If you don't follow latest research or guidelines wrt baby feeding (in particular weaning)

[hunkermunker]

Can I ask why?

Obviously all babies are individuals, yada yada - and guidelines are just that.

But what happens to make you disregard the up-to-date stuff?

(This is following on from a posting on another thread - but I wanted to make it a less personal, wider thread, rather than it be construed as an attack on one person - because I think the process of how we make decisions regarding our children is interesting).

Great post.

Yes, it is like the nation has an eating disorder when it comes to babies - to think that eating mush out of a jar or drinking dried cows milk out of a bottle is more natural than drinking breastmilk or eating a lump of cheese is bonkers. But I don't think it is the fault of parents - darker forces are at work!

We have been duped.

I remember hearing a young mother ask her HV if now that her baby had got over his illness (when he had been on milk only per doc's orders) if he could go back to 'proper food....you know, his Heinz dinners'.

LOL at baby cheese!

I shan't mention baby pasta ;)

I've waited a while before posting on here... it's become a scary thread!

But still thought I'd add my tuppenceworth, and experiences, in the hoe that they might help someone...

As has been well documented on other threads, my DD started to become a tricky feeder on the boob at about 3 months. BY the time we went to visit my in-laws in South Africa (she was 4 nd a bit months) her weight gain had started to plateau and I'd started to get a bit worried.

My father in law is a GP and suggested that her reluctance to BF was a sign she wanted different food. I instinctively thought this was rubbish (he'd been saying it since she was 3 months) and had every intention of leaving it much longer. However, eventually I caved in, with the thinking that a) if she wasn't ready she'd refuse and b) I might at least get some calories into her. I'm not blaming my FIL - it was my decision, but the added pressure didn't help me make the right one.

Anyway, she took to it straight away, grabbed the spoon, shoved it in her mouth etc. etc. I felt better about it and continued when we got home, albeit very gradually.

However things took a rapid turn for the worse thereafter. She started refusing the boob completely. Then she also refused the bottle. Then her solids. There was much screaming, kicking scratching at every feed time. My milk dried up and I had to give up BFing before I wanted to or was ready to, with much heartache. Tiktok may remember...

Things got steadily worse, until, at 5 1/2 months she was taking practically nothing and whatever she was taking was making her massively constipated. I stopped offering the solids and battled on with the bottle until I finally reached breaking point and took her to the GP. He prescribed gaviscon to try and help with the milk feeds, lactulose to help the constipation and told me to offer her as much milk as she'll have and then to "go for it" on the solids to try and get her weight back up and some nutrition, while we await a paediatric referral.

A few weeks on (she's now 6 1/2 months) and things have improved... she's now managing to drink about 25-30oz a day and doing well with her solids - having a good lunch and supper and managing to eat more on a daily basis. She's also put on 14oz in the last 2 weeks.

But she's still on the lactulose and gaviscon, and we're still waiting on the hospital referral.

Do I think the introduction of solids too early was entirely to blame for all this? Not necessarily, I think there may have been an underlying problem which caused the fussy feeding in the first place, but do I think it made things worse? Absolutely.

Do I wish I'd held my ground and waited 'til 6 months? With all my heart, yes.

We'll see what the paed says, but the jury's still out. The whole experience has taken it's toll on me, though, I've been so worried and anxious. I'm starting counselling for post-natal depression next week, again, probably an underlying issue, but certainly the last couple of months haven't helped.

If DD ever has a little brother or sister I'll certainly be waiting until 6 months at the earliest.

My thinking is now, "why the hell would you risk it?"... I just wouldn't wish the last couple of months on anyone.

HTH somebody who's wondering whether to take the plunge at 4 months. Just don't, IMO.

db
xx

Great post Greedygirl, just don't tell Tink, she loves her cheese!

I think when it comes to weaning, and certainly on this thread, the world is divided into 2 very clear groups. And which group you fall into totally hinges on whether you do or don't accept the WHO expert committee conclusion that most babies don't need solids before 6 months.

The 2 groups will look at a 4 month old baby in completely different ways. (4 month old babies often being unsettled, grabbing stuff, feeding a lot and so on.)

One will ask "How can I not wean?" and the other will ask "Why would I wean?" They're looking at the same baby but with a completely different mindset.

All research, guidelines, experience, advice aside, I suspect that our weaning decisions have little to do with what we think of food, and everything to do with what we think of milk.

I did it at five months because DS was waking up constantly during the night. My HV said I had a choice to either leave him to cry it out or to give him some food so I gave him some food. I regret it now but it was a decision made out of total desperate sleep deprivation.

Also I just figured the HV knew what she was talking about - this is my first baby.

Oh Designerbaby , I haven't seen your posts. Glad to hear that things are improving for you and your LO.

Also Stefka, sleep deprivation is just the worst and you do tend to trust health professionals. Has your sleep situation improved at all?

Welly - I completely agree with the idea that people find it hard to believe that milk can continue to sustain a baby beyond a few months. People marvel over my DS who was exclusively bfed until v.recently and a big lump but I know he is not the norm. Unfortunately from what Stefka and others say, it also the health profs who perpetuate this myth.

Once he started eating more he slept longer periods although he's never been amazing. He was also just ill so all out of sorts at the moment so I am very tired right now!

Designerbaby the exact same thing happened when I started dd on solids and I wish I'd waited too

Welliemum I had a conversation like that with a friend of mine today, I was saying how ds is up every couple of hours for a feed again and she said "See to me that's saying he's hungry and you need to wean him" and I said "But to me that's saying that he needs more milk at the moment"...completely different way of looking at it.

What a great thread - I have sat here and read every post. I have 19 week old DD and am more confused than ever regarding how to wean her. I got her weighed today and the HV remarked that I must be feeding her chips as she's a chubster. WTF? I know it was said in jest but I don't think it helps their corner!

When I said I was thinking about a highchair she made suggestions which again seemed to be really irrelevant, so I took the lovely NHS brochure, swept my DD off the changing table and vowed not to bother going back.

So now what... BLW... puree's... Annabel Karmel....? I have marked on the calendar when she'll be 26 weeks, but what happens then I have no idea! At least I have a good idea of WHY I shouldn't be looking to do anything before mid-July so that's one question answered!

ta-da, lazyhen, this is all you need to get started.

It's all about Baby Led Weaning, which is where they wean themselves really - you just offer them real food, eg bits and pieces from the family meal. Very laid-back and low stress.

Thank-you. I've been furiously googling all this business, and listened to an interesting conversation between Annabel Karmel and Gill Rapley about conventional Vs baby-led weaning.

But - if we're following advice from DOH (BF for 6 months and no solids before this time) shouldn't we follow their advice RE weaning? I.e conventional puree route?

No, the 2 types of advice (weaning late vs using purees) are very different in origin.

The advice to wean late comes from a growing body of research showing health risks in weaning early.

On the other hand, the advice to use purees has no evidence behind it - it's just "do it this way because everyone does" - which in my book is a very poor reason to do anything.

The puree advice was written by people who presumably had weaned their own babies on purees, and I think that's about the extent of the "expertness" of it.

welliemum, you miss the most important qualification of all to be an expert on weaning... being a cellist!

IN response to the OP.

With dd, guideline was 4-6, we started at 4.5 because it fitted in with our life - she was at nursery so they encouraged it, but we wanted to wait until we had some time at home so we could do it ourselves.

With ds, guideline was 6 months, and I was determined to wait until the magical 26 weeks, but he had 4 spoons of baby rice beforehand. My (and other's with similarly aged babies reasoning) is here if you are interested.

I do think that it is more difficult to respect a strict rule like "no solids until 6 months" than it is to respect a flexible guideline "most babies are ready to wean between 24-298 weeks" as we know as mothers that all our dc's , and even their guts, mature at slightly different rates.

But we don't know when that happens. Out of respect for the fact we don't know they recommend you wait till six months when most babies are ready. Some babies aren't ready even at six months but they are far more in control at six months so more able to refuse if they're not ready for it.

BTW my sister was born at 44 weeks (no mistake she was a "threatened abortion" - hate that phrase - all the way through so very early scans) breastfed until 8 months and really wasn't bothered about solids till well after six months. Any child can wait till six months and beyond without a problem, even if their gut is mature enough to handle solids.

Interesting thread (even if I do post kind of later on in the thread)

Was having a interesting chat again with some friends overseas Hunkermunker, where I was reminded the guidelines are not to move onto solids until 7mths (eggs not before 2 yrs full stop)

Now if I were back living in that part of Asia then I would be disregarding the professional advice and yes I would choose to view it with caution because of what I felt is considered 'sensible' (that and I have access to the Net, a very useful source at times for what stand Britain/WHO take) even though others might not agree. There are some roads of thought in the world that put off weaning until one year... perhaps though it may seem like people are ignoring advice they are simply doing the best they can in the situations they face which may or may not be appreciated by everyone.

Take the number of fruit and veg in a day we are meant to have, depending on where you live in the world the Gvment recommended portion is 4 a day, here it is 5 a day, some other thinkers believe 17-20 is the ideal for good health.

Hoping to make some sense, raise a point perhaps?