If you weaned your baby at around 4 months how much did they have? Advice

[TaliZorah]

DS is 15 weeks and since last week has had purees. He has reflux and bottle refuses, so before anyone says I shouldn't wean yet, that's why. He also has good head control, teeth and has stolen my food before, so it's not me pushing for early food

He seems to want to eat loads. I stop him after a few spoonfuls but how much can I let him have? Can't find any advice about early weaning

What did your doctor recommend?

There is a good reason you can't find info, 14 weeks is not just early weaning, its three whole months early. If there is a real medical reason you should be taking advice on his diet from medical professionals, not from the internet.

I'm assuming your doctor or HV advised early weaning for medical reasons? If so did you talk about method/quantities?

The reason there is no advice about early weaning is because it isn't advised to do it.

I'd imagine if he wants to eat loads, you should let him? Just as if he was having milk, he should have as much as he wants? Especially if he is having it instead of milk, which is AFAIK supposed to be their main source of nutrition til they are 1. The milk is far more nutritious than the puree.

Speak to your HV who will be able to give you appropriate advice about early weaning if you are choosing to do it.

Actually, I was just trying to be really nice in my last post. If you have already decided to do this, get professional advice, was what I was trying to say in a nice way.

It's really too early and "He has reflux and bottle refuses, so before anyone says I shouldn't wean yet, that's why" isn't really an explanation...

I would keep in regular contact with hv and GP to be certain he is getting enough milk - milk is a complete food for babies and early purees aren't.

When you say he bottle refuses, do you mean point blank and he won't drink at all, or just that he is very fussy? If he refuses the bottle then have you tried a cup (eg doidy) or spoon?

The milk issue is a big issue even if he's also having purees so don't struggle along on your own. Some really important brain development around the four-month mark which babies need fats for. If he won't take them in milk then you need professional help to get a good nutritional profile in another way.

I've had 2 bottle refusing reflux babies and wasn't advised to wean early either time so kiss wondering who the advice came from?

*just

MrsHathaway I assumed the OP meant the baby is a breastfed bottle register, not that the baby has no milk at all.

You shouldn't give him a lot as that will fill him up and he will take even less milk and it's the milk that's much much more important at that age. Weaning is about new tastes and texture not to stuff them so full they won't take milk any more

Argh refuser not register. That will teach me to try and comment on threads after being up every single hour every night for 10 weeks with my own breast fed bottle refuser!

Yy, calories from milk are way more important than calories from food.

If he won't take a bottle will he lap from a cup?

I see what you mean, Grotbag - so it's nigh-on impossible to get thickener or omeprazole (?) into him.

Point stands, though: at three and a half months he needs probably two pints of milk for nutrition before any puree is taken into account. That would probably mean 6-8 bfs at a minimum, given the reflux.

Health visitor and dietician both said I should consider early warning if reflux doesn't resolve.

He doesn't refuse every time but often will point blank refuse milk whether it's a bottle syringe or spoon. I even tried to see if I could re lactate (breastfeeding failed) but he wouldn't take the breast.

He'll sometimes start a bottle then pull off screaming half way through and refuse anything else but scream in hunger. Or throw it all back and then scream. Feeding him is really hard.

He's on neocate for milk allergy, and I've been told there's nothing better than neocate so if he's still struggling on that they can't do anything. Been to GPs 23 times about this.

A baby with reflux is exhausting to breastfeed - they throw up, then get hungry again, and your body might not keep up with that instant need/demand/unpredictability. If the baby doesn't take a bottle, then early weaning makes sense. Lapping up milk might work but again, it takes a long long time for it to be thrown up moments later, which can be demoralising when you're just trying to get anything in and staying in your LO.
I weaned at 4 months, but it was hit and miss. It got better (reflux) once my DD could sit up really well for a long time independently, but I did use purees to help get more in to her and they did stay down a bit better than milk. At the time I was so worried, but looking back, (with a DS now too), her reflux was crazy and she just wasn't keeping much in at all!

None of this bothered her however, it just exhausted and worried me no end.

Sorry should have added - my sympathies, reflux can be really draining, but it does end eventually and you'd never know it to look at them as toddlers.

Hi OP

You say: "Health visitor and dietician both said I should consider early warning if reflux doesn't resolve."

Have you seen them again specifically to get advice on early weaning?

Have you been advised by a specialist to start this early? 14 weeks is SO early... it would be very unusual to be weaning this early and not giving milk at all without a consultant/specialist involved.

Sorry, I am not trying to judge you at all, just want to be sure of all the details.

I'd worry that weaning this early would cause more damage, is all.

Also Tali, Keelah Se'Lai!

If I remember properly she only ate a couple of ice cubes worth per 'meal', slowly increasing over time. Her milk didn't reduce at all, she's still a milk monster now, so don't panic about that reducing, it will happen on its own.

Thank you Kitty that's really helpful. I worry about it but he's gaining weight and I can eventually get milk into him it's just so so hard when he's refusing everything and it can take me an hour to get a couple of ounces in and then he throws up and screams for food.

pook they didn't give me a number of weeks. I was trying to wait until 17 weeks but I don't see how I can when he's screaming for food but won't take milk

He will take small amounts and then refuse and scream for food

You could try looking in second hand shops for baby books published before about 2002 (as it was around then that the guidelines changed from 16 weeks), or talking to mothers teens to see if they can remember what they did.

AuntieStella I asked my mum, I'm 22 and the advice was 3-4 months. I had solids at 8 weeks on medical advice for a similar reason but it was baby rice which I wasn't keen on doing. She can't rember how much purees I had

Good idea about second hand books

Is the reflux being treated too?

We started weaning DD from about 17 weeks, on the recommendation of the HV. She took about 1-2 tsp, twice a day, for the first week, & was up to about 1oz twice a day, plus occasional gnawing at a piece of fruit.

She is fine, has no food allergies & eats a really good range of food.

I hear you about the early weaning DD was 15 weeks old HV recommend 17 weeks for babies with reflux anyway so it's not stupidly early as what some people seem to think. Back when I was a baby all parents started spoon feeds at 12 weeks and we are all here and healthy to tell the tale.
Dd started with just a small bowl of baby rice in the morning so that if it didn't agree with her it wasn't right before bed. We kept her on the one bowl for about 4 weeks then moved it to evening and gave her a little pureed veg something like carrots and parsnip or cauliflower & broccoli at lunch she loved it. She was much more settled at night wind issues weren't as bad the reflux and spewing all calmed down. It wss the makings of her. Comply different temperament

I weaned DD1 at four months before the advice changed.

I just mixed baby rice with breast milk and gave her a few spoonfuls. Also gave spoonfuls of puréed pear which she loved.