Advice please!

[Bumpatron]

Hi,Hi I'm in week 2 of weaning which consists of 5 milk feeds a day with cereal and fruit with feed 2 and a veg, then fruit pot with penultimate feed.

Just spoken to the early years practitioner (no health visitors at baby clinics in my area) as I'm struggling to get 600ml of milk (via bottle or rice) into DD a day and she's constipated too, poor love, although lots of wet nappies. I wanted guidance on water so as not to decrease milk consumption any more (how much, how often etc). She said ...
-amount of milk doesn't matter if she's eating solids
-as she's partially breast fed I need to give her vitamin drops (even though she's mainly formula fed, 10 mins breast then bottle)
-don't give follow on milk as it's there to delay weaning and is not a good idea
-I should give her weetabix for breakfast, not baby cereal
-I should give her prune juice for her constipation and no citrus juice diluted in water until she's one

So basically loads of advice that contradicts everything I've read/ been told by others so now I'm fed up and really confused. Sorry for ranting, it's just so frustrating!

Can anyone help unravel this?

gosh how confusing! not sure if i am 100% right but this is what i though.

-once weaned babies need 500-600ml milk a day until they are 1
-they shouldn't need vitamins providing they have a varied diet
-weetabix (or other suitable cereal) can be given from 6 months with cows milk
-i think you can give citrus juice before a year but best to stick with water, have also been advised prune juice is good for constipation but should be strongly diluted.

am also struggling with the milk btw, DS seems to prefer food!

• a minimum of 20oz is recommended up to 1 year but milk in cereal and dairy products count too
• it is advised that breastfed babies over 6 months have a vitamin A,C and D supplement. As she has formula too it probably isnt necessary
• Follow on milk is ok to use but can be constipating due to the extra iron. First milk can be used up to 1 year when you would move to cows anyway
• weetabix, ready brek, porridge, etc are all ok from 6 months and cheaper than baby cereal
• prune juice can help constipation and citrus juices are ok from 6 months (both should be well diluted if you choose to give them)

P.S. I offered a small amount of water in a lidded beaker along with meals and offered food in between milk feeds rather than along with milk. Baby rice can be constipating so you could try cutting it down/out to see if it helps

Thank you both so much, I wish I'd come here in the first place! Thanks.:)