Weaning at nearly 21weeks due to health visitors advice as my LO is refusing bottles. Advice needed!

[jenniemc88]

Hi guys...

I'm after some advice. I've been told by the health visitor and the doctor to start weaning my daughter.(shes 20weeks) as the last week she's been refusing her 10am and 4pm bottles after about an ounce! She used to drink 7onz at 7am, 6 at 10am, 6 at 1pm, 6 at 4pm, 6 at 7pm and sometimes an extra 3 at 10pm but now the 10am and 4pm feeds have gone out the window. She will cry for it but after an ounce won't drink any more even if I force it down her.

So this morning at 10am I tried baby rice after forcing 2onz down her, she loved it so much she had the whole bowl. (1teaspoon of rice mixed with 10 of her usual formula) at 4pm I'm going to try her with a usual 6onz feed but if she doesn't drink it can I give her more food? I know your meant to introduce food once at day at first but seen as it's two bottles she refuses can I give two lots of food?

Thanks

[Jacksonla]

Baby rice doesn't have any nutritional value so I don't think that giving her more would be the best thing. I'd definitely try the bottle again. Have u got any baby porridge? That's really smooth and has more vitamins etc just make sure it's gluten free (most are anyway). You could purée a small amount of banana or pear to put in it. You'll only need a few spoonfuls to start off with. We only started weaning at 24/25 weeks so you're not massively early. Why not think of a few bland veggies to purée to get her into something more nutritious if she is still refusing her bottle x

[jenniemc88]

I just thought with the baby rice being-made from her milk then it would be better. I do have baby porridge but it's made with water not her milk.

[candiceandsesame in reply to jenniemc88]

I think as long as its mixed with formula then its ok. I did something similar as my lo was really struggling to breastfeed and as I wasn't ready for formula at the time I did 2 meals a day of breastmilk/formula with baby rice as that increased her volume of milk intake.

there are also some porridges that you can add formula to. My lo could not tolerate porridge early on - she just vomited everywhere!

so I just mixed formula, baby rice and pear or apple in the early days instead of porridge.

[Hidden]

Is she settled without having the bottles of milk or is she hungry? Is she sleeping ok? I'm not a health care professional, just a mother using common sense. I mixed fed my first and so far breastfeeding my second from one boob! I have NO idea how much milk my children had/have, they show signs of wanting feeding, I feed them. I don't keep to a strict schedule of when they feed, although I have a vague idea of when they'll want to feed, my baby sleeps well, is putting on weight and has wet and dirty nappies, they are the only indicators I have that he is getting enough milk. Trust your instincts, you know your baby best.

[Lizzie13]

If baby is happy and content without having those 2 bottles and there is no concern with weight gain then she obviously doesn't need it. The amounts of formula on the tins are just a guideline andevery baby is different. If there is a concern with weight then try her with a cup rather than a bottle , some babies prefer this. Baby rice has no nutritional value so if weight gain is an issue then baby rice will definitely not help. You mix water with baby porridge because it already has dried milk added to it. If you start weaning before 6 months then the onky foods that can be safely introduced are fruit and veg which doesn't have a high fat or calorie content so , again, if weight gain is an issue then this won't help anyway.

[amy5891]

With my son I was working full time, couldn't get hols to take him to health visitor/GP and no one would take him for me so had to decide myself how and when to wean. I got a copy of cow and gates 5steps to weaning (on their website theres a form to fill in and they'll post it out). I started with mushed bananas, mushed apples, baby rice, baby weetabix (was really disolved so no sharp bits) baby porridge, etc. You can make the baby porridge with their milk instead of water and its fine. I went based on his qs, if he refused his bottle but seemed hungry id give him food mentioned above. There were days he had about 10 oz all day (all inside food) and had loads of food.

If I remember rightly he was about 17-18 weeks when he first started refusing bottles, I know was definitely under 20 weeks.