weaning 5 month old BF twins - a bit of help please!

[Frenchfamille]

I've found this site so useful with my twin questions before. Can't believe they are almost 5 months old. I've survived (3 boys and twin girls) just! In France (where we live) they say to wean at 4 months now. I started very gentle weaning at 4.5 months as their weight was plateauing a bit (not a problem for me, but health visitor wanting me to add bottle or wean.....!)
With twins, I find I am sometimes never out the house for all the feeding, changing etc. so today I find myself chasing round wondering when to do breast-feed, food etc. to fit it all in!
This is what I've fallen into... very approx. I'm offering small amounts of the food, a couple of teaspoons at breakfast for example.

7am - BF
9am - pureed pear/abricot
11 am - BF
2pm - pureed veg/fruit and boiled water drink offered
4pm - BF
6pm - pureed something
7.30 - BF
10.30 - BF

You'd think having done this with 3 boys before I'd feel more ready now but I don't seem to and it was a while ago now.... so my main questions are whether this is enough BF. I do feel a bit tied to the house with all this. Any suggestions would be good and especially if anyone has other/better suggestions of a 'planner'. It's virtually impossible I've discovered with twins to stick to anything too rigid, especially with 3 older children but I need a rough plan.
Many thanks, Emma

That looks good for 5 months. At 5 months old they will be able to ask for more breastmilk if they are not getting enough. Well done, I struggled with weaning just one at the beginning, as it seems you are constantly feeding, and you have 2! I am now at 9 months and a pattern has fallen into place on its own and I can get out when I want!

Are they sleeping from the last feed to the first one? Are they gaining weight and bright and alert at times? If so, I'd say they are getting enough

If you need a bt more reassurance have a read of is my older baby getting enough milk?

Thanks Nick for confirming that it sounds OK. They seem to be interested in the food although it's funny with 2 because one is a real wide open mouther and the other is a slurper! They are, Jilted, sleeping from about midnight to 8am. That is the one real good point. They have done this from about month 3.5 but I think they have sensed that their mum would collapse from exhaustion if not! I also guess that with so much going on in the house with 3 older brothers, there is a lot of stimulation to wear them out. They don't, Nick, seem to ask for more breast-milk so far.

Out of interest, in France, they say to give a cup with mineral water in as a drink. When my oldest was young it was boiling water which you cooled and gave your child. What do they say now? In other words, when it's a small meal without milk to follow, do you offer a drink?

Thanks for replying both of you.

My God, you deserve a medal - 3 boys and twin girls!!

Watched out with mineral water, the mineral contents is sometimes too high for little ones. As you probably know some are more or less high in sodium, calcium or magnesium (like Hepar that most French mums temporarily use in case of baby constipation) and might not be suitable for babies. I think from memory, les eaux de sources are more suitable. Otherwise tap water if you live somewhere not too agricultural might be OK too.

In the uk they say not to give mineral water at all, the advice in France really is different isn't it. Think I offered cooled boiled water until 6 months and then tap water, suppose it depends on what your tap water is like though

Thanks Whenhen and Jilted - I have, infact, stuck to my instincts on the water and done the boiled water thing. Yes, things are different here. They have changed in the last month now saying to wean at 4 months. I always look online (and ask on here too from now on) for UK guidelines. You probably didn't read my twin postings on here but the french advice was pretty different and it was so nice to hear on here that I was doing the right thing. The most annoying thing on return from hospital was when the midwife said she was concerned they were losing weight - she was weighing them on the bed (springy) until I told her to use a firm flat surface. Surprise, surprise, they had gained incredibly (as I knew deep down). OK, it could happen in UK too, but that was kind of my experience here. Last week I was asked if Florence (other twin is Lily-Rose) chuckled as opposed to laughed ... I pretended I didn't know the word in French so they gave an example of it! This is a paediatrician and health visitor. C'est bizarre. But I take my husband along for these meetings now as he has a less emotive way of picking up the twins at the end, thanking everyone quickly and escaping before more ridiculous questions are asked!!

I took my first to A&E when he was 5wks, the woman at reception was a right dragon and seemed pissed off I had turned up on a Friday evening. She asked me what " the child was eating" - so close to reply "steak frites".

Having said that, I often follow the French guidelines - I guess we always feel our country knows best... The good thing about being between two countries is that you can pick and choose. I did hypnobirthibg and breastfed as much as I could but I never sterilised anything when it came to bottle feeding, I did the cooled boiled water thing but also put baby rice (la farine!) in the evening bottle.

Trust your instinct, sounds like you're doing great!