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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

BLW and a hungry baby

50 replies

catnip · 07/07/2007 22:05

DS is nearly 6 months - he can handle and suck food but he can't swallow any of it. I know the "food for fun until they're one thing", and I wouldn't be worrying, but he seems to be really hungry. I also know that breast milk is more calorific than anything else, but he was so hungry at night, and crying after he had fed that I started to give him some baby rice,and the odd bottle of formula, which I had never intended to do.

He's happy, I mix rice and finger foods, and I'm not really worried, but I feel confused, and tbh a bit of a failure - tho I can't really articulate why. Is it really possible to fulfil all your baby's needs with just breast milk for 6 months - if so, why couldn't I? Or should I just chill out about it and think that BLW is just listening for the needs of your baby?

OP posts:

terramum · 08/07/2007 23:02

Kellymom has a page specifically about iron:

www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/iron.html

tiktok · 08/07/2007 23:17

I'm not needed - there's plenty of decent, evidence-based information that the iron in breastmilk when a baby is 6 months old is present, is easily available in a form usable by the baby, and that it is ridiculous to think the baby wakes up aged 6 mths exactly and desperate for iron from other sources....it makes sense to make other foods available from about this age and the baby will gradually supplement the iron in breastmilk with iron from other foods as he starts to eat from a wider variety of foods.
More or less what's aleady been said, I think

Aitch · 08/07/2007 23:25

aaah, tiktok. where were you on the 'woman thrown out of bfing cafe' thread? i was really interested to know what you thought.

whomovedmychocolate · 09/07/2007 06:14

Thanks TikTok (she's saved me from premature weaning twice so far so I do like her a lot). I'm going to stop worrying about feeding DD pickled yak as of today!

angelscomeinthrees · 09/07/2007 08:02

How lovely to be slagged off because my daughter nearly died due to iron deficiency, therefore I have an opinion on the subject. I know bmilk has enough iron for a 6 mo old. It doesn't for a 1 yr old. Yet I was merrily told on here to carry on bfeeding dd2 and letting her have miniscule amounts of finger food b/c 'she would find her own level'. She didn't, she just upped the bfeeds. I listened to people on here instead of the health professionals who warned me that dd2 was in danger of becoming anaemic. I was a mug.

Catnip, all I said was don't get hung up about it. If BLW is working fine, but if it isn't it's no big deal. I couldn't bfeed two of my kids and I could have died with shame with dd1. With ds, it's how it is, I make up for it in other ways. Like any aspect of parenting, you do what works for your family regardless of the opinion of others.

Thanks everyone for reminding me why I deleted my membership a while ago. I'm off do do it again.

tiktok · 09/07/2007 08:18

angels, I am really sorry if anything I said upset you. I didn't know any of your history, or the fact you were talking about iron at age 12 mths...and I don't see where anyone was slagging you off....I am mystified

tiktok · 09/07/2007 08:19

aitch - didn't see that thread, where was it?

tiktok · 09/07/2007 08:24

angels - people on here told you to carry on breastfeeding and to continue offering solids, is that what happened? This is normally sound with a healthy baby.

Yet a baby being 'in danger of being anaemic' is not a baby who is at death's door - sorry if I don't know all the facts, I am just going on what you have said here.

I don't want to upset you more, just to clarify things, and as you have practically accused mumnset for making your daughter ill, I think clarification is needed. Hope you accept that. I hate to think that anything I said, for instance, was so misleading or wrong, a baby became ill.

angelscomeinthrees · 09/07/2007 11:01

tiktok, no, you haven't offended me in the least - I think slating my opinions was well established on this thread before you arrived! Specifically what I was told on here was that the miniscule amounts of food she was having and the vast quantity of bmilk was fine as she was 'still finding her level' 'she'll eat when she's ready' etc etc. I don't blame mnet as at the end of the day I have a brain and I should have used it. What I wished I'd done is cut back hard on dd2's bfs (once she was past one, obviously) arther than having night feeds like she was a nb, but I think I was still so hung up about not bfeeding dd1 I couldn't see the wood for the trees, and the advice I got here was what I wanted to hear. Dd2's anaemia meant that she got very sick and listening to her screaming for half an hour while they did her lumbar puncture was appalling - but then the results were negative, so I count our blessings. Anyway, what I was trying to get across to Catnip was that you shouldn't get so hung up on a parenting style or theory that when things don't go as you think they will you beat yourself up, don't enjoy your dcs as you should or loseyour own sense of judgement. I will never know if I'd done things differently with dd2 whether the outcome would have been the same - interestingly she fills up on apple juice rather than food given half a chance - but you can see why I believe that BLW (like anything else to do with parenting) isn't goping to be right for every child and you should go with the flow.

Anyway, now I will delete my membership - I didn't get the chance earlier - I'd only been back since Friday morning!

terramum · 09/07/2007 11:13

Blimey Angel that sounds really scary what you went through. What a lot to go through for the sake of a simple blood test. Did any of the health professionals not spot the iron deficiency then - was no test offered?

thehairybabysmum · 09/07/2007 11:40

Hello Catnip...i would just say follow your own instincts; if you feel he is hungry then give him more food as well as the milk if you think that's what he needs. I weaned slightly before 6 months as ds seemed to be ready...if your baby is nearly 6 months then cant see what harm it wil do. As with all guidance the WHO stuff about 6 months is advice and wont fit all babies rigidly until exactly 6 months old!

Personally im not sure about food is for fun until one...not true for my ds but as you know every baby is different.

BLW sounds great in theory but also there is no harm in spoon feeding some types of food that suit it and finger foods for other types that suit that.

If im having a dinner that is shepherds pie i will use cutlery, if im having a sandwich i will use my fingers...whichever more appropriate so i just see it as the same for DS.

angelscomeinthrees · 09/07/2007 11:40

terramum, they didn't want to put her through a blood test 'unneccesarily' but at the same time told us not to give her iron w/out a proper diagnosis. It wasn't until her second collapse last year that they worked out how much iron dd2 needed and prescribed it for her.

ruddynorah · 09/07/2007 11:54

the OP is talking about a not yet 6 month old baby, not a child over 1 year old who isn't eating. hence the suggestions people have offered.

Aitch · 09/07/2007 12:01

who on here advised you that a one-year-old child eating no solids and bfing constantly wouldn't need some sort of iron supplement? it was one of the first things i said on this thread because you do have to be more cautious at one, i think. i've read many times on here that you shouldn't cut back feeds before the age of one, but after might be a different story.
it does seem cruel that they did a lumbar puncture rather than a blood test, i've had one myself, they're not pretty. I'm not really understanding this, tbh, surely the medics were recommending an iron supplement if she was on bm alone past one?

Aitch · 09/07/2007 12:03

exactly ruddynorah, catnip's baby has another 6 months before this could even start to become an issue, surely?

Aitch · 09/07/2007 12:14

oh hang on... the lumbar puncture would have been for the meningitis scare, now i see. are meningitis symptoms similar to anaemia symptoms?

terramum · 09/07/2007 12:15

Angel that's awful - I would be & as well if that had happened to me.

tiktok · 09/07/2007 12:17

angels, I am still mystified.....a baby not having anything but breastmilk alone at age one might well need something more, and the mum would at the very least need a chat with the HV or dietitian to see if there would be any tricks to get something iron-rich into her, and yes, anaemia would need checking out if there were worrying symptoms and a baby with anaemia would need treatment.

I can't remember seeing anything on mumsnet that would have suggested anything else....maybe you mininterpreted posts offering support and encouragement?

whomovedmychocolate · 09/07/2007 21:33

Angel - I understand you had a scary experience but can you please read what you actually WROTE and see if you can see why we are all bewildered by the degree of umbrage you are taking:

'Dd2 decided that she didn't like much and would only eat finger food. But, like your ds, she couldn't manage it. So she upped her bfeeds, chucked more finger food on the the floor, bfed more - until she ended up bfeeding through the night to make up for lack of food by day. In the end she ended up anaemic and has had loads of viruses inc. two meningitis scares. '

You did not mention her age, nor what advice you had received. Also meningitis scares are quite common in sick children - sorry but the symptoms of quite a few maladies seem like meningitis. Also anaemia and meningitis are not linked as you no doubt know.

I have pernicious anaemia, my body cannot process B12 from food and so I have to have it injected so I do know a bit about the subject, and there are plenty of signs in a child to determine anaemia before it gets to the point of hospitalisation.

I've also had meningitis and I know the tests are quite different to those for anaemia.

I'm not saying you are lying, I'm saying that you're comparing unrelated circumstances in a dramatic and unfair way. The OP was asking for reassurance and not to be scared witless by incomparable medical histories.

Look, I'm sorry you had a bad experience but flouncing off when you haven't even given the facts is a tad unreasonable IMHO. As is blaming Mumsnet for your daughter getting sick.

Original poster

catnip · 09/07/2007 21:34

Poor Angels, that sounds absolutely horrible . I didn't even realise iron was an issue tbh, so I'm glad I know for the future.

OP posts:

whomovedmychocolate · 09/07/2007 21:40

Catnip, lest it was lost in the responses, you don't have to worry about iron for a while yet.

Original poster

catnip · 09/07/2007 21:48

Yes, I got that, thanks

OP posts:

gracej · 10/07/2007 15:01

Sorry to highjack the thread, but could someone please enlighten me, what does BLW stand for? thanks

Aitch · 10/07/2007 15:48

baby led weaning. [http://www.babyledweaning.com have a look]]

asher · 11/07/2007 10:22

Hi i am new to this so here goes...my baby has just reached 6 months and 2 weeks ago i started to try pureed foods as he was previously having breast milk only and started to wake every 2.5 to 3 hrs through the night where previously it would be around 3am only...this i took as him needing more food as the breasts were getting emptied quicker than i could fill them back up again! (or this is how it felt)

The key i found to work is to start with 1 tspn of baby rice to 1 tblsp of milk (breast or formula)light and not to heavy on the tummy and most simular transition from milk. Then after a few days try carrot or sweet potatoe butternut squash pureed etc..root veg's again not to lumpy and light on the tummy. (Annebel Karmel's book is good for receipies)

Make sure foods are not lumpy and to gradually thicken as weeks go by)

After a few weeks building up from breakfast to dinner then finally lunch inbetween (3 meals a day) plus milk after each feed with additional milk feed inbetween lunch and dinner.

If this doesnt seem to still fill baby i found for after the meal times i gave aptml ready made milk cartons stage 1 instead of breast milk as slightly heavier for longer on tum and just breast fed first thing in morning and inbetween lunch and dinner.

hope this helps.
p.s Baby might experience wind, smelly thick poos etc as digestive system gets used to foods.

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