Early-ish weaning - milk amounts??

[FionaSH]

Hi all,

Please can anyone advise on the following...

My baby is 21 weeks, and I started weaning him at 17 weeks (on health professionals advice - early I know). He is now having 3 smallish meals a day. I am also breastfeeding him 3 hourly throughout the day, as well as a dreamfeed at 9pm, and sometimes he wakes for a nightfeed too. He is 22lbs.

My health visitor has queried whether he has dropped any of his milk feeds now he is having solids, and he hasn't so she has said he is just being a piggy and I should try to drop one of the milk feeds.

I've just read in Annabel Karmel's book that milk should be baby's main food until 6 months, and solids being extra. Should I ignore the HV's advice until 6 months and give him the milk - as he always drinks 2 boobs, so I guess it is hunger and not just comfort?? Or is he just being an oink??

Thanks,

F x

Milk is your baby's main food really for the first year so I would completely ignore the HV. Going 3 hourly through the day and mostly through the night is doing pretty well anyway so I wouldn't push it further at the moment personally. Also, unless you're giving him water and he's actually taking it, he's likely to be pretty thirsty at the moment

Yes I am really worried he is thirsty. I've been giving him a cup at mealtimes, but I'm not sure anything is going down him. Hence I'm reluctant to cut out the milk feeds for fear of him becoming dehydrated :-( Am also giving him water off a spoon in a desperate attempt to get more water in him.
At what sort of age are babies usually able to use a cup?? Am I being totally overoptimistic??

II think DD started actually being successful with a sippy cup after about 10mo but we tried an awful lot with little result.

Oh dear :-( I may have to rethink how to get him to take water. My mum just keeps saying if he's thirsty he'll drink it off the spoon but I'm not so sure.

I know protein should be kept until 6months - but can they have any fruits before this? Are strawberries and raspberries ok before 6 months??

Thanks

Is there a medical reason why you are weaning early?

Yes there is

Dd and ds got quite good with a free-flowing lidded cup (tommee tippee first cup) from around 6/7 months. I left it on the highchair tray during meals and let them fiddle about with it and eventually drink from it.

Strawberries/raspberries arent recommended before 6 months as they are a common allergen. You could try other fruits though e.g. pears, apples, banana, avocado, etc

I would just let him have as many breastfeeds as he wants along with the food. The Breasst milk i read changes to form a drink when hot etc so i'dbe led by your child.

My DD is weaning at the moment (24wks) and is loving her food but still loving her BF's too.

In the three solid meals a day, what is he having? If it is just pureed fruit/veg, then he is still going to be hungry and need the milk. If you ate just fruit and veg you would probably be hungry too! I suspect this is why your LO appears to be a 'piggy' because he genuinely is hungry.

If you start to cut back on the milk feeds then your LO will probably want to eat more solids, which is really the direction that you want to be heading in. You can still give him milk, but instead mix it into porridge or mash potato/banana etc.

It is also important to start introducing some protein (this is important for growth and development) - probably two level teaspoons (lentils/chicken/turkey) mixed in the equivalent of 6 ice cubes of veg. Over the next few months, this can then be increased so that your LO is having 1/3 protein, 1/3 complex carb (potato/pasta/rice etc) and 1/3 veg in a sitting.

With water, I would just keep offering it it (I used the Tommee Tippee free flowing one too) and one day he just took it. I assume you don't use bottles - if you do, you could offer warm sterile water in a bottle?

Weaning is SUCH a minefield!! If you have weaned at 17 weeks on the advice of a doctor (I did too), then perhaps you could talk to them for some reassurance?

Good luck!

Have just read a thread on here about the weaning between 17-20 weeks...this is exactly the info I was given by 2 gastro paediatricians...the links make for some very reassuring reading. It may be worth looking at?