Can I have your votes please?

[VictorianSqualor]

On my blog www.wait2wean.blogspot.com on when you weaned each of your children and if it was in line with the guidelines at the time.
Much appreciated.

[stretchmarkqueen]

I have done differently with each baby. How to put that??

[lulumama]

have voted

brilliant idea

was reading some of those bounty forums

they are out of line for deleting your posts

who can they be reported to and who are bounty answerable to?

[VictorianSqualor]

So have I smq, it allows multiple answers for multiple children.

[policywonk]

That's interesting about the advice changing to 'after' six months in 2003. I had DS1 in Feb 2003, and distinctly remember being told that the current advice was four months then (I remember because I had a discussion with the HV about it, because I'd read that the WHO recommended 6 months and she said then that official advice was still 4 months).

Was she talking rubbish then? I got the impression that the advice changed in 2004.

[stretchmarkqueen]

Okay!!

[VictorianSqualor]

It was may 2003 pw, so you would have been on the cusp. The guidelines were revised byu WHO in 2001, but nothing changed with the DoH until may 2003.

[RedOnHerHead]

I has DS1 in December 2004 and he was breastfed - he gained weight very fast and i was told by my HV at only 16weeks that he needed solids because the veg contains less calories and that he needed a filling meal with less calories so he didn't put on weight so fast - I was worried (looking back now, he was chubby but not as big as some of the FF babies) and going on the advice of that HV i tried him with some veg - he CLEARLY wasn't ready and i went with my instincts and followed his lead - every few weeks i would try him again, but he didn't want any and wasn't interested until he was 6mths anyway.

So, should I have complained then about her advice? Also, looking at the baby food jars (which I don't like anyway) they say from 4-6mths!

DS2 is just 5mths and going strong on brestmilk alone until 6mths. I was however asked by a HV 2weeks ago how weaning was going!
It annoys me when HV's seem to give out the wrong information all the time - and i read so many bad stories about HV's on here - there are a few good ones, but it just seems like many aren't good and need urgent re-training.

[VictorianSqualor]

They say 4-6 months because of a legal loophole, from what I can gather.
I will find some proper research and things to back this up and put it on the blog, but apparently the manufacturers were given extra time to change their labels to from 6 months but will have to have changed by a certain time.

[Habbibu]

Have done, VS. Drives me mad when you hear about HV's dsimissing WHO guidance as "for developing countries" and ignoring the fact that the UK DoH gives the SAME advice!

[VictorianSqualor]

WRT your HV. She was in the wrong. In 2004 they were not meant to suggest food before 26 weeks unless there was some kind of medical reason behind it, a large baby certainly wouldn't have been that!

[VictorianSqualor]

Fecking HV's.
Look at this
A site about health visitors that gives the WRONG info about how to tell a baby is ready for weaning. May well be a growth spurt!

[scorpio1]

I had J in Nov 2004, and weaning was advised at 16 weeks, early 2005.

I was advised at 12 weeks in 2002.

[policywonk]

I think HVs are a large part of the problem tbh (with apologies to all clued-up HVs - I know there are some!)

Makes my blood run cold to hear the Tories advocating a vast increase in HVs and the amount of time they spend with new parents - lots of extra opportunities for misinformation! Unless of course the Tories plan to spend £££s on lots of lovely retraining

[RedOnHerHead]

She's always off sick and when she is there she just has a really half hearted attitude - TBH on my second baby, now I just go there for his jabs when he needs them. I get him weighed by the HV at my Breastfeding group. She's a very good HV. If it wasn't for my doctors being very good we would have changed surgery. I am a bfing support peer and it annoys me to hear her telling bfing mums to "top-up" their babies feeds with 3oz of formula because they were too hungry!!! I had a problem with my right breast (well i didn't but DS1 did) and he only fed from the left side! i was worried and i told my HV and she told me my milk would probably dry up and to use formula - i was so upset, but didn't take her advice anyway thankfully, and actually managed to feed him for 15mths just off the left!

[VictorianSqualor]

It's madness isn't it?
I was advised 3-4months with dd (2000) and she was 8weeks prem, I was told not to age adjust. Glad I did or she'd have only been about 4 weeks old developmentally!

[RedOnHerHead]

VS - thats a typical quote from a typical HV - that information could be used at any time during the baby's first 6mths! Many babies wake for a feed during the night! And from experience that is what typically happens during the millions of Growth spurts that a baby has!

[RedOnHerHead]

I will find DS1's red book now and quote you what she wrote in it - I know she wrote something

[VictorianSqualor]

I've been really lucky this time round with my HVs and MW, DS2 lost 15% of his birth weight, and there was no call for top-ups.
He was sleeping terribly for a while, up every 45 minutes the first thing she said was 'this isn't a sign for weaning.
They also know who gill rapley is and support exbf.

[RedOnHerHead]

OMG - its worse than i remembered - she actually dicussed weaning with me when he was only 11+/52!!!

here:

08.03.2005 - 11+/52 - Clinic visit for wt. X feeding well, good weight gain, weaning discussed
22.03.2005 - 13+/52 - Clinic visit for weight and imms. Weaning discussed
19.04.2005 - 17+/52 - Clinic visit for weight. Wt 17lbs 13.5oz. Weaning discussed.
17.05.2005 - 21+/52 - Clinic visit for weight. Diet discussed

AT NO POINT DID SHE EVER TELL ME THAT THE RECOMMENDATION WAS 6MTHS!!!! I'm REALLY annoyed now looking back that she had every opportunity to inform me of the correct guidelines but she failed - is it too late to complain do you think?

[VictorianSqualor]

I don't see why.
Especially as you have it all in writing.

this is the leaflet they are supposed to adhere to.

You can complain here and to your surgery.

[RedOnHerHead]

Thank you VS - I think I might just start a letter of complaint now. TBH, with the amount of time she is off sick it might just be the excuse they need to get rid of her.

[AnarchyAunt]

I voted too!

[stretchmarkqueen]

Have they really stopped handing out bounty packs in some hospitals? That's very interesting!

On a different note, my local MP is Patricia Hewitt, the former minister for health, I have contacted her before when I was having problems with the CSA, and she was very helpful and the matter was cleared up within a couple of weeks!! Do you think it's worth drafting a letter to her re. early weaning. Esp. as I know our area is an early weaning/low bf rates area??

Not yet sure what we could achieve with it, but it's just a thought.

[AnarchyAunt]

They have indeed - did you follow the links? Cornwall does its own 'healthy pack' or something instead.

Well worth trying the MP, and contact the local NHS trust or equivalent to see about what can be done locally. I intend to take it up with mine.