Told I may have to wean early due to low iron and shouldn't BLW

[TeacupTempest]

DD is 14 weeks and had initial slow weight gain. Gaining well now but still teeny. She is breastfed.

During checks it was discovered she had low iron.

Today the HV told me that "we" may have to wean early. And that "we" wouldnt be able to BLW.

I said I was very keen to wait till 6months and BLW. She looked sceptical and said "we" would have to wait and see but would likely have to wean early with purses and baby rice.

Why?

What gives her the right to tell me when/how to wean? The way she kept saying "we" seemed like she was telling me I had no choice in the matter.

I can certainly up my dark chocolate intake! (my iron levels have been fine but mt tested recently do will chek that out)

Is there a reason you need to continue seeing a hv? If your dd is under a paediatrician then would it not make sense to just see them.

Yes that's what I am pushing for and to be fair HV said she didn't need to see us until net injections in 4 weeks.

Thik I shall just decline further appointments unless I feel they are needed.

AnaisB baby rice made up with formula would have more iron in it but most of the iron is excreted straight out. The same rice made up with breast milk (or just breast feeding without the rice) would have less actual iron, but the iron it does have is many times more bio-available, ie the body uses it and it doesn't get excreted...so actually breast milk is better in this case, not least because it doesn't cause constiptation.

Hi, HV is right that weaning is done early with prem babies (you wean according to actual age and not corrected age) but my understanding is that this is because of gut maturity and not to address any iron deficiency. Sounds like your HV is getting confused. Prem babies are also (in my experience) prescribed an iron supplement for the first year; we are giving our LO who was early and is now 9 months corrected 2ml of Sytron a day. Iron levels are checked at our follow up paed appointments, so I'd talk to your paed who will def know what they are talking about.

Ask for a referall to a NHS paediatric nutritionist and/or infant feeding specialist/coordinator. If you want to protect your right to continue EBF til 6 months these are the people that seem to be most supportive and have the most up to date knowledge to shut up any other health professionals that are telling you otherwise.

I have been on this forum for over 6 years and the amount of threads I've read about HVs, GPs, paeds, dieticians and even paed-dieticians trying to pressure mums of slow-gaining babies into either topping up with formula, switching completely to formula and early weaning is humungous.

Of course the HV can't make you do anything, or wean her before you want to - but she is there to help. She is only trying to get you to do what is best for your daughter - and by weaning her early is obviously what she thinks would be best to get her iron levels back up.
Its obvious that you really want to BLW - but at the cost of your daughters health, is it really worth it?
My own DTri's had to be put on special formula because they had low iron - I was gutted as it meant they would get less BM, but I knew that it was the best for their health.

Was your cord cut early? That wouldn't have helped... the Wellkids syrup looks like a good way forward?

Apparently the reason preemie babies are sometimes weaned early is because their gut may be less efficient at absorbing nutrients so additional nutrition may be required for some babies, leading some doctors to suggest solid foods to provide calories above and beyond those provided by breast milk or formula.

I personally don't see how that makes any sense when milk is far more calorific than the amount of solid food a baby would consume?

There's also the reason that they may have less iron stores than a full term baby as they spent less time in the womb. However I would imagine an iron and vitamin c supplement would give them far greater iron than any pureed veg could.

Hmmm on the point of prem babies....think it depends how prem/where you had your baby as to the advice received. My DD was 5 weeks prem and was prescribed iron and vit drops and we were told to continue the iron 'till weaned' but we were not told to wean early. As far as I know the Bliss advice is to wean between 5 and 7 months. My friends 5 week prem twins who she had in a different county, were not prescribed anything nor told to wean early. Sorry if thats a bit off subject but I thinks its a sweeping statement for your HV to say weaning is always done early with prem babies and I would say each case is different and should be treated that way and that you as the mother have the final say on what happens. Only you know what is best for your child.