FF guilt has subsided but still have questions!

[MeggysMam]

BF my DD for 6 days. Tried it but it didn't work for me. Won't use any excuses as why I stopped (c-section, caught MRSA, was readmitted to hospital twice - blah blah blah) - I'm SO over it now!
Guilt free FF now!
She is now 19 weeks old and has been on Aptamil Comfort since 2 weeks old. She has 5 6oz bottles a day her first at 7:30am and her last at 7:30pm and the other 3 bottles I am having to space out every 3 hours. The issue is that (and I'm not trying to brag!) but she sleeps ALL night and if I don't keep to such a rigid routine then she misses a feed out alltogether and won't wake up till bang on 7:20am. SHE LOVES HER SLEEP AND WILL NOT WAKE UP FOR LOVENOR MONEY! I feel like a right 'bottle mafia don', and I don't like such a rigid routine but I am practically force feeding her just to make sure she eats enough! HV said I could start weaning her but does that mean less milk??

Really don't think that weaning is the answer here Meggys and your HV really shouldn't be suggesting it. The guidelines for weaning say 6 months, here is the NHS information.

Weaning will mean less milk too. The foods that you will be weaning her with will also have less nutritional value and will be harder for her to digest.

I'd ask the HV for some alternatives to early weaning if I were you.

Thanks - just had a look at the NHS info. DD seems to 'do' all of the signs that she is ready and all the signs that she is not! Confusing times!

Might be confusing for you Meggy but the guidelines are quite clear, its 6 months.

This info is mainly aimed at bf babies but lots of it is still relevant to your DD, like the digestive system being immature.

I'd only wean that early on the advice of a Paediatrician. I've weaned 2DC, one when the advice was 4 months and one at 6 months. Waiting might seem hard now but it is by far the easiest in the long run.

Oh ok.

It's easier at or near 6 mo because you can basically give her what you eat. Also they would have lost the tongue thrust reflex and actually swallow the food. I started at 24wo and my DD grabbed the spoon off me and licked it . It's just so much easier when you aren't forced feeding.

Oh and don't go shouting about the sleep thing to loundly, Some baby's who sleep really well turn into waking up toddlers.

I'd also like to point out that sleeping has nothing to do with how they are fed, introducing solids to early could also cause her to wake up as it can disturbe there disgestive system. SO if she's sleeping well now then I'd be weary of rocking the boat.

at lilham#'s DD licking the spoon. My DD took a sandwich at 23 weeks and ate it. So, so much easier than all those purees I did with DH.

You weaned your DH JiltedJohnsJulie ? :)

Er no, and I can't even blame the iphone like everyone else does, I'm sat at a real, old fashioned computer.

No DH seemed to be coping fine with food for a good while before we met , meant DS .

It could be that you are having difficulty getting all the feeds in as she doesn't 'need' 30oz of milk.

If you are struggling to get 5 x 6oz bottles in her - have you tried 4 x 7oz (if she will take 7oz at once) therefore spreading the feeds out. Does your DD drain her bottles, or often leaves milk? If she is leaving milk then perhaps offering less each time or offering slighly more less often might work?
The guidelines on the side of the tin are just averages, and you should take the lead from your dd.
You will soon know if she is hungry
Also, from my experience, FF babies (much like BF babies) will having different hunger needs sometimes due to growth spurts and activity levels in the day etc
I FF my ds from 3 weeks (also finally over the guilt at 10mos!)
but still fed on demand, therefore some days he would have more feeds than others, but pretty much wanted to feed every 3-4 hours up until I weaned him at 23 weeks. I never used a schedule, and balked when asked "when is he due a feed" - when he asks for one! I would get nervous on the days when he only had 3 feeds and fell asleep, but it never affected his sleep, so just think on some days he needed less than others
I agree with other posters, that it is to early to wean, and that weaning wouldn't necessarily solve any issues as obviously a lot less calories in fruit and veg (if you are doing purees) than in a bottle of milk.