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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

3 HVs advised me to wean at 21 weeks - looking for support or otherwise

125 replies

Bethbe · 18/04/2007 20:43

Have always planned to wean DS1 at 6 months (a week late actually to have a bf camping trip), but my DS1 has changed his feeding behaviour and now on three seperate occassions a HV has suggested that it could be time for something else.

LO has always been a hungry baby, - has been drinking between 11-13oz EBM for evening feed since I first began expressing when he was 4 weeks old. He has always loved his food and has always fed on the breast aggressively and focussed, not playing or using me as a dummy.

He is also very physically developed. I've never had to hold his head, and he has been able to stand supported since birth. He's not particularly fat, but he is a bit of a bruiser.

Over the past couple of weeks he has began to get very fussy on the breast. He's been wanting to feed all the time, but when I put him on he keeps pulling off (dragging my nipple) and crying and then does a quick scream and re-latches for a couple of sucks and then pulls off again.

The above is all that I have told the HVs, but in addition:

He is also a human canabal, munching on any part of my (or my DHs) body that he can get his mouth near.

I know he can swallow, because he munches and swallows both his regurgetated milk that comes back up, and flem from his recent colds.

He makes swipes at my food (but I think this is probably more out of interest than to feed).

I've been following many of the weaning threads to guide me and many suggest that there is no harm in waiting, but if it is true that he needs more than what I am giving and the battle and misery that it would take to wait, then surely it would be more harmful to wait.

One of my worries though, is that the reason for our frustrated and unhappy feeding is being overlooked if indeed weaning is not the answer.

Any suggestions gratefully received!

Thanks!

OP posts:
VeniVidiVickiQV · 18/04/2007 22:14

I think you are right UCM.

It is the raison d'etre of babies to put things in their mouths.

foxybrown · 18/04/2007 22:15

am sceptical, I admit. Will check out the website and investigate further, thank you, but I think I'll stick to baby rice and mush for the next one...

appreciate your help,thanks

foxybrown · 18/04/2007 22:17

don't teething babies put things in their mouths as the pressure of biting on things relieves the pain?

saralou100 · 18/04/2007 22:22

bethbe, i've posted my opinon on the post-natal thread!

i just can't subscribe to the idea that early weening doesn't do any harm, ok, yeah some babies may be fine.. eg, my mum weened me early at 13wks (avice was 16 wks) but i was a 'hungry' baby and a spoonfull of food satisfied me.

i have exzema, allergies and an overly sensitive stomach... now i'm not blaming her, but according to current research and advice, who knows?

Original poster
Bethbe · 18/04/2007 22:22

I thought Aitch was really against weaning before 26 weeks though!?

I haven't tried, but I am in no doubt that my LO would put the carrot in his mouth, chew and swallow. He already munches and swallows his regurgetated cottage-cheese-like milk, - I'm often looking at him wondering what he is eating! And he swipes for my food if on my lap!

OP posts:
saralou100 · 18/04/2007 22:23

oh and ds2 is all bitey and frettfull at the moment.. he's teething, all the extra dribble and flushed cheeks nd erratic feeding point in that direction.

and a growth spurt!

VeniVidiVickiQV · 18/04/2007 22:26

Not entirely...you really need to speak to her directly I think.

Her view is that the 26 week guideline is there for good reason, and without an endoscope to check out gut maturity you just cant tell.

However, the baby led weaning theory incorporates the fact that physical development matches/mirrors gut maturity. Therefore, if a baby can hold, mouth, chew and swallow a stick of carrot at 22 weeks - then it is likely their gut is ready. Do you see?

nappyzone · 18/04/2007 22:27

hiya sounds like you r having a mare - the blw blog is a good read, sounds like teething a bit but then could be that babe is off his grub - you mention had/has a cold. If your in pain and getting to end of tether and worried about the centile thing etc... you could offer a formulae feed to see if its taken better (please dont shoot), ride it out if your strong but you knwo whats best for your baby. These threads get quite heated and i should know as my first ever post was on here and i was slated - take the advice as some of it is really helpfuland makes you reevaluate things but at the end of the day you know your baby best. goodluck and please post again to let us know how you got on.

UCM · 18/04/2007 22:32

I DO agree with Crunchie to be honest though.

I will be giving DD homemade crusts as soon as she starts wanting to chomp on something.

There is flour, yeast & water in my bread. I am not sure what is in rice.

BUT I will be giving her milk for as long as she wants it.

amijee · 18/04/2007 22:34

well done for breast feeding this long.

I think teething may be a big issue by the sounds of it - I find wet flannels helpful.

I would be a little careful re BLW. Whenever I give my ds something in his hand, he breaks a large piece off ( still no teeth) and then vomits after swallowing it.

For what it's worth, I started very tentative weaning - (baby rice etc) when ds was approx 22 weeks as I went back to work at 20 weeks. ( and the plan was not to give formula but it didn't quite work) It's hard work - and even though they may look as if they want everything you eat...it's not always the case.

You are not far off from 26 weeks so I would review it on a week by week basis - as well as monitering the weight. If his weight continues to drop, it would be worthwhile looking for medical causes.

UCM · 18/04/2007 22:34

Sorry, I will give her a crust to chew on before 6 months is what I meant, but nothing else.

Original poster
Bethbe · 18/04/2007 22:37

Isn't there gluten in bread?

Nappy, DS1 has had the odd formula feed, when he's needed to drink more than 13oz EBM and I haven't expressed enough. He doesn't seem to notice the difference.

He also had water a couple of times(advised by a different HV - but I stopped it after a bit of research) - and he didn't seem to even notice. If he can put it in his mouth and swallow it'll do for him!

His cold is better, - has been for a while!

OP posts:
UCM · 18/04/2007 22:41

Not if you make your own as far as I know.

Original poster
Bethbe · 18/04/2007 22:46

UCM - I thought it was in the flour! - but then I thought gluten was in rice too, so don't pay any attention to me!

OP posts:
percypig · 18/04/2007 23:14

Hi again Bethbe, I was posting earlier then got distracted by Desperate Housewives. Just wanted to say glad you've got some more advice and have felt supported, that's one of the best things about mumsnet.

We went for BLW and are huge fans, so if you have more questions about it, apart from checking out Aitch's excellent blog, I'll be happy to try and answer them.

Hope tomorrow's feeding is a bit easier.

NoBiggy · 18/04/2007 23:29

Gluten is the stuff that makes the bread dough stretchy, so when you get bubbles they are kept in the bread. Otherwise, flat manky bread.

When DD1 had a spell of mucking about I found she'd only settle to feeding if we were laying down. So that's what we did, wherever it was possible to.

DD2 is having a bite on me at the mo, for a laugh by the look on her face. She's getting the message I think, as I stop the feed and sit her on the floor when she does it.

AitchTwoOh · 19/04/2007 00:06

bi there, VVV has basically said what i think, but bear in mind i am only someone who has done BLW and read up about it, i'm not technically an expert.
thing is, everything that everyone's said about calories is true, so if it's straight hunger then milk should do the trick.
if it was my baby i'd try to stick it out a bit longer, maybe try some gum gel to see if teething is the problem? but let's say you stick it our for a week maybe, and the situation is still the same then i'd offer my baby a stick of carrot and see what happened. i probably would hold off from gluten until 6 months, though, so i'd keep it very non allergicky until then.

UCM · 19/04/2007 00:15

One HV told me that young girls still give their children milk at 1.5 because it's better than McDonalds. I am not talking cows milk here either.

UCM · 19/04/2007 00:15

I am talking formula. So it does go from one extreme to the other.

mears · 19/04/2007 00:18

Rememebr at this age babies 'feel' with their mouths (oral phase) so they put anything and everything in it. It is not a sign of hunger. I would wait another 5 weeks.

MrsThierryHenry · 19/04/2007 00:25

Hi Bethbe, I've heard that a 17lb baby can be weaned even if under 6m. Also if your son's temperament has changed and he's become more ratty it could well be that he's not getting enough calories. I'm just guessing (not an expert) - if I were underfed I'd get ratty too, as well as light-headed and low blood sugar, etc etc. I think you should def get pro advice. A friend of mine has a baby who like yours has always been a hungry feeder and she weaned him at 4m.

Good luck!

kamikayzed · 19/04/2007 00:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AitchTwoOh · 19/04/2007 00:41

no you definitely can't be sure, that's what she was saying. it's only a theory, like all the others... i'd try to stick it out, but if all else fails then there are a couple of people on here already who started BLW a bit earler. pinktulips and wallace, they are, you could ask them what thei experiences were and how they got started.
hopefully it's just some teething, though, and a spot of gum gel will sort it.

HoratioMcCain · 20/04/2007 10:28

I'm still bf my dd (28wks) and she went through a similar phase at about the same age.

I switched our feeds to a quiet room with no distractions and she'd feed if hungry, and if she was just messing about I'd take her off and try again later when she was showing hunger signs again.

We started BLW at 26 weeks, up until then we'd had 2-3 hourly feeds but dd was putting on weight fine. Teething explained a lot of the behaviours similar to your lo

Original poster
Bethbe · 20/04/2007 16:09

Thanks H!

I'm planning to wait a week, then if it is still going on see a bfc.

Trouble is I have to switch to formula now for the evening feed because his links EBM/bottle with the long sleep and there's no way I can express the 13oz at the moment with my nipples being soooo sore with all his ripping off nonsense!

OP posts: