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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

milk refusal - but at 21weeks and after only 3 weeks of weaning

45 replies

whatstheplanstan · 10/08/2006 17:13

Has anyone experienced this with their little ones? If you are all being good and following health visitors advice, then maybe there aren't too many of you weaning at 18-20 weeks. Thought we'd start slowly but dd is already on three meals a day - health visitors say be guided by her appetite but at the moment I feel if there was more food in the pot she'd keep eating!

She is opening her mouth for the bottle but chewing it and whinging after an ounce or two. I tried her with fromage frais instead and she wolfed it down then seemed happy to have a couple more ounces of milk. This has happened a few times now. Overall she might just be getting a pint but only just (she was on 30 ounces before we weaned her). I've seen lots of threads where babies are refusing milk at 9 months or older but at 21 weeks and after only 3 weeks of weaning?

Thought it might be her teething, but she doesn't have red cheeks, gums or a fever.

Any advice much appreciated!

OP posts:

Original poster

whatstheplanstan · 11/08/2006 11:22

I wasn't recommending to anyone to stop breastfeeding. But wouldn't ever try to say someone who wasn't best feeding was being a bad mother either.

Stopped breastfeeding about 7 weeks ago in anticipation of weaning AND going back to work. She was already on one bottle of formula at night as she was taking 9 ounces at night and I couldn't express that much in a day (I expressed until she was up to about 7 ounces) at night. Don't get onto me about mixed bottles/formula in my opinion bonding with dad (and yes there are other things for dad to do) is very important!

She had absolutely no problems with it - but the night time bottle became a more manageable 6oz!!!

Anyway i think the point of the thread is getting lost. I wasn't asking whether or not I should wean. Its the behavioural issue of not enjoyingthe bottle as much - if I gave her milk on the spoon she'd be happy as larry! By the way, today she seeems happy to take her milk, so maybe I was worrying about nothing.

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FrannyandZooey · 11/08/2006 11:33

I usually find just as I get worried enough about something to post on here asking for advice, the problem goes away anyway

Mum2FunkyDude · 11/08/2006 11:39

Have you tried a sippy cup? With babies it's all about discovering and exploring new pleasures, usually from sticking things in their mouths.

FrannyandZooey;

I merely suggest that if it concerns her that the milk refusal is an issue she should trust her instincts, sort it out in other words, she is obviously gathering info. In the end her baby is on 3 meals a day already.

FrannyandZooey · 11/08/2006 11:54

Yes, I don't think being on 3 meals a day is an irrevocable step. Many babies this age are still happily getting all their calories from milk, and whatstheplan's dd could be too, if she chooses to replace meals with milk again.

Bawdbabe · 11/08/2006 12:27

Biccipegs sell a doidy cup which is a slanted cup suitable for babies who won't take a bottle which I have heard is worth a try (although I haven't tried it myself) www.bickiepegs.co.uk

FrannyandZooey - just a question, you seem to have a lot of faith in WHO etc. and their recommendations don't you think that a mother knows her baby better than anyone and is able to read their signs? I think to just listen to and try to follow such guidlines without making small appropriate changes for your own child would be irresponsible and I don't think anyone here is saying we shouldn't listen to the guidelines, I personally feel that they are not the hard and fast rules for each child.
Out of interest did you follow these guidelines to the letter for your child(ren)?

NotQuiteCockney · 11/08/2006 12:29

I think it makes sense to follow the signs in the Kellymom site - not the usual "chews on hands, wakes in night, watches people eating, has feet, is big/small/medium-sized, makes noises" sorts of signs.

But I'd be suprised if those signs suggested weaning more than a week or two early, frankly.

(FYI - I offered DS2 a bit of red pepper when he was half a week from 6 months. He only really started eating solids at around 7 months.)

MrsBadger · 11/08/2006 12:38

pmsl at 'has feet, makes noises' - exactly the kind of meaningless twaddle they come out with

(I esp love the 'ooh, big for age - better wean' 'ooh, small for age - better wean' lack-of-logic dichotomy)

NotQuiteCockney · 11/08/2006 12:49

(off-topic: have emailed you, MrsB, in a stalkerish sort of way.)

FrannyandZooey · 11/08/2006 12:56

"just a question, you seem to have a lot of faith in WHO etc. and their recommendations don't you think that a mother knows her baby better than anyone and is able to read their signs"

No, I do agree with trusting a mother's instincts in some matters, but not when it comes to weaning, I don't. Because I know of mothers who have weaned when their children were 6 weeks old. Of mothers who give their babies things that make my hair curl. Things that are downright dangerous. Things that can lead to chronic illness later in life. I also know adults who are suffering chronic health problems - digestive disorders, exczema, allergies, and so on, many of whom put their problems down to early and inappropriate weaning.

I personally weaned my ds age 24 weeks, earlier than I believe he needed / wanted it. I was a first time mother with little support at the time and my hv well-meaningly but effectively sabotaged my confidence that ds could wait any longer (he was waking, in the night, a lot. Weaning made no difference to this, at all).

I honestly think that the guidelines are well-researched and there for a reason. What on earth reason would the WHO have to tell us all that all babies should wait until at least 6 months to have solids, if that is not the case?

NotQuiteCockney · 11/08/2006 12:58

Oooh, I was weaned very very early (6 weeks?). My mom was a big fan of cereal in the bottle, as was normal in those days. I have IBS, excema, a nasty antibiotic allergy, and asthma. Not sure which, if any, of these is due to early weaning, but I doubt it helped.

Mum2FunkyDude · 11/08/2006 13:09

I think whatstheplanstan has left the building, she only wanted to know if there was any advise on getting dd to drink more milk.......

FrannyandZooey · 11/08/2006 13:31

Yep, I think wtps has had our opinion on the matter, now we are chatting. We do that, sometimes.

tiktok · 11/08/2006 14:08

The science of giving solids at 6 mths and not before is pretty good - the Cochrane review (Kramer MS, Kakuma R. Optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding (Cochrane Review). The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2002) is on the web somewhere in full. This is an overview of the research up until then, and drawing conclusions only from the better quality of studies. There have been other papers since then which show that health outcomes are better in a number of respects if solids are given at six months and not before.

Obviously it's daft to think of every baby being ready at the same precise point on the calendar. But the evidence is that solids before six months have health risks, speaking generally.

Original poster

whatstheplanstan · 11/08/2006 17:50

I'm back. sorry I didn't say goodbye - doorbell went, oven beeping, baby waking up all at same time.

Haven't had a chance to read all WHO stuff, but there is a point about on a 'whole population basis' and reference to 3rd world countries and economic as well as social impact so I'm looking forward to reading it (think this is what hv was referring to)- will get back to you - maybe we should set up another thread to let others find it and join in.

DD seems to be self regulating and taking more milk today and less solids- i think it might be her teeth afterall as she is really gnawing at everything today and starting to get rosy cheeks!

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FrannyandZooey · 11/08/2006 18:09

Oh I am glad Tiktok came up with the goods

WTPS, we don't expect you to be on the site all day (just because some of us are )

Would you do that? Start another thread, when you have read the info? I would like to hear more about what you thought - sounds like you are a sceptic with a sound science knowledge so would be an interesting discussion

Glad dd's milk intake has improved, anyway.

Original poster

whatstheplanstan · 13/08/2006 17:19

Getting through all the stuff, so get the grey stuff in gear. Starting with Cochrane review. Will get back to you soon with new thread - so keep an eye out, will try and put link to it here if I can figure out how!

Probably be early next week

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Original poster

whatstheplanstan · 13/08/2006 17:19

Probably be early next week

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Original poster

whatstheplanstan · 13/08/2006 17:49

tiktok. Before I comment on Cochrane review can you point me in the direction of the subsequent papers. BTW what do you do = are you hv, mw or other science background or just interested party?

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FrannyandZooey · 13/08/2006 22:29

Just posting so this stays on my current thread list.

Original poster

whatstheplanstan · 14/08/2006 12:39

new thread on the 6 month guideline

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