The result was a much more relaxed mum and a much happier baby who is now almost 10 and nearly as tall as the 12 year old.

cazziebo

You are all so right - trust your instincts. I do so hate when I hear young mums boasting that their babies of 13/14 weeks are on solids as if it's some developmental milestone. Babies can survive - thrive- on breast milk for much longer. My daughter was breast milk only until five months - at 14 she is 5ft 10, super healthy and too smart for her own good! (or maybe it's my comfort!)

enjoy your baby - she'll turn into a teenager some day!

CX

shirlgirl2004

heather38 wrote:

my baby is 17 weeks and we went to the baby clinic today. she has dropped down a centile in her weight and the HV thinks that i should think about weaning her but i don't want to, i think she's to young.
she's totally BF and doesn't seem hungry after a feed. she's sleeping through now so isn't having a night feed anymore and i think this is why she's not gaining weight, plus the weight charts are based on bottle fed babies not BF babies.
should i wean early or not?

If you look at the charts for bf babies you'll see that from the age of 3 months their weight gain really slows and it's at this point that it looks like they aren't thriving. I bet if you asked your HV for a chart based on bf babies she wouldn't be able to give you one and might not even know they exist, well my HV didn't. I wrote to the child growth foundation and explained the situation and they sent me a chart for the clinic book (so be sure to say you have a girl). There was no charge for the chart and after that we stopped using the ff chart. Downside is you do have to write they won't take the request by 'phone and you do have to include a SAE.

Mummy_Jo

I agree with everyone else so far. You are her mum and you know best. If you feel that everything is ok then go ahead. My youngest is now 12 weeks ( well she will be on Thursday) and I've only had her weighed twice. I don't go to the clinic that often as I found them too interfering when I had my son. I stopped taking him to the clinic at 8 months as they were driving me mad. They can only offer you advice. Please don't let them think that you are a bad mum.
Babies go through a growth spurt on average between 16 and 19 weeks so is it possible that your baby is taller? and that a lot of energy has gone into making her taller? My son was on the 91st centile when he was born for his height. He currently sits on the 9th. (age 2). The HV that came to see me when Katelyn was born offered to fill his book in for me but wasn't that worried about the centile difference as all babies are different.
If I were you I'd carry on with the BF. You will know if your baby gets hungry - believe me. My little girl only goes 2 hours between feeds so I think she will be weaned early. Monitor her weight. If you are worried about when the HV will say to you when you go to the clinic just tell them that you are in a rush and that you will speak to them next time.

Most importantly you are the one that knows your child best. Do what you feel is right. People can offer all the advice in the world you choose which you want to listen to and the rest you just ignore after all its just advice.

Good luck

juliejim

Hi

All good advice so far. Definitely ask for a bf chart as they are very different to the main ones based on formula fed babies. If you feel unsure about whether you are doing the right thing you can also contact the NCT who will put your mind at rest. I breastfed both of my children and my HV always said don't worry about following the centiles as they're based on formula milk! If you want some info relating to this if you PM me I'll get some sent to you or give you the contacts that you need (I'm a bfpeer supporter).

HTH

Jue