HV told me to start weaning at 17 weeks

[WoodyM]

Help, saw the HV today about my baby's sudden change in behaviour and she's told me I need to get on with weaning next week when DD turns 17 weeks as she's clearly hungry. Wasn't planning to wean so early, so not sure what to do. I'm wondering whether she's just going through a growth spurt.

My DD is 16 weeks and BF. We've just had two blissful weeks of DD sleeping through to 7am from her dream feed at 10.30pm.

However, since Sunday night her 7pm feed, which I usually really enjoy as a lovely peaceful time with my baby, has turned into hell. She's clearly suddenly really frustrated with my boobs as she has a few sucks, then yells, sucks again, yells etc for a good 20 mins before she settles down to feed.

She is then draining 8oz of EBF or formula when I wake her at 10.30pm. She then wakes up between 1 and 2am looking for another feed. Night feeds in the past used to be a quiet 10 mins on one boob before going back down. Now its frantic tugging at two boobs for a good half an hour before settling. Once settled, she'll sleep to somewhere between 6 and 7am.

During the day she still seems to be the normal happy baby she's always been so I'm confused as to why hunger at night has so suddenly become a problem. Any ideas? Do I need to think about weaning or is this just a growth spurt?

I personally wouldn't consider weaning, I'd ride it out and see how it goes. She is still sleeping from 2230 ish to 0600/0700 which is a pretty good stretch.

Is there a reason for her having EBM or formula at 2230? What happens if you offer her the breast? I would just offer her as much milk as she wants as often as she wants, and see how she goes. She's probably having a growth spurt and it will all settle down in a week or two.

Sorry ignore my dozy comment about her sleeping, missed your line about her night feed.

Your heath visitor is talking gubbins i'm afraid.

It's more than likely just a growth spurt - and if she is hungry she needs more milk, not baby food. Babies cannot digest food properly until around 6months old, and there is definately more calories in breast or formula milk than in pureed apple etc, so if she's hungry the best way to satisfy that is with more milk.

The frustrated at the breast behaviour sounds typical of a growth spurt, the more she feeds, the more milk you will make and thus be able to satisfy her hunger. I know how hard it is when you are knackered and they won't settle but fingers crossed it won't last long - just keep telling yourself 'it's a phase'...

good luck

sometimes it is good to start baby rice in the morning because if she gets bad tummy she got all day for it to settle, mine was the same, i just gave her baby juice to which was good then started weaning properly at 5 and a half months good luck

i just love these crazy HVs !

sounds like classic growth spurt / 4 month madness. it WILL pass. like has been said, the more she feeds, the more milk you will make. in a few days, you'll have stacks of milk and she'll chill out. no point weaning onto less calorific food (like has been said.)

where do they get these HVs???

Thank you every one. We'll keep going as we are and hopefully it will pass. DD lasted a little longer after her dream feed last night so maybe this is the beginning of light at the end of the tunnel!

Info on the 4 month sleep regression:

here, here, here and here.

I sympathise - I asked my HV for advice when my DS's behaviour (feeding and sleeping) went mental at 6 weeks. She couldn't give me any advice about feeding, and told me to get him to sleep by putting him down and leaving him to cry. It was only later that I discovered there's a big growth spurt at 6 weeks and it all sorted itself out once that was over. I was staggered that the HV either didn't know about it, or hadn't thought it was relevant in giving me advice.

Hope things improve soon!