I am getting irritated by all the conflicting advice I am getting re weaning.

[pudding25]

My LO is 18wks old. She is 13lbs 3 oz. On 25th percentile for weight and on 91st percentile for height (although she doesnlt look tall and thin, just normal!). She does not eat that much, although her feeding has got better recently.

I have read the info that the DOH has put out. My plan was to hold off until as near to 6 mths as I can.

So today, I go to get LO weighed and measured. Every week, LO puts on 4oz. She is healthy, happy, very alert. The HV tells me that I should start to wean her as she could do with putting on 1-2 oz more per wk. She said that she had been at a lecture where they were told that all the stuff about the gut was rubbish and that late weaning was aimed at 3rd world countries.

She told me that I should start with some baby rice and give it BEFORE a milk feed.

I am not going to wean her yet as I think that the HV is talking nonsense. Even if what the DOH says is rubbish, surely you would not wean a baby at 4mths unless they were hungry? She is never that hungry. She does not cry for more food or eat tons.

Also, if the HV is worried about her weight gain, milk has much more calories than food anyway so I don't see how a spoon of baby rice will make her put on weight. Also, if I give her the food before her milk, surely it will put her off her milk???

I just had to vent as I am annoyed.

LO is BF and bottle fed. When she has her bottle, she never takes more than 140ml and that is on a good day.

I am right to ignore the HV's advice?

Janus, you sat that your HV 'also mentioned that now there is evidence that delayed weaning could also affect speech as babies need to use their muscles in their mouth before 6 months'.

Wot utter shit.

Janus My best friend has a third the same age as my dd and she can't remember anything either about when her kids were babies!

It must be exhausting for you, I am knackered with just the one. Have you got any family around to help with the other kids?

I have found that a great distraction for dd is getting out of the house and watching other people (think she gets bored of me). Don't know if you have the time/opportunity to do that every day.

At least with bf, we can get them out whenever if we think they are hungry!

I am just going to try and keep going with the feeding only for as long as possible.

Pudding, your right, getting out in the day is crucial!! Unfortunatley I have no family near, closest is 3+ hours away and we only moved here 8 months ago so slowly making new friends, etc.
I too have decided to give up the idea of weaning for a while, will review in another month but try and last to 6.
Also, I'm going to get the highchair out as I'm sure she wants to be us with us rather than in her bouncy chair, which I'm sure she's bored to tears with!

I've not been in this situation but if I was i might be tempted to reply to any bossy HV..

"ok that's interesting, I might follow that advice then. Just to check though, your professional indemnity insurance is up to date right? I mean you are fully covered for giving out advice against the recommendations of the DoH, NHS, and WHO?"

I second (third? Fourth?) the idea that we should ask our HVs precisely what research they can point to (or other sources - where do they get this from??) that 'says' that speech is being impaired. I bet my bottom dollar it stems from some medic or other being quoted on a surmise or off-the-cuff remark, and that no research is involved at all. I still can't see why introducing a bare spoonful or two of thin baby rice is going to magically work those jaw muscles, anyway.

I'm still avoiding my own HV (generally v nice and supportive, encouraged me to continue boobfeeding, etc) since she said that strained vegetables and fruit purees were more calorie-dense than breastmilk! Gah.