To consider weaning before 17 weeks?

[ThoughtsPlease]

Background, my 3rd child is currently 14 weeks, he is exclusively breastfed.
He weighed 7lb 9oz at birth, 5 days overdue.
At 5 days he weighed 7lb 11oz, at 2 weeks 8lb 3oz, at 8 weeks 10lb 11oz.
So in the first 8 weeks his weight gain averaged 6.25oz.
At 14 weeks he now weighs 12lb, average weight gain for last 6 weeks 3.5oz. He has dropped from 50th centile at birth to 9th at 14 weeks.
He has slept 11/12 hours at night without waking to feed since 7 weeks.
In the day he feeds a lot, and certainly lets me know when he is hungry!
The HV wants me to go back next week to have him weighed again.

Now my 2 DDs followed exactly the same pattern, they were both EBF and at 14 weeks weight gain had slowed down, and both had lost weight by 16 weeks. DD1 the doctor told me to give her 1 bottle of formula a day which I did, but then weaned her about 2 weeks later, she put weight on again very quickly. When I saw the same doctor with DD2 he told me to wean her, as clearly my children did this. She also put on weight again very quickly.

I will go back next week and get him weighed again. But if he hasn't put any weight on, or very little, or lost weight i am against giving him formula for a few weeks when actually with DD2 from just weaning her at 16 weeks she put on 18oz in 2 weeks, went back up to the next centile line and has stayed there ever since.

Ironically when I took him to be weighed this week and the HV said do you have any concerns, I told her about my DDs while I was undressing him and she said oh he looks very healthy, he is very alert etc etc, let's just wait and see when I weigh him, I am sure he is fine. (As if I was being overly concerned or something). Then once she weighed him she wanted me back next week!

YABU.

Milk has more calories, so id stick with that.

So how does that explain weight loss when breastfeeding for DDs and then weight gain again once weaned and still breastfeeding?

YABU - he is far too young to consider weaning.

He's not actually loosing weight, he's just putting it on slowly. If there was no such thing as a percentile line to plot him on would you be concerned?

Maybe your babies naturally have a dip in weight around that time (possibly becoming more active so more calories burned) and within a few weeks they are gaining again anyways, regardless of food?

Go with your instincts, sometimes hv over-react and just live by text books. Real life is not text book.
FWIW all my 4dc were weaned between 12 and 14 weeks. All managed fine, are perfectly healthy children now of 19, 13, 9 and 7.
When I had my eldest the rule was to wean at 12 weeks. Some 6 years later when I had my second it was 14-16 weeks. By child 3 it had changed again! Then by child 4 it was not recommended before 6 months!! None of mine could ever have coped til 6 months with just milk!!
I don't really understand how 'experts' know best and x age is the correct age for weaning. Then suddenly a few years later x age is changed and this new x age is the best age. Then it happens again. And again...

Things change all the time my eldest I was advised to give her babyrice at 10 weeks normal practice was 3 months with middle one he was 8 months and youngest was 4 months every child is different ad its only guidelines.

It doesn't, but it seems to be just the way your babies are. I'd carry on as you are and weight in again next week. Unless you are not happy with breastfeeding only and want to wean onto a bottle.

I don't think you are being unreasonable to be honest, they are all different... I would stick to baby rice only for a little while though.

I wouldn't. 17 weeks is the absolute bare minimum, many many babies may well be fine but is it really worth the risk for the sake of 3 weeks?

Gnocchi - on Doctors' advice with DD1 we tried just leaving her to see what happened, at 14 weeks she weighed 13lb 8oz by 19 weeks she weighed 12lb 4oz. So the same Doctor told me not to wait with DD2 when she had started losing weight at 16 weeks, he could see what may happen if we did. I can't see the same Doctor now for advice we have moved.

Pottering - only concerned because my DDs did the same and both by 16 weeks were losing weight, not actually concerned about the centile lines.

You know your child best. Do what feels right and what works FOR YOU. Medical advice is just that. Advice, not dictatorial orders. Besides, as pp's have said, that advice will change again in the years to come. Follow your own instincts, you'll soon know if you're right or not, then change tack if necessary.

Belmo - that is exactly the reason I am asking, I keep thinking my instincts tell me he is ready, if the current advice was still from 3 months say as it used to be, I would just do it, but now it is 17 weeks at the earliest, I have this awful feeling of how guilty I would feel if it caused him any problems, which I actually think is more a neverending maternal worry/guilt than realistic IYSWIM.

I don't understand how replacing highly calorific milk with fruit/veg purred containing virtually no calories will help a baby gain weight.

Tbh if he's having frequent wet nappies and appears to be thriving I'd pack in the weigh ins, avoid the hv like the plague, and just keep bf.

I'm 31 and when my mum weaned me the official guidelines were 4 months. I'm never sure where this supposedly quite recent advice to wean at 12 weeks is actually from.

I'd go for it. Don't doubt yourself.

Welsh, it's not about replacing, it supplementing. Yes he appears to be thriving, but surely allowing a baby to possibly lose weight as my DDs did is not good?!

I am 37, my sister 41 and we were weaned at 3 months it was the advice then I believe.

Frazzled - thanks!

I thought the latest revised guidelines were 4 to 6 months. YANBU on that basis.

I would try and get as much milk into him as possible - offer both boobs of he so much as squeaks - and wait at least the 3 weeks.
But, my baby was enormous so can't honestly say I know how it feels to worry about weight gain.
Have a good look at the pros/cons of weaning early and then do what you think is best, if you're making an informed decision you shouldn't feel guilty.

Like I said earlier all mine were weaned between 12 and 14 weeks. I didn't take too much notice of hv tbh as I knew the guidelines had been changed and couldn't really understand how it could be ok 1 year to wean at an age but then next year it was not ok. I knew my pfb had been fine weaned at 12 weeks so I just used common sense and did what I 'knew' was best.

i wouldnt.

tbh my first thought given you say he sleeps through would be to give him a dreamfeed. milk has most calories so try extra feed at night, when you go to bed?

the advice hasnt changed that much. think once in last 20 yrs?

my eldest is 13 this wkrnd, the advice was to wean at 4-6mths. by ds2 who is 10 it was 6mths. all five of mine were weaned at 6mths. even tho the advice was 4-6mths in the uk when ds1 was a baby the info was available that waiting till 6mths was advisable and obv it was still in the 4-6mth window.

Of course it will replace. Unless you're installing some kind of stomach expanding upgrade? Even assuming it won't fill him up and cause him to reduce his feeds, how much weight do you think three teaspoons if mashed carrot is going to help him gain?

Asking here will not give you the answer. There will be people who weaned at 4 minutes after birth and people who weaned at 21 years. Of course I am being silly but you do tend to get these kind of responses. Bear in mind of course, which I am sure you are given that this is your third child; guidelines change all the time and guidelines can be right or wrong or a couple of weeks inside or outside of what you feel is right.

Personally, if it was me, I would hang on a little longer and stick with milk as an earlier poster has said, it does contain more calories. Perhaps at 20 weeks you could review again and go from there?

Then again, your an experienced mother so you do what works! (I almost feel the need to include the word hun, lil bubz and babe )

The thing is now the HV wrote in the red book that I would return next week to have him weighed (I didn't actually say to her that I would!) I actually think a week isn't long enough and 2 weeks might be better, but then we will be on holiday so it would be in 3 weeks time. Then if I don't wean him and he has lost weight is she then going to write in her notes that I didn't return to get him weighed again as she advised! If I do wean him I will have to tell my 5 and 6 year old DDs not to tell her!

I started feeding solid foods to my oldest when he was about 14 weeks, he was a chub and having the pureed fruits and veg slowed his weight down a bit, he still breast fed like a maniac, but the solids filled him a bit with few calories.
Next one I waited till 6 months but he wasn't quite as chubby and had a smaller appetite so was happy to wait.
What I don't get is the doctor advice when stuff like this happens.
Baby isn't gaining = give solids = less milk intake they are too full
Baby is gaining too much = give solids to fill him with less calories = less milk in as they are full too.
They can't have it both ways, if they aren't gaining enough weight, more milk works better than low calorie filling foods that are harder to digest and stay in the stomach longer.

To increase baby's weight I'd increase feedings, go back to every two hours during the day for a few days and it'll increase your milk supply so he gets more at each feeding and gains more weight.

Welsh - the Doctor advised me to wean DD2 when she lost weight from 14 -16 weeks as he had seen that DD1 continued to lose weight after 16 weeks, DD2 gained 18oz from 16 weeks to 18 weeks, the doctor said it would help her put weight back on and it did!

5mad - personally I think going back to waking him to feed in the night when he hasn't done for 7 weeks is a recipe for disaster!

Thyme - I appreciate that asking here will not give me an expert answer, I guess it is a good sounding board, as I find myself in a mental dilemma with this.