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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

17wks, bf, failure to thrive - 'Give him solids' ?

168 replies

Pesha · 20/08/2007 15:08

Its me again

I know I wasnt going to get him weighed but with the paed appt I have still been going to give them an accurate picture of his weight, assuming that the hvs would leave me alone as something is being done. I am only going every 2 weeks though.

Ds2 is now 5.2kg so well into the blue at the bottom of the chart (his length is around the 50th line although I know that's never very accurate). HV is going to try and bring my paed appt forwards as its not till 20th sept.

And as he is now 17 weeks today she wants me to try and give him solids. I told her that I thought solids contain less calories and fat than breastmilk but would fill him up more, so he would feed less and it wouldnt help at all. She said that wasn't always the case and it seems like he's not getting enough calories atm. She suggested giving him just a little bit of something after a feed, hardly anything just a taste really she said. Well if it is only 'just a taste' then what's the point in that anyway?

I weaned my other 2 at this age but really wanted to wait till 6 months this time and try BLW. I thought solids at 17 weeks was against recommendations and a Bad Thing. Is it necessary in these circumstances though? Could it help? And if not then how can I argue my case to the hv in 2 weeks time? Or shall I just tell her I tried him but he wouldnt take it?

OP posts:
Bambiraptor · 24/08/2007 14:20

I disagree tiktok.
I don't know you or tori personally therefore your opinions while valuable and interesting, are not either right or wrong to me.

This is not a professional environment it is an open forum which should not be censored according to the current teachings of the NCT (of which I am a supporter) or any other organisation.

I am going to the park now with my children, so will not be able to contribute again until this evening.

Aitch · 24/08/2007 14:26

GAD! it's not opinion, can't you see?

olihan, i don't tend to write about baby stuff, and with the blog and everything i was quite happy to be quoted as someone who's done BLW. it wasn't a great piece but people are cleverer than the mag editor gives them credit for i think.

tiktok · 24/08/2007 14:34

Enjoy the park, Bambi, and while you are there, maybe have a word with yourself about whether I have asked for any censorship (clue: the answer is a two-letter word beginning with 'n') and whether or not you have to know someone personally before you can judge whether they know what they are talking about or not (clue: it's the same answer as the first question).

You must find answering your children's questions exhausting.

'Well, darling, I know Mr Gallileo did indeed posit that the earth was round, and quite a long time ago now, but as I don't know him personally, I really can't tell you if it is flat or not.'

Habbibu · 24/08/2007 15:09

Ooh - get you, tiktok! By the way, it's Pliny the Elder who documents the round earth. Not sure it's stayed that way since 1st century BC

Habbibu · 24/08/2007 15:10

...and yes, I am up my own a**e. I should be washing up, so looking up things on Wikipedia is suddenly VERY important.

tiktok · 24/08/2007 15:14

Thank you, Habbi!

I should have Wiki'd, shouldn't I?

Now no one will believe I am a plumber or a breastfeeding counsellor : ( : (

hannahmary · 24/08/2007 15:55

Hi there...I'd just like to jump in and say that I hope Pesha has had her appointment brought forward as that seems to be the best thing to have been suggested at the moment. I have been brought up that breastfeeding is really good for babies and apparently the hospital I will be (fingers crossed) going to has some kind of certificate of babies health from Unicef so thats a good thing? but I will admit that everything (in the papers and on MN) seems very intimidating and judgemental and I am absolutely terrified. I have visions of health visitors pressuring me to do things I don't want to (what ARE health visitors????), midwives who want to make me do DIFFERENT things I don't want to and doctors looking at my baby's feet trying to find its mouth . So far my dr (from one appt) seems really nice and informed and supportive but he IS about to go on holiday so maybe that has put him in a good mood? ARGGGHHHHHHHHHH (runs from building in panic)

Bambiraptor · 24/08/2007 16:31

That was really nasty tiktok.

As far as I was concerned we were having an interesting and impersonal debate.

I am not interested in trading bitchy comments.

aloha · 24/08/2007 16:36

Of course it is ludicrous to use the phrase 'in my professional opinion' unless your profession gives you expert knowledge of the matter in hand.
If I were to say 'in my professional experience as a journalist, it sounds as if your big end has gone' people would quite rightly disregard it and prefer the 'professional opinion' of a car mechanic instead.
Saying, 'ooh, when my car made that noise I was told it was the big end that had gone' is a totally different thing.

Original poster
Pesha · 24/08/2007 16:41

I lose my internet for 1 day and everything takes off and gets interesting but by the time I come back you've all gone again!

Have to say I was a little put out by some of tori's comments although I appreciate she was trying to help but if it wasn't for the ongoing advice and support I've had from tiktok, mears and others I may have taken it to heart.

Would also like to add that tiktok has often backed up her statements with links to other websites so I can see the evidence and research for myself.

Am now completely distracted as dd has just told me something fairly worrying so forgotten everything else i wanted to say!

Except - Jodie - received hugabub today, THANK YOU (so I can be crazy tree hugger ) but you've not told me your address yet, have you emailed it to me? I wont let you give it to me for nothing

OP posts:
Katy44 · 24/08/2007 16:42

hi pesha, hope everything is ok

aloha · 24/08/2007 16:43

I think mears makes a hugely important point that sometimes babies fail to gain weight for reasons completely unconnected to the amount of milk they are getting, and so the paed appointment is really important.

Original poster
Pesha · 24/08/2007 16:44

Took so long you came back again!!

Lol at Aloha's big end!

OP posts:
Original poster
Pesha · 24/08/2007 16:50

Hi katy

Worrying about dd so ds2 worries overtaken by that for now! Will find PN thread later and tell all.

And will come back here or to oli's thread later as well when I'm ready to worry about ds2 some more. Ds1 is fine!

Have not heard back from HV about paed appt btw but will chase it on tues.

OP posts:
UCM · 24/08/2007 16:53

I know nothing about B/F but I do know that milk contains more calories than broccolli puree

I hope it gets sorted Pesha.

tiktok · 24/08/2007 18:05

Pesha - great to hear from you

Bambi - I wasn't being bitchy at all! I was havin' a larf, I truly was!

If you can't take a bit of gentle ribbing, then you'd better avoid a lot of mumsnet!

Maybe you are just jealous 'cos I didn't send you a big sloppy kiss....and that's a joke too

tiktok · 24/08/2007 18:09

Bambi - a genuine apology from me if you felt I was being nasty. I didn't mean to come across that way....I was having a giggle, honestly.

KashaSarrasin · 24/08/2007 18:31

Hey Pesha just wanted to say I'm a crazy tree hugger too - I used to have back problems before I started carrying my baby in a wrap sling. But the way the weight is distributed means it really improves your posture, plus the way it's tied gives lumbar support, and voila, no more back problems.

He's now two and 12.5kg, still carrying him without problems (yes, he can walk, and run, and dance all by himself. Oh yes, and he can go to sleep by himself too... )

No idea on the poor weight gain but agree with lots of the pps that I can't see how weaning will help. Hope you get your paed appt soon and he/she can help!

Tiktok - you rock!

Bambiraptor · 24/08/2007 19:15

Ok Tiktok I obviously took it the wrong way.

Olihan · 24/08/2007 19:28

Can anyone else see crazy tree hugger replacing lentil weaver in MN speak?

Pesha, good to see you, glad you're not upset by the turn your thread took . Hope dd is alright.

MatNanPlus · 24/08/2007 19:46

May i say that as a person working with new mothers and their babies in their own homes that i have been to a bf course but have learnt much more from Tiktok amongst others on threads on MN.

MatNanPlus · 24/08/2007 19:47

Pesha hope dd's worries are easily solved.

wishingmummy · 24/08/2007 21:34

pescha

hope all this ranting and to+froing hasn't put you off.

i have recently had some training from nct, with regard to breast feeding and weanung.
i do feel 17 weeks is a little early to wean, and like i said much earlier, don't rush into it. stop worrying and see if you can't bring up the milk supply, either expressing between feeds, or just taking time out to just"be" with your baby, and lettinig babe feed as often and as long as he wants. if you want to combine with a little baby rice and b/milk, do, but at 17 weeks your baby may not be able to take the food back properly, and you are going to waste a lot of time watching babe spit it out, and if you aye worried that he's not feeding properly, that may worry you further. if you really want to suppliment babes milk with formula, but like i said before- beware babe doesn't enjoy the immediacy of a bottle a little too much, as thay can give up on the effort of breast, as bottles are easier for them.check for plenty wet nappies, are you also getting lots of dirty nappies? sometimes if a baby is suing all the available nutrient in b/milk, you may only get one dirty nappy a week- it isn't that unusual.wriggly, active babies who are occupied and alert and interested in whats going on,wil be using more calories, than a baby who is plonked in a bouncy chair and left to be entertained by flickering lights etc. finally, get out andd go meet other b/feeding mums, and see how your b/fed baby compares. x

tori32 · 26/08/2007 22:55

I would just like to point out that I have never questioned tiktoks bf advice or abilty in that respect. Nor have I claimed to be knowledgeable regarding bf. However, what I did say was that from working for 18mths in a peadiatric clinic, where parents brought the children for various reasons, many were failure to thrive, I observed that they had been advised to change feeding methods or to wean early and also saw that the same children gained weight which they previously failed to do. I may not be a peadiatric nurse, however, my experiences in the peadiatric clinic are professional, my conclusions saw a cause and effect relationship between the two.

I stand by my point about advising a breast feeding mother not to carry a baby round for a large amount of time because it will eventually cause back problems. It is a fact that women have more back problems when they are pregnant than any other time in their lives. To compound the extra strain on back muscles during pregnancy because of the relaxation of pelvic muscles, there is even more risk to continue carrying a baby after the birth, especially after a cesarian. The pelvic and stomach muscles need to return to their pre pregnancy state, which takes a long time to achieve, if ever.

Thanks Christy.

magnolia1 · 26/08/2007 23:00

My stomach muscles had absoloutely no problem returning to pre pregnancy strength after each child including twins.
Some of the things we do on a day to day basis is much worse for our backs then carrying our babies around.

If a well made sling/carrier is used then there is no reason not to carry your baby around with you.
Would also like to add that after 2 c sections I have had no problems carrying my children around