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Weaning

Can you wait to 6 months when your baby is ff

9 replies

Dotty38 · 10/08/2009 13:46

My DD is now 20 weeks and is now exclusively formula feed. She was breast feed for the first 8 weeks but I failed miserably and couldn't continue (whole other story and post!!). So I'm determined to try and do what's best for her when it comes to weaning.

I've been getting all prepared to do BLW (Have read Gill Rapely's book and have been reading up on other posts on here) so I really wanted to wait until 6 months. However in the process of reading around the subject I found an article from The Gaudian (linked to on iwantmymum.com)which quotes this.........

"But formula isn't best, and that's what most babies are on. This policy is really about what's best for breastfed babies, and formula-fed babies are being bracketed with them and we're told all babies should get milk only to six months. But the formula-fed babies need more. Modified cow's milk isn't good enough for babies to six months."

I now feel paniced that I should be weaning her onto purees and am not providing her with what she needs.

She is very contented, takes a full 7oz feed (5 times a day/night) and is tracking her curve beautifully.

Any opinions would be much appreciated.

OP posts:

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doggiesayswoof · 10/08/2009 13:53

I've never heard that before tbh - "formula fed babies need more"

I was a failed bfer too and waited til DS was 6mo to wean him

AS it turned out he wasn't that interested in food and hardly ate anything until he was about 8mo. I tried BLW too, worked well in the end but at first he just wasn't bothered.

He is a big boy, and has stuck to the same curve since he was born. (He's 14mo now and v healthy)

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flowerybeanbag · 10/08/2009 13:58

Sounds like a load of tosh to me. DS was ff from birth, and we started BLW him at 25 weeks, no problems at all. He was on 75th centile from the day he was born and continued on it. We needed to up his feeds around 5 months ish because he started draining entire bottles and needing more, but adding in an extra feed did the trick fine.

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HensMum · 10/08/2009 13:59

I really hate it when people say "well I did it and it turned out fine" but....I did it and DS is fine (22 months old, huge, healthy and eats a wide range of food)

If your DD is happy with her milk, then leave her until she wants something else.

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pigleychez · 10/08/2009 15:09

My DD was mixed fed from day one (again huge trouble breast feeding but still wanted her to have my milk so expressed)

She was Weaned using BLW at 6mths. She was happy enough on her formula and didnt actually start eating much quantity till about 8mths.

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lobsters · 10/08/2009 15:11

I stopped bf about the same time you did, we got to 6 months on formula, weight stayed on the same line, DD was perfectly happy.

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StealthPolarBear · 10/08/2009 15:13

Have you seen Aitch's BLW blog?
Her DD1 was ff and did BLW obviously!
Sorry to hear you had a hard time breastfeeding but your DD had 8 weeks of it so you didn't fail at all!

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AnarchyAunt · 10/08/2009 15:17

Can you link to the Guardian article? I'm interested to know whose opinion that is!

Anyway if your DD is happy on milk then I'd leave it til 26 weeks.

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AnarchyAunt · 10/08/2009 15:23

Ok, found the article

And I'd take no notice at all. It's the opinion of one anonymous health visitor.

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Dotty38 · 10/08/2009 21:48

Oh thank you, it's great to read your replies. And good to hear from others to had similar breast feeding to FF experiences.

I haven't seen Aitch's blog. How do I find it? I bet it's really obvious and this is a dum question

Right I'm back with my confident head now and will continue as we are. She's absolutely fine on her milk and shows no interest in food at the moment.