Early weaning... Help pls!!

[Mjtay]

I'm new on here, so please bare with me! Haven't figured out all ur abbreviations yet! Haha. My little girl 19 weeks old started to breast feed every 2 hours again. I live in the back and beyond so was making getting out and about a nightmare! So I decided to start moving her over to formula, in which she goes 4 hours. But she had started to refuse the bottle. Dunno if it's the comfort she's craving!!? So last 3 days I've started giving her baby rice, and she absolutely loves it!! Never turns away!! And just keeps opening her mouth for more!! But after a bit of research in here this eve I understand this isn't the greatest thing for her!! I don't know now whether to try re establishing bf or keep on with rice now I've started, cos she goes longer between feeds with that!! Pls help. Feeling a little lost and cruel!!

Thank u all in advance!! X

Link

Haha!! Chill out ppl!! :) glad to see I've made an impact on my first post. Hehe!!
Thank u vj32. Completely understand where ur coming from!! I'm stopping for the time being anyways After the advice I've received on here. Trying to combo feed is enough of a challenge! Especially as I am now home after being at the restaurant 10 mins. Bless her heart. Full pelt crying till mummy come home!!  x x

EdlessAllenPoe I read this with interest, the diabetes link makes for good reading.

But your 'moment' cartoon is class - I nearly spat out my wine.

Since when has Belarus been a first-world country?!!!

regular power-outs, dubious water supplies...etc etc

It certainly isn't the UK!

The Millenium cohort published 2009 is much more relevant to his discussion as it is about the UK. Which is why HCPs in this country will tell you there is no evidence of harm of weaning after 17 weeks in the UK

The NHS did not choose to ignore that research, not at all. it didn't want to change its recommendations again, and anyway the detail on the recommend is 'wean not before 17 weeks and not after 26 weeks' . If you actually read that advice document, it says 'breast milk is all a baby needs prior to 6 months' and this is true. it doesn't say there is evidence of harm between 17-26 weeks.

there was a thread with a bunch of links... as the media reporting on this was ...somewhat warped...

here millenium cohort ..2008 sorry not 2009

Swedish studies also don't show any harm to BF caused by weaning (so presumably if US studies show otherwise, that is a reflection of cultural considerations: it just isn't a BF -friendly culture as much as Sweden.) The Europe-wide recommendation is that weaning is ok from 17 weeks ...basically the UK decision to adopt the WHO 6 months advice was done without much review of the evidence relevant to this country, or even of the general picture in the EU.

" reappraisal of the evidence is timely in view of new data and a recent expert review for the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), concluding that for infants across the EU complementary foods may be introduced safely between four and six months.5"

see here

Slightly gone off topic from OPs original questions, but I want to add my tuppence worth
My baby and I are taking part in the EAT Study , funded by the Food Standards Agency and the Medical Council, and with approval from the Department of Health. The long and short of it is that they now hypothesise the current Government guidelines to be incorrect, and that effectively earlier weaning (esp allergenic foods) could be beneficial, rather than the current guidlines of exclusively BF until 6 months of age.
I introduced baby rice to my DD at 13 weeks. Shortly followed by dairy, peanuts and fish.
The only food that it has been proven should be avoided until 17 weeks is wheat, as the digestive tract is unable to process wheat until this age.

So, my point being, your baby is 19 weeks old, baby rice once a day, if it works for you, go for it!

Thank u sittinghippo. Very interesting!!! Well it seems it may have confused her a little. No rice today, and took a bottle easy!! Think I need to tackle one thing at a time! Does anybody think/ know if BF makes bubbas clingy?! Cos I can't even leave DD with daddy :( x x

Hi Everyone,

I'm a mum of a toddler, and a student, and after weaning my baby and receiving sooooo much conflicting advice from everywhere, I decided to do my dissertation on how people decide to wean the way they do. I have put a questionnaire on the media requests page (i.e. I paid the fee!) and I would really love it if I could get your answers. I think that the information I was given from health visitors etc didn't take real life into account so I want to hear what other real people think too.

My original post is at www.mumsnet.com/Talk/media_nonmember_requests/1422893-A-survey-about-weaning-your-baby

Thanks so much for your help!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, that link again www.mumsnet.com/Talk/media_nonmember_requests/1422893-A-survey-about-weaning-your-baby

Hello OP I began gentle weaning from 18 weeks and my DS is now 7 months and enjoying meal times. When i discussed with my Consultant Paediatrician he fully supported weaning from this age, he said the guidelines are for the whole world and not just UK and many of his colleagues felt that weaning from 17 weeks should be the official guidelines. Follow your instinct as a mum guidelines are just guidelines.

The problem with saying wean from 17week's is that many then wean earlier then this. Which isn't ok I know a few people who looked at taking part in the EAT study but the ethics of this where called into question as asking mum's to wean before 17week's when we know this can cause problems (accourding to current research) was a bit of an issue.

The WHO guid lines are baised on reaearch in all countries, it's the Would Health Orginisation. They reviews thousends of papaers to come up with this recomendation (over 2000 if I remeber rightly) not to be sniffed at.

If you look at natrual weaing (as in introducing solid food) this happen's more around 9months. Think bioloicaly we would give food to our baby's when they showed intersted in taking it, cave men didn't have spoon's, high chairs or baby rice.

I don't really see the point in babyrice, if your going to wean your better of giving something that isn't so highly refined www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2011/12/nine-good-reasons-not-to-use-baby-rice.html