Breastfeeding and weaning - WARNING LONG!!!

[Lucy Lu]

I could have posted this in the weaning section, but this section seems to get a lot more views and thought I'd stick where I'm most comfortable!

We have just started weaning LO in the last few days, so slightly before the 6 month mark. All seems to be going well and I was feeling pretty confident about it all until I started hearing downright nasty comments from my OH's family that the portion sizes I'm giving him are too small and that I'm underfeeding him. (2 months ago though apparently I was overfeeding him and caused his reflux by putting him to the breast too often so it seems I can't win whatever I do ).

They are getting the puree portion size thing by comparing what I feed LO to what another family member is feeding her 12 WEEK OLD BABY so I know deep down that we are doing just fine and the HV has reassured also that it's fine, but I can't help questioning everything I'm doing again. LO's weight gain since 3 months has been sooo slow and it doesn't seem to be picking up at all. I guess I just need some reassurance....

It's not set in stone what he eats as I'm still demand feeding him, but approximately it looks like this each day:

4am (but maybe only a couple of days a week) - milk feed
7/7.30am - milk feed
9am - breakfast - about an ice cube worth of baby rice cereal mixed with water or pureed fruit
11.30am - milk feed
1pm - lunch - veg mixed with a bit of milk and rice (2 ice cubes)
4pm - milk feed
7pm - milk feed
11pm - milk feed

Does this look sensible for a 5.5month old baby? I don't have his weight gain as a check to see if we're doing right (as this is just so slow) so I just wanted to get others' thoughts? Also, he doesn't seem to give obvious cues that he's full, but when I've kept going, he's been very sick. He also doesn't cry if you stop feeding him the solids so it's like he could take it or leave it!

I wanted to post in this section too as I've been increasingly nervous about whether he's getting enough milk. I'm confident I don't have any supply issues but am just having a wobble right now what with starting to bring in solids and concerned that they will start to replace the milk too early on, he won't get the vital calories he needs and I won't have any way of knowing. Did anyone else have this nervousness about supply while they were weaning? I know the solids aren't meant to be introduced for calories initially - it's a taste and texture exercise more than anything else, but OH's family just don't see it like this - grrrrrrrrr

 

[becstar]

It seems he's getting plenty of milk and if he's weeing and pooing then all should be well. In most cases weaning at this stage is about tastes and textures, as you say, and baby getting used to them, rather than filling baby up. If he is happy then all is most likely well! You could try upping the amount gradually but starting small is sensible, I think.

Rice is a 'filler' with little calorific value so giving him too much at this stage might take away his appetite for milk and slow growth, so i think you're doing fine.

 

[Lucy Lu]

Thanks Becstar. He has dropped probably one milk feed already so that sort of got me thinking. Did you find that happened with your LO soon after you started out on solids though?

He still sleeps through the night most nights so I can't be starving him that badly! Forgot to say in my OP tho, he is pretty narked recently - he struggles to settle for any naps, but this has been going on for quite a few weeks. I really feel in my gut it's not hunger related, and more that he is just really struggling to wind down and sleep when he gets overstimulated... But it's not like I can retort to people, 'well he's happy so he must be getting what he needs from his milk, as he does cry a lot these days!'

 

[Lu28]

Given that you've only just started on solids, it seems fine. I always gave LO a milk feed first and then solids and would let her eat as much as she wanted, until she refused. I don't think there's any problem with that at that age and as long as they have the milk first.

Aisling was an extremely slow gainer between 4 and about 7 months and she's now gone from just below 9th percentile to above the 50th so don't worry too much about LO not gaining weight through solids

 

[anothersquish]

Milk should be the MAIN part of a babies diet until 12 months of age...I think that says everything?
What you are giving amount wise is perfectly acceptable, if you would like to give more over time (ie increasing gradually over the course of several weeks as baby gets used to the solids) then as Lu suggests give milk first then whatever solid food he wants.
Milk will provide him more than any solid food right now, at this stage his digestive system would not be able to take as effectively from food as it can from breastmilk.
The milk is WAY more important and has WAY more nutritional value.

 

[Lucy Lu]

I know you are all absolutely right - thanks ladies - f**king 'family'! Can't believe I am being judged for 'under-feeding' my son by being compared to the amount of SOLIDS a 12wk old baby is being given.

He only feeds off one breast each feed but will happily take the other if offered. Do you think it is worth me offering the other side each time? I had been avoiding doing that as it seemed to overload his stomach - he has reflux - but the reflux seems (fingers crossed) to be improving over the last few days. Maybe this is a way of getting a few more calories into him. I can't help thinking the slow gain is down to the reflux - it developed badly quite late (around 3 months) and this coincided with the start of really slowed growth for him.

 

[Lu28]

I'm afraid I don't know much about reflux hon so can only say what I do. I have always offered the second boob at each feed and she's always taken it so it might be worthwhile as long as it doesn't have reflux implications. Having said that he probably feeds more often to make up for it anyway so it mightn't make a difference to the amount he gets

Bloody families are the worst at times xxx

 

[anothersquish]

Do whatever you feel you want too. You can always try offering both and if it has no negative effect on his reflux keep with it and if it does then stop. No harm in trying

 

[Lucy Lu]

Maybe I'll give it a go again. We used to do both but he was sicking a lot and seemed to be getting a lot of foremilk feeding from both.

thanks everyone. Wish I could pick OH's family up and deposit them a couple of counties away sometimes - how peaceful life would be - aah bliss

 

[florabean1981]

Wish I could pick OH's family up and deposit them a couple of counties away sometimes - how peaceful life would be - aah bliss

can i join you in that sentiment?

 

[Seraphim]

Sorry no experience or advice on weaning.
Only to say... never forget the last generation weaned terribly early (and seem to therefore have a hang up about solids) seemed rarely to breastfeed the kind of timeframe you're in/aiming for. Oh and they thought smoking was good for you

Do you have to give them information on his weight??

 

[SianMA]

A few tips our dietician gave us for suitable weaning foods when weight gain is slow are to make sure that you keep milk feeds and food very separate - put more effort into ensuring that they have as much of their usual milk as possible rather than trying to get them to eat lots of solids, just a spoonful or two is fine to introduce variety.

Also you can make baby rice or porridge with expressed milk instead of water to get more milk into your LO if you're worried about dropping feeds - Ryan has had a week or two where he seems to only want food and has been uninterested in BF now we've started weaning so I've been doing this and I've been using formula to make rice pudding or custard too (as I can't express due to a persistent fungal infection) - apparently some babies just really enjoy the feeling of eating and would rather eat their milk in porridge than drink it!

 

[ryder]

Definately seems fine! Baby rice is an excellent start, mixing it with fruit of veggies is good too. Mainly because baby rice is iron fortified and at 6 months babies need extra iron for proper brain development and growth. I know the baby rice cereals in Canada actually have alot of vitamins and minerals.

Eventually you want to increase the amounts and generally allow the baby to eat as much as they want at meals, but this isn't done in a day, its done in weeks. I did and Jasmine always let me know when she was full. While you increase the foods you can add different fruits and veggies, and try and have a good variety spanning one week of different colored fruits and veggies.

Some people think if your baby begins to wake more in the night it is a sign that they need more solid foods too. Which happens more commonly once baby is sitting up and crawling etc, using more calories.

 

[ryder]

btw, I always make cereals with milk! never water.