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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

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Original poster

Weaning guidelines seem conflicting !

81 replies

AlphaAndEcho · 26/02/2013 16:44

Ds is 4mo and lately his first stage formula is not satisfying him . I've read the weaning guidelines say that the hungry baby / second stage formulas are not recommended . Weaning before 6mo is not recommended . I dont know what else to do . He is taking about 800mls a day and any more than that he just brings it back up it's obviously too much milk for his stomach to take , but he's still hungry .

Any advice appreciated Tia

OP posts:

Original poster

AlphaAndEcho · 26/02/2013 23:16

HV has no concerns at all she is happy with the amount of formula he is getting and how he is coming on .
When I said to her about thinking he needs something more filling she said they can't recommend anything until 6 months but whatever I decide she will support me in it .

OP posts:

stargirl1701 · 26/02/2013 23:22

The problem is there is nothing more filling than milk. Everything else will lower the calorific intake he has. I would follow a bf pattern and offer less milk in the bottle milk very frequently - every 2 hours. See if he'll take it. What about dream feeds?

Passmethecrisps · 26/02/2013 23:22

I think your HV sounds pretty unhelpful actually.

Does your baby seem ready to cope with eating? What about his tongue-thrust reflex? While this is still strong weaning will simply be massively frustrating.

I think your baby might well be hungry but it sounds like more milk would satisfy that more that introducing purée

MajaBiene · 26/02/2013 23:26

A 4 month old who is hungry, and not having much milk, is best off having more milk I think.

I would try experimenting with more frequent feeds, different teats, keeping him upright after feeds etc to get more milk into him.

JumpHerWho · 26/02/2013 23:26

Your HV is wrong, I'm afraid, definitely.
My HVs were all shite, MN had the best advice for me so I want to repay it and give some myself! She really is wrong, 800ml and he's still hungry means you need to offer more milk. 1200ml would be ideal - 800ml would be fine if he didn't seem hungry, but you as his mother can tell that he is hungry. It's milk he needs, not food.

And learn the lesson here that HVs frequently talk out of their arseholes a generation ago, mothers weaned at 4 months but it's been shown to be bad for babies' systems, it's too early, but for some reason HVs of that generation often seem to want or support mums to wean early despite it being against their professional training - so when she said to you she's support you whatever, basically she's not allowed to recommend you to wean early. And it's for a reason! Can you changeHV, she sounds like a twat.

Original poster

AlphaAndEcho · 26/02/2013 23:27

There's no way I could feed him during the night he wouldnt wake for it (he LOVES his sleep) so I would need to add any extra milk to his daytime routine . That would mean giving him 1200 mls in 12 hours and I am pretty certain that will make him sick . He is quite tricky I have to catch him at the right time for a bottle . Too early he is not ready for it and he will be sick . Too late and he's too hungry will gulp it down and be sick . So I don't know how I could add in any extra milk . I would say he is hungriest during the middle of the day so I could possibly try giving him 400ml at 2pm and see how that goes .

OP posts:

Passmethecrisps · 26/02/2013 23:31

Could you split the afternoon feeds? Give half, take a wee break (keep upright, have a play) then try more

stargirl1701 · 26/02/2013 23:31

When I dreamfeed DD she is still asleep. She doesn't waken at all. Just guzzles down a bottle.

stargirl1701 · 26/02/2013 23:31

Def not refluxy?

MajaBiene · 26/02/2013 23:32

400ml is ridiculous in one go! His stomach would burst

Why not start by trying smaller, more frequent bottles? Also you don't necessarily need to wake them in the night to give them a dreamfeed.

If he sleeps 12 hours a night, and doesn't seem to be asking for extra milk, what makes you think he is hungry?

montmartre · 26/02/2013 23:41

Yes- I don't really know why you think he's hungry- you haven't said love.

montmartre · 26/02/2013 23:41

Oops- 'love'! Dunno where I think I am tonight...

Original poster

AlphaAndEcho · 26/02/2013 23:42

No it's not reflux DD has reflux so I know it's not that it's just his tummy overloading . I may actually try and give him a bottle every three hours tomorrow a see how he copes with it . I mean I know he is not starving or he wouldn't be sleeping so soundly at night . But I just feel like when I am giving him his bottles he's always looking for something more .

OP posts:

Original poster

AlphaAndEcho · 26/02/2013 23:43

Ah I meant 200ml !!! I'd have to give him 2 bottles one after the other to give him 400ml hahaha !!!

OP posts:

Original poster

AlphaAndEcho · 26/02/2013 23:49

100ml !! What is wrong with me tonight !!

I was thinking I could give him a little half bottle to sneak some more formula in . But then I thought if I give him a feed every three hours id get more in . But then I thought if I do that I'll make him sick . I think I will try the every three hours though and see how he is .

OP posts:

stargirl1701 · 27/02/2013 08:15

He could be sleeping lots to conserve energy if he isn't getting enough calories.

poocatcherchampion · 27/02/2013 08:28

looks to me like a classic case of wanting-to-wean-early-itis. don't rush to wean op, just keep offering the milk.

tiktok · 27/02/2013 10:11

stargirl - the thing about sleeping to conserve energy is something that applies to newborns and much younger babies, and not to 4 mth olds who are sleeping long periods at night only.

OP - good luck with the more frequent bottles. 4 bottles a day is prob too infrequent, and this is prob why he chucks it back up.

stargirl1701 · 27/02/2013 11:49

Ah. Thank you tiktok.

Original poster

AlphaAndEcho · 27/02/2013 13:35

I'm so I just checked his bottles and he is taking 1040 mls per day !!! I do it in oz and a full bottle is 9oz which I thought was 200ml !

I thought I was good at maths !!!

OP posts:

stargirl1701 · 27/02/2013 13:39

Crisis over

His milk intake is normal then. Relax!

Original poster

AlphaAndEcho · 27/02/2013 13:41

Oh I'm so relieved I had myself in a state last night thinking I had been starving him !!

OP posts:

stargirl1701 · 27/02/2013 13:46

I know how it feels. I'm super anxious about everything Pfbs!

MajaBiene · 27/02/2013 13:53

9oz is a pretty huge bottle in one go, so that is probably why he is being so sick.

nickelbabe · 27/02/2013 22:21

next time just tell it in floz - I haven't got a clue about ml.

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