6 month old (8 weeks prem) weaning!

[smolly12]

Hi all,

First time Mum here so feel completely lost with this weaning stuff

My daughter has been weaning for the last 3 weeks or so and all going well so far.

Breakfast - banana baby porridge followed by a 5oz bottle.

Lunch - 7oz bottle.

Dinner - 1 jar of baby food followed by a jar of baby rice pudding or baby custard and some formula milk after.

Supper - 7oz bottle then bed.

She’s really enjoying weaning but I feel she could be ready to try a lunch.

I’ve been giving her the Ella’s Kitchen Melty Puffs inbetween meals, but her grasp isn’t perfect just yet so often drops it or misses her mouth which has kinda put me off trying other finger foods for a more baby lead weaning approach.

Am I being a bit overly nervous and should I try her with toast and things like that or stick with the puréed?

She’s nearly 7 months old now, but from a corrected stand point she would only be 5 months.

Any advice would be great!

The current nhs guidelines for full term babies is to move up to offering solids 3 times a day between 8 and 9 months OP, this includes any solids you are giving. It’s so that they don’t cut down on their milk feeds too quickly and get enough fat and protein to grow.

I don’t know if the advice is different for babies born prematurely. Hopefully someone will be along soon who knows

Have you read the Weaning guide by Bliss too?

Ah great!

Sometimes she can be a complete gannit and just never seem full even after a jar of 4month+ food which made me feel she might be ready for 3 times a day?

Breakfast she seems happy enough with her baby porridge and a bottle so I think I at least have that nailed (for now)

If you think she’s not getting full from the jars, have you tried making her some food yourself? I’m not judging, my first was fed from jars a lot but they do contain a lot of water and not much protein. Just thinking she might be more satisfied with something like Banana-cado or Chicken, apricot and chickpea puree.

As for the finger foods, usually they are ready when they can pick them up and put them in their mouths. Have you tried giving her some steamed brocolli to see if she can manage to get it near her mouth?

Forgot to ask. Have you been advised to give the milk after or with food? Only it’s normal with full term babies to offer the milk first and the food about an hour later to make sure they are getting enough milk. Just wondered if you had been given Weaning advice especially aimed at premature babies?

I haven’t been given any weaning advice. Just using things like other friends who have/have had babies and google.

I explained to the dietician that my daughter had an appointment with at the hospital what I’d been doing and she said as long as she was getting at least 600ml of formula or breast milk throughout the day it was really down to baby how she preferred it.

I have been offering the food first then the milk after, overall she takes around 22oz of milk a day.

Jar wise I’ve been offering this as I’m on my own and been following Cambridge myself so don’t so much have food in the house as I’m on their products solely.

I was also a bit worried about how she would go with non-puréed food - think I might be just being a nervous nelly tho!

I’ll get some broccoli and see how she goes with it. She manages the melty puff’s ok - hasn’t quite grasped how to eat the last little bit that she’s holding onto tho lol!

The Dietician is correct in saying that she should be having at least 6oo ml but that is an absolute minimum. Did the Bliss guide help at all?