Getting iron into breast fed 6 month old

[sallycinamon]

DD2 will be 6 months next thursday. Because she sleeps well and is generally contented I haven't started to wean her yet. I intend to wait until this time next week as we are away this weekend so she'll be exactly 6 months. I've just spoken to the HV about this (not my usual one) and she seemed quite disapproving that I hadn't started to wean yet. I'm only trying to follow the Dept of Health guidelines to minimize the chances of allergies etc!

Anyway, how can i ensure dd gets enough iron? She won't take a bottle and can't seem to master a cup or beaker so I can't give her formula. Anyone recommend a good beaker? Surely it'll take a while for us to get to a stage where she is getting enough iron from her food as initially it'll be baby rice and purees etc.

Any advice gratefully received!

I think the short answer is don't worry too much about it as the iron deficiency thing is a bit of a myth perpetrated by out of date health visitors . If you start weaning at 6 months then your baby will start to get iron from food. True iron deficiency due to breast feeding is actually very rare. HTH

You don't really need to worry about iron. The idea that iron reserves suddenly go pffft entirely at 6 months is a load of old tosh rather misguided, and while iron levels in breastmilk are lower than those in formula the iron in breastmilk is in a form more readily absorbed.

If you give your DD foods high in vitamin C (so fruit and vegetables, in particular, which is what you'll be feeding her anyway) then that will further enhance her ability to absorb iron. Unless there's some particular reason to be concerned about your DD's iron levels then that will see her through quite happily to the point where she's eating lots of iron-rich food. If you're particularly concerned, you could cook up stuff (apple puree, say) in an old-fashioned cast-iron pan as food picks up quite a bit of iron that way.

Don't worry about iron, My HV tried the 'BM is much lower in iron' line but luckily I had read this and told her to get her facts straight.

Sorry, that shoudl be 'get ehr facts straight, it is lower in iron but more is absorbed so it works out the same as formula.

Bah what is it with idiot HVs? Sorry to any good ones out there but they do generally seem to be very outdated in their advice.

sallycinamon If DD is 6 months already then you don't need to worry about rice/purees etc, you can offer lumpier foods and also finger foods right away.

OK, thanks everyone. I won't worry about the 'iron factor' too much then.

I intend to go down the puree route as I did with dd2 who I weaned at 5 months. Is this a sensible approach?

I'm acutally feeling quite confused. If you read any literature about weaning it always states how you should wait until 6 months but then in the next paragraph it starts talking about purees for 4 - 6 month olds. I'm struggling to find a weaning programme designed for a baby who is weaned at 6 months. Even Annabel Karmel starts at 4 months. Should I just skip the 4 - 6 month bit and go straight in at the 6 month onwards chapter?

A recent study showed that bf babies are actually replenishing their iron stores over their first 6 months of life, so a baby who isn't cutting down on bf's will be getting and absorbing enough iron. It's as they start to drop feeds that having a good iron intake in solid food becomes really important

Don't worry about baby rice - it tastes like wallpaper paste anyway. Just give her whatever you are eating, pureed or not. The not worked brilliantly for us as it's so easy and you never have to go through puree, mashed, small lumps stages