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Weaning

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

Original poster

highlights from my weaning talk today

28 replies

ruddynorah · 12/02/2010 20:42

so me and my 11 wk old ds were invited to a weaning talk run by an HV and a nursery nurse. i went for the sake of it, something to do while dd's at pre school, maybe meet some local mums etc.

and the highlights were-

weaning age was set by dept of health 3 years ago at 6 months

guidelines are no weaning before 6 months, but lots of people start earlier, 17 wks is ok, each baby is different..this is called baby led weaning

if you start at 17 wks you can take it nice and slowly and build up to 3 meals by 6 months

if you wean from 6 months you only have 2 weeks to get to 3 meals a day

iron stores have all been used up by 6 months so you must introduce red meat by then

signs of readiness for weaning are that they seem more hungry and wake up more at night

then just to cap things off we were asked if we had any questions, and it became clear that out of 7 mums in the session, 4 had already started weaning. all the babies there were between 10 wks and 13 wks

one mum had started her ds on baby porridge at 8 wks.

OP posts:
Igglybuff · 12/02/2010 20:50

8 wks???? you only have 2 weeks if you wean from 6 months?

I despair.

CMOTdibbler · 12/02/2010 20:53

Are you going to make an official complaint ? That is really shocking 'advice'

ImSoNotTelling · 12/02/2010 20:54

Blimey.

I sometimes feel that I am the only person who follows the rules for stuff. I pay my taxes, i don't park on yellow lines, I wean at 6 months.

Why does everyone else ignore rules? And in the main, TBH, they get away with it.

ImSoNotTelling · 12/02/2010 20:56

Sorry gone off on one a bit there tangentially, thinking about my neighbour bribing a traffic warden.

Ignore me

#That advice is super shite. But it doens't really make any difference, because most of them were doing whatever they wanted anyway IYSWIM

Original poster
ruddynorah · 12/02/2010 21:02

yes 8 wks! she was asking the HV why the porridge isn't helping his sleep. HV said 'well they're all different, you might need to look at some sleep management techniques'

wtf?

OP posts:
PureAsTheColdDrivenSnow · 12/02/2010 21:04

argh! when the hell will they learn?

If they're going to spout this bullshit then the least they could do is emphasise no solids at all before 17 weeks!

8 weeks? that's awful.

Mind you, in South Africa babies are weaned onto meat at 8 weeks...

pastagirl · 12/02/2010 21:05

HV's and those groups are generally pretty dire in my experience. 2 Classics from my experience. In the baby prep class advised to have ready made formula even if we were planning to breast feed in the house because it can be really difficult at 2am and sometimes the best thing is just to get your partner to give baby the formula so you can get a rest! (talk about supporting breastfeeding).
Also when i approached my HV with sleep problems ( the baby was waking every 20 mins and after about 3 months of this i was struggling to cope) she said 'oh dear we better do something about that we don't want them admitting you to '......' (the local psyciatric hospital) do you think if we saw the doctor he would prescribe the baby sleeping tablets (baby was 5 months) and then aleast you could get a good sleep' seriously this was her first suggestion!

but not all are like that but still some of the advice you hear from HV's is just dreadful

StayFrosty · 12/02/2010 21:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sushistar · 12/02/2010 21:08

COMPLAIN COMPLAIN COMPLAIN. Seriously. She is putting babies at risk by giving this advice.

My helth visitor kept asking me if baby is having'only breastmilk. That's all? No formula yet? Just breastmilk?' In a doubtful kind of voice... he's 2 weeks old.

Then she told me that if I gave him formula he would not need his 2nd dose of vit K, but as he's 'only having breastmilk' he will need all 3 doses. It was not a very pro-breast discussion.

Seriously, I know some health visitirs are allegedly wonderful but most seem to be crazy women doling out opinions rather than evidence-based health information!

Original poster
ruddynorah · 12/02/2010 21:19

i remember at dd's weaning talk 3 years ago one mum had started her 14 week old on something called sunshine orange? or was it banana? it was all very sad. if i didn't know better i might have worried that everyone else was getting on with it while i was lagging behind.

i was a bit crap tbh. HV asked me if i had any questions. i just said i was ok, i have a 3 year old and did fine with her

OP posts:
Igglybuff · 13/02/2010 00:30

I've never heard of these talks but I want to go on one just to start a fight with any HV giving rubbish advice on weaning/breastfeeding. ruddy how do I get on one?? The GPs and nurses in my practise all express surprise that my chunky monkey DS is exclusively breastfed given that he's now 18lb + at 18 weeks and will not be weaned until 6 months!

The last time I went to the baby clinic, a mum was getting bollocked for not weaning her 9 month old. He was huge, size of a 2 year old! I think the HV nearly had a fit!

Ready · 13/02/2010 10:08

Please complain. Official channels and all that. It's so wrong.

Original poster
ruddynorah · 13/02/2010 19:33

i've no idea how you get on one. just got a letter through. it was held at the children's centre in town. that was the only good bit tbh, that i went in the centre and had a nosey round. all very brand new and shiny.

i shall put my concerns in writing.

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 13/02/2010 19:37

Definitely complain.

You've seen the Tories want to employ more HVs? Pity they don't think it's a good idea to spend that money training the ones already employed so they don't spout this sort of shite!

Ivykaty44 · 13/02/2010 19:38

so no weaning before 6 months I didn't know that... yikes my dd1 weaned at three months on the HV advice!! and dd2 weaned at 3.5 months again on a differnet HV advice..

What was I supposed to do?

I was told deff not to give any type of wheat before 6 months (celiac problems if before) and no peanut or honey for 1 year

JollyPirate · 13/02/2010 19:43

Hideous advice - I am a HV and wouldn't spout this sort of nonsense. I have a hard time trying to get some parents to wait for 6 months (the earliest a parent has said to me "I want to wean" was 5 weeks ). The HV's in our clinic advise 6 months. Even the part time HV who is 71 and has seen it all advises 6 months as she's read the research. Pity the DOH have to muddy it all by saying "not before the end of the 17th week".

ExplodingBananas · 13/02/2010 20:23

That talk sounds exactly like the one I went to and most of the people I know started weaning once the 17 week deadline had passed. Though I know one person who admitted to giving porridge to her 12wo.

I guess at least most people do now wait till 4 months, I think years ago most babies were weaned much earlier.

BertieBotts · 13/02/2010 20:32

I was in Boots yesterday and saw a mum pushing a pram with a very tiny baby in, looked about 8-10 weeks old, she was on the phone saying "I'm going to start weaning him next week..." I didn't say anything but thought it was sad A volunteer at my local Children's Centre told me that where she is from it's not unheard of to wean 6 week olds onto mushed up pasties

arsesandoldlace · 13/02/2010 20:45

That's shocking! My HV didn't believe me that my DD was EBF and kept writing 'partly breast feeding' on her notes.
She also told me to wean at 4 months and wouldn't stop coming round for over a year, I only got rid of her once I moved house.

Igglybuff · 13/02/2010 21:05

I really don't understand what the DOH are playing at, giving confusing advice. They are helping to put babies at risk!

Original poster
ruddynorah · 13/02/2010 21:15

yes the 17wk thing doesn't help. it was very much ok you can wean at 17wks, then build up to fully weaned, on 3 meals a day by 6 months.

naughty heinz this says 4-6 months, yet it contains gluten.

there is no hope is there?

OP posts:
Original poster
ruddynorah · 13/02/2010 21:17

eugh

OP posts:
Igglybuff · 13/02/2010 21:23

It annoys me so much I want to get my complaining letter writing hands out and pen something to the DOH which, of course, will be roundly ignored.

JaMmRocks · 13/02/2010 21:27

ffs, what is wrong with these HVs. One told my cousin the other day that formula shouldn't be made up in advance anymore, and then felt the need to add, but don't tell anyone, I don't think you need to follow that advice

Igglybuff · 13/02/2010 21:32

These HVs have far too much influence and far too little training etc etc. Ok, I'm making sweeping statements, but it is a worry from what I hear!

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