premature BLW and vitamins

[bunnybunyip]

I have asked before about doing BLW with my DS who was almost 8 weeks premature and got a very positive response. He is now 6 months old in less than 2 weeks and I don't think he will quite be developmentally ready in terms of sitting up, tongue thrust, food to mouth etc, although is starting to enjoy sitting with us and holding food whilst we are eating.
If he is going to take a couple of months longer than a term baby to be able to eat, do I need to give him anything like vitamins, iron etc? I will continue breast feeding.
Thanks

We are 3 weeks into BLW with our premie (9 weeks early). DD is now just under 7 months actual (4.5 months corrected)and i had the same worries as she is very small.

I take the view that the breast will give her the vitamins she needs and everything else is a bonus - saying that she gums everything in sight and eats anything served on toast so we have been creative with a balanced diet - spag bog is a real winner - we spoke to the nutritionist, HV and consultant before BLW too who had some fab ideas.

Saying that, DD is already on iron and vitamin suppliments.

if you have not already read it the gill rapsley book explains the food groups simply so i try to bear that in mind when feeding her.

Keep in mind that there is no rush especially with a premie - check the Bliss weaning guide too (not BLW but gives some reassurance!

Thanks ferretsmum.
The advice at the hospital for us about vitamins and iron was a bit confused; initially he started on them and then they said it was done on birth weight, not gestation and as he was big he didn't need them. But they said from 6 months he might run out of his iron stores and I think HV recommend vitamins from 6 months in breast fed babies.
Do you mix your supplements with milk or just give neat?
I have Gill Rapleys book and I am going to a weaning session with the HV on monday so hopefully they will be able to answer my questions too.

Glad it helped - DD has been on Vitamins and Iron from when her drips and lines came out - but they have not increased with her weight. I think all the premies were on them regardless of weight from our NNU.

We serve them neat out of a syringe as if you dilute them they may not take all of them - but I give her a quick BF afterwards to get rid of the taste (I have tasted all of her medicines and I wouldn't like the taste of them in my mouth!)

I am sure it will be different for each baby, but your hv will be able to help.

I also found that feeding her on my knee really helps - and I am not totally purist about BLW - I load spoons for her if the food is sloppy as she can not sit up yet, but never put anything in her mouth.

Good luck - it's messy but fun!

I've just thought of another question; do you feed your DD gluten etc (things that are from 6 months)?

Sorry not been round for a while - we just went for it - she had everything I held off gluten for the first couple of days only! my thinking was with BLW was that she was having such a small amount any reaction would be small - luckily she has had no reaction to anything yet as it would be a nightmare to track it down!

Hope it is going well.

Appreciate that my dts were only 6 weeks prem, therefore not as prem as others on here...but I've been told over and over that weaning guidelines do not take prem into account. So go by actual age rather than corrected age...

God knows if this is right though...