How to begin? Prem twins, not ready for high chairs

[PeelingmyselfofftheCeiling]

My Dts are 5.5 months and although they were 10wks early we still need to begin weaning in the next couple of weeks.

They're way too small for a high chair and haven't really got used to sitting in the bumbo for more than 30 seconds at a time.

What bothers me more is that basically meal times for me are something snatched during naps. Due to the fact they can't go in high chairs and you can't put bumbos on the kitchen table and the fact that if they're both awake odds are one is crying I never have them with me when I eat IYSWIM.

Anyone been in a similar situation or got any tips?

"we still need to begin weaning in the next couple of weeks", is there a particular reason for this Peeling? If they are too small for their highchairs there is no reason why you can't just wean them later.

Kellymom has some good, evidence based information and on here they say that some babies won't be ready until nearer 9 months.

HTH

When I started weaning my 32 and 27 weekers at 5.5 months we used a bouncer chair like this am that was fine. I just sat on the floor.

With respect JiltedJohns The Op didn't ask for advise about whether or not to start weaning and unless you have had premature babies you have no place offering advise about them.

That's coming from the paediatrician. They don't seem ready to me tbh

Methe, how did you decide when to start?

Just asked as lots of Mums I talk to seem to think that 6 months is a must. The NHS guidelines are quite clear, babies should be able to sit up before weaning starts.

If your Paed is recommending it Peeling and you don't think they are ready, could you discuss it with them again or can you discuss it with someone like Bliss?

With my 32 weeker she was displaying all the signs a term baby would.. grabbing at my dinner and munching her hands. She took to it like a duck to water and was soon eating 3 meals a day. She's 7 now.

Things were a little bit more complicated with my son as he was very small (9lb) and needed feeding up. I would have liked to wait a bit longer with him but as it was he too had no problems and is 3 now and eats anything.

Neither of them have ever had any digestive problems or allergies. Weaning at actual age is the right thing to do. Bliss recommends between 5 and 7 months and thats for 24+ weekers.

TERM BABIES SHOULD BE ABLE TO SIT UP.

Please don't give advise unless you know what you are talking about.

Peeling, I had twins, so I can give some advice for a little later down the line as mine weren't prem.

Tbh I think Bumbos are difficult to eat in as your tummy is all squashed up. I would feed them in a swing chair or an upright bouncy chair.

I used Ikea plastic highchairs with large tray for my twins and the generally got in with most of it themselves, or I would help feed one whilst the other was playing with food. I didn't do 'proper' BLW, but lots of finger food and some spoon food in between. They got the hang of things like yoghurts really young because I let them do it themselves. It was great as meatimes were also entertainment/ learning times and we could spend quite some time over them. A finger of toast or a cooked carrot stick is a nice toy to a 6mth old! The advantage of the Ikea high chair is that is it very easily cleaned and it has a big tray so huge messes are less 'messy'. You can also get a blow up cushion to put inside it for when they are younger which I used, but only for a couple of months.

MerryM
If you can cast your mind back! What were you doing before you started weaning? Were the Dts with you at meal times? It's so hard with 2 as you can't just prop one in your arms and have to constantly think ahead to make sure they're safe unsupervised as you move rooms, so we've been sticking to nursery or sitting room, haven't spent hardly any time in the kitchen with both.

peeling, if you do not feel they are ready and they are not showing signs of wanting to wean then please don't feel you have to.
that goes for ANY baby, premature or not.

if your babies are happy with milk then it's fine to keep giving that for the time being.
solids should be complementary for the first few months, and milk would remain the main source of nutrition, so it really won't hurt to leave it for a few weeks if you want to.

We began weaning my twins at 6 months actual age/10 weeks adjusted age, and used bouncy chairs. I just sat on the floor in the middle of them, one bowl, one spoon.

If I'd have waited til they could sit they'd have been well over a year old.

I second the suggestion of the ikea chairs, you can buy them with or without a plastic pillow that you can blow up to give them a bit of extra support. I used this for my son who was premature and having difficulty sitting when we weaned him at 5 and a half months. The highchair is only 20 quid (including the pillow) so you won't break the bank even buying two.

Generally bouncy chairs (or any position where the baby is reclined rather than upright) is a choking risk as it's harder for the baby to gag/cough food back up - I experienced this myself by stupidly feeding ds in a car seat when he was about 10 months old . Can you ask the paed for advice? My ds wasn't prem but he could sit upright in a bumbo way before he could manage in a highchair - I had him on the kitchen table. This shouldn't be a problem if you don't leave them unsupervised on the table.

We used an antilop too after a while, they are brilliant! In fact we are still using it now, at 3, as my son is such a massive fidget it's the only way to keep him still!

No way could I use bumbos on the table, daughter has figured out how to push herself out of rocking chair by shoving with her feet and Ds constantly arching his back due to reflux. Would need reflexes of a Jedi to be sure they couldn't both Simultaneously escape!

No twins and no premies here BUT in hindsight I weaned DD before she was ready (24 weeks) and it was a dreadful time. Not enjoyable for either of us.

DS on the other hand just swiped my food and ate it.

You can get highchairs which recline because they're suitable from birth (although obviously not for feeding) however a baby should obviously not be fully reclined.

Could you ask whether it's possible to wait until nearer 7months and what the rationale is?

I'm in France and a friend's prem baby was weaned using purée so runny and dilute it was essentially juice which she drank.

Maybe this isn't advisable from an 'elf and saftely angle, but we did feed DD in a Bumbo on the kitchen table v successfully...

ds wasn't prem, but had very low muscle tone so couldn't sit at 6 months, we had a reclining first years booster seat which we bought on ebay, we still use it now at 20 months it is great.

has your paed recommended weaning due to the reflux? We had conflicting views about this from different drs (ds also has reflux). It sounds as though it might be worth talking to the paeds again.

I know a pair of prem twins (31 or 32 weeks too), and I believe the mum fed them on bouncy chairs on the kitchen table. The peads said they needed to wean at 6mo. As they couldn't sit, I wouldn't use a bumbo. They'll look very slouch and uncomfortable in it.

Dining table I mean. not kitchen table!

I weaned DS using this as he was too small for his highchair.

I bought it when he was four months (didn't wean until six months) and he loved it from day one - he was not sitting independently at that stage but had good head control and didn't slouch in it at all. When we started weaning I either sat down on the floor beside him or put it up on the table

It is far more stable than a bumbo (almost impossible to pop out of until they are much bigger) and has much more longevity - we used it up until he was 2 in booster seat mode. It was - hands down - one of the best things I bought, and was terrific value.

I don't know what your twins head control is like, but the chair in that link looks similar to a high chair as far as sitting goes, I know ds wouldn't have been able to eat in a chair like that.

Casting my mind back not easy, peeling. It's under 3 years ago, but all a bit of a haze, I'm sure you know the feeling ! Well, as far as I can remember, they did spend a fair bit of time in the kitchen either being carried by me/ dh/ my mum or in bouncy chair/ swing chair. I have an older ds and he likes drawing at the table plus we have a large kitchen/ diner which is kind of a family room. I would always sit with ds1 whilst he ate, or eat myself and have one or other on my lap most of the time. As you say, whoever was crying!

My 2 liked Ella's Kitchens when we were out and about (I remember taking loads on holiday when they were and 1 was plenty to share.

Only one bit of advice would be (and I don't have Prem's)...make sure they're still getting loads of milk. My ds1 loved his food and to be fair, I also shovelled it into him. He ended up losing weight as he was breastfeeding, and he just drank a lot less milk, which was hard for me to work out as I was bf'ing. Pureed spinach has a lot less calories than breastmilk! Anyway, twins were fine, although always quite small. They certainly maintained their milk intake and just enjoyed playing with tastes etc.

Peeling, my twins were born at 31 weeks, we were told to wean at 6 months actual. I had wanted to do BLW but there is no way they could do that. We have gone down the puree route and I feed them in their fisher price baby to toddler recliner chairs and they are fine with it. Were four weeks in now and they are on 3 meals and 4 bottles a day. Mine have reflux too and it is improving with the solids.

Good luck!