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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

weaning advice needed from experienced mums,help!

25 replies

bumpylump · 18/07/2005 18:16

My ds is 11 wks and 13lb, after horrendous colic for the last 6 wks cranial oseopathy seems to be doing the trick However he is still screaming like his worlds going to end for food every 2 hours when he devours 6oz of SMA Gold. He then brings up a large amount of this and seems happy again. Saw the doctor last week, he gave him the full check over and has recommended to start giving him some rusks as he said "he's obviously a hungry baby". Tried SMA white but didnt make any difference so have bought some Baby Rice and Rusks today.

However, have scared myself half to death reading that their kidneys arnt mature enough at this age etc. Is my Doctor right? he is very old, and did say he was from the old school of medicine, or will it be best to persevere with the 2 hour frenzies on the bottle. What would you do? or what age did you do it mum's who have had hungry babies?

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kama · 18/07/2005 18:18

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hunkermunker · 18/07/2005 18:20

Doesn't sound like he needs more food (and am that a GP is recommending weaning this early!).

I really wouldn't give him food. This age is typical for a growth spurt. Can you give him 7oz bottles?

Nbg · 18/07/2005 18:21

I weaned my dd at 15 weeks and I know that she was definatley ready for it.

Tbh I think 11 weeks does sound quite early. I would wait a bit longer if you possibly can.

How about going to see your HV?

mandyc66 · 18/07/2005 18:22

dont start giving solids!! Only my advice but i would wait till 6 months as the health visitor advises!! He may be a bit windy and needs a bit more 'winding' never having bottle fed I cant advice on this but have you tried a different teat?
my last 2 were both around 10lb at birth and did seem to feed all the time!!!!!

bobbybob · 18/07/2005 18:24

He is 11 weeks old, it's a growth spurt and his guts are simply not ready for rusk (aren't they wheat - shouldn't be given this early anyway as increases risk of coeliac disease).

Your doctor is wrong - I don't care about old school - as the mother of an allergic (and very colicky) baby I urge you not to do this. The formula will have more calories than rusks - check if you are unsure.

Babies don't always scream because they are hungry, he may like the sucking action - does he have a dummy?

Original poster
bumpylump · 18/07/2005 18:28

Maybe it is another growth spurt? In which case I should wait for a week or so.I have offered him 8ozs but just seems to fall off after the 6oz as his tummys full. Am spending my whole day sterilizing bottles, wish he was still on the ever-ready-breasts still

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Original poster
bumpylump · 18/07/2005 18:29

yes, bobbybob, must be a colicky thing, loves his dummy, can't leave home without one.

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bobbybob · 18/07/2005 18:37

So if he has a dummy, how do you know that's it's hunger every 2 hours. isn't he simply sucking because he likes sucking, which would explain the bringing up his feed afterwards.

Please check the nutrition labels on the rusk and baby rice against the formula and then relegate them to the very back of the cupboard so you are not tempted. He doesn't have to stay at the top of the charts you know.

Also read the "Fussy Baby" by Dr Sears. You will nod your head at so many bits.

At 11 weeks he is undergoing an important process of the two sides of the brain starting to talk to each other, this takes a lot of calories. It also means that he will get more out of trips out etc. which might take his mind off his tummy.

hunkermunker · 18/07/2005 18:40

If he's colicky, it may well start to ease soon anyway. Aren't the first 12 weeks often the worst?

Original poster
bumpylump · 18/07/2005 18:49

It does say from 4 months on the baby rice as well so I was concerned the advice was right.

He pushes the dummy out of his mouth when he's hungry and gives me an "I'm not impressed with that" look, then almost rips the teat off the bottle when it goes near his mouth. How long should a growth spurt last?

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tiktok · 18/07/2005 19:33

Your doctor is many years out of date, bumpy. Current advice is six months, and to give extra milk to a hungry baby, and advice has never been under three months....it is truly not safe to give rusks as early as this.

kama · 18/07/2005 19:35

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Mojomummy · 18/07/2005 19:51

aren't the first solids about 'tastes & textures' rather than actual nutrition ?

I definetely wouldn't give any solids for a while yet.

How much over the course of a day does he drink & how does that compare with the guidelines on the milk cartons ?

mandyc66 · 18/07/2005 21:16

they go through loads of groeth spirts look how much they change in only a few weeks! You just need to ride through it!!!

hunkermunker · 19/07/2005 16:46

There's a campaign to get baby food labelling changed to say from 6 months too - for a very good reason IMO.

Original poster
bumpylump · 20/07/2005 09:46

Thanks for all of your advice, have put them in the cupboard for a later date. Went for plan B instead as it was a never ending feeding frezy then sick cycle yesterday on 8 x 6oz bottles and got some infant Gaviscon which has made the milk a bit thicker, so far this morning he has drunk his bottles much slower and kept them down...yippee, hopefully, I'll only be using 4 muslems a day now instead of 8!

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Original poster
bumpylump · 20/07/2005 11:30

that's Muslin , I take it all back though, Infant Gaviscon just delays the chunder...now it's all lumpy instead...great {Homer Simpson "Doh" expression}

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mandyc66 · 20/07/2005 12:18

could this be reflux? Maybe go and see another gp

koalabear · 20/07/2005 12:39

my baby had reflux bumpylump - can you describe his symptoms further? does he cry a lot when you put him down to sleep? does he prefer to be vertical? does he vomit immediately after feed and no other time, or can he vomit quite a bit later?

just so you know what we went though - my baby wanted feeding every 2 hours, and would feed for about an hour at a time - i was exhausted - GP and HV said he was just hungry, but when i finally got to see a paediatrician who diagnosed the reflux he said my Ds behaviour was typical of reflux babies as he wanted to drink to sooth the pain of the acid moving up his gullet

anyway, it's just a thought - i hope its not the case with your baby

Original poster
bumpylump · 20/07/2005 12:48

hi koalabear, he is only happy when he is vertical, over shoulder or sat on my lap. He is guzzling his food then starts crying for no reason, I can usually then get a bit of wind up but it is a battle as he goes rigid and wont let me wind him. He usually then, pretty close to the end of the feed brings lots of it back up. I sit him upright for a while but the next time I lie him flat to change his nappy he is almost always sick again.

So it is usually immediately after then once he wakes from his nap he does it again, does this sound similar to what you had?

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koalabear · 20/07/2005 15:34

yep - i would suggest a visit to your GP to discuss possible reflux - there are all sorts of remedies, some over the counter, some prescription that may or may not help

personally, i found my GP useless and therefore did a lot of self education before finally seeing a paediatrician (which was a blessing)

you will find lots of info on mumssnet if you search the archives, espcially handy hints on feeding sleeping etc

in the meantime, a few things you can try is Infant Gaviscon (over the counter at Boots), placing a towel under one end of the changing mat to raise it on an incline, placing a few books under one end of the cot to get an incline for sleeping (and then use a sling type system to stop your little one slipping down to the end of the bed)

the good news is that usually the symptoms can be treated, and they eventually grow out of it (usually between 6 to 12 months), although have it properly diagnosed first

Twiglett · 20/07/2005 16:00

Please don't give him baby rice and rusks .. your doctor should be more up to date than that .. rusks are full of crap anyway

solids have LESS calories than milk .. NOT more

Windermere · 20/07/2005 16:10

My friends baby had very similar symptoms and it turned out to be reflux. Giving him baby rice will just make it worse.

I would get a second opinion you need to sort out the issue of him bringing up most of his feed before you can even think about solids.

Windermere · 20/07/2005 16:10

My friends baby had very similar symptoms and it turned out to be reflux. Giving him baby rice will just make it worse.

I would get a second opinion you need to sort out the issue of him bringing up most of his feed before you can even think about solids.

Original poster
bumpylump · 20/07/2005 16:49

Think I had better ask to see a different GP. He is seeing the cranial oseopath again tommorrow so hopefully she could have a look at that as well.

After seeing how much pain he was in this afternoon and really watching him, everything you have all said about reflux makes sense. Meanwhile am off hunting for hints on Mumsnet..thanks you all.

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