Iron levels after 6 months, and avoiding wheat...

[LittleBottle]

OK, two questions in one here as I've limited time before DS wakes up...

I saw a friend today who has a 7mo baby. Her HV has told her that she MUST start giving her meat and fish, or she'll get anaemic. Trouble is, her baby isn't interested, and would rather BF. She is getting quite worried about it, but if 'food is for fun until they are one', then surely the chances of her baby becoming anaemic are quite small? Anyone know anything more about this?

Secondly, another friend told me that her paediatrician told her not to give wheat to her baby until she's a year old, as babies can't digest it and it makes them ill. I've never heard this before, and all my NHS booklets etc say wheat is fine after 6 months. Has anyone else avoided wheat etc for 12 months, or is this just in case of allergies in the family etc?

We are doing BLW and it's going brilliantly, my DS is like a little Hoover, but there's always something to make me feel like Crap Mum of the Year...

I suspect your friend's HV is basing her advice on out of date info, at best. I read some research recently that said bf babies have perfectly normal iron levels, although admittedly the research was on babies under 6m. www.internationalbreastfeedingjournal.com/content/3/1/3 Also any solid food is only meant to be supplementary to the milk, up to at least 1 yr. Kellymom.com is a good place for evidence-based information about breastfeeding and weaning, and has a specific page about iron and iron supplementation here. I've also always found the La Leche League helplines very helpful, as the people on the end of the line seem to have more experience than most with 'extended' breastfeeding.

I avoided wheat for quite a long time but then we do tend to have food sensitivities in the family. Perhaps your friend's paediatrician had specific reasons to give this advice.

Thanks mummypig, I shall have a look at those links I just get tired of feeling like there is always something that we are doing wrong...!

The iron thing is a myth & I think based upon the fact that bm has less iron in it than formula...which in some health professionals eyes means that this is a 'bad' thing. Of course it isn't as bm is the biological norm & totally suited to babies & their needs. The iron in bm is more easily absorbed so the amount that a bf baby gets isn't lower than a ff one.

We avoided all allergy-type foods until DS was well over a year old but there is a history of some allergies in our families & DS himself already had mild eczema. AFAIAA there is usually no issue with introducing gluten at 6 months.

Hi, I also had 'iron' concerns but feel calmer about it. I've been doing BLW and the site www.babyledweaning.com has some really helpful, informative, knowlegeable threads on it about the whole 'iron' question. It really reassured me that my LO was fine as he was and that i was giving him what he needed. Now he does eat fish and meat.
As to wheat, I have no history of allergies in my family so introduced wheat products pretty soon after 6 months when I started BLW.