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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Support thread for those keeping it exclusive till 6 mnths

165 replies

charitas · 09/08/2008 11:12

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

OP posts:
alexpolismum · 06/09/2008 13:40

Yep, I was right. The six hour sleep was indeed a blip. Last night we were back to regular wake-ups.

Don't give up, MissVictorianSaqualor, you've done so well! Look at it this way - you've been waking up every night for ages - what are a few more weeks?!

Peachsmuggler - with my ds, I didn't find that introducing solids made much difference to his sleep.

kms123 · 06/09/2008 16:35

20 weeks here now and ready to give up!! I won't but it's hard.

Today has been one of those feeding frenzy days. I know it will pass and 5 1/2 weeks not long to wait.

MissVictoriaNSqualor · 06/09/2008 16:46

alexpolis, at the time of writing that he was feeding every 45 minutes! Another week I'd have died!
Thankfully last night he only woke at 2:45 and 6am, from 8:45pm, so I'm all refreshed and ready to go!

alexpolismum · 06/09/2008 16:49

I see what you mean, MissVNS! Some days it feels like the baby is permanently glued to your breast! Glad to hear it's better today.

bookswapper · 07/09/2008 06:57

ok i'm knackered and upset and feeling liek an idiot...I thought 6 months old was 24 weeks (6 x 4 weeks in a month) and marked it in my calendar as 2 weeks away....

but it seems its 26 weeks? which means I have another 4 weeks to go before I BLW...which will be difficult as he grabs at anything I'n eating, follows his brothers mealtimes like a hawk...

he is eating a LOT more milk and I no longer have enough extra to express for others to feed him
and I need to help out at playgroup on tuesday and I had hoped to try a night out on saturday with friends...
he sleeps with me so I can feed him through the night but this means my DH sleeps downstairs to get some rest for work the next day...but he is also sleeping downstairs now at weekends he says he's got used to sleeping alone

why is this so hard...I genuinely feel upset about this

happycamper10180 · 07/09/2008 09:47

I'm planning to keep it exclusive til 6 months too!

DS is only just coming up to 15 weeks so I've got a long way to go and he's just started waking up for a 3am feed again when he had been sleeping through. I know I should be considering myself lucky for the couple of weeks when he did but I'm finding what feels like a major step backwards hard work.

Have had loads of comments about how because he's a big boy (15lb 10oz last time he was weighed at 12 weeks) he'll need weaning sooner - even from the HV who should know better . To me it just shows he's getting everything he needs and then some from me!

So glad I found MN as I didn't know all the reasons for weaning later and might have been persuaded. Really looking forward to BLW when the time comes

tiktok · 07/09/2008 10:12

bookswapper - weaning is a stage of development, not a date on the calendar

Babies are not 'ready for weaning' all on the same day, any more than they are 'ready for walking' on the same day or 'ready for a nap' at the same time of day.

Around six months is the time when most babies will be fine with something other than milk, and some will be fine a little time before and some will be fine a little time later - if it suits you and your baby to think of six months as 24 weeks, then go ahead. But trying to grab things and watching you and his bros when eating is not a sign of 'needing' solid food - it's a sign of being an interested, social baby

There would be nothing wrong with handing him something to hold and lick if you really thought he was ready - BLW means being led by the baby, not by the calendar

alexpolismum · 08/09/2008 09:20

bookswapper - only just seen your post, but just wanted to give you a word of encouragement. Don't feel upset, instead give yourself a pat on the back for breastfeeding all this time.

alexpolismum · 08/09/2008 09:24

happycamper - I had some of the 'big boy' comments with my ds too. Even the doctor said to me when ds was 9 months 'you shouldn't still be bf at this stage, he's already got whatever goodness he was going to get from it, and at the size he is now it's time to move on.' I sometimeswonder if health care professionals actually have breastfeeding mentioned to them at all during the course of their studies!

bookswapper · 08/09/2008 21:43

oh tiktok thank you...I thought there was something gut-related that meant I had to wait exactly 26 weeks...also he is only just beginning to sit unaided and I would have thought was related

he has had a suck at an apple and a biscuit his brother gave him...

interested and social describes him to a tee

should really read something but trying to get through a book on potty traininng and his child trust fund...

bookswapper · 08/09/2008 21:43

and thanks apolismum!

happycamper10180 · 09/09/2008 10:41

alexpolismum - your dr must have been to the same training as my HV! Her comment about the resumed nightfeeding 'you'll be fine once you're on big boy food' oh dear.

Gangle · 09/09/2008 22:57

Oh dear - have succumbed and this afternoon have given DS, 24 weeks on Friday, some baby rice mixed with breast milk although it was very very runny. I really wanted to hang on until 6 months/26 weeks but had started to feel like I was starving him as he grabs everything I eat and gets very excited at the sight of food. I know this in itself isn't a sign he is ready for solids but he gobbled up the lot which makes me think he was hungry. Should I keep giving him baby rice or go back to EBF for another 2 weeks?

peachsmuggler · 10/09/2008 09:13

Gangle - I don't think 2 weeks is going to make much difference, don't worry!

Also, if you gave a toddler a mars bar, they would gobble it up hungrily. Doesn't mean that they are hungry or they needed it!! ha ha

Seriously though, don't think you should worry. It's your call. Don't think a couple of weeks either side of 26 weeks is a big deal. After all lots of babies are born 2 weeks early or late so will technically be having first solids at 24 or 28 weeks.

tiktok · 10/09/2008 09:16

I'm with peachsmuggler - no big deal but don't kid yourself he 'needed' the baby rice

ampster · 11/09/2008 17:06

Hi again - I have a question. I've had blocked ducts in the left breast 3 times (DS is 3 months old). I decided to quit expressing milk as I read on here that that could be contributing to the problem, and I haven't had blocked ducts since, hurrah.

However, it still really hurts when he latches on the left side - any idea why? The right side is fine. And there are no blocked ducts in the left boob any more as far as I can feel, and I can't see a little spot or blister on the nipple or anything - so what's going on?

nymptonite · 11/09/2008 20:05

Brilliant, everyone who is thinking of, trying to or has done.
My first, solids at 4 months and mixed feeding, asthma and eczema.
My second, ebf til 6 calendar months (though def splitting hairs) no sign of either.
Very annoying people about sleeping and being on soilds, IGNORE them!
Good luck !!

pussface · 12/09/2008 16:23

Hi I would like to join this thread as I am ebf my dd who is 16 weeks old. I want to ebf and try blw at around 6 months as I believe it is the best possible start you can give your child. I love the night feeds - this is such a special time and I know I will miss it when dd is older

It took me 2 weeks of pain to get bf right and it was so worth it. There are so few mums in my area who ebf so this thread will let me have a chance to share my experience with others who do.

Go for it ladies!

peachsmuggler · 12/09/2008 23:54

Well done pussface! It must be so much harder when you don't have people in your area in the same position, so well done, and welcome!!

pussface · 13/09/2008 11:47

I recently found this american website www.askdrsears.com with this page www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T020100.asp after getting their through a link on kellymom. Reading the reasons for bf gave me an almost "eureka' moment as it goes into more depth about how bf is good for your baby than I have ever read before. It really made me feel good and inspired me to continue bf for as long as possible.

So for those of you struggling to justify why you are doing this to your family/friends this is just the ammunition you need to support your actions. It's a pity you don't get this as a handout when you go for your ante-natal check ups as I think it would be so much better than just being told "it's good" as it really spells it out to you.

Racers · 16/09/2008 20:11

Just a quick hello to say dd2 is 26 wks tomorrow and still seems perfectly contented with breastmilk so hurrah for her! We've ridden out quite a few growth spurts and fended off the 'not weaning yet?' comments since 17 wks. I have no paricular plans to start in earnest but will see what happens if she swipes some food off us or if dd1 decides to let her have some of her yoghurt or something.

Phew - I know the date doesn't matter a huge amount and anytime around six months is great but it sure does feel good to feed her all by myself up until this little milestone

jeanjeannie · 16/09/2008 22:23

Hello - I'm still keeping it exclusive and considering I was only going to take it 'one day at a time' I'm amazed that it's now 15 weeks later!

There have been sore bits, blocked bits, growth spurts and no sleep and all while trying to entertain a 22mth old! But now I'm really loving it - the steriliser and formula for emergencies are gathering dust!

Strange HV told me that I'd better start weaning soon because DD2 is on the 75th centile and is clearly hungry Oh, how I laughed!

I agree with Racers - it does feel good knowing you've fed them all by yourself. Only thing I'd like is for her to work out how to use a bottle as I've got loads of EBM and a birthday night out waiting for me at the end of next week!

Weaning will start around 6 mths in Nov - a fab season for starter food - lovely, fresh, sweet root veg - good for purees and steamed veg sticks. Really love weaning

rainbowdays · 01/10/2008 17:58

Hi all again,

My ds is 26weeks today, with reaching 6months old tomorrow, we have got there. The time around 22weeks was tough, would have easily given in, but have persevered and tomorrow is first day of babyrice.....

Just want to encourage all of you to keep going, the feeling of success is amazing!

littleducks · 01/10/2008 18:41

ds is 26 weeks this week and dispite the desperation to eat previously now food is on is high chair try he is decidly unimporessed, dd ate food with glee, he pulls disgusted faces!

PazzaPlusTwo · 01/10/2008 19:48

Hi, can I join in? I am EBF'ing twin girls - just passed the five month mark!! I am SO pleased with myself.

From what people have said, it does seem like you get told by HVs etc to stop EBF whether they're small ('hungry') or big ('need solids') - weird logic! Especially as they start out saying 'bf till 6 months'. Mind you sometimes I think they just feel like they have to say something - why it can't be 'your baby is fine, well done, carry on' I don't know

Anyway my two are thriving little minxes and I love bf-ing them. One had a lick of a choccie biccie the other day (I know...) and seeing the amount of brown spit stains from just that, I am SO not ready for carrots!!!

Is that LLW - laziness-led-weaning?