Support thread for those keeping it exclusive till 6 mnths

[charitas]

I meant to start this yesterday but had to feed my lovely 20 week old about every hour soonly wrote half the op before being "called on". I need someone to moan at who won't suggest weaning or ff as I am not going to do that I am just moaning 'cause I'm tired fed up with babe who takes ages to feed in public 'cause now he's so damm nosey.

So anyone who wants to bolster their beliefs in the face of rl opposition or remind me why I am doing this please join in.

Reasons why I'm exclusively bf till 6 mnths:

I read the eviedence and I beleive it
Once made meal for friend with coeliac's and it took flippin ages to find all gluten free ingredients and make a torte for pudding. Am far too lazy to deal with allergy prone child
I want to blw as piglet is so determined to do things for himself I cannot see him taking to spoon feeding.
Piglet likes it, he falls asleep quickly afterwards.

There are more but there are now sounds coming from the bedroom

hi, i'll join in too at 18 weeks. I succumbed to pressure after being made to feel really weird by hv at why i was waiting on and gave baby rice one day, I felt SO awful afterwards made me realise why wanted to wait as know thats right. He took food fine but just didn't feel right.

i'm taking in 2-3 week chunks now and hope to get to 26.

I can't believ your HV. Surely they should be the very ones following the government guidelines!!

charitas - thanks, will have a look for it. Nope I'm not in Edinburgh, I'm down south!!

Chipmonkey - thank you for gold star!

Peachsmuggler - yes, there are feeding rooms at my local shopping centre, they're great actually, and there are excellent changing facilities, parking, etc for parents and children. I'm in Scotland, so we have legal protection for NIP anyway, but uptil now I've found it difficult to get physically comfortable when away from home.

I'll be taking lots of deep breaths next week when I'm at my mum's. I know it's a generational thing; when I mentioned that my boy hadn't slept as much as usual yesterday, she asked if he was hungry... Her suggestion is that bf is not 'strong' enough for him, as if it's like a cup of tea!!!! (And SIL is now giving baby rice in her baby's bottle before bed!). I told her he'd put on another 9oz this week - the most he's gained, so far it's been between 4 - 8oz per week - so he's hardly suffering! Then I have my other SIL asking if he should have a drink of water, or is he constipated when he has a bit of a yell....

I really thought that folks understood that bf was best these days, but recent experiences prove otherwise!

Anyway, I hope you're all getting some sunshine and having a good day.

DS 5 months old today and still excl BFing!! I AM very chuffed with myself (as not v good BF experience with prev DSs).

Roll on 26 weeks!

This is so encouraging hearing so many others keeping up (despite opposition in some cases).

Just curious about if there are any genuine cases for feeding solids early. My 4 month old is sitting unaided and has virtually stopped the tongue-thrusting (is poking it out intentionally at his brother sometimes now!), he also cries unless we sit him in his highchair at the table while we are eating at the table and watches us all intently. But having said that he is a tubby baby and clearly is getting enough sustinance to keep him that way with breastmilk at the moment, even if that means waking up more at night now. But I am having the regular "don't you think it is time to start weaning him" comments. How do I deal with this?

Now I know I am crazy, but I was curious to know how many of us there were here:

charitas ds 20 week old
GillianLovesMarmite ds 6mo and 2wks
noolia dd 24weeks
racers dd2 20weeks
freakypenguin ds2 24weeks
babyOcho dd 5 months
UpSinceCrapOClock ds 5months
Mummyfor3 ds3 20weeks/fivemonths old?
FinalFurlong on dd 24weeks
cafebistro dd 22weeks
Essie3 ds 7weeks
jammi ds 20weeks
maybug dd 10weeks
Gangle ds 20weeks
peachsmuggler dd 5months
alexpolismum dd 5weeks
VictorianSqualor 17weeks
Piccalilli2 dd2 16weeks
stretchmarkqueen ds 12 weeks
sweetkitty dd3 4weeks
MamaHobgoblin ds 23weeks
ampster ds 9weeks
sheengguth 21weeks
bookswapper ds2 nearly 5months
IHeartIona 22weeks
skidoodle dd 21weeks
chipmonkey ds4 18weeks
whinegums ds 6 weeks
BabiesEverywhere ds 12 days
ballstothehousework ds 16weeks
littleducks ds 20weeks
kms123 ds 18weeks
rainbowdays ds2 20weeks

Plus our support group
MrsJamin
Ready4anotherCoffee
twoboots
ShowOfHands
determination
ChirpyGirl
poltesco
bella29
Bumperlicious
Caz10
bouncing turtle

Are you amazed as I am?

I suspect rainbowdays that the early weaners are very plentiful in Ireland compared to other countries! I know MIL is going to start on me soon and go on about how ds4 is such a big baby ( he is in 6-9 month clothes) that he must need solids! I am going to have 2 months of nagging!

Rainbowdays, to my amazement DS3 is now 22 weeks old - when did that happen? He just slept in his own cot last night for the first time and, my, do I feel better for it. 2 night time feeds which is obviously ok, shame though he could not settle after the 3.30am one and cried for quite a while . DH and I kept going in, checking on him and comforting but eventually gave up - and he went to sleep til 7.30 . I felt rotten doing it, but I am returning to work in 3 days time [gulp] and CANNOT be psychotic from lack of sleep.
AND: he just had a morning nap in his cot without any resistance at all!! And awoke a cheerful little soul. So maybe sleep training CAN be justified??
Anyway, this is weaning thread, not sleep, sorry: when I complained that he was v unsettled at about 10 weeks of age a lovely middleaged neighbour suggested solids ! Was that the done thing? I know I had cereal in a bottle, not sure what age though...

Anyway, happy feeding! Keep thread going and roll on 26 weeks! I am thinking of doing a mixture of BLW and also offering some purees - purely because I enjoyed it so much with DS1 + 2.

(Off to watch some more Jamaicans on Olympia breakfast...)

Rainbowdays - dd is actually now 6weeks. Good idea to make a list, it helps to keep track.

It's so hot here at the moment, dd is constantly at the breast, probably thirsty rather than hungry. Cue SIL on the telephone when dh mentioned it to her: "why don't you just give her a bottle of water, it's what she wants. If you were using formula, you could just water it down a bit"

mummyfor3 - I know what you mean about the sleep training. ds (now 15, nearly 16mths) seems to be much better and happier for it.

peachsmuggler - I also bf nearly all the way through pregnancy. To be quite honest, I didn't really think about it, I just got on with it.

Hi

I am exc bf 18 week old dd. She is the first of my 3 dc i have bf - and i adore it!! Good weight gain, and she has slept through since 7 weeks.

Actually, i seem to have a really supportive DH, family, MW's etc....none have suggested formula. My family are big FF too, but admire my bf. DH has done a complete u-turn on his ideas of baby feeding, too. He says BF rocks

Hoping to hold out until 25/26 weeks for weaning.

From reading here it appears that around the 5month mark that sleep becomes an issue again, no wonder we are then battling against the crowd on the myth that it is because they are hungry that they are waking!

Scorpio - I am so impressed that you are continuing bf, you must feel great that you have succeeded this time.

chipmonkey - I know what you mean about ireland, it is a real bottlefeeding country and hard to stand up against. I am sure I have asked you before, but forgotten where abouts in Ireland you are?

I'm in Meath, you're in the Wesht, aren't you?

My son is 15 weeks and my hv has assumed that I would want to wean him because he has dropped from the 91st centile to the 75th.

I am just avoiding her now, those charts are based on ff babies.

My ds is already too big for his 3-6mth clothes, so he is a bit of a whopper.

He is such a happy, friendly baby. He sleeps well and feeds well, I can't see why I would wean him early.

I bf his sisters until they were 19/20 mths, and blw the younger one.

My first baby was born in the 4-5mth weaning guidelines and she got the Annabel Karmel mush...I don't ever want to put a carrot through a sieve again.

Best wishes to all.

Hi everyone, just wanted to check in before I head off - so won't be posting til the weekend. Have a good week!

goodasgold - put a carrot through a sieve??? Did you actually do that? I am amazed. I never used a sieve at all to make babyfood, it never even occurred to me.

Hello Everyone!

I EBF DS1 til he was 6mths! Was told by HV to try weaning him at 4mths, But he wasn't ready, so we tried again at 6mths instead! I BF him til he was 15mths (all on one boobie too!)

I have (so far) EBF DS2 who is now 16wks today, and am starting to get "Have you tried him with baby rice yet?" comments. NO I HAVEN'T!!!! This time I'd like to try BLW - I didn't know about it on DS1. Planning to go the 6mths again this time, and planning to BF for at least 2yrs!

Would just like to say well done to all the yummy mummy's who feed their babies the best there is!

xx

Can you add me to your list also????
Pleeeeeeeease????

lol
would also like to say that I'm a BF support peer, so feel free to ask and I will try my best to help if I can.

xx

Goodasgold, you just reminded me of sieved carrot! I did that with DS1 and I too don't want to go there again! lol

I wouldn't mind tips on BLW (in another 2 mths of course! lol)

charitas...chilli chocolate is sooo yum...there is a shop near me that makes its own...

baby now 20weeks plus and we are still going exclusively...

still knackered though

bookswapper - being knackered is part of being a mum. It won't go away. And when the children leave home, you get knackered being a gran...

But don't let me put you off

Staying with PsIL - support needed! DD 26 weeks on thurs! They're just about ok with the bf now - but how the heck am i going to explain blw to them!

Any hints for ways to feel more confident feeding in public? I do do it, because I like the freedom to take Jimmy out and about, but I always feel really really embarrassed.

I think part of me doesn't want the people around me - my friends - to catch a flash of my boobs. And it's not even because I don't want them to see my boobs... it's that I don't want them to see these ones - all brown nipple and blue veins. These are not the breasts I had before, all pink and white and pretty. I liked my tits before! And now? As far as I'm concerned, my body is not sexual / attractive right now. It's for DS alone.

And while I'm down with the fact that my body is magical and can change to feed my son, there's this bit of me that regrets the changes, and doesn't want them to be seen by others. How best to mentally manage the transition from sexual breast to nursing, public, functional bresat? How to feel comfortable nursing in public? Or do I just need to get over myself?

ampster, Try breastfeeding at home in front of a mirror, you'll be surprised at how little breast anyone can see, if any !!!

Finding the best clothes for you to feed in, also gives you confidence. Some ladies go for proper breastfeeding tops. Others wear a belly band or vest top under their main top and pull top layer up to nurse.

I just use the baby/toddler to cover up my jelly belly whilst nursing

Rainbow days piglet is now 23 weeks, but I have a confession ladies my twonky dp shared his fruit salad with piglet after he took him swimming.He apparently likes sucking melon and apples but pineapple was a shock. Am I still allowed to post on here.Wouldn't mind but have disscussed blw and gut maturity at length with him and have his full support.

Ampster in restoration times court beauties would ink veins on their breasts to make themselves look more attractive as I keep telling dp. Can you breastfeed with friends with babies I always feel braver in public with company.

Noola show them this htp://www.rapleyweaning.com/assets/blw_guidelines.pdf

Another supporter here! Ds3 is now 7 months and was excl-bf to 6 then BLWed. Won't pretend it's all a bed of roses - he's a hungry one and wakes several times through the night still.

I've been lucky in the support from my family, they've always accepted that I know best when it comes to feeding.

Several friends have given birth over the last few months, all with their thirds or more and the range of viewpoints is quite surprising. I'm definitely seen as being "alternative" for feeding to this stage and not doing the four month weaning thing, which I do find rather depressing.

Ampster, it can be difficult to make that leap. Why not start off in less-intimidating, quieter places? I have to feed away from "public view" as ds is so bloody nosy, if there's anything going on around us, he's wants to know about it