Breastfeeding advice from Health Visitor- Can this be right??

[millysimmons]

Have just been told by the health visitor that as I am breastfeeding I shouldnt be eating pate or unpasterised & blue cheese- thought this was just in pregnancy but she said it was new advice from the NCt- Who I cant get in touch with to check. Has anyone else been told this.
Also been told that should start weaning next month when DS is 12 weeks old as he is large- I dont think he is overly big- he is 7 weeks now and just over 12lbs. Surely this cant be right?? Is she just being a crap HV- cause I think she is so wrong and am seriously peeved!!

lol.

I just knew when I saw this that the HV wouldn't be right. It must be bloody new advice because I can't find references to it anywhere else!

The weaning advice is soooooooo wrong it's unbelievable. Even if your DS were twice that weight at 12 weeks, the advice is still wrong . 6 months is the official advice from govt and WHO. I think they're more likely to be right than your HV!!!!

Most cheese is pasteurised now so wouldn't worry about that. I did eat some very smelly old cheese while preggers with ds2 in France and he is fine.

I think 12 weeks is too young for weaning. My ds1 was a huge baby and I was told to wait till he was 6 months - I ended up waiting till he nearly 5 months. Everyone will tell you differently so just go with your gut feeling.

my pudding was also a large baby. We didn't start weaning until 6 months, she was fine with milk until then and then we went dead slow.

don't know about the cheeses and pate

My first instinct at just reading the title was 'no, i doubt it'. HV and being 'right' in the smae sentence just isn't possible.

Have to say, I have no idea about the pate/blue cheese thing but I can't see why it would be a problem. Isn't it the risk of food poisoning and excess Vit A that rule them out when you're pg? I'm not sure a baby could contract listeria via breastmilk, could it?

Weaning at 12 weeks is downright rubbish advice, regardless of his size. The physical size of him won't make a scrap of difference to the development of his intestines and ability to absorb food. I should do a bit of reading up on the current WHO guidelines and challenge her on that one. I can't believe HVs still go about spouting this rubbish that goes so far against the recommendations.

agree with 2q&peartree - go with instincts - you will know when its time to wean

Crikey, weaning at 12 weeks!!! I'm sure someone professional will come along soon and tell you officially that this is rubbish, in the meantime I can tell you that official WHO guidelines are 6 months,many people start at about 22ish weeks, and don't assume that at 4 months when they appear really hungry that they need feeding, it is a BIG growth spurt at that age which can be got through with milk alone! I also do voluntary work for NCT, and have never heard that about cheese...i bf and eat unpasteurised. Would be intrigued if they do say that!

Well I'm going to continue feeding my little "PORKER" as she has previously called him ,my cheesy breastmilk for as long as I see fit!!

Welcome to the Crappy HV's club.
Congratulations on still bf!!
WHO advice is not to wean until 6 months, I started when my dd was 5 months cos she was grabbing at food from people. Thet tend to let you know when they're ready.
Haven't heard about the soft/blue cheese while bf before, and I'm at 9 months bf.
Try kellymom website for bf advice or nct website
HV's were put on this planet to annoy bf mums . Don't let them get to you

I also saw "heath visitor" and thought, "I bet that's completely wrong, whatever it is!" And was right!

The 'no soft cheese / pate in pregnancy' thing is because of the listeria risk - listeria is one of the few bacteria that can cross the placenta and harm the unborn baby.
Listeria definitely doesn't come out in breastmilk so no need to avoid cheese or pate when breastfeeding.

The weaning advice she gave you is definitely rubbish - hang in there till 6mo as per WHO guidelines and don't be afraid to tell her that's what you're doing.
There's a really good link to this somehwere that's ideal to print out and give at HVs so they can update themselves but I can't find it just at the mo. Anyone?

I'm sure she's wrong on the cheese & pate. When pg listeria can be caught by the foetus but ONLY in later pregnancy, as I understand it. When BF, the breast is a very effective filter. I think your baby is more likely to get antibodies to nasties via your milk than the nasties themselves iyswim. In France they don't even advise you against cheese & pate in pregnancy, guidelines vary from country to country.
On weaning, you will know when your baby is ready and it won't be based on government guidelines or something your half-baked HV says. We started weaning DS when he started copying us eating (doing a 'goldfish' when we were eating, trying to grab our food!). It was quite early - he was 5 months. Then he got poorly & needed antibiotics so we backpedalled for a while, then reintroduced when his tummy settled. You'll know. Just nod & smile when HV talking, then quietly do whatever seems right to you!

12 weeks?!!!!

No, she's talking utter bobbins, I'm afraid.

Hunker, I just love that word, "bobbins"

I don't need to add my opinion, everyone else has done it for me

i had heard that about cheese/pate as well....but i'm verrry excited if i can have them....
what about soft cooked eggs?

I will be furious if it's true about the blue cheese and pate.
In fact I will reconsider my plans to breastfeed. I therefore deduce that it is a lie put about by the formula companies. Do you think they are sending HVs fake info under the guise of the NCT?

You might want to shoot your HV, Milly - it's only kind. Put her out of your misery?

Bloody well report her, I'd say.

Well, I have done the WHO / BFI breastfeeding training (albeit a bit ago now) and the first is new to me; the second is not only bullshit its dangerous bullshit- I weaned ds1 at 11 weeks on HV advice. There are plenty of threads on his milk and gluten free diet if you care to peruse? (altho. admittedly dairy thing there earlier)

Report her, and report her to NCT

[email protected]

just ask them to reedirect your e-mail to the right person (I couldnt find it either)

The first advice is correct - depends on which research journals one reads and the feed down advice.

Disagree with the early weaning advice.

Why don't you challenge her - ask why regarding a - she should be able to tell you, and ask her whether she is aware of current NHS weaning guidelines and ask whether her Trust is advising differently, and why?

Hunkermunker - I know you love health visitors really.

thanks for the link hunker. love this: "Your midwife and health visitor should be able to confirm this for you."
uhhhhhh, no. they should be able to. but, no.

I lived on pate, blue cheese, soft eggs, brie, sushi, salami etc all the banned things for many months after having a baby.

boboggglimpopo why is it correct not to eat these?

12 weeks is too early to wean - 6 months is the WHO guidelines, although you can wean safely from 17 weeks which is when I started with dd who wasn't putting on weight. Just started with small amounts of rice and fruit. I also ate whatever I wanted while bf, although did keep alcohol to an absolute minimum! Hv advice does sound a bit over cautious and can't see where this has come from.

well I think we can safely say that I will be continuing on my cheese diet- bad enough when pg not being able to eat it!! Have called GP surgery & asked for partner to call back when time, to explain why suggested I weant him so early when nothng mentioned at 6 wk check & how can suggest so early when babies change on weekly basis.

Will email NCT as love em or hate em its not right for crappy HV to brand their name about saying its their research if its not.

Have heard so much about HV....am now beginning to know why!!!