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Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Weaning

Rejecting bottle, ready for solids or reading too much into it?

13 replies

ceb80 · 18/08/2009 09:51

Hi, I'm new to this so bear with me! DS (pfb) is 20 weeks, he's a big fella at almost 20lbs and HV has been amazed that he doesn't demand more than 35oz a day. He is EFF but has started really fussing with his morning bottle either rejecting completely or taking about 2oz and then is fine until his next feed at 12 which he takes happily but is not screaming for. It striles me that it is a long time for him to go without milk as he has a dream feed at 10.30-11pm and then nothing till 8am if he takes it.

Is he bored, just not bothered, ready for weaning or none of the above! Want to try BLW but need to read more about it first.

Have got to pop out now but will be back to read replies later.
Thanks

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ceb80 · 18/08/2009 09:52

strikes not striles, must learn to preview!

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Seona1973 · 18/08/2009 12:43

why not start cutting down the dream feed to make him more likely to take his morning bottle? Doesnt sound ready for weaning to me.

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CyradisTheDMSlayer · 18/08/2009 12:52

This reply has been deleted

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ceb80 · 18/08/2009 20:55

Thanks for replies, DH does dream feed and has just told me that he only took 5oz of his 7oz feed the last 2 nights and then for last feed before bed tonight he did the same. Seems more interested in chewing the teat! That means in the last 24hrs he's only had 24oz of milk rather than 35oz.

He's on Tommy Tippee size 2 teats and usually drains a bottle in 5-10 minutes.

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you · 18/08/2009 21:44

Hmm was searching archives a few days ago about this. DD is 21 weeks and has been the same really the lat month or so, progressively wanting less and less milk. She is smaller than your DS though, was only 6kg last week, but we offer her 6 bottles of 5oz per day and she finishes maybe 2 of the bottles. The rest of the time she'll drink anything from 2-4oz and then refuse anything else!

So... no advice I'm afraid! DM and MIL insist it's because she's decided she doesn't want milk any more and want's 'real food'

Also planning to BLW, have offered her a bit of banana and cucumber but she's not ready to chew and swallow yet, she just mashed up the banana with her fingers then licked it off . I'll be fasting soon for a month anyway (ramadan) so it'll be very easy for me to not give her anything till 6 months now. FWIW I don't think her going off the milk was itself a sign she's ready for weaning- maybe just a lull after the 4 month spurt?

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ceb80 · 19/08/2009 11:09

I just don't know what to think! My mum is of the opinion that because he's a big boy he should heave been weaned much earlier but I maintain that he has been drinking his milk up until now and is not waking at night so is fine.
He had all his dream feed and 5oz of his morning feed today so maybe just a blip?

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Slickbird · 19/08/2009 11:25

FWIW, my first started refusing feeds from me at four months and was def ready for weaning by then (was advised at 4 months back then). DD2 started doing the same around 5 months and my third, a very very HUNGRY boy, who takes a lot to fill his tank, has been weaned since about 19ish weeks. He's doing grand on it.

It might be time to try a few wee tasters, no need to rush it, but if he starts taking it quite well, quite quickly, it's usually a sign. I don't think there are actually that many health professionals (in my experience) that secretly actually believe you MUST wait til 6 months, but they have to go with the WHO guidelines. Me, I go with gut instinct.

Good luck.

PS - If you have any serious allergies or a familiy history of it, it's probably worth getting advice first.

She said as a caveat!

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Chunkamatic · 19/08/2009 11:32

Hi there, not sure how relevant this is but I can remember speaking to my HV about this when DS was around the same age. He was BF but hard started to be much less interested and had lost a little bit of weight.

She told me that around this age they would expect for babies weight gain to even out, if not drop a little, as they are becoming so much more alert and aware of their surroundings and eating becomes less of a priority for them!

So it might be worthh speaking to your HV before you start trying solids as she can reassure you. It might also be worth trying to space his feeds out a little more so that he is more hungry when he eats? Just a thought, they do need to eat less often as they get bigger.

Good luck!

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ceb80 · 19/08/2009 17:20

Am seeing heath visitor on Friday and she seems to be a rare breed in that she actually knows her stuff and is very mum focused and doesn't force opinions on you.
Chunk I would space the feeds out more but don't think this is the problem as he is worst with his morning feed when he hasn't had anything since 11pm!

slickbird promise I won't sue!

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Dotty38 · 23/08/2009 19:33

Hi ceb80

Just wondering how the health visitor went and what she said?

I am having the same probs with DD who has just turned 21 weeks. She too has always been a bonnie babe, born on the 75th and stuck to that curve like glue. She would usually take 7oz of an 8oz bottle 5 times a day (including dream feed) but in the last week she has gradually started to reduce the amount she takes and on occassions she just point blank refuses a feed. So today out of desperation (as by 4pm she'd only had 6oz since 7pm the yesterday) I gave her some baby rice I scooped it onto a spoon and let her hold the spoon and lick it off, she seemed to like it and enjoyed holding the spoon and licking it but that only lasted for a couple of minutes before she was fed up. I'm wanting to do BLW too but feel worried that I should be introducing purees now. DH thinks she's bored of her milk and wants other tastes. I'm not so sure.

Is your son teething, DD has just popped two bottom teeth over the weekend and I'm wondering if that could be to blame for this change in feeding.

I'd be interested to hear what your health visitor said.

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ceb80 · 23/08/2009 21:13

It wasn't my normal HV so I chickened out of mentioning BLW as don't feel well informed enough yet (have book on order!)

But, we talked about weaning in general and she gave me the usual stuff about waiting until he is 26 weeks if possible but said I could try with baby rice and banana now if I wanted but thought it was unlikely to be hunger causing him to refuse his bottle as his sleep pattern was undisturbed.
We have tried a little bit of banana and cucumber the last two mornings which was interesting! He found them very difficult to hold and I ended up helping quite a bit but he was definately keen!
Sorry not to be more help!

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Dotty38 · 26/08/2009 22:19

Hi ceb80

Just to let you know. DD seems back on track with the milk feeds. I think the two teeth caused the lack of interest/refusal and now looking back on it I think anything in her mouth was difficult because of the teeth coming through. They've well and truely through now and are coming up and since Monday she seems happy to have her bottle. So maybe you'll find some little teeth soon???

Have you carried on with bits of food since Sunday?

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ceb80 · 27/08/2009 21:01

Hi Dotty,
No teeth yet.... but DS is a bit more committed to his bottle but still has an off feed now and again. I've kept offering him bits of fruit and veg, mainly banana and cucumber which he gums away on but finds very difficult to hold. Have seen those net things in a catalogue but not sure if they are a good idea or not. Think they might get a bit revolting after a while!