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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Can I start solids next week? And will it help with very hungry baby?

18 replies

passionberry · 27/09/2010 08:23

Hello, I'm a bit confused about when dd is actually 6 months - does 24 weeks count as 6 months?

If so, I might try her on some baby rice next week but will it help space out breastfeeds a bit more? I am still feeding her every 2 hours day and night and it's getting pretty knackering!!!

I am starting to think that my milk isn't enough for her anymore just because she is feeding so often and at night it's not just a little drink like it used to be, it's full on half hour feeds!! I am soooo tired!

I haven't had her weighed for a while but she's quite a big girl.

OP posts:

StrawberrySam · 27/09/2010 08:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

salvadory · 27/09/2010 08:32

No 24 weeks doesn't count as 6 months unfortunately but I dare say your hv wouldn't be too concerned if you introduced rice now, I started at 23 weeks (I think) you will most likely get a lot of people saying that baby rice has less calories than breast milk and so won't help with the night feed problem and I also found this to be the case, I breast fed exclusively till 7 months then started to introduce formula feeds gradually and it was only then that my dd began sleeping through. Good luck

1234ThumbWar · 27/09/2010 08:35

The 'rules' have changed since my dc's were babies (youngest is 7), in my day it was 16 weeks and none of my children have allergies or other problems. Fwiw I wouldn't bother with rice - have you tried it? I'd go for fruit or veg. My three were all big and I remember hoping that solids would help them to stop feeling hungry, which it does eventually although not immediately. They have to get used to eating and you gradually build up.

Original poster

passionberry · 27/09/2010 08:53

Ok, thanks.

salvadory so formula milk would fill her up more than solids? I might try that first then . .

OP posts:

MoonFaceMama · 27/09/2010 10:11

passionberry do you actually want to give up bf or are you looking to formula to help her sleep through or go longer between feeds? As formula is harder to digest it can do these things but it is in no way guaranteed. However introducing formula will affect your supply of bm.

Baby rice contains no nutritional value other than that of the milk it is mixed with (or so i've been told). So you could just skip it and go down the fruit and veg route as this will be better nutritionally for your dd, aswell as tasting alot better. This could be puree's or blw. Personaly we're doing baby led and love it!

If you decide to go down the formula route there,s a few things to bare in mind...firstly your dd's main source of nutrition till one should be milk (bm or formula) so you will have a lot of formula to buy and bottles to clean and make up before then. Also do check out the guidelines for making up formula, there are threads re this and how to do it conveniently etc. If you want to combine formula and bf look in to mixed feeding for info to ensure you maintain your supply.

what ever you decide to do it's only a couple more months till this settles down i'm sure. Ds is 7m and dropping day time feeds...he has a massive evening feed, and more if teething.
Hth

Original poster

passionberry · 27/09/2010 11:03

MoonFaceMama Thanks very much for responding - I don't want to give up bf at all, I was just aware that dd is coming up for 6 months and I thought the advice was that babies need some solids as well as milk from this age. I was hoping that the introduction of solids would space out the bfs a bit and help with sleeping through. I am probably getting a bit impatient for this to happen!

She has had the very occasional bottle of formula already and it doesn't seem to affect my supply (only used it because I couldn't get on with expressing). But to be fair it didn't seem to help her sleep any better when I tried it . . .

I take your point about baby rice - will probably have a go at BLW as I'm too lazy to puree stuff myself!

Oh well, I'll just keep on with the two hourly feeds for the time being!

OP posts:

jemjabella · 27/09/2010 11:08

My DD was feeding hourly at that age so know how you're feeling. We started solids at something like 2 days shy of 26 weeks (simply because it was the weekend so easier) and after a few weeks DD did start to space out feeds. Hasn't helped her sleep much mind you

MoonFaceMama · 27/09/2010 11:23

it won't be two hourly feeds for long now i shouldn't think passionberry. I remember it well and feel for you. There is a great blw thread on the weaning board, and the book baby led weaning by gill rapely is one of the few parenting books I actually think is worth reading! We started a wee bit early with blw becaure ds could sit with support, and bring things to his mouth, as he proved when he gummed a cucumber stick to death. I love blw but some babies take to it more quickley than others (as with everything ) so don't loose heart if nothing goes in for a while. It hasn't made a lot of difference to ds's sleep i don't think...i think that just needs time whatever they're eating. Feeds can be spaced more now but i think that's more to do with him being older as it happens on days where he eats lots or little.

Re formula and supply, i don't know alot about this but think the occasional bottle wouldn't affect supply (certainly not after the first couple of months) but i believe it would if used regularly. Maybe someone can tell me otherwise.

Morloth · 27/09/2010 14:04

We have been BLW since about 24 weeks (if by BLW you mean giving into DS2's screams of outrage/wrestling matches for whatever I happened to be eating at the time).

He is still feeding 2 hourly through the day.

To be fair though he doesn't eat anything in actual quantity just nicks bits of other people's food.

Original poster

passionberry · 27/09/2010 17:07

Thanks all - it's good to hear others going through the same thing re the 2 hourly feeds. I will persevere and maybe start some solids in a couple of weeks.

I suppose they grow out of the night feeds eventually

OP posts:

Morloth · 27/09/2010 17:17

Well I haven't fed my 6yo in the night for a while!

Original poster

passionberry · 01/10/2010 21:53

OP here -Sorry to resurrect this thread from last week but for some reason I am still loosing faith in my boobs . . .

I think dd looks skinnier than before - her tummy is quite slim and she seems to have less chins! I will take her to get weighed but baby clinic is not till Tuesday.

My boobs never feel full anymore, probably because she's going from one to the other so frequently. I have never had loads of milk (never leaked at all or sprayed milk) I never seem to hear her gulping it down anymore.

She has been really fussy and unsettled the last few days and all she wants to do is feed. I have just given her a few ounces of formula and she is now sound asleep.

She is now nearly 24 weeks and I just feel like my milk isn't enough for her now

I am quite stressed at the moment - could this affect my supply?

OP posts:

devonshiredumpling · 01/10/2010 22:42

passoinberry at around six months old your boobs tend to gat softer and feel less full as you have become so established in bf that your boobs will know how much to produce and at around six months babies start to get in more propotion body wise so you will notice their head looks less big than it used to also my daughter and son were never fatty babies and always looked lean but boy when you pick them up you know about it to reassure yourself see if your health visitor can rent you a hospital grade pump and during the evening express some milk and you can still see you are producing milk it could be also she is telling you that she is teething or needs weaning tell me how many nappies are you getting through a day and does she produce teras when she cries

TruthSweet · 02/10/2010 08:12

Signs of a good supply DO NOT include leaking of spraying milk and unfortunately neither will expressing tell you how much you are making [sorry devenshiredumpling - I know why you suggested what you did but it might be difficult for passionberry to pump if she is stressed/it's been a while since she last expressed/not a time of day her DD usually feds at].

If your daughter is weeing and pooing (pooing may be very infrequent at this age and is not a sign things are going wrong), is not weak and floppy or lethargic she is getting enough milk. Like devonshiredumpling says your breasts feel softer because they are matched to your daughters appetite (the fullness is from extra milk your breast have made). I learnt something really interesting this week - most of your milk is made during and straight after a feed. It really doesn't take long to 'restock'.

Have a look at this and this and this for reassurance.

cupcake75 · 02/10/2010 08:23

I was able to stop wearing breast pads around 6 months as I stopped leaking in the same way as before. There weren't any supply concerns.

Probably a growth spurt, teething or she's coming down with something. Mine went through a hellish sleep regression at this age. She also feeds loads before she comes down with an illness.

NothingButTheTeuch · 02/10/2010 08:37

Have faith in your body and your baby! If bf-ing has been well established for 6 months, your body is clearly capable of providing for your baby, and is unlikely to just stop now. I know of a good-sized 20lb 6mth old who is being well sustained on bf only

Having said that, if you are sometimes giving her formula, then it may be worth expressing (even hand-expressing) around the time you would usually give that feed, to maintain supply.

I really think that bf-ing is such a leap of faith, especially when you have other stresses going on.

I do think that blw compliments bf-ing well, although I (personally) get irritated by the evangelism of some I would emphasise the point that most 'first foods' will not provide either the nutritional nor calorific value of milk. "Food is fun until they are one"

Good luck, and I hope you are being supported for the things that are making you feel stressed.

Original poster

passionberry · 02/10/2010 17:32

Thank you all for the reassurance and the links to Kellymom.

I'm pretty sure she's going through another growth spurt and she has a little cold as well - phew babies are hard work!

I will go and get her weighed but I'm sure she's fine - just me stressing out

I think I have just been feeling guilty that I am not being a very good mummy atm. Have a lot of other stuff going on.

OP posts:

FrozenNorth · 02/10/2010 18:10

You sound like an exceptionally good mummy to me. FWIW I've breastfed / am feeding a toddler and a baby so abundant supply but have pretty much never leaked or sprayed. My breasts rarely feed full any more (DD2 is 7 months) and yes, unfortunately I know what you mean by another growth spurt. I keep reminding myself that in a few months DD2's feeding is likely to have dropped off considerably as solids increase etc.

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