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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Please come and remind me that weaning at 21w WON'T make a jot of difference to a hungry baby...

14 replies

notnowbernard · 05/01/2011 20:07

He is bf what feels like constantly atm (day and night)

My nipples are sore not because of a poor latch but because of sheer amount of feeding

I can feel myself getting to the bit-fed-up stage of bf... the being pinched/scratched/nipples being pulled off by distracted teething baby stage

I can't see us getting to 26 weeks without solids though...

Words of advice/encouragement much appreciated

OP posts:

rubyslippers · 05/01/2011 20:29

It wont make a difference

Milk only is so much easier

If you wait until 6 months, no need for purees - you can just chuck finger foods at them

I got to 6 months - the last few weeks of exclusive feeding were hard but I am so proud we did it!

nightshade · 05/01/2011 20:30

no difference at all. just a lot of wind, stomach upset, non sleeping while his system gets used to solid food!

nightshade · 05/01/2011 20:30

and solid poo!

MoonUnitAlpha · 05/01/2011 20:44

I'm going through similar with my 22 week old - being bitten/pinched/scratched at every feed and generally feeling quite mauled! I have started introducing a bit of food (because he seems ready rather than because he's particularly hungry though) and he hasn't swallowed a thing yet, so even if you did start weaning now it'd be a while before he was eating enough to make much of an impact.

StartingAfresh · 05/01/2011 20:47

If you do BLW and you chuck food in his direction then he'll only eat it if he IS ready iyswim.

It's not a big deal, and unlikely to make much difference but milk is still the best thing for him. Can you just do one day at a time for now. Honestly, this age is very......distractable so you have my sympathy but it isn't for long.

Original poster

notnowbernard · 05/01/2011 20:52

Thanks all

It is a difficult stage - he's now a crap sleeper too but am co-sleeping now to try and soften the sleep-deprivation blow - but I don't remember feeling this battered with the other 2

But I was weaning dd1 already by 21w and dd2 was about 22w when we started (pre-MN for me in those days!)

He IS hungry though... born massive, still massive (98th centiles still)

Day at a time good advice though

OP posts:

lukewarmcupofmulledwine · 05/01/2011 20:53

food = less calories, volume for volume, than milk

if you give food before they're ready, they decrease milk intake, so get fewer calories, so therefore demand even more milk to make up for it

or something...

I know dd2 was pinching her sisters rice cakes from about 5 months, but then she was sitting up and helping herself, which I suspect is pretty ok! Didn't make any difference to her feeding or sleeping though, and we held off with encouraging proper weaning until nearer 6 months.

You're nearly there... just think, when those first daffodils start appearing, you'll probably have dropped a feed at least!

LacksDaisies · 05/01/2011 20:55

tis the five month growth spurt...it's horrible and horrendous and very very draining!

Agree with the try a bit of BLW suggestions and see how he gets on. He may just manage it, especially if he is a big boy.

dizzeelizzee · 05/01/2011 21:04

Nope! Wont make a difference!

Best of luck!

girliefriend · 05/01/2011 21:09

You're his mum, go with your instincts - if he looks ready to start investigating food then IMO in very small amounts at 21weeks I would!!

Skimty · 05/01/2011 21:17

i weaned DS at 20 weeks. He slept through reliably at 2 and a half. I weaned DD at 26 weeks and she started sleeping reliably at 2. You see, you remember it makes no difference and it's annoying and messy and time consuming. Do you really have time first thing to try to persuade your baby to have breakfast? Do you need another thing to do at teatime?

Remind me of this in 10 weeks when DS2 is at the same age

Also, if you get through it you get to be inwardly smug for a while!

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 05/01/2011 21:19

It won't make any difference.

DS slept worse for the two months after we weaned at 26 weeks.

No food that you can give him at this stage has more calories than milk.

I remember the pinching and battering from DS though. I found that it helped a bit to feed somewhere quiet when I could, and actually I bought a nursing necklace which gave him something other than me to grab and pull - I wish I had bought it sooner and will get it out much sooner with DC2!

Ozziegirly · 05/01/2011 23:10

Well in Oz the guidelines are to start weaning casually at 4 months, so I would just follow your instincts....

AngelsfromtherealmsofgloryDog · 06/01/2011 16:51

DS's sleep got worse when we started weaning at 6 months. He ate from the start (BLW) and didn't reduce his milk feeds till around 8 months.

The NHS recommends starting before 26 weeks with finger foods if your LO is sitting unsupported before then and is able to pick up and taste finger foods. See recommendations here.

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