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September 2014 - Into the new year!

997 replies

RedToothBrush · 29/12/2014 20:16

Shiny New Thread for a Shiny New Year.

OP posts:
CumbrianExile · 29/12/2014 20:34

Thanks for the new thread Red

Has anyone started weaning yet? I havent, and DS still seems happy on milk, but someone I know who has a DD the same age started on Christmas day. So now i am worried I should be starting it.

RedToothBrush · 29/12/2014 20:47

DS is definitely happy on milk. We were half expecting him to start begging for food this week as sixteen weeks was the age his cousin apparently did.

We've decided we are keen on holding out as long as possible for a number of reasons:
Advice is 6 months based on research
He's light for his age (9th centile) and we don't really want him to drop further at this point and milk is better for the calories
Cost
The thought of him potentially choking scares me and I think he'll I'll fair better if he is a little older

I don't see the point rushing or trying to compare him with others too much as he doesn't seem ready. He's definitely more interested in moving than food. He clearly has different priorities to other babies!

OP posts:
FATEdestiny · 29/12/2014 20:47

Thank you for the new thread Red.

Wow - imagine the difference in our children over the course of 2015.

Cumbrian - recommendations for weaning remain 26 weeks (6 months). There was talk of this changing to be more flexible. How old is your DS?

Personally I see absolutely no reason to rush weaning. I value the baby stage far, far too much.

I'm sure someone previously mentioned weaning early on medical advise? Funny how these things change, 9-10 years ago when I had DC1 and DC2 doctors and HV would proper tell you off at any suggestion of so much as baby rice even a day before 26 weeks.

I'm going for finger food and 'proper food' from the word go this time.

CumbrianExile · 29/12/2014 20:54

I feel the same Red, for pretty much for the same reasons as you too!

He is nearly 17 weeks Fate.

Just got me thinking when I was talking to them. Then a couple of people (DM included) mentioned using rusks with the last bottle to encourage sleeping through the night! Although my DS regularly sleeps through the night anyway (touches wood!) so I think I will still to the milk for now.

Inbl00m · 29/12/2014 20:58

Thanks for the new thread red!

We're also waiting to wean but I'm secretly really excited about it as I'm hoping it will help dd be less sicky. Might be wishful thinking though!

cookielove · 29/12/2014 21:11

Thanks for the thread red

We are planning to wean in Feb when he will be 6 months but only 4 and half corrected. He is really interested in food at the moment and tries to grab ours as we eat. Fx this Is a good sign.

FATEdestiny · 29/12/2014 21:12

It was old fashioned advise to give baby some kind of 'not real food just something to fill him up' (like baby rice, porridge, rusks dissolved in milk) last thing at night to encourage sleeping.

This is exactly what HCP used to tell people off about trying. Babies just do not have the digestive capacity for it, so it clogs them up. Cannot imagine it does anything for developing healthy eating habits either. I also don't think gets then sleeping any extra - since it will just give tummy ache and constipation.

17 weeks is way, way too young yet. You'd regret wishing away the milk-only baby days when they are finished.

RedToothBrush · 29/12/2014 21:12

I found the MN guide useful.

The readiness signs that actually matter include being able to sit up unaided, being able to reach and grab (and put things in his mouth) and the loss of the tongue-thrust reflex (small babies instinctively use their tongues to push objects out of their mouth; until this reflex fades, you're not going to have much luck putting a spoonful of food in there).

DS is getting close to sitting, but I still think he's got a couple of weeks minimum for managing it properly, he's definitely still got the tongue thrust reflex and though he's good at grabbing he still struggles to put things in his mouth at times.

OP posts:
KitKat1985 · 29/12/2014 21:54

Thanks for the new thread Red.

Jessica will be 16 weeks on Friday. I have no plans to wean for a while yet. I wouldn't necessary wait until a whole 6 months if she was clearly desperate for food, but would definitely be reluctant to start before 5 months given the guidance.

DH's back op tomorrow. Quite stressed about the whole thing and also selfishly quite stressed about how I'm going to cope with Jessica on my own whilst DH is in hospital and whilst he is recovering. Crossing fingers it at least works and he gets some relief from his constant pain once he recovers.

Nazly · 29/12/2014 22:16

Weaning is my favorite subject; I can't wait to wean just because I hope it will replace medicine for reflux; but at the same time I don't want to rush it unnecessarily specially as doctor disagreed with my theory of weaning instead of medicine, Ds is 20 weeks tomorrow but corrected 17 and I was thinking of using clevamama feeding thingie to familiarise him with different tastes before weaning... But Even for this I am unsure if I should do it now

Red the first of the three criteria I seen elsewhere is to sit aided not unaided, some babies don't sit unaided well after 6m

Ds sits aided, grab things and put them in his mouth constantly. But he is still not interested in our food; just follows with his eyes with curiosity,but doesn't attempt to grab and taste it yet

CumbrianExile · 29/12/2014 23:09

Well we very much still have the tongue thrust here so that has made up my mind to leave it for now Smile

Kitkat hope your dh op goes ok tomorrow.

TeamEponine · 30/12/2014 04:24

Kitkat, hope the op goes well and that you have an easy day with Jessica.

DD is showing no interest in real food whatsoever. I would like to get as close to six months as I can before weaning, but will mainly be led by her. Not sure if she still has the tongue thrust reflex, how do you know? Currently hanging head in shame for not knowing this!!!

Acorncat · 30/12/2014 10:00

I was going to wait until 6 months, though the paediatric Doctor recommended 20-22 weeks. I didn't fully understood her reasoning but think it was due to allergies so each food needs to be introduced more slowly. And also to help reflux. He watches us eat but I don't think he's made the connection to what food is. I'll do a lot more research before deciding.

Sleep is still a nightmare here too - not too fussed about the 4 month sleep regression as there's nothing to regress from! Last night I got 3 hours then he was wide awake for 2 hours and because I refused to get out of bed and as he's drooling a lot I was just covered on my shoulders, arms etc maybe it was also sick plus his lovely habit of sucking his hand then wiping it all over my face. He eventually fell asleep but I daren't put him in his cot incase he woke up as he usually does. If only there was a sleep button!

Honeybear30 · 30/12/2014 10:57

I want to hold out as long as possible on weaning here to as well. I'm partly looking forward to it because it will be fun to introduce new things. But partly dreading because it sound like hassle! Because I bf I don't have to take anything out with me, having to sort actual food sounds complicated lol. Also I can bf in ten minutes. Doubt we can sort a proper meal in ten mins! DS is nowhere near ready anyway so don't need to worry for a while.

acorn that sounds tough. I'm not worried about regression either because we still get up every 2-3 hours but I'm not up for hours at a time like you. I feel for you!

holls2000 · 30/12/2014 14:43

We aren't going to wean till 6 months but have bought a couple of books to look at so have some idea what's going on. .
this week B has slept through each night so don't want sleep regression to come. Also teething has started. Anbesol and calpol (sometimea) are my friends.

Nazly · 30/12/2014 19:51

Kitkat hope all goes well tomorrow.

Today I have decided to wait longer for weaning and bear with his reflux, at least until his next specialist appointment in nearly 3 weeks time. Today we went to health clinic and ds was 19lb 4oz , he is 20 weeks today but corrected age is just under 17 weeks. Despite being sick this month he is still climbing up the percentile bands and is quite happy with breast milk - I thought it would be wrong for me to change that unless he starts to show some interest
Yesterday I put a tiny bit of carrot from my salad in his mouth (holding to it so he can't have it just taste it) and he looked at me as if I am a crazy person putting anything other than milk in his mouth and he pulled faces ! He does not pull faces when he bites Sophie the giraffe with much interest!!!

Nazly · 30/12/2014 19:55

Honey I dread moving ds to his own room... Not sure which part worries me more, his reaction, my emotional feeling, having to go to another bedroom to get him, or just worrying in the middle of the night if he is OK...but I know if we leave it much longer than 6 months it will get a lot harder for him, as he is working out which room is which and whether we are near him or not etc. already...

KitKat1985 · 30/12/2014 20:23

Thank you for your nice messages. Been a long day. DH didn't go down for op until gone 2pm in the end due to delays (despite being there at 7.30am) and not back on ward until 5.30pm. Although op went well he's not good this eve and crying with pain and being sick. Felt crap leaving him but by 6.30pm Jessica screaming ward down (had no one to baby sit) so couldn't really stay on ward with her like that. Sat at home now feeling a bit upset about it all. xxx

EllaBella220 · 30/12/2014 20:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FATEdestiny · 30/12/2014 20:54

KitKat. Hopefully he will be much better soon. I had emergency spinal surgery in 2006. Within 6 weeks I felt like I could run a marathon - a million times better.

cookielove · 30/12/2014 21:15

kitkat hope your dh feels better soon. And is on the Rd to recovery! Flowers

Eli is still hit and miss with sleeping through

Although not going to move him into his own room till March/April as we are moving then. And not sure if I should put him in his new room straight away or keep him in with me till he is settled!

KitKat1985 · 30/12/2014 21:55

Thank you ladies. You are all fab. Just trying to be rational and tell myself it was always going to be a bad day and he was never going to be great straight after the op, but that things will get better. Having a sneaky glass of wine now to try and unwind a bit and hoping Jessica doesn't have a bad night! xxx

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Acorncat · 31/12/2014 01:31

Kitkat - hope he feels better soon and recovers quickly, probably once all the anaesthetic is out he'll feel a bit better.

lilone1234 · 31/12/2014 09:56

Kitkat - hope your DH feels better soon.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I had shouted at Molly because of stress accompanying my mum being in intensive care. Very sadly she passed away on the 22nd December. She developed sceptic shock and flu and deteriorated incredibly quickly despite having been improving the day before. I saw her the day before she went in to hospital and the last thing she said was that she would see me before Christmas, and I can't believe that this could have happened. She was only 54. So although 2014 was the year I became a mother (the best thing to happen to me by far) it is cruelly now also the year I lost my mother (the worst thing that has happened). I know that this is off subject, I just don't feel that I can continue to post normally without mentioning it. I hope you all don't mind.

Marjal12 · 31/12/2014 10:19

lilone So sorry to hear of your loss, especially when it was so unexpected. Flowers

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