Exclusive breastfeeding - does size matter?

[Kyliebump]

DS is nearly 16 weeks and I'd really like to try and carry on with exclusive breastfeeding (ie no solids) until as close to 6 months as possible. However, he is really big - was 9lb 7oz at birth and is now 16lb 6oz and I'm wondering if I'm being unrealistic? He has started waking in the night having previously slept through but this isn't too much of a problem as he only wakes once and goes straight back down when he's been fed. However, if he starts waking several times then I guess it might be time to think about solids. He also got his first two teeth at 13.5 weeks, so that is a challenge in itself to my breastfeeding plans!!

Nobody I know has exclusively breastfed past 4 months and I'd really love to hear some experiences. Thank you.

[bundle]

well done Eulalia and Jasper - and everyone else who does their best with breastfeeding. it's not so much the length of time that matters, more the feeling that you've done it!

[Kyliebump]

Well done Eulalia!!

Thanks for the advice Droile - I'll get the Annabel Karmel book and see if that reduces my apprehension about moving to solids. Should I do what she says for 4 months or go straight to the 6 month stuff? If I start DS off on the 4 month stuff will he get enough iron etc as his supply will have diminished by then - or have I got a few weeks to play with?

[Clarinet60]

I think you'll have to start gradually, so do the 4 month stuff, but perhaps move onto some iron-rich foods rather faster than suggested in the book. Jasper has done this stage, so may be able to provide a better answer.

[Kyliebump]

Well we had our worst night ever last night DS screamed every time he was put down, even when rocked off to sleep - went through all our usual strategies and ended up using all our emergency ones too!! I ended up having him in bed with me, giving him a dose of calpol (in case it was teething pain) and letting him have his dummy (usually banned at night)- only got about 4 hours sleep total - what a nightmare.

I'm in a real dilema now - if he's unsettled because he wants solids then fine, I'll give him solids although I will be disappointed not to reach 6 months, but it will be a shame to start him on solids if this is all about something else, ie teething, tummy bug (he was very sicky yesterday)or something else. Does anyone have any advice on how to tell if it is solids related? He is fine during the day and settled between feeds. He has become a bit more frantic at feeding time and has also stopped having a morning nap, but this could also be explained by teething.

I have to admit to being pleased to hand him over to the childminder this morning (although looking forward to seeing him again in a couple of hours time!) - am meant to be working this morning, but just can't get this out of my mind.

If he carries on like this for up to the weekend, then I think he might be having his first solids at the weekend. Should I start with baby rice, or straight on to pureed veg?

Sorry this is a bit of a ramble - trying to keep my eyes open is a bit of a struggle!

[Clarinet60]

Kyliebump, I don't think it will be solids related, it sound too sudden. Probably teeth or a little illness. ds2 hasn't been any more settled since I started solids - it's been a bit of a red herring.
If you do want to try iy, I'd start with baby rice mixed with a little fruit or veg puree. The rice makes it creamier, so its similar to milk, but is very tasteless on its own. HTH

[Eulalia]

Tried solids again today. I think it was a little better but most of it just seemed to fall out of her mouth. A few questions. Should I make the food more solid or will this just turn her off it even more? It?s really hard to even get the food in because she insists on grabbing the spoon. So I give her another one to play with but it means working round that one. Is this going to just distract her? Maybe finger foods like a rusk (non-sugar variety) may work better (re discussion below I seem to remember you can buy non sugar ones which taste of nothing!) or maybe pieces of banana ? or is this too ?solid? at this stage? Because she is 6 months now should I try more often than once a day? Thanks.

Kyliebump - sounds like he is ill - coming on with a cold or something? I would say hold off as if he is ill it wouldn't be a good time to start solids anyway. In my mind better to start solids when baby is happy and relaxed. How old is he now?

[Clarinet60]

Eulalia, I make them more sloppy when he won't open his mouth and messes with the spoon and pushes the food out of his mouth. This seems to help. I've heard that giving them one spoon to play with while you load the food spoon helps too.

[elliott]

eulalia - have you tried rice cakes as a finger food? easy to handle and turn to mush when sucked.

[Eulalia]

thanks! off to shops - may look for rice cakes - I am sure they will be cheaper. Going to get her weighed first!!!!

[Kyliebump]

Thanks Droile & Eulalia - I'm going to hold off on solids until at least the weekend and see if things settle down. He had a terrible morning at the childminders this morning - she was certainly glad to see the back of him - but he has been better this afternoon. I had a good cry at him after I picked him up from the childminders (it really upsets me to hear that he's been upset and I haven't been there to comfort him), and he seemed very distracted by the fact that big wet teardrops were dropping on his head - not the ideal way to distract him though!!

[Bozza]

Eulalia they sell baby organic rice cakes in the baby food aisle. Another alternative is baby bread sticks. DS liked them from about 6/7 months (altho' I think it says 9 months on the packet).

[Eulalia]

I got some rice cakes but will have to take them back as they contain salt. They weren?t special baby ones ? our store didn?t have them (I live in the country so supplies of such things are limited). Got some baby rice but she wasn?t that keen on it so she had pear again. I was reading my LLL book and it said to wait a week before introducing different foods ? a WEEK! Surely that would put a baby off - thinking oh no not this again ... but then again they?ve only tasted one thing so far anyway ...

Well I?ll not bore everyone with a day by day account of my dd?s introduction to solids. Thanks for the advice and comments. Oh yes ? she was weighed yesterday at one ounce short of 17lbs and has exactly doubled her birth weight so well pleased with that.

Good luck to the others... whose next to reach 6 months?

[Demented]

Eulalia, we didn't make it to six months but we certainly didn't wait a whole week before trying a new flavour. At first I tried the same thing for three days in a row and if it was going down well I would move on to something else. Now I'm not so bothered he seems OK with everything we have tried. We are still only on a lunch we tried breakfast but it seemed to upset him, don't know if it was the food or just that he wasn't ready for another meal yet, must get round to trying again mind you. All the best, I hate weaning.

[Kyliebump]

We will (hopefully!) reach 6 months on 7th November - just short of 3 weeks to go. DS seems much better today - still ended up in bed with me last night but overall was a better night and both of us got more sleep than the night before - I'm pretty convinced it's his teeth that are bothering him, so the baby rice will stay in the cupboard for now!!

Let us know how things go with solids Eulalia - I'm just a few weeks behind you, and am really interested in tips!!

[Eulalia]

tiktok/mears or anyone - do you know how long iron stores take to deplete? I am a bit confused on this. Standard blurb in baby leaflets seems to indicate at 6 months - but how quickly do the stores deplete? Can a baby replace these iron stores with breast milk, ie does the milk for an older baby have more iron in it than that of a baby who isn't taking much milk but is taking lots of solids?

My LLL book says that some babies can be exclusively breastfed until 9 months. As you may have read in this thread I've exclusively b/f dd for 6 months but she is really slow on taking solids .. should I be concerned and try to hurry her up or just take it easy? Thanks.

Go for it Kyliebump ...!

Demented - hope ds settles down soon to a routine.

Oh yes one more thing - I've read here that banana can cause constipation at first - how long should I wait before I introduce it.

Questions, questions .... thanks!

[Clarinet60]

As I understand it, some solids should be introduced at 6 months because there won't be enough iron in breast milk, but you don't need to go overboard and stuff them in, just a small amount, well balanced, will do. I'm willing to stand corrected on this though.

[tiktok]

No need to panic Iron stores are thought to start to need topping up after about six months, but they don't suddenly start to 'dry up'. There is iron in breastmilk and it is readily absorbed by the baby (unlike the iron in formula) but it's sensible to make sure a baby is getting a bit of cereal and is building up his intake of iron in the second half of the first year. Anaemia starts to be found in (a minority) of bf babies who are having no solids at all towards the end of the first year, and in babies/toddlers who are v. slow to take to solids at about 18 months.

Healthy babies can usually be trusted to take what their bodies need, if it's on offer.

[Clarinet60]

Thanks tiktok

[Eulalia]

Thanks tiktok - I know I really needn't worry - just one look at her - she's the picture of health

[Eulalia]

Now I am finding it hard to get into a routine with preparing dds food. Today not good. Decided that I shouldn't give dd breakfast in her sleepsuit (may change that though) and that both children needed shower/bath. By the time I'd done that and prepared the apple puree dd was v grumpy and starving and in no mood for eating so she is currently plonked on breast - will try food afterwards. I am finding it hard this time with elder child who is constantly interrupting/getting in the way and taking AGES to do anything. Now I'd better get him dressed ...

Sorry this is just a bit of a rant really ...

[elliott]

eulalia, ds (10 months) always has breakfast in his sleepwear (in fact sometimes isn't dressed until after he's had his morning sleep). Mainly because he is a very messy eater, so doing it this way means that lunchtime is the only meal when he has to stay in the clothes he's eaten in!!

[Demented]

Eulalia, I know what you mean about getting into the routine, I have been giving DS2 his puree at lunch and then I have more time to get organised. However the last couple of days we have started on a breakfast again but we are using a baby cereal which makes life a bit easier, the cereal is supposed to be mixed with milk but I seem to have lost the ability to express so we are just using boiled water. I don't even bother with a bib at breakfast as immediately afterwards we take the sleepsuit off.

[Eulalia]

Maybe I'll just keep her in the suit then - I was trying to keep it clean so she could wear it two nights running. Alternatively bath her in evenings (but its awful cold here in the evenings). Oh well it will work out somehow. I am just giving her a late breakfast and then trying more food again about 4pm as she's hardly really eating properly yet. Not sure what to do next week when playgroups start again after the holidays - will have to take food out with me... don't want to buy jars. Life is complicated with two children

[jasper]

Eulalia, have you got any freezer space?
Like you I am trying to not rely on jars ( too bloomin expensive and have you ever tasted them? )so every couple of weeks I boil up a whole pile of different vegetables, and some rice, chickpeas, lentils etc and then just whizz them up in the magimix in various combinations ( I have added chicken and fish too)and spoon them into disposable plastic drinking cups (he has too big an apetite for the old ice cube tray trick). Each morning I take two out the freezer ( usually one which looks green and one which looks orange)and he gets one at lunch and one at teatime, sometimes with abit of cheese added or else something we are having for dinner if suitable. He usually also gets a mashed banana or an apple smushed up in the hand blender with some yogurt at either lunch or tea.
He gets either porridge or a weetabix with cows milk( never was any good at expressing) for breakfast.
I know it's not exactly Anabel Karmel; but it is no bother to prepare, other than the evening on which I do all the cooking.(when I am "helped " by my 3 year old )

[Eulalia]

Thanks jasper ? at the moment dd is still going too slowly to make up batches of food. But will certainly freeze things once she?s a bit further on. I am wondering if I should stop as she?s hardly eating anything - most of it seems to be spat out ? however I guess I should let her practice. Some babies obviously take longer than others. I do have plastic cups and that is a very good idea to use them. I also have lots of little plastic pots which will be used. I?ve only ever tasted the sample packs of jars (I am too mean to buy them) and on the whole they were pretty yukky! Sounds like you?ve got a good production line going there ? Annabel who? Never read her but seen some stuff on the boards round here.

I thought it was OK just to mix cereal with water as a baby is still getting so much breastmilk at feeds. Ds is only just having cereal with milk now (he is 3) ? he always preferred eating dry cereal with his fingers. He likes to ?help? too with cooking? its good for them.