Please help me know what to do - floundering re: weaning, breastfeeding etc

[lou031205]

Hi all, before anyone mentions it, I am posting this in both Weaning and Breast and Bottle feeding, in case different people read both areas iyswim.

My 2nd DD is now 19 weeks, but 15 weeks corrected (born 1 month early).

I took her to the health visitors 2 weeks ago for her Jabs, and we discussed her weight and weaning etc. When she was weighed the HV noted that she has dropped slightly on her centiles (was consistently 75th for weight corrected, dropped to just around 50th).

I asked her if this was significant, and mentioned that whilst previously sleeping through the night, she was now waking several times for feeds. The HV said it could be a sign, along with her weight slowing, that she needed weaning, and that they often suggest that prem babies need weaning earlier, and it often helps with reflux.

DD has had reflux diagnosed, and was on Gaviscon, then moved to Carobel and Ranitidine, although recently seems so much better that I have stopped both.

I tried her with baby rice twice and although she took it well (used to eating from spoon for Carobel), I was just not convinced that it was the right way to go.

I have read about BLW, and this seems like it would be the most logical way to go, and as yet she would be too young, and she is showing none of the signs that are indicative of being ready to wean (DD1 by contrast was grabbing at plates at 11-12 weeks, and weaning by 14 'cos she was just SO ready).

So, if you have got this far, I now have a baby who feeds all evening (has always cluster fed) and several times in the day time, who seems to have taken a step back in terms of settling but I am not convinced that spooning baby rice into her is the way forward.

In addition, I am now getting advice along the lines of "maybe your milk isn't enough to satisfy her" and "perhaps you should offer some formula in the evenings".

Last night it was 01.45 before she settled, and then up again at 05.45 to feed!

Please, please give me your ideas, because right now I think I am clearly clueless!

I love her, love breastfeeding (but boy is it hard work with a just turned 2 year old to look after also), and just want to do what is best for her.

Thank you for your reply. I suppose part of my worry is that she was born a month early, so I wondered if this meant that she would be slightly behind physically, so could be wanting solids but not physically developed enough to tackle them.

But, she is also only coming up 5 months. My other DD was so clearly ready for them at 11-12 weeks, that it was a real struggle to hang on till 14 weeks!

there's no reason for her to be behind lou - i assume she was born at 36 weeks? thats only a week preterm so try not to 'correct' it mentally, it's not really significant.
Whats happening to you is the usual HV cobblers that many have gone through before, but you know that don't you? At 19 weeks, going 4 hours in the night is fine, because she'll be coming up to teething,growth spurts, generally getting a bit curious about the world and so forth. You want to wean at the proper time and you seem to trust your instincts so keep doing that! (btw -hv clinics are horrid competitive places -don't go if you're not getting the advice you need)

Thanks, yes some confusion re dates: LMP puts her at 36 weeks, scan 35+3, so when they induced they went by scan, treated her as prem, and threatened SCBU, but she did really well. However, all paper work now uses LMP, so 36 weeks. Health visitors correct her weight by 4 weeks each time.

Perhaps it is her teeth, she is putting her fingers in her mouth alot even after a full feed and dribbling. Just getting a bit concerned that I don't seem to know what is best for her.

I was so sure it was the right time to wean my DD1. I don't want to be selfish and just shovel solids into DD2 if she isn't ready.

I am at yet another health visitor with their crap advice.

"prem babies need weaning earlier" is bollocks.

My DD was born at 32 weeks and I was told numerous times that as she was prem I should hold off on weaning her early because her stomach was not likely to be ready as early as term babies.

As for the formula, sod them, your body knows what it's doing.
Breastmilk is enough substance for a child plenty older than 19/15 weeks.

Ignore her, you seem to already know what you want to do if I've read this correctly (BLW and continuing BF?) so stick to your guns and wait it out.

Maybe, she isn't waking for a feed at night, she could just be waking and unable to settle herself without a feed, it really isn't uncommon for babies of upto a year to chane their wake/feed patterns often.

Thank you, I am greatly encouraged x