How long can a baby go without milk

[myfirstbaba]

My little boy is going completely off milk as he's not feeling so good. I took him to doctors yesterday he said he wasn't as concerned yet but to keep an eye on him.

How long can they go without milk?

Should I keep giving him more weetabix with his milk so he's getting something?

He's 4 and a half months

Yep.

weetabix is just fibre and very hard to digest. As well as making your baby feel very full, it also has added salt and sugar. Add this to an immature 4 month old gut and I'm not surprised you're having problems.
It's not your fault, you didn't know. But now you do, please stop the weetabix!

I'm so sorry to hear your little one is poorly. It's a worry, especially when they are so small.

Formula milk has all the vitamins and minerals a baby needs. Foods like weetabix are very nutrient-poor by comparison. If he is filling up on those, and drinking less milk, at this stage he could become deficient in certain vitamins and minerals, which could affect his development. If he has a bug that is reducing his appetite, this will be even worse.

I don't think anyone here is criticising you to be nasty, they are just concerned that you are getting old-fashioned advice from your health visitor, and this could be causing problems. Early weaning has been implicated for health problems, like food allergies.

If you are reluctant to stop weaning and go back to just milk, could you stop the weetabix, and do things like puréed pear instead? They will give your baby extra fluids, and are quickly digested so he will be more hungry for his milk. Weetabix is a bit hard on the gut when they are so small, and he may be a bit uncomfortable.

Are you giving him cooled boiled water?

I hope he is feeling better very soon.

Yes what Bertie said when babies are ill its beter to keep fluids up than food keep an eye on his nappies making sure they are wet and dirty as usual and keep off the food for now. Weetabix isnt an ideal weaning food he wont digest it very well but your doctor and hv know he is having it so its fine ..

Hi OP I don't think anyone is trying to criticise you, just help you help your baby get better as soon as possible

Thanks everyone. Advice appreciated and took on board

When oscar was ill with a virus around 8 months and started to refuse milk/ food. I was told to not give him food until he was better and focus on giving him milk. As long as he was having milk he would be fine. As food isn't a concern in the first year.

However I found he took him a little while to get back on to solids after. I've know a lot of people to wean earlier then recommended. I chose to wait till 6 months but oscar was showing signs of being interested in food before 6 months. Maybe try baby rice as it the weetabix may be a bit to filling especially if he/ she ill.

Glad you're taking on the advice OP, it's all meant with the best of intentions and no nastiness at all. Hope he feels better really soon.

Also is he demand fed ? What i would do is offer him milk out of his routine if he is in 1 so little and often insteadof making up his normal amount make up less and offer him it 2 hourly and not 4 till he has picked up and feeling better

Not trying to make you feel bad but they are not supposed to have wheat until 6 months, even if you insist on earning early. The 17 weeks thing is the cut off for when they think you won't possibly cause kidney damage which is why they say if you must insist on warning early (or if medically the baby needs to be weaned early due to reflux etc), it shouldn't cause damage from 17 weeks.

Regarding your question in your OP, if he's taken 4oz recently I wouldn't worry too much. Keep offering milk (stop solids until he's well again) and as long as he takes little and often he should be fine. Keep an eye out for a depressed head, no wet nappies at all or abnormal drowsiness as they an be a sign of dehydration.

Some HV are really old school and don't give correct advice. The recommendation is 6 months and your HV could be disciplined for recommending otherwise ( DSis is a HV and a member of her team was disciplined recently for similar). They can advise you on the best foods if you're already doing it but must reiterate that the recommendation is 6 months throughout due to the baby's digestive system being too immature for foods. I'd complain to my HV supervisor, if I were you. You are just doing what you've been told, but what you have been told is wrong

I've been offering it him hourly to try and encourage him. Also boiled water with dioralyte which has been prescribed. I will not be giving him weetabix as obviously I do not want this to have any affect on him whatsoever but once he is better I will still be giving him his vegatable purée mid afternoon. Thank you.

Homemade fruit or vegetable puree will be much better for him than weetabix, but please don't worry too much about giving him anything other than milk until six months. Remember to prioritise milk over solids. Good luck.

Ignore the scaremongers. I weaned DC1 at 4 months and he loved it. DC2 wouldn't touch food until after 7 months. I wouldn't bother chatting to a Health Visitor - they will just parrot out whatever t advice of the moment is. Just go with what suits your child. I'd add some veg into t mix though!

I have only given him weetabix 4-5 times at the most. But I give him vegetables on a daily basis mid afternoon. I will carry on doing that once he is better but I will not give him weetabix till he's a little older

WordGetsAround I don't think this is about scaremongering and you're wrong IMO to be so dismissive of the OP's sons health. If OP has made the decision to wean that's hers to take, what lots of other posters are doing us advising she lay off anything that might fill him too much until he starts taking milk again. Sensible advice for any baby under 12 months as his hydration levels are so important.

Good luck OP I'm afraid I've nothing else to add that's already been suggested, hope he's back to his normal self soon.

Sounds like a plan. 4.5 months is not too young for weaning and it sounds like you're going slowly. Advice is to prioritise fluids over solids when ill anyway - for any age! :)

Reign it back in Andbaby. No need for that.

He is 4 .5 months calm down and a nation of gut issues A NATION really?

I wouldn't go that far! Get a grip. I'm sure the majority of us mums posting on here was weaned at 3months! Do not refer to me as stupid and ignorant again you judgemental idiot!

Genuine question op. Why do you want to wean so early?

It was just a decision made by myself and partner to try him to see if he was ready before he starts nursery. He took to it straight away. He's been having vegetables for almost 2 weeks now and is enjoying it.