I know it's too soon for solids...

[HelenLG]

...but he's so hungry.

DS will feed for 15-20 minutes coming on and off the breast until he eventually refuses to have anymore. He then goes around routing on anything he can get his mouth on to and fussing.

I don't know what to do, I can't get him to take anymore milk. Yesterday he had 6 feeds during the day, all get more and more close together, he had one feed at 4.30 and then took another 8oz of milk at 6 (i gave him a bottle to see if he was really hungry or just fussing).

He's only just coming up to 19 weeks and both me and DH feel that although he's showing all signs of being ready, other than independant sitting, it's too early to give him solids.

Does anyone have any advice?

I should add, he still gets a dreamfeed of about 8oz and 1-2 night feeds as well, on top of the daytime feeds.

Is he actually hungry or does he want to suck? If he doesn't want more milk then maybe it's more about sucking. My ds is 15 weeks but is constantly sucking on his hands, and anything that touches his hands or face immediately goes into his mouth.

I thought that sucking wasn't necessarily a sign of hunger too. Could it just be teething?

If your baby was hungry, he'd take more milk if it was on offer, Helen :)

None of the signs you mention are signs he needs solids - he sounds harder work at the moment but babies get like this at times, and the 'fussing' may be a need for entertainment and attention rather than solids :)

'Testing' a baby with a bottle does not reveal anything. The baby seeking attention and entertainment will take the novel experience and once the bottle is in his mouth is likely to suck, and when he sucks he gets the milk .... does not mean hunger.

If he's not sitting indendently, able to put food into his own mouth and still has a tough thrust that will push things out of his mouth then he isn't actually showing any signs of being ready for solids.

This is a really good website on ready ness for weaning, it's actualy the NHS one.
www.nhs.uk/start4life/pages/no-rush-to-mush.aspx

My ds is 19 wks and he is hard work to keep entertained, as tiktok suggests.

He sucks, licks and chews (no teeth but those gums are powerful) anything he can get close to. I think this is more about exploring the world rather than wanting to eat solids.

MigGril thanks for that link - really helpful as I'm hearing so many different things about what the signs are. Why hasn't my HV told me about this?

And why are they still allowed to put from 4 months on baby food if its based on 'outdated research'?

Thanks for the info. I'll just keep offering boob, like I said, we know it's to soon for solids, just wondered if anyoen else had been through this...

'Why hasn't my HV told me about this?'

That's a very good qestion as they actualy produce leaflets to and they should be being handed out by your HV.

Maybe next time you see them you should ask.

I am going to ask her now as a test. I only go and get him weighed about once a month and last time I saw her he was about 3.5 months and she was saying "nearly time for weaning!"

Last time I saw my HV at 17 weeks she said I could wean when I liked, just no diary or wheat before 6 months...

I'm tempted to ask my HV about weaning next time I see her to see what response I get. Haven't really had to ask anything yet so haven't been able to gauge how up to date they are.