Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

Surprised to hear my HV tell our my post natal class it is fine to wean at 17 weeks........

35 replies

McDreamy · 23/04/2009 17:00

........and then give out literature from unicef that says 6 months

OP posts:
JollyPirate · 23/04/2009 17:02

Oh FFS!!!

CaptainKarvol · 23/04/2009 17:03

Yes, I was surprised to hear ours tell the post natal group that, although the literature said 6 months, no-one could possibly wait that long . I waited. It wasn't hard. I wonder if I should let them know?

littleboyblue · 23/04/2009 17:05

Hi mcDreamy My gp told me all I need to do is get through another 8/9 weeks of the sleepless nights, then ds2 will be getting teeth and can start having proper food! In 8/9 weeks ds2 will be 19/20 weeks old!

I spoke to someone yesterday who told me her hv had said she can start offering baby rice at 17 weeks.

CMOTdibbler · 23/04/2009 17:06

FFS. Did she give a 'reason' ? And do you feel up to challenging her ?

JollyPirate · 23/04/2009 17:08

It's crap advice and she shouldn't be giving it - the DOH advice is 6 months (even though they do muddy the waters sometimes with "between 4-6 months"). We advise 6 months in my area (although I know some of parents don't wait that long). No HV should be advising baby rice at 17 weeks any more - there is no excuse for it at all.

MrsMattie · 23/04/2009 17:08

HV asked me why I wasn't weaning last week. I said 'because she is only 23 weeks old'. She raised an eyebrow and said 'she will be getting hungry soon'. I frowned and ignored.

I weaned my DS at 20 wks under pressure from HV ('he is such a big baby', 'it will help him sleep' etc). Tosh.

MrsMattie · 23/04/2009 17:10

p.s. DD sleep brilliantly, healthy weight, hitting all the developmental milestones. How will a few teaspoons of baby rice improve that?

Original poster
McDreamy · 23/04/2009 17:11

No reason given just said "you could do no harm". She also said she hadn't come across anyone who had waited until 6 months - she has now (I did wait with ds).

I didn't feel up to challenging her I'm ashamed to say . I don't think she really approves of me anyway as I co sleep and don't agree with letting my baby cry so I didn't feel comfortable "trouble making" again.

I am sad though that I think most of the group have walked away planning to wean at 17 weeks when before the session most people were saying 6 months.

OP posts:
Lulumama · 23/04/2009 17:13

my HV did advocate weaning at 6 months. and hated rusks. so, not all bad out there !

the absolute minimum age that food can be offered is 17 weeks. but that does not mean you should or it is necessary

i really think a lot of parents and HCPs underestimate how often a baby needs milk and how much they can take during a growth spurt.

Lulumama · 23/04/2009 17:14

she said you could do no harm? ? ?

kind of the exact opposite of what could potentially happen

Stretch · 23/04/2009 17:15

A woman who works at my surestart (running the breastfeeding group) told everybody that it was fine to wean at 17 weeks as long as it was very runny as that's "almost like milk" I tried to correct her, but she said she had the training...

She also does the weighing at the centre!

Lulumama · 23/04/2009 17:17

it is not the texture though is it, it is the fact it is something other than milk and it is impossible to see if the gut is ready for something other, even if it is just baby rice

why anyone actually thinks that a spoon or two of runny rice would be better, more filling or nutritious than milk at 17 weeks is actually beyond me/ but then if you get HCPs telling you it is ok, then you are going to go with that. aren;t you?

MrsMattie · 23/04/2009 17:17

I agree@Lulu. My DD is formula fed, but she has never been on the sort of 4 hourly routine lots of HVs recommend. She has always been demand fed - I know her hunger signs a mile off - and now she is 23 wks old, she still feeds every 2-3 hours (during the day, but sleeps all night..). HV told em the other day that I should think about dropping a feed and strecthing the time between feeds out to 4 hours. I was completely baffled. Why? She is on the 50th centile for weight and 75th for height, sleeps 12 hours at night, is healthy and happy in all respects. I didn't challenge her, to be fair, I just mumbled somehting and left as was in a hurry - but why do some HVs come out with this sort of nonsense? It's like they are programmed to say certain phrases, like some sort of demented doll.

(Disclaimer: I know there are good HVs out there. I have had a wonderful one, who did my visits after DD was born>

Original poster
McDreamy · 23/04/2009 17:22

Oh yes my hv is obsessed with routine! Lulumama are you a hv? I do have a weaning question and as my hv is clearly pants I don't know who to ask!

OP posts:
Stretch · 23/04/2009 17:28

Well, this is why I haven't seen any HV or HCP since DS was 12 weeks old. He's now nearly one! I rely on my own knowledge and research and through MN!!

I did try to challenge that HCP Lulu, but she was adament. It wasn't just baby rice she was saying though, it was fruit and stuff too! I put in a complaint about her and haven't been back!

Lulumama · 23/04/2009 17:40

definitely mrsmattie.. i am not sure why there is this expectation that babies are all the same, and must do everyhting at the same time

what makes me is that if your baby is big you can't exclusively breastfeed , you won;t have enough milk to satisfy

if you have a small baby, you can't excl. BF as you won;t make enough milk for the baby to grow well enouhg

if your baby is big, they need early weaning to satisfy them

if your baby is small, they need early weaning as milk won;t help them grow well enough

eh????

mcdreamy, i am a doula, not a HV< but ask away, and if i can answer , i will .might not be the right answer, but i;ve always got an opinion

Lulumama · 23/04/2009 17:42

did you get a response re your complaint?

Original poster
McDreamy · 23/04/2009 17:44

lol haven't we all

Ok, so I'm all for the "food is fun" before they're one school of thought BUT as I am intending to breast feed until she's at least one how will she get enough iron which is supposed to be used up by the time they're 6 months?

OP posts:
Lulumama · 23/04/2009 17:46

ah yes, there is lots about breastfeeding and iron in the archives. have a wee search, esp. of tiktok and welliemum on this subject. and victoriansqulaor

iron does not run out, bang on 6 months, same as breast milk does not turn to water when your baby is a day over 6 months it does start to deplete. but if your baby is getting lots of breastmilk and you give iron rich foods, your baby won;t run out of iron. apricots are a good first food, either whole or mushed and are iron rich.

have a look in the archives though, as there is lots more about it in there

BunnyAndJoon · 23/04/2009 17:46

It isn't "used up" afaik, but will start deminishing (will check)

You give em meat

HTH

(what you up to tomorrow, might be up for coffee with devil child DD)

Original poster
McDreamy · 23/04/2009 17:48

Yes was going to send you a message - same place 10ish?

OP posts:
Original poster
McDreamy · 23/04/2009 17:49

Ah ok, I thought it reduced from birth and was used up by 6 months. I will search the archives. Thanks

OP posts:
BunnyAndJoon · 23/04/2009 17:50

You really need to email me so that I can bombard contact you

Right sorry for hijack.

DD loved meat right from 7 months old I think. She didn't chew it, but she bloody well sucked every bit of goodness out of it!

BunnyAndJoon · 23/04/2009 17:50

and yes 10ish sounds grrrrrreat (dons tiger hat)

Original poster
McDreamy · 23/04/2009 17:54

Emailing you now!

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread