November 2012 - In denial about the six-month sleep regression

[StuntNun]

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/1740697-November-2012-Starting-weaning-what-does-your-baby-eat

New fred: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/1751304-November-2012-Babies-first-holidays-India-Australia-the-world-is-their-oyster

There was a caterpillar in J's lunchtime broccoli which made me boak until I read the tapeworm thread which put it into perspective.

No idea where it came from horsey I hadn't heard of it before coming on here but then I didn't really look for weaning info before having e I guess! All I knew was that my siblings all ate food early on and I remember them taking to it well. With e being so big I think I assumed he'd love food and whilst I think he's getting better, we've got a long way to go! Mind you we've only just started. I wouldn't like to put an age as a goal as I'll get stressed out if we don't seem to be getting there. As if im not stressed as it is that its all going wrong. Anyway horsey swap you your two cats for my parrot :p

det you and your poor fanjo :( hope it gets better even if slowly, poor thing sounds like its seen better days. Feel like I'm talking about a pet of some kind

E naturally changed bed time too. One day he got nackered early and went to sleep after his bath and woke up at 10 for his feed. He just continued this but then stopped waking for the feed which is why it's a dream feed. He still goes to bed at 8 though, tbh I'm not sure I could fit everything into a 7-7 day! Not with food food anyway to add into the mix.

I don't know what to suggest mm on one hand you could talk to her if you think she might listen, but then maybe she'd take it wrongly and think everyone is on her case. I'd probably be inclined to talk to her tbh and hope it works, being good/careful with your wording, make it sound like you totally understand what she's going through etc

Eww stunt did j like his broccoli?

For tea, to include him, I did steamed green beans and carrot batons for e, and puréed green beans, carrots, potato with a wee bit of gravy and meat juices. He ate over half of it and whilst I've seen babies more enthusiastic he did fantastically well for him. I guess I probably shouldn't have added meat juice and a tiny bit of gravy but hey, it got veg into him! And it was low/no salt type stuff. Is there a better alternative? Stock cubes are full of salt aren't they? He wouldn't touch the carrot batons and had a chomp on green beans but spat it out. I am still terrified of the baby led fingery business! I am also now more aware of needing to get him to eat, if food is not fun until 1 :/

I thought that iron etc resources from bm start to deplete after 6 months but don't run out completely until a year, so if they are still getting some of their calories from bm it is not the end of the world, but I'd expect most babies to be eating a reasonable amount by 9-10 months.

I didn't think it was to be taken entirely literally, just a way to reassure parents that if they are struggling with weaning, it does not mean that on their 6 month birthday a switch is flicked and all the iron is gone - same as with SIDS guidelines.

Am guessing this iron business is why my hv keeps mentioning vitamin drops or somesuch stuffs?

jj yes I think what your saying is correct. My understanding is that from around 9 months they should be eating three meals a day and the milk feeds reducing.

kyz you're ff? No need to worry its got the right stuff in I think so he doesn't need drops? Double check with your hv though.

pennie I'm doing the trial too!!! Love them!! No leaks here!!

I believe there's a certain volume of formula which is adequate for vitamins and minerals. Breast milk contains iron but in lower quantity than formula however it is thought to be more easily absorbed from breast milk. As JJ says mineral stores are sufficient for six months then start to deplete so solid food is required. Vitamin drops are recommended for all children up to 5 and vitamin D is probably much more important for health than previously thought. Bottom line is keep plugging away with weaning but don't fret if baby doesn't take to it right away.

It says here that 500ml formula a day contains sufficient vitamins that vitamin drops are not needed.

Stunt that link has simultaneously made my day and made my stomach churn!

Detective broken fanjo sounds bloody awful, still. I've got my appointment on Monday

Kyz glad dinner went a bit better. I also had no idea the "food's fun til 1" thing was a merry crock of shit not true.

TMI but today F did a poo which smelt of papaya. If I wasn't sure about papaya before, that's made my mind up!

I think the guidelines are from world health organisation? As others said, iron stores and calcium start to break down from 6 months. The idea is to get them on food and look to increase nutrients but fat and calories are most dense in milk. So the advice is to let the baby set their pace and not panic if they're still having milk as that's the best form of fat for them. I think it's been taken a little too literally by many though and as many things in parenting, it become a little evangelical.

You would think hope that after last nights antics, littlest pig would be tired tonight. But no. Still wide awake. Yawn.

Where is everyone tonight? All very quiet on here.

Found it

www.who.int/features/qa/21/en/index.html

I actually just read it through again. The chart is pretty helpful actually as I was totally confused by amounts. I think I take from it 'take it slow and sensibly'?

No kebabs yet then little bean

waves at BPLP

I have been shovelling shit.

DD2 decided to have a shit in her nappy, then sit on her potty. Shit fucking everywhere, even on her face, which she thought was hilarious. I did not. Then J decides to have a shit too. Fucking everywhere.

Then the girls break Js baby gym.

I shouted and sent them to bed. They were good as gold so I must have scared them. Oops.

Js skin is awful. Proper eczema now. I was hoping cutting the milk protein would sort that. Bugger.

Oh yes, I am thankful 2 out of 3 of my children are asleep.

Sorry, have really struggled to keep up today. Lack of brain power rather than lack of time. I find I am coping well most days and then others I feel completely useless. One of those days today.

No idea what I wanted to say, but Detective you have really been through the wars. I hope O realises how lucky he is! Still, it is an extra 3 months to spend with him but I hope the financial implications aren't too bad for you.

Am also now worrying about food not just being fun until one. O is 23 weeks and still seems to have his tongue thrust reflex so isn't technically ready for weaning. He loves finger foods though and although he doesn't consume much of it, I am seeing it as good practice, a chance for him to be involved in mealtimes and get used to New flavours. He has a 'meal' (a couple of sticks of food) at either lunch or dinner each day. I think I will then try fruit purees again at 24 weeks and try to introduce these as a breakfast, adding porridge etc as we go along. Does that sound ok? Having a crisis of confidence. Kyz you are my inspiration as you are doing awesomely

pig I am sending you my full supply of sleepy dust. You need it more than most tonight.

Oh, Morrison's nappies - used the size 1's a few months back. Thought they were shit and swore never again. Have been impressed with the Sainsbos little ones for daytime recently. Pampers Baby Dry for night. Now on size 4 Even though he is a long skinny thing. I wonder if a baby's size now is an indicator of how they will be built in later life? I was a small baby and am a skinny runt to this day.

I was a normal sized baby and I'm a fat fucker .

I think its worth stressing as already mentioned iron and calcium stores GRADUALLLY deplete from 6 months. I know our NHS dietician is adamant that my prem DS should wean later and should stay on BM NOT formula for as long as possible. If she was concerned about his iron and calcium levels she wouldn't be saying this - soooo please folks don't rush out to ditch breast feeding for formula or weaning foods because of worries about vitamins. The WHO also advises BF for a minimum of 2 years if we're going to go by their official guidance as gospel.

Lots of early babies have intolerances, reflux and other conditions which mean rushing onto solids to hit an arbitrary six month cut off does more long term harm than good and I think saying they should wean earlier because of vitamin deficiencies is dangerous. By that argument my niece should have been weaned at 3 months when she was just 3.5 lbs and was still on cpap to help her breathe!

Our dietician has no worries if Jonas isn't taking much in the way of solids even as late as ten months (which adjusted would be 11 months)- she's more concerned about minimising long term damage to his gut than short term vitamin levels. The iron issue in particular is made a big deal of by FF companies as it is the only mineral / nutrient in which their products are superior to the free natural version.

Also, I was long/tall. But I reached my adult height at 11. 5 ft fucking 2 . I spent the next 5 years watching those who had always been smaller than me, suddenly tower over me. It was actually quite difficult to get my head around going from tall, to fucking short. :(

Chasing F still has the tongue thrust reflex (of course, given she is O's female doppleganger or whatever the word is). Her approach to a spoonful of puree is to lick it, grab the spoon with both hands, blow a raspberry into the puree then sluuurp it up. The spoon only actually goes in after the slurping, when she rams it halfway down her neck in.

Vq am also hoping cutting down dairy will improve Fs eczema. Too early to tell yet. Dsd once tried to clear up a diarrhoea/potty combo. Poo was in the sink, bath, bed, floor. Smelt like a slurry pit.

Strike out fail. Twat.

The point of it is to wean. Wean from milk, to solids. So the food is fun til 1 is about right really. It's a big shift for them, and should be taken slowly, and gradually built up. I think the most important thing you can do is to take their lead.

6 months of practicing eating sounds like heaven to me! and getting used to new tastes, different textures etc. I really wouldn't sweat it over the nutrition if you are offering milk still, and not giving them mars bars to chomp on!

If you are worried, vitamin drops are available for babies.

Milk should be their main food til 1. That has never changed.

Really. Do not sweat it.

A funny story for you! My cousin is 7 years younger than me. When he was little I vividly remember his eating. It was atrocious. To the point that the first 4 years of his life he would only eat one food. Spag bol! I'm not even kidding. He would not touch another thing. No crisps or sweets. Nothing! Eventually they managed to get a few basic things in by the time he started school. Now he is 23, and he eats anything and everything! He's an athlete actually, just graduated from Uni. He does the decathlon. This is him actually michaelsweeneydecathlon.co.uk/michael-sweeney.html He's a cocky bastard!

What I'm trying to say is, even the most horrific eaters get by in the end. :)

I bet his poor mother hates the sight of spag bol mind