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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

Help needed - been advised to wean at 3 1/2 months and need advice

66 replies

TearingMyHairOut · 11/10/2006 20:43

My ds1 is now 13 weeks and we have had an array of problems with feeding. It's mainly to do with reflux, but to cut a long story short he appears to have some sort of negative associations with feeding and is only taking 3oz bottles. We went to hospital to see paediatrician today and they told me to start weaning at 3 1/2 months, partly to give different experience of eating, partly because it will sit better in tummy. I don't have a clue what to offer, when to offer and how much. I'm not sure books will help me as he's younger than the advised age so it may be quite different. Please any help would be good.

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VeniVidiVickiQV · 11/10/2006 20:46

goodness!

Im loath to argue with a paediatricians advice, but I would have thought that a baby with digestive problems could do without early weaning.

Did the paediatrician not give you any tips or advice with regard to what to feed him?

Seems like rather ominous advice to give out without backing it up with some useful information for you, you poor thing.

The only thing i could suggest is to just keep going with feeding 3oz bottles very often. It will improve eventually. I gather you have tried gaviscon etc?

If you really must give him solid food, best to start with baby rice mixed with milk whatever age.

dizzybint · 11/10/2006 20:51

could you maybe get a second opinion? did the paediatrician suggest anything else or just weaning?

evilstepmom · 11/10/2006 20:53

I'm also loathe to argue with the medical profession but I would also seek a second opinion. I had to stop weaning dd after beginning weaning at 4 months as she got much too constipated and wasn't happy at all.
sorry things not good for you, hope it gets better

CountTo10 · 11/10/2006 20:55

My hv advised me to wean my ds when he was a similar age and he too had reflux. His was more to do with the fact that his appetite was getting a bit out of control.

I was very nervous about doing it so early so held off for a couple of weeks and at 16 weeks (which was the original guided weaning age) and started with a basic baby rice and pear. This is how it went:

Week 1 - began trying to give 1 tbsp of baby rice with lunchtime (12pm) feed
Week 2 - as well as giving 1 tbsp of baby rice with lunch, reduced milk feed at same meal by 1 oz, started to offer 1 tbsp puree pear at teatime (4.30pm) along normal milk feed
Week 3 - upped lunch rice meal to 2 tbsp and reduced milk feed at teatime by 1 0z
Week 4 - upped lunch rice meal to 3 tbsp reducing milk feed by another 1 oz and increased dinner pear meal to 2 tbsp
Week 5 - kept lunch rice meal to 3 tbsp and offered 1 cube of pear, kept dinne meal at 2 tbsp pear and dropped milk feed another 1 0z
Week 6 - mixed in 1 cube of sweet potatoe in with rice, added a rice meal to the dinner meal

This went on so that by 6 mths he had been introduced to most fruits and vegetables, was taking 3 meals and was ready to be introduced to things like chicken etc.

Hmmm sorry if this was too much detail!!!!

Original poster

TearingMyHairOut · 11/10/2006 20:57

We've tried gaviscon and ranitadine and none have improved it. I can't feed him any more often because he refuses it and this week he hasn't put on weight at all. We've tried everything to calm him, keeping him upright, propping head end of cot etc etc but nothing has helped. Everyone said he'd calm at three months but he's worse than ever the past few days. I just dont' know what to do anymore.

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hairymclary · 11/10/2006 21:00

tmho i too would not wean him yet, his gut is not ready for solid food.

my ds was mixed fed and he was still only taking 3oz bottles at 13 weeks. he only ever took a max of 6oz at a go and that was when he was about 9-10 months old.

take your cue from him, he'll eat when he is hungry. I cannot believe that a 13 week old can have negative fod associations that would cause him to not drink milk when hungry.

Original poster

TearingMyHairOut · 11/10/2006 21:00

CountTo10 - so it didn't cause him any problmes then. Everyone except peadiatrician has advised me against it...?

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hairymclary · 11/10/2006 21:02

I don't know much about reflux, but I do remember reading on here how precise doses of ranitadne need to be, so if he puts on weight he may need a bigger dose.

My advice (and i'm not an HP) would be to see another doctor and ask their advice on the reflux to see if you can't sort that out first before thinking about weaning.

You can be prescribed "stay-down" formula for reflux-y babies too, have you tried that?

CountTo10 · 11/10/2006 21:02

What about the specific formula they now prescribe for reflux? I think my friends use something called infamil and they said it saved them!!! I feel for you as I know how hard it is having a lo with reflux. We were very lucky that gaviscon worked for us or at least stemmed the flow. Once they are on solids you do notice one hell of a difference.
I do hope things improve and if you haven't tried or discussed the specific type of formula then you should do right away.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 11/10/2006 21:04

I think that you need quite an acute angle of cot tilt iirc.

You can get wedge shaped mattresses for this purpose. Have you looked into this?

It must be exhausting for you...

Original poster

TearingMyHairOut · 11/10/2006 21:04

He just seems so unhappy all the time. Every day he tries to beat his own record for how long he can scream for. Today we hit 2 1/2 hours non-stop and that was just the first episode of the day. Surely if his feeding has decreased and this week he's had no weight gain that can't be good?

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Original poster

TearingMyHairOut · 11/10/2006 21:04

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saggarmakersbottomknocker · 11/10/2006 21:04

Tearing - could the paed not have offered you something to increase the calorie count of the formula first? That way he take can a smaller amount but still get enough to gain weight. We used maxijul and calogen. The maxijul is a powder so also thickens the milk a little and helps it to stay put. It's a little unfair of him to tell you to wean but not offer further advice.

hairymclary · 11/10/2006 21:06

just got this from kellymom:

If solids are started before a baby's system is ready to handle them, they are poorly digested and may cause unpleasant reactions (digestive upset, gas, constipation, etc.). Protein digestion is incomplete in infancy. Gastric acid and pepsin are secreted at birth and increase toward adult values over the following 3 to 4 months. The pancreatic enzyme amylase does not reach adequate levels for digestion of starches until around 6 months, and carbohydrate enzymes such as maltase, isomaltase, and sucrase do not reach adult levels until around 7 months. Young infants also have low levels of lipase and bile salts, so fat digestion does not reach adult levels until 6-9 months.

Original poster

TearingMyHairOut · 11/10/2006 21:07

We have been told to use cow and gate omneo comfort which is the thicker stay down milk.

The paed checked the dose of ranitidine today and it was correct for his weight

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crunchie · 11/10/2006 21:07

With reflux it can be really hard, I had a baby with this who had huge problems. Weaning early could work as it thickens the food and cannot be brought back up so easily. We got special milk thickenrs prescribed for this. However baby rice would so the same thing. I agree with teh advice given as it was the only thing that stopped the projectile vomiting of my baby and helped her put on weight.

Obviously in normal circumstances I would agree with later weaning, but in this case why do you all think the advise MUST be wrong, surely a pediatrician - we are NOT talking daft HV here - knows babies better than you lot do??

I woudl do exactly what the pediatrician said starting with baby rice, I would actually try to put it in the milk tbh, rather than in addition to teh bottle, secondly a tiny teaspoonful offered when you are offering a bottle would be the way I woudl start. I woudl probably do this for 4 weeks until the 16 week guideline that used to be suggested, then continue with adding veggies etc

CountTo10 · 11/10/2006 21:09

It didn't cause him any problems at all - if anything he thrived on it. He was a big boy who I began bf and then moved onto formula. I was nervous but the hv's were still used to working to the 4 mth guidline. I think at the end of the day if you take it very slowly and start off with just rice and then pear (which is good for preventing constipation) you can build it up gradually until they are more developed and can start taking in veg etc. You don't have to start giving him chicken casserole just yet!! He'll prob only take a couple of small baby spoons for the first couple of weeks if that much anyway.
My advice would be, have a chat to your gp or hv and get some more advice. If they say the same thing, plan out how you think it should go. Meat, fish etc and gluten (inc pasta) should not be introduced before 6 mths so that leaves you with baby rice, fruit and veg before that point and lots of time to work with should you decide to go ahead.

Original poster

TearingMyHairOut · 11/10/2006 21:10

oh crikey...now it's made me think weaning is going to cause him even more problems. We had to stop gaviscon as it made him constipated and so they told us to use lactolose as well and that must have given him a tummy ache becayse even one dose gave him the runs. He seems to have so many little things going on for him that he's in constant discomfort

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hairymclary · 11/10/2006 21:11

until now has he been putting on weight ok and following a line on the chart?

moaningpaper · 11/10/2006 21:13

Perhaps the pead. could get you together with the dietician or similar to work out a detailed feeding plan?

It sounds awful - good luck and well done for getting so far without going completely mad.

saggarmakersbottomknocker · 11/10/2006 21:13

I don't disagrre with the paed - just trying to delay a little longer.

My ds's were both weaned at 16 weeks, actually ds1 a little earlier, they've not suffered as far as I can tell. They're teenagers now and that was the recommendation then. We just started with baby rice at tea-time and then pureed fruit/veg.

dd had reflux/oral aversion so I do understand your frustrations.

Mum2FunkyDude · 11/10/2006 21:15

I agree with crunchie, under specific circumstances cases need to be looked at, at an individual level. Her baby has a history of reflux, the pead. wasn't merely giving her advice to get out the door. CountTo10 has a very good layout of, in my opinion, a good starting point. It will be slow, but it will help with weight increase. He probably is crying more because he is hungry and it all ends up in a vicious cycle.

Good Luck I hope he gets better soon!

hairymclary · 11/10/2006 21:15

btw i think a lot of reflux babies tend to eat small amounts, more often because it's easier to keep down.

hairymclary · 11/10/2006 21:19

it may sit better and help him feel fuller, but it could damage his gut and lead to more problems long term.

I honestly, honestly would wait until at least 16 weeks (if not longer) it's only 2.5 weeks away

Original poster

TearingMyHairOut · 11/10/2006 21:19

He's been following the 50th centile up to 11 weeks. Week 12 he kept there just about an oz under and this week he'd put on nothing.

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