Oh wise MNetters, please come and tell me my HV is talking bollocks with regard to amount of milk/meals

[EyeballsinHiding]

I'm sorry, I saw a HV today. It wasn't my fault, honest, I was nosy and I took her to be weighed - DD that is, not HV, although I guess about 11.5 stone

Anyway... I was quizzed on DD's eating habits. She's 6m and 3w today and has been having solids for three weeks. She has 2-3 meals a day but still has about 6 bottles although they have been cut down from 8oz to 5oz each and she never finishes them.

HV said she should be eating three good meals a day including pudding with lunch and tea but at the very most, only 15oz of milk, although ideally less. At the minute she's having roughly 30oz.

Now personally, I think it's asking a lot to expect a baby to go from exclusively ff to primarily solids in three weeks. Although not especially enthusiastic after the the first few bits, she is a decent eater and has a variety of things (tonight it's salmon, new minted spuds and whatever salad is suitable for her to squash in her paw).

Is the HV, as I suspect, talking nonsense or am I offering too much milk?

Oops, out of hiding now, I don't think psycho is around

Hi EyeballsinHiding. I have had the same thing with my HV (see thread "what do you think of this routine"). The other ladies have allayed my fears somewhat and I think maybe that HV's are too focused on the 'general' guidelines and dont take into account that all babies eat differing amounts. My DS is older than your DD though so maybe other mums can give you their opinions.

If ou dd s thriving, carry on. I rang hv once re dd's milk intake to ask f it was ok, i'd only taken a breath and said 'in the morning she has...' and hv started talkking over me saying well this and that aren't right and coulddo this, i thought i ain't even told you what she's farkin' drinking yet mate!! DD is 20m and she has a good 150 -200ml cows milk morn and a good 200ml cows milk at supper!

Multiple choice quiz:

When a HV is talking about weaning, are they likely to be a) talking bollocks or b) making a clear, rational statement, linked to peer reviewed research ?

In this case, a applies. No maximum amount of milk, no rush to 3 full meals

I stopped going to HV,,as my son 2 and a half still drinks half a litre of milk a day.

Psycho??....where?

looks nervously over shoulder

I'd just carry on with whatever makes your DD happiest.
She is obviously not gorging on milk to the point of being too full to experiment with her solids, so let it be.
As you say it's still very early days. Milk is a food too and very good too.

eyeballs - you are doing good - if she is flourishing and putting on weight then stick with it.

If your DD is sleeping well (i.e. not waking through hunger) and is generally happy and healthy, I'd forget the hv!!

The HV is talking from the wrong oriface. Main source of calories should still be milk.

Does the HV know that you are only three weeks into weaning? It sounds as if she is expecting you to have weaned at four months or so, and therefore to be building up to bigger meals now.

Food is for fun until they are one ... just getting used to new tastes and textures. You're doing fine

Thank you all, I knew she was a loon. This is the same group of HVs that nearly called social services because I took her at 5.5mo and told them I wasn't weaning for another 2 weeks

She's putting on weight just fine - 13oz in a month and a bit. It's slowed a bit, but then it would, wouldn't it?

If I wasn't so curious about her weight all the time I'd never take her.

I made a note in her red book Shitehawk, date of first solid and what it was (obsessive? me?). She was reading the notes so she must have seen it.

Oh FFS - what is it with HV's and crap advice for weaning.

I am actually ashamed to "out" myself as a HV on MN (or any parent's forum) given the crap some of them spout.

Your DD sounds fine! Her main calories will still be coming from milk and that's fine - as she starts to eat more then she'll decrease her milk intake. It's not rocket science and it makes me mad that so many HVs have trouble grasping this.

Sounds to me like one of the "wean at 4 months" school of HVs - ignore her - carry on with what you are doing - and - ahem - forget going to clinic.

Don't worry Fedup. I love MN HVs. I shall adopt you as my new HV - I'm sure you will be thrilled to little mintballs with that!

Will write it in my red book. Consulted real HV. She said tell clinic to bugger off and ask MN instead.

Seriously, at 6mo she's crawling, pulling herself up to standing, is very observant and bursting with health. Why would they recommend I drastically change things instead of gradually, which is suiting her fine.

Make sure you use the words "bugger off and ask MN instead" won't you.

Gosh - am still in work (albeit at end of day) better go and do something.

All sounds fine to me - if your dd is happy then all is well. At 6/7 mo by ds was having a lot more milk than 15oz! I think by about 7mo we were getting on for 3 meals a day but it was very variable - would eat loads one day and hardly anything the next.

As many have pointed out the calories in fruit and veg which will constitute the majority of a diet at this point are pretty few - milk is by far and away the main source of energy.

from 6 months to 1 year the recommended minimum amount of milk is 20oz so I dont know where she is getting her figures from. At that age ds still had 5 bottles of milk (one in the night) and he didnt go down to 4 till he was 8 months and stopped waking in the night. By the time he was 11 months he only had 2 feeds.

Your HV is talking bollox.

(Haven't read the OP or thread but it's fairly universal that your HV will be talking bollox wrt weaning/milk/food)

lol pink

You already know but: IGNORE THE HV. I've got similar advice from the nursery nurse, she told me to introduce some "snacks" at 7 mo... I can barely find time to feed my DD 3 meals a day (and she doesn't eat much anyway)! Of course, I ignored the advice.

Agree with Seona on minimum. My HV is really good actually. In fac I must be really lucky as she is my third and they've all been nice, and helpful, and not spouted crap.

Hi to you all, my ds is nearly 7 months and is now on 3 meals aday plus trying finger foods, and the odd snack, as he seems
jealous if we eat and he isnt lol!!

My little man though barely drinks 3 full bottles now, i still offer 4, but the one i give him at lunch he will hardly touch. Now ive been concerned he isnt havent enough milk for his age, even though with a little persistance he has about 20-24oz plus his yoghurts, cheese etc!!

But i have to say my hv has been fantastic, she gives advise in the nicest way, and only ever answers what you ask unlike some (had a fill in hv for a few weeks) who go off on there own lecture of stuff and never really answer your question!!

What is it with HV's that dont seem to have any sense of reality when it comes to babys!!! (prob never had there own i say)

Babys are so mixed, my mate who had her ds half an hour before i had mine, weaned him only a couple of weeks before we started, he was on 3 meals aday way before mine,but yet even now still has 5/6 bottles aday, yet mine only 3, how different things can be!!

Total bollocks. Babies should be having at least 20 oz of milk til they are 12 months. Keep doing what you are doing and take it at her pace. x