What exactly has changed????????

poppyscorner

Hi,

I am a mum to two sons one aged 4yrs and the other aged 14wks. The first was a super hungry baby and he started weaning at 11 weeks despite the fact that this wasn't supposed to start until 16wks and I did so with the support of my HV.
Now I have a 14wk old son and my HV insists that he is not to be weaned and cannot be ready for weaning IMHO (and I am only his mother) he is he takes an interest in what we eat is hungry all the time and the last week or so all he does is cry I feel as though I am neglecting his needs by not giving him food but I daren't because I don't have any HV support and tbh I can't remember how to wean a baby so I need her support.:mad: :mad:
Why am I not allowed to wean him I mean in 4yrs giving birth hasn't changed so how come how to look after them has

DS1 has had no problems of any nature he is a perfectly healthy little boy.

Any guidance is appreciated

poppy

shazrobo

hiya, i would go with your own instincts, you know your child better than any hv. incidentally, i went against hv advice and weaned my twin boys from 12 weeks, cos they were hungry, still are, they growing lads, and they fit an healthy. good luck

lil_me

When I had my first 8 years ago it was recommended at 16 weeks aswell, but I agree if you want to go with your instinct it's your child. Until 16 weeks I would stick with plain baby rice however if it was my child, I'm sure he'll soon let you know if he isn't ready. Some HVs prefer to stick to the book just incase, I have met many like that.

peardrops_2

Go with you own instincts. I tried baby rice with my 2nd who was and still is a terrible eater. He refused it but was obviously hungry for extra food. I ended up giving him very milked down rusks and mashed banana, he ate them within seconds.

You are his mom, you know what he wants, if he doesn't want it he will spit it out - believe me, I'm still suffering this when he is 8 years old!

modgit

I've recently been through this. My DS's are 9, 6 and 6 months. Obviously, between DS2 and 3 the guidelines have changed. I'd weaned the first 2 at around 13 weeks, as all of them were 9lb+ at birth, so hungry boys.

Knowing (and not too pleased with) the "new" guidelines, I was quite desperate to wean at the same time as the others, but my HV encouraged me that it was a growth spurt that would pass, and although I'm loathed to admit it, it did, and his feeds returned to normal after about 10 days.

However, when this started again, and he stopped sleeping at about 18 weeks I went ahead and started weaning, but one of the HV still managed to have a go at me, so I did calmly (!) inform her that it was my 3rd son, I did know what I was doing, and she wasn't the one getting up in the night with an obviously hungry baby.

So, to be honest I would try and get past another couple of weeks, but as I said to the HV you know your own child better than so called professionals, but don't expect support from them until you reach the magic 26 weeks!

misty

My son was earlier than they suggested - he only had baby rice but he loved it. He was making chewing actions when I ate anything and the milk wasn't filling him up. I can't say the HV gave me ANY advice on anything as I saw her when he had his heel !!!!! test and then again when he had his vaccinations. As you have been through thsi twice already I would trust your instincts.

poppyscorner

modgit wrote: »

I've recently been through this. My DS's are 9, 6 and 6 months. Obviously, between DS2 and 3 the guidelines have changed. I'd weaned the first 2 at around 13 weeks, as all of them were 9lb+ at birth, so hungry boys.

Knowing (and not too pleased with) the "new" guidelines, I was quite desperate to wean at the same time as the others, but my HV encouraged me that it was a growth spurt that would pass, and although I'm loathed to admit it, it did, and his feeds returned to normal after about 10 days.

However, when this started again, and he stopped sleeping at about 18 weeks I went ahead and started weaning, but one of the HV still managed to have a go at me, so I did calmly (!) inform her that it was my 3rd son, I did know what I was doing, and she wasn't the one getting up in the night with an obviously hungry baby.

So, to be honest I would try and get past another couple of weeks, but as I said to the HV you know your own child better than so called professionals, but don't expect support from them until you reach the magic 26 weeks!

Hi and thanks for all of your replies with regard to waiting he went through a spell 3 weeks ago where he was getting up between 4.30am-5am crying his eyes out I thought that was it (exactly the same as DS1) but I juggled his routine about abit and it passed now I can't get anywhere with that and I think he is ready to start.
It really infuriates me that she insists this is not good for him but with DS1 she supported us at 11weeks and she is the same HV. As mothers we are constantly told don't compare your child to others they all develop differently but when it comes to something like this our children are expected to conform to government regulations.
Can I ignore her advice and tell her I am doing it regardless and if so where would I get my advice from can she refuse to give us any info??

Thanks again

Poppy

JULIE

my older two are 13 and 12 and it was 3 months back then, my other two are 2 and nearly 6 months and I started the babe a few weeks ago.

I can see the logic of starting later with regards to overloading the digestive system in a youngun...however....i don't agree with keeping a babe hungry just to keep the pc police at bay....and at the end of the day you're the mum and you must go with what you feel is right for your baby and as modgit rightly said...she's not the one having sleepless nights with a poor hungry babe

JULIE

you are within your rights to ignore what she says, they are only there for advice, whether you take it or not is up to you, i have to say if she was that bad i wouldn't bother going to the clinic for a while,maybe you could go on a few websites like HIPP or pampers as these are often very good at giving advice for weaning or have a look at some magazines like practical parenting, also (don't quote me on this) you may find telephone numbers in the back of your birth to five book that came in your bounty pack (i think)

JULIE

maybe you have a friend who has started weaning or is intending to, can they pop in and pretend the info is for them etc, it would be very bad for her to withold info...as a hv she should be impartial and if she is not supporting you then you can also complain or ask to speak to a different hv....sorry to keep posting replies but i keep thinking of new bits to say! anyway i'm off to bed now..good luck

tiamai_d

I was told by my Paediatrician that the only reason they changed the guidelines from 4 months to 6 months is because of the amount of parents starting weaning early to get babies to sleep through the night! Which most folk knows is rubbish, but still I saw my sis in law feeding rusks to both her kids at 10 weeks as they 'slept through the night'.

So, they changed the guidelines knowing that most folk would start weaning a few weeks earlier.

But they do still say that a baby will let you know, and a full term baby will probably want weaning a bit earlier than recommended.

My first was 5 weeks early and started solids at 4 months exactly (not corrected) my second was 7 weeks early and started solids at around 6 months, so would have been 4 months corrected.

Don't worry about the info, you know whta you can and can't feed a baby. Just tell your HV that she is there to ADVISE and you know your baby needs solids now, and you would appreciate her support, remind her that you have an older healthy child all ready so do have a fair idea of what to do.

Best of luck