Ladies who breastfeed and are weaning I need advice

[Allyemo1985]

So Louis is 8 months old and still EBF. I started introducing solids well BLW 4 weeks ago. Trouble is he will not entertain a spoon I keep trying everyday h es just not fussed. Rather have the boob I guess.

I've tried the BLW and he loves messing and feeling the texture of the food he doent seem to eat any of it though. So far I've tried rusk. Oranges, apples banana weetabix and yoghurt Sunday lunch mashed up toast and spaghetti.

Should I keep doing what I'm doing and eventually realise he will eat 3-5 times a day. Or do I introduce a night time bottle because he is waking up again to feed! And I'm knackered but love BF.

Also any options on what to give baby food wise? My memory has took a dive having a 5 year gap.

[2princes1princess]

Hey hun hows you all?

My lo is exactly the same at 9.5months.ive been blw since 7 months as he wouldn't take a spoon either . I was really concerned on the lack foodhe wadwas eating doing it himself but now he is well away, eats everything we have and has even started using a spoon himself! Its lovely to see him thriving

The hv told me that up to 12months food is fun and they need milk more and get all nutrients they need from it still xx

Good luck and have fun xx

[2princes1princess in reply to 2princes1princess]

Oh and give him what the resy of your family are having-within reason obv xx

[Allyemo1985 in reply to 2princes1princess]

Brilliant so I'm doing the right thing then. That's a reassurance. I always had that in the back of my mind that it was fun and milk more so. However what should I do with him waking up. I'm even dream feeding him at around 9.30-10pm and he's still waking round 1 3 and 5 for maybe two weeks now. I'm also wondering whether its teeth coming through and maybe a dose of nurofen before bed will help? X

[2princes1princess in reply to Allyemo1985]

The sleeping is a tough one, was he sleeping through previously? If he is clean, dry, full and not ppoorly, we had to leave our 2nd in the end and do the controlled crying-absolutely broke my heart- but he only did it one night and has been a fab sleeper since. Blw is a new thing to me, I just give him everything whole, on his tray on highchair and let him get on with it and o know he's getting some as proof in nappies lol, it just takes them a lil while to get into the swing of things. It can be very messy but him and me are really enjoying it now xx

[CarolineDarz]

Would be a little cautious as when we had nhs weaning class they expressed that milk is nutritionally not enough after 6 months, also they are meant to get more fussy after 12 months. I would talk to hv, or research about it. My little boy loves being breastfed too- and can be difficult with me when he is tired. I express and give him a bit of milk before food is he is really hungry. x

[Allyemo1985 in reply to CarolineDarz]

And that's the result of NHS for you no idea on breastfeeding what so ever. There is lots of research and mums who will disagree with the comment 'milk is not enough till 1 year'. I live in the Middle East and here we have LC's on tap BF is promoted in fact when I gave birth they didn't even ask is I was bottle feeding just put baby on breast. expressing has always been an issue with my it seems to hurt and I don't get much either hand or pump. Last night he slept through till 5.30am granted I'm up early but thankfull I had a decent night sleep. So far the weaning is going ok last night I bought formula for the first time in 8 months and he won't entertain it at all. Yet slept through. Confused!

[Hidden in reply to CarolineDarz]

I cant believe u were told that...bsbies main intake shud still b milk up to a yr..u dont hav to wean at 6 months if u dont feel they r ready.

[Allyemo1985 in reply to Hidden]

Ceribean... You are up feeding I presume. Or just can't sleep . a bizarre comment indeed.... Some babies like my first where I was told he must be on solids blah blah.... Etc.... And I basically force fed him. And now I feel so guilty because as a new mum you listen to other parents views. Thankfully number three I'm older and wiser I like to think ...

[Hidden in reply to Allyemo1985]

Lol I was..just moved my son into his own room so his sleep is bit disturbed. I started with bits of food bit then my son got poorly and went right off his food but hes bit btr now so will try again over weekend. Yeh being a first time mum myself there r things tht I wud do different nxt time but hindsight is a lovely thing lol. Xx

[Hidden]

I'm surprised they said milk isn't enough CarolineDarz, I was told it was and i would say you're doing everything right allyemo1985 and I agree with everything 2prnces1princess said. As for sleeping through the night, trial and error, if you want to introduce a bottle of formula at bedtime, try it, it doesn't mean you have to give up any other breast feeds, I bf my lo til I went back to work at 10 months, but she had a bottle of formula every night (more because we had problems breastfeeding at the beginning and then decided to keep doing it). Be careful about feeding during the night, you don't want him to get into the habit of waking for a feed, especially that often. Controlled crying is another option, but you have to be determined and consistent and have your oh supporting you with it.

[Allyemo1985 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks winnie258 your right most mums agree that milk is the most important nutrient in the first year. Granted some babies develop quicker and want solids earlier by showing interest. I think I did very well waiting till 7 months old to start and even now a month later he still not fussed I'm not worried he is healthy and growing I will keep offering but I need to be more consistent with it. I tried a bottle last night and just like a dummy he won't entertain it. I'm not gutted I'm quite happy as he slept through till 5.30am. But I'm more glad he refused. I've had so many people say stop breastfeeding it's not good after 6 months... Pffftttt they obviously don't know what happened before formula was invented!

[ritz21]

I have been combination feeding and stopped breastfeed at 5 months. At 6 months I moved to Stage 3 formula, I have attended an NHS class but to be honest I just went by my gut.

I knew for certain that my body lacked iron and my daughter started loosing her hair around 5 months, (so ofcourse her Iron stock was probably getting consumed) so I moved her to formula (still woke up thrice in the night to feed her the bottle until she was 6 months and moved into her own room)

I gave her puree with spoon at around 5 months too and she would want to use the spoon herself, so I have a really messy kitchen.

By 6th month she agreed that I can feed her puree while she can nibble some finger food, So I always start with pieces of boiled veg (starter), pureed food (main-course) yoghurt (side-dish), pieces of fruits(dessert) and water (drink). That is our lunch and dinner 5 course plan

She is taking her bottles of milk three times a day and once in the night (well 5:30 am is night for me)

and for breakfast i give her rusk mashed in yoghurt.

It was a struggle initially to get her to eat, but I allowed her to explore and always made sure we all ate together (so if she was hungry earlier we ate earlier too). She figured out that it is easier if I feed her while she can tell us some baby language jokes and laugh out loud on dining table.

So the bottom line, go by your instinct, every child and every family is different.

[Amburns]

Just thought I'd let you know how my 13mth old is doing. He was fully breast feed- I never expressed and he used me as a soother at night and during the day for naps- I did baby led weaning, he just played about for the first few months but by 9mths there was definite evidence that he was getting something other than milk in his changing nappies by 12mths he was up to 3 meals a day with snacks and milk first thing in the morning and before he went to bed. I only tried him, putting himself to bed at 12mths when I thought he'd understand what he needed now I ask him if it's nap time and he leads me to his cot for him to go to sleep- so long story short trust in your skills as a mother we are very powerful creatures the breast is a powerful tool good luck

[Allyemo1985 in reply to Amburns]

thats an ace outcome . last night it felt like that alot of time i was being used as a dummy. im glad you posted thanku this gives me and others the hope to keep going knowing it will end atsome point. its veryhard to put a baby breastfed on demand to a routine. we gave up trying with a bottle mo point wasting milk when he wont put ot anywhere neat him. :-0

[Julietho]

Hi

My lb is 6 months and we are doing blw. He's hardly eating anything at the moment but loving it. I'm still ebf. My take on it is if he wakes in the night and won't settle or sounds upset I'll feed him. He's in his own room now which helps as we are not disturbing him and the last 3 nights has slept 8-5.30. I then feed him and he goes back down. He does have nights he wakes every couple of hours which are tough but I rough it out. I feel if he takes the breast he needed it at that time for hunger or comfort or warmth or another reason. Have you read the wonder weeks book they have a regression at the time of a leap. The last one for us was tough with nearly a month of 2-3 hourly waking. Sometimes just understanding why helps. Oh and I've found putting on anbesol at bedtimes gives me a longer first stretch. If he's still feeding really frequently you could consider co sleeping for a while? Hope he's better soon.