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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Weaning - please tell me my HV is wrong!

12 replies

chocolatebourbon · 01/08/2010 20:07

DS has just turned 7 months old. His typical daily diet is lots of breastmilk and a VERY VERY small amount of veg, fruit, bread/ricecake/pasta and sometimes meat or lentils. We are BLW, not through my choice but because he refuses to take from a spoon. I told HV I was concerned he wasn't eating enough solids and she told me cut down milk to 3 feeds a day. I have no idea how many milk feeds I give at the moment but it's definitely a lot more than 3, it varies from day to day because I feed on demand, and a feed can be anything from 5 minutes to 40 minutes. Didn't dare tell her that we were camping last weekend so coslept and he was guzzling milk all night. Please tell me she is wrong and we can do this at our own pace. I did try to space the feeds out more (was aiming for five to six, as three just seemed crazily unreaslistic) but he screamed the house down and has spent the two days since being terribly clingy. He has only just dropped night feeds (unless camping!) so that seemed enough of an achievement for now. I really wanted her to reassure me but she has just got me really worried. Plus my boobs would probably pop if I suddenly cut milk down like that?

OP posts:
llareggub · 01/08/2010 20:16

Just carry on with what you are doing and ignore HV.

MathsMadMummy · 01/08/2010 20:18

your HV is talking rubbish. DS will gradually reduce feeds of his own accord if you offer him food as well. in a few months you'll suddenly think 'hang on, he's only had 3 feeds today '

just keep doing what you're doing

WoTmania · 01/08/2010 20:19

She's wrong

FWIW my younger two weren't really bothered about solids til 11 months and 13 months. However they night-nursed til 15 months (DS2) and DD (17mo)still nurses at night.

I've always been told that 'Food Before 1 Should be Fun'. So unless he becomes tired and lethargic and starts losing weight I would ignore her.

rubyslippers · 01/08/2010 20:19

No night feeds at 7 months .... Fab!

Keep on doing what you are doing ... Sounds like it is working for you

TheOldestCat · 01/08/2010 20:21

She's wrong - diddly wrong wrong wrong.

You are doing a smashing job. Carry on!

mrspear · 01/08/2010 20:23

Don't worry i had the same advice.

My DS is 7 1/2 months corrected (was early) and also BLW. What i am doing is offering him three meals a day with no milk before hand (and timing it so he has had no milk at least for an hour - best if two) then if wants milk after playing eating i give it to him. He will cut down milk in his own time by eating more. [crosses fingers]
I keep reading that milk should be the primary source of nutrition so why cut down?

ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 01/08/2010 20:24

She's wrong. We BLWed with DD and she loved trying lots of foods but didn't eat very much until 10 months, when it suddenly seemed to click with her that solids were good for resolving hunger. By the time she started nursery around 11-12 months they were in awe of the amount she was tucking away.

As long as he's trying lots of interesting solids and getting a positive view of food as something fun, try not to stress.

crikeybadger · 01/08/2010 20:24

Hey, I think that's pretty great actually- you took a 7 mo old baby camping and you're not feeding him in the night any more!

Not many all HV's give good advice, and it seems that your one does not have a clue about weaning. Just go at your baby's pace. My HV was the same- she was convinced that there were more nutrients in carrot than milk .....

MmeRedWhiteandBlueberry · 01/08/2010 20:27

Your milk is more nutritious than anything else.

Just let your baby decide. Keep offering him plenty of appropriate foods.

Northernlurker · 01/08/2010 20:32

I think she's righht in the sense that if you cut down on the milk he will probably eat more solids BUT why would you want to do that? as long as he's getting to grips with the idea of food and textures and so forth you're absolutely fine. My dd1 wasn't on 3 meals a day till 9 months + and our hv got very twitchy about that. I knew though that if she had lunch she wouldn't have the milk feed as well and i preferred her to have the milk. So she did two meals a day for a long time and I weaned the others in much the same way. Don't get really why weaning is seen so much as a way to stop giving milk, the two can go side by side perfectly well.

HaveToWearHeels · 01/08/2010 20:38

I echo what everyone else is telling you, carry on as normal. My DD is blw and ebf up until 9.5 months, she is now 10.5 months, she dropped to three feeds a day at about 8 months. Even now she sometimes eats loads of solids and only finishes 1/2 bottle, next day she will pick at her food but demolish three 7oz bottles and wake in the night for another. Just go with what your LO wants.

chocolatebourbon · 01/08/2010 20:51

Thank you all so much - such lovely support has made me all emotional . Will keep going as I am and let DS decide. He is used to being in charge so I don't think I can change that now.
Mrspear, I agree that one hour after a decent milk feed seems to work well as he's not too hungry then but not stuffed full either - but whatever I do we seem to end up with a reasonable attempt at eating one "meal" (never know which one it will be though) and a halfhearted play with the others, so I guess that's all he's really ready for right now. I will just keep offering and smiling.

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