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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

Just started weaning and DS is already much less interested in boobs! Is this OK??

29 replies

mistressploppy · 25/04/2010 20:44

Or maybe it's just continuing distractibility? We've just started weaning (combining puree and BLW) and he's eating LOADS but I'm a bit worried that bfs are becoming v quick - he definitely doesn't seem as hungry for milk, which makes sense I suppose.

BUT surely he still really needs the milk, as he's having nowhere near a 'balanced diet' on solids?

I feel as if I'm force-feeding him breastmilk as I have to keep re-latching him on to get him to drink more. Should I just trust him to take what he needs?

(also posted in Breast and bottle feeding)

OP posts:
Original poster
mistressploppy · 02/05/2010 20:04

bump

OP posts:
CarGirl · 02/05/2010 20:08

this was my experience with my youngest. I weaned her at 6 months and by 10-11 months she was down to only one feed per day. I was literally dropping a feed every 4 weeks!!!!!

My others weren't like that but all seem happy and healthy enough she just wasn't a milkholic like the others!

froglegs · 03/05/2010 20:27

Yeah, I am having this problem to although my 6 month DS is FF. He just isnt interested in milk at all but loves any solids I give him.

I always offer milk first but he only drinks about 1 oz.

I don't think its because he is not hungry as he eats all his solid food. I am worried about him getting dehydrated!

scarlotti · 03/05/2010 21:18

Same happening here. Am giving water with the meals in case of thirst too. He loves his bf's later in the day though and at night!

Original poster
mistressploppy · 04/05/2010 09:00

Thanks for the replies. Glad I'm not alone! Especially interesting to hear about your FF DS, froglegs, it's so annoying with bfing not to have any idea how much they're getting. I'm worried about dehydration too, I offer water in a sippy cup with meals but he doesn't drink much

I think he gets one decent sized feed in the morning, the rest are prob only 1-2oz

OP posts:
scarlotti · 04/05/2010 13:19

Sounds the same as me then - I've decided, based on using my swing medela pump, that I probably produce about 4oz per side when full and he feeds well. Based on that here's a rough guide to our day:
5am 4oz bf
7:30 breakfast - give something mixed with milk.
10 ish - 1 or 2oz bf
12 lunch - on protien now, also give sips of water
2:30 - 1oz bf
4 ish - 2oz bf (if I'm lucky!)
5ish tea - with bit of water
7 6oz bf as this is bedtime
11 5oz ff dream feed

It's such a relief to know we're the same as others! Down side of it all though is my periods have now come back

Original poster
mistressploppy · 04/05/2010 13:23

Oh crap, hadn't thought of that! (periods)

Was wondering if feeding less would mean I couldn't get away with eating so much junk!

OP posts:
Original poster
mistressploppy · 04/05/2010 13:30

Scarlotti, thanks for posting your schedule, it's really helpful to see it.

Ours goes (quantities are VERY approximate!):

7am 6oz bf
8am breakfast, porridge with ebm
10.30am 2oz bf
11.30am lunch, water if poss
1.30pm 2oz bf
4pm 3oz bf
5pm dinner, water if poss
6pm 1oz

and that's it - he doesn't feed at night, hasn't done since he was 4mo!

OP posts:
scarlotti · 04/05/2010 14:37

Thanks for posting yours, funny how seeing someone else's makes all the difference!

I too have now realised that the copious cakes/chocolate will have to slow down stop

Am v impressed at the 6pm - 7am stint!!! What a good boy. I'm hoping to start stretching the 5am bf to nearer 7 now he's on 3 meals with protein etc.

Original poster
mistressploppy · 04/05/2010 15:49

An addition to the above; just been to clinic and ds's weight is fine, just above his curve in fact - yay! HV says if he's on 3 meals with protein (her exact words!) then roughly a pint of milk is recommended - or 3 x 7oz feeds. I'm not sure he's getting this but he seems ok anyway.

She seems to be encouraging me to feed less often, so as to consolidate into bigger feeds; am just a bit chicken so I keep offering

OP posts:
scarlotti · 04/05/2010 20:28

Great news, planning to go to clinic this week too for the same reason!
Did your hv suggest which 3 feeds to try and aim for? I keep offering too even though he doesn't seem that interested
How much does your ds eat for each meal?

Original poster
mistressploppy · 04/05/2010 22:43

She just said to offer milk before food, so I reckon to aim for a 7am feed, a 12pm one and a 4pm one. But I don't expect to get down to 3 feeds for a good month or two! Surely it must be better to keep offering?! I know lots of people drop daytime feeds first and keep hold of bedtime ones, but I've never fed-to-sleep so this isn't an issue for us.

Hmm, foodwise, this is what I estimate actually goes into ds and not on the floor:

breakfast; 4-5 tbsp of porridge and a Little Stars yog
lunch; veg/carb/protein totalling about a half a cup-full, then fruit, ie quarter of a banana, half a stewed plum
dinner; as lunch

OP posts:
RubyBuckleberry · 06/05/2010 12:00

hi mistressploppy

after much deliberation on how on earth to get milk into DS i have come up with the following routine to try and cope with this milk strike he seems to be on.

a few principles

no milk before naps (to try and sort out sleep association of feeding - he always actually fell asleep in his cot but got really drowsy bfing) this is partly because he is not hungry now he is having breakfast etc.

feed upon waking except before bed

feed at 6am on waking (tried to shift it to 7 - it doesn't work!)
7am breakfast
8am nap
9:30 feed on waking
10:30 snack - fruit/cheese/half wholemeal cheesy scone from book lnked on blw thread (he needs this to have a long otherwise he wakes up half way through hungry!)
1130 nap
1pm feed on waking
1:15 lunch
3pm - snack - fruit.
3:30 nap
4pm feed on waking
5pm dinner
6pm bath
7pm feed and bed

i am in two minds as to whether to do a feed at 10/11pm. i think it disturbs him - last night i didn't and he slept all the way till 2am. i also put him on his tummy which he really seems to like as he slept through the usual 10pm waking..

so far so good - he had his snack at 1030 and went to sleep with no milk am hoping to feed him when he wakes up!

RubyBuckleberry · 06/05/2010 12:14

so that looks like milk at 6, 9:30, 1, 4 and 7.

we've had two feeds so far and it is more than possible that he will refuse the rest but we will see...

...

so he just woke and had one side

am going to have lunch a bit earlier then...

Original poster
mistressploppy · 06/05/2010 12:51

That looks very similar to our days! Naps are a bit of a problem still, he takes short ones sometimes and can't really stay awake for more than about 2 hrs, less in the morning.

Mine's never fed before sleep so we don't have that problem.

I'll be interested to hear what he does for the rest of the day. So far ds has had a good feed at 7am and a piddly little stupid nibble at one boob at 10am.....ate loads of breakfast though - one whole weetabix (with ebm, ha ha! I'm so sly) a yoghurt and two strawberries!

OP posts:
RubyBuckleberry · 06/05/2010 18:38

he had a good lunch but was tired all afternoon because of his crap nap - only 45 minutes. although he did have a good one this morning so its not all bad. he had another nap out and about this afternoon and then one side and supper - fish chowder - that went down a treat he's starting to pick up handfuls and open his hand into his mouth iyswim - he could pick up each bit in the fish chowder and eat it - brocolli, fish, carrot, parsnip, potato in a creamy sauce - actually really nice!

this evening as normal bath massage story had one side and a bit before putting him down. nowhere near asleep though . i tried to settle him but he was pretty hyper it seems, then kind of moaning but squeaking and doing the odd squeal - clearly not distressed but not asleep either! anyway after about half an hour after him faffing - me going in and out, settling the leaving, he really started going for it crying. I picked him up, he wanted milk, so I fed him and he drained both sides fgs!

he's now fast asleep on his stomach, which is infinitely better it seems - last night he slept through the 10pm feed and woke at 2am. i don't want to wake him for the 10pm feed as he always wakes up and i think it disturbs him for the rest of the night.

how was your afternoon?

p.s ds can't stay awake for more than two hours either.

Original poster
mistressploppy · 06/05/2010 19:05

He didn't eat as much today (we are mainly spooning with a bit of finger food at the same time) and naps were a bit - he woke up 30min into the second one and took half an hour to settle, but then had another hour, thank god.

Feed-wise; fairly crap. Had about 10mins in total at 1.30, then about 8mins at 4.30, then nibbled at one side for 2mins at 6.15 and that was it! My boobs are suffering from it, they're massive now. Not sure whether to express it off to keep the supply going or to leave it as he apparently doesn't need it all?

He did have some water today though. I think he's thirsty. I'm frantically checking his fontanelle constantly to see if it's dipping (sign of dehydration), I think it does get a bit sunken sometimes , I try not to panic

Sounds like your ds is doing really well with the blw - mine can't really eat much on his own, and he does struggle to chew things so even if he gets things in his mouth, they usually fall out again! I'm so impatient...

OP posts:
scarlotti · 06/05/2010 20:24

Today was a very milk sparse day! Fed at 3am, 5am then not again until 2:30 despite repeated offerings! Fed again then at 6:30 before bed.

Spoke to the HV at the clinic and she said it's perfectly fine and normal. Suggested getting more dairy into him via cheese/yoghurt/mixed in with breakfast etc. She said it's likely that we'll just do a morning and night feed, with another one around 2ish so similar to what yours said mistressploppy.
I give water too at meals to avoid dehydration.

Have just made him some spag bol pots and loaded the tops with cheese!!

RubyBuckleberry · 06/05/2010 20:53

yeah my hv said give them yoghurt etc for calcium and cheese on things she said they can be easily down to morning and evening feeds by 8/9 months .

scarlotti · 06/05/2010 21:08

I just felt a bit better that she said it's ok and he's still following his line. He looks happy and healthy but I was worried as he's not read the 'food is fun until one' slogan and seems to be in the 'feed me more' camp
My boobs are feeling fuller than they have since the early feeding days!

RubyBuckleberry · 06/05/2010 21:11

lol my ds the same - i was thinking food i fun until one the other day and how ds is completely bucking that one. my boobs were fuller but i think it has adjusted now.

scarlotti · 06/05/2010 21:30

I went back to work this week and have been worried up until now that he'd have to have more formula as I wouldn't be able to express enough!!
On one of his settling in sessions he waited until he got home

RubyBuckleberry · 07/05/2010 08:04

do you mean he waited to feed until he got home - very common i think, they reverse cycle or something, start feeding at night...

scarlotti · 07/05/2010 20:04

Yeah, had heard about that. Luckily he's taken more from a bottle of ebm each time he's been so hopefully my nights will stay for sleeping!

HV suggested stopping the dream feed at 10pm but I'm worried that he'll just start waking earlier/more often for milk.

FionaSH · 08/05/2010 19:50

RubyBuckleberry - very interested in what you say about reverse cycle and feed more at night!? How come, how long for?!

Would be interested to know how old the babies on this thread are please? My boy is 23 weeks and really not interested in bf so much anymore and I'm really worrying about dehydration. He's completely off the chart for weight and height so I'm not bothered from a food point of view (he's having 3 meals a day but not introduced protein yet), but really concerned about liquid. He's not constipated though so I guess this should tell me he is ok.

From 8-16 weeks he slept 12 hours, with 2 hourly feeds during the day, but now we're on:

4am b/f
7:30am b/f
8am porridge with fruit
11:30 b/f (won't take much tho)
12 veg + petit filous after
3pm b/f (won't really be that interested)
6:30pm b/f but gets bored so I put him to bed
10pm b/f dreamfeed, but only 1 boob.

This is such a contrast to the 8 huge, long feeds he was having not very long ago.

Is this normal at 5 and a half months??!

Thanks!