Struggling with weaning

[tiredmums]

I’m struggling to wean my 7 month old little girl, she started having baby porridge at 6 months and I slowly moved onto carrot and sweet potato, since she started weaning she has been really constipated on and off, I have to keep stopping with proper food and going back to milk, she is on moviol and when I take her off food and back onto just milk she starts pooing again then as soon as we start trying with food again she gets constipated again, I’m at a loss with what to do, she doesn’t like water or diluted juice or baby juice, my boyfriend keeps saying just stop weaning her but surely at 7 months she shouldn’t still just be on milk, when she’s constipated she’s a nightmare, crying and screaming in pain one time she didn’t poo for 10 days, help!!

Also for anyone going to say I'm basically starving her by giving her solids at her age, she has 3 8oz bottles a day and I was told by the health visitor that I should start to give her solids at least 2 times a day

This sounds very similar to my DD (7.5 mo). Weaning is really up and down and she's suffered with constipation too. I've been through weaning before with my DS and he took to it like a dream so it's been a bit of a shock that she's fighting it.

One thing I've found, and I don't know if you've been feeding your baby them, but bananas can cause constipation. I didn't realise that, and was giving DD lots of mashed banana as she was enjoying it, but now we're limiting it to a couple of times a week which has helped. We bought a pouch of Ella's Kitchen prunes as well which definitely had the desired effect!

It's easy to worry (i can't help worrying either), but please try not to. I mentioned my concerns to the HV the other day and she said not to worry, baby is still little and she will get there!

My ds only really took to solids properly at 8 months and we had a lot of issues before this with vomiting / sensitive gag reflex and bugs which affected his appetite. He dropped down to 3 bottles at 8/9 months.

Not sure about the constipation but try the EK prune pouches? Fruit beginning with p are the best apparently. Keep trying the water too and add half teaspoon brown sugar to 4oz cooled boiled water. One day she may just start to take it

I'd take it slower with the weaning. They don't need much food to start with. Also you could try giving it her in finger food form rather then spoon feeding.

The advantage with this is they eat last but taste more, as it's more about trying different tastes and textures to start with. It'll also give her gut more time to adjust.

It's very common for babies to become constipated when feeding to much solids. Yes avoid to much banana and stay away from follow on milks as well they contain more iron and can also add to the problem. First stage milk is fine until 12 months.

Until they are one, virtually all of baby's nutrition comes from milk. There are hardly any calories in some vegetable mush and she won't be taking enough to have enough fluids hence the constipation.

Really, you should keep offering the milk as before, but with the solids in between. Baby will drop feeds as they are ready.

Prunes and pear puree worked for us. It's really common for them to get constipated, there digestive system has to learn what to do with this food. Try giving a bit less and at one meal even alternate days just go slowly and it'll work out. The advice us to use the movicol to prevent them avoiding pooing

No rush on the food. Aim for them to be eating three meals by one, so take it super slowly. Peas, pears, prunes for constipation. My 18 month old is prone to it still so she gets a pouch of pears or prunes with breakfast every day which helps. (Unfortunately she won’t eat real pears 😖). Don’t rush and don’t panic