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Weaning

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

Original poster

Anyone else starting an exclusively bfed 6 mo on solids this week and feeling nervous?

19 replies

malaleche · 19/03/2007 22:31

2nd baby but just feel like i havent got a clue!

OP posts:
jamiesamfreddie · 19/03/2007 22:35

I'll be in your position in a month! Will keep an eye on this thread as I feel the need for some help and reassurance too. And this is my 3rd baby, but first to wean at 6 months. I feel like we'll have only moments before it's time for meat!

Original poster
malaleche · 19/03/2007 22:38

Thing is she had her 6 m check up today and has not gained as much as she should have... Tried her on baby rice today and she wasnt at all sure...

OP posts:
KristinaM · 19/03/2007 22:42

no wonder, its a bit bland. what about pears? my babies loved pears

unless she is ill, dont take her for any more weight checks. babies are NEVER the right weight according to HVs

Original poster
malaleche · 19/03/2007 22:45

am going to try apple tomorrow...the rice had soy formula mixed in, it was nice, i finished it

OP posts:
JodieG1 · 19/03/2007 22:51

Don't forget that it's all about taste at just 6 months not calories in food, the milk is where baby will be gaining weight from still for quite a while. Don't worry about trying to get lots of food in just give food for taste and I'd suggest starting with savoury too. I plan on blw with my 3rd now as that seems the way to go for us

I only ever took mine to be weighed for my own curiosity and never spoke to the hv about anything.

Original poster
malaleche · 19/03/2007 22:56

Thing is i feel like ive hardly any milk to give her and the last few days shes hardly pooed at all and when she does its green... shes happy and full of beans apart from that, but it still worries me

OP posts:
KristinaM · 19/03/2007 23:24

good info on coloured poos

baby-poop

fatmumslim · 19/03/2007 23:25

I am in similar situation to jamiesamfreddie with third child - but first to wean at 6 months. Ds is now 5 months and I don't know if to start him soon. he's waking at night (about 3 times) but has never ever slept through so I don't know if it's because he is hungry or not! he's happy in the day, but just feeds a lot (19lbs)... and at night. I wonder if people found their children slept better once weaned? (I know it's my 3rd child but it feels like my first!)

JodieG1 · 19/03/2007 23:30

My ds1 was over 15lb at 10 weeks (7lb 12 and a half at birth) and that really has no bearing on when to wean. He slept okish but fed a lot day and night.

What makes you think you don't have much milk?

JodieG1 · 19/03/2007 23:33

Oh and ds2 weighs about the same now at 9 weeks as ds1 at 10 weeks!

GingGangGooley · 20/03/2007 08:43

I can confirm that weaning does not help babies to sleep through.

If anything it can disrupt them for a bit until therir stomachs get used to digesting something other than milk.

I agree with the HV thing. Also my friend has a chart somewhere for BF babies as the current ones are based on all babies and forumla fed babies tend to be bigger so it's inaccurate iyswim. I'll try and get it for you.

I only ever go and get DD weighed then walk out again, it's not worth getting advice from them and if i was seriously concerned about something I would take her to the doctor.

Baby Led Weaning is brilliant and you should read up about it before you start. I went the traditional route with my DS andf BLW with DD and it is so much less stressful and in fact quite fun!

have a look at this there is lots of the research and Gill Rapley's paper on there. ALso if you are worried about gagging and choking read the article under "all things baby led weaning"

Above all don't fret! this can be a very enjoyable time for both you and your baby.

Original poster
malaleche · 20/03/2007 14:12

Hi again, well BLW looks good in theory and probably in practice too but...

  1. i am far too anal about mess and baby only gets bathed 2 x a week at present due to it being cold and not enough time, her hair would be full of dried food most of the week...
  2. I and DP have hayfever and I have food allergies and DD1 had eczema as a baby so according to the links below we should discuss it with our 'health advisors'. Since we only have an old-fashioned paediatrician who thinks im weird already and no HV there isnt really anyone we can discuss it with.

I dont see the problem in starting with purees and then in a couple of months letting baby pick up and eat her food by herself...

She has definately been hungrier in the last week or so and hasnt gained much in the last 2 months (6,150 gr at 4 mo and now 6,800 at 6 mo, i know we shouldnt pay much attention to weight gain so long as baby is not actually ill but...), she woke 3 times for a feed last night instead of once...
Think I need to get some extra calories in her as fast as possible and then will be able to relax a bit and let her play around with food more.

OP posts:
Original poster
malaleche · 20/03/2007 14:35

sorry thats 1, 2 of course

OP posts:
fatmumslim · 20/03/2007 22:38

Thanks for the link to baby lad weaning. I'd not heard of it before and was amazed to see the pictures of the baby eating chunks of broccoli etc! Has anyone had good experiences of blw? what about things like grapes/ small tomatoes - surely some things need cutting up?

AitchYouBerk · 21/03/2007 09:46

try www.babyledweaning.com as well.

to be honest malaleche, the thing about the health advisors is just a pointless caveat, as with so many in parenthood. you're right, they generally don't know anything about it. but the schedule for introducing foods remains the same whether it is handed over whole or mushed. in fact, there is a case to be made that children instinctively refuse foods to which they are allergic if they are allowed to self-feed.

and there is a lot of mess in the early days of BLW, but it tends to go more on the floor than the baby ime. carrot sticks and peach pieces are picked out of a baby's hair easier than their pureed equivalents.

obviously do what you think is best/most convenient/most fun etc for you and your baby, but i just wanted to correct those misapprehensions as they may be seen by others. good luck with weaning, hope you managed to find the rice and things you were looking for.

AitchYouBerk · 21/03/2007 09:47

and fatmumslim, yo're deffo right. grapes must be cut up for all babies. and if i could get my daughter to go within half a mile of a tomato, then the same would apply.

lulumama · 21/03/2007 09:52

my bottle fed DD never gained as much weight as she ought to ,,and was a poor eater....but BLW was a postive experience...i mean it still is, but at 19 months and using cutlery, i;m not really weaning her, she is just feeding herself !

also, both my DCs slept through at weeks old, so nothing to do with food at all !! some babies sleep earlier than others, c;est la vie !!

BUT ...took the pressure off in terms of worrying about how many cubes of puree to give, and desperately trying to shove one more spoon in !

also, the convenience of going out for a meal and taking sandwiches or pitta or finger food for DD she could just eat , or feeding her off our plates was fab !

i;ve said it before i;ll no doubt say it again, the sight of her with a big floret of broccoli on her chubby fist was one of the cutest things ever !!!

Original poster
malaleche · 21/03/2007 10:18

thanks aitch and lulumama, think i'll try a mixture of spoon-fed puree and letting her help herself to big chunks.

OP posts:
AitchYouBerk · 21/03/2007 10:35

great, so long as you're happy she'll love it i'm sure.

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