What advice did your HV give you wrt weaning?

[VictorianSqualorSquelchNSquirm]

Me again, lol. Sorry!

Just been to see my HV (one who I considered quite clued up) and I was a bit about some of the weaning advice she gave me, generally pretty good, but there were some things she neglected to tell me and now I'm writing something about it on the blog, so good or bad (and I don't need to know if you followed it or anything, just what they said) what advice were you given about weaning?
Also, what year was it?

Try & stay clear of them as they all seem quite barking!

DD1 born 23mths ago (7 weeks prem) HV suggested that I started to wean her at 16 weeks as it would make her more settled AND that I dropped the mix feeding as my breast milk probably wasn't doing her much good as there was so little of it Weened her at 6mths - partly puree / BLW. I was told that DD1 would probably choke

DD2 born 4mths ago - same HV suggested that she's a huge baby and should start weaning asap. Apparently breast milk isn't satisfying enough DD2 sleeps pretty much all through the night - sometimes a full 9 hr stretch.....clearly not troubled by an empty stomach!!

Feel free to reproduce
BTW: Intersting read this thread

VS, I think your HV has read your posts/blog. hehe.

I asked my HV about weaning when my DD was 17 wks, she told me to wait a few more weeks... she was away and only saw her until DD was 25 wks. Then she said she was probably ready and to start with baby rice and build up the amounts (well, I honestly caved in at 23 wks). We never has a conversation about why is it good to wait until 26 wks thou

Hiya, really interesting thread.

I have to admit my HV has been great, listening to all my pfb obsessions! She has always told me to wait 6 months to wean (my dd is now 18 weeks).

When I mentioned BLW to her she said it sounded really interesting but she didnt know enough about it to give me good advice and reccomended mumsnet!!

I know some people havent had good experiences with HV but she has been ace.

There are some really good HVs at my clinic but I got a really crap one when I asked about weaning. My DS was 5mo and although I was pretty certain that he was ready to be weaned early, I just said "I'm interested to know more about weaning" (i.e. didn't say "I want to wean early") Her response was "if you think he's ready you can start him" (no mention of 6mths) and "you can give him anything". When I said "what should I avoid?" she said "no honey until he's a year but otherwise anything is fine". She didn't even give me the weaning guide. If I hadn't been a clued up mother I could have had him on cows milk for all his drinks and salt in his food before he was even 6mo and thought I was doing just fine because there was no honey added...

Had a great HV recently though at the same clinic who, despite DS's rubbish weight gain, told me under no circumstances to panic and give up bf because it was by far the best thing for him until he was one, and gave me some good advice on what food he should be eating now. She was much younger than the one I saw for weaning and seemed much more clued up.

Can't remember for dd1

But do remember for dd2... HV said at 6wk check about Coeliac's etc and to try and hold off until 6m, that this is the current advice etc etc

Then different HV said at 3m check (DD2 big baby) "Ooh, you'll need to think about solids soon, won't you?!" She WASN'T joking

My dds were born in 2004 and 2007, both times didn't really ask hvs for advice as didn't feel I needed it. But if I had asked I get the feeling early weaning would have been pushed. I got "you'll be weaning her soon anyway" comments at the weighing in clinic with dd1 at 12 weeks. At our (hv run) bf support group I heard lots of mums talking proudly about early weaning and nothing was ever mentioned about the need to wait til 26 weeks.

it's really quite surprising as in all other areas (such as bf, weight gain etc) they are very well informed and up to date.

dd and ds1 were 2000 and 2001 and apart from being told to wean at 4 months nothing.no advice etc.both jar fed as i was clueless and both fussy eaters

ds2 2005 was told wean at 6 months.hv not impresed that i harressed her for info and that i wanted to bring ds up as veggie(i was homecooking so no need to rely on meaty jars).ds2 is not fussy.

glad i kicked up a stink and made her give me advice

bump

DS was born in 2006. HV paid lip service to the six month guideline but DS started dipping on the centiles around 5 months and she started talking solids then.

Then after six months she was most suspicious of BLW, pressured me to get him on three meals a day pretty much immediately, and to use purees.

She also recommended very sugary foods and desserts as a way of getting his weight up as if weight was the be all and end all of weaning.

The only really useful piece of advice she gave me was that cooking a fish finger and then peeling the coating off was a great way of introducing fish to a BLW baby without introducing salt as well.

You may quote me as much as you like.

I saw mine at about 23 weeks for a weigh-in and he'd dropped a little bit off his centile line (to which he'd stuck like glue up until then). She asked if I was weaning yet and I said I was planning to wait another 2 or 3 weeks.

She said - well, that's fine and you don't need to give up breastfeeding ( I should hope not!) but perhaps try and get him started in the next week or so? I said - because of the slight slow in weight gain? It seems very minor. And she sort of hedged around a bit.

I then said - so if I'm trying to get weight on again, should I be feeding him just cheese? She was very and said - nope, just strained veggies and fruit, they're more calorie-dense than breastmilk, you see...

(sorry for repetition, I KNOW I've told this tale before! Still makes me though!)

DD is now just over 5 mths. She is mix fed.

When she was just 4mths, I spoke to the hv as I was a bit concerned that dd was on 91st percentile for height and on 25th for weight (born on 50th and dropping all the time).

However, she was putting on 4oz consistently each week, very alert, happy, sleeping through the night, meeting milestones etc etc.

HV told me that she should be putting on at least 6oz each week and to start weaning her. She told me to start off with baby rice BEFORE her milk. I mentioned the 6 mth guidelines and all the business about it affecting the baby's gut. She said that it was all a load of rubbish and really only aimed at 3rd world countries. She also said that she had been at a lecture recently and the paedatrician had talked about this.

She also said that holding off weaning until 6th mths affects speech development

Thankfully, I had been on mumsnet. Also, in my Gina Ford weaning guide which I am going to use to start with (yes, I like routine), she says to no way give food before milk as milk is more important.

Why on earth the stupid hv thought a bit of baby rice and fruit would help DD put on weight, I don't know. Especially if I gave it to her before her milk.

Please feel free to use this.

DD only put on 5oz over 2 wks when she was weighed on Monday. I am a bit concerned although I know she is doing fine in every way but there is no way I am going to speak to the hv until she is fully weaned as I know she will just give me a lecture as DD is not weaned yet.

bump