I think it's time to wean...advice please

[Samemka]

Emma has gone from sleeping through the night (6.30-7.30 til 7.15am) to waking up at 12.30-1.30, 5am ish then again at 7am.

She is also getting extremely hungry in the day, wanting bottles every 2-2.5 hours, and these are full 9oz bottles.

I just don't think milk is satisfying her anymore. She was 18weeks on Monday.

This has been happening for about 3 weeks - she did go back to sleeping through again, but the past 5 nights has been waking up twice and having bottles both times and the same in the day.

I wanted to hang out as long as I could with weaning but I think the time has come...we've tried settling her with a dummy in the night, it doesn't work - she's hungry. Same in the day.

I feel rather clueless about weaning though. I know I could google but I'd prefer advice from mums on here - I trust you more, lol.

I've got some free samples of baby rice, fruity cereal and fruity porridge, so I was going to try one of those. But people keep saying 'try her with a rusk' - but I'm pretty sure the free samples are better than rusks aren't they (I'm sure I read something about rusks having gluten or something in, I'm not sure....)

Also, when I start her off, I know it's only a spoonful at first.....but do I decide how much to give her (ie stop after the spoonful) or do I let her decide (keep going until she spits it back out). It's also just at one 'meal' a day at first isn't it, with the same amount of milk she usually has?

Sorry if I come across as completely clueless - I've read all the free info I've had through the post and I know more than I think, but just feel a bit unsure about all of this as Emma is my first baby.

Thanks in advance

 

[Jkelmum]

You know your baby best ...the advice i would give would be just babyrice forahwile only small amounts as its still early to wean ....I would maybe make 1 teaspoon of babyrice mixed with babymilk ...thats about 5~6 baby sppons see how u go ...if she isnt interested then leave for a day or two and try again ...if she loves it then up it a little everyfew days until she shows she is full ...you dont cut any milk out for along time ...hope this helps ...going to find u some links x

 

[Jkelmum]

There are plenty of signs that you baby is ready for weaning:
•Holding his or her head up and controlling head movements.



•Sitting well when supported.



•Making chewing motions.



•Doubling his or her birth weight.



•Being unsatisfied after a full milk feed



•Demanding increasing and more frequent milk feeds



•Attempting to put things in his or her mouth



•After a period of sleeping through the night waking in the night with hunger



•Displaying curiosity about what you are eating.
If you are unsure or concerned about when your baby is ready to begin weaning you should talk to your health visitor.

Tips for successful weaning:
•Make weaning a social experience from the beginning



•Give your baby a spoon as soon as he or she can hold one



•Use a plastic spoon as it feels better for your baby and is sterilised more easily



•Start with bland foods and make them almost as liquid as milk



•Stick with the same two or three foods for a few days before moving on



•Give your baby one taste at a time, that way you will know better which he or she prefers and can detect any adverse reactions



•Offer solid foods once or twice a day for the first month



•Do not rush a feed time with your baby



•Use a bib and put something down on the floor to catch any mess

The best way to teach your children to love food is to gradually introduce a wide range of different flavours and textures during the weaning process. While your baby may not seem to love every food straight away, with little perseverance and a few cunning tricks you'll be able to help them enjoy a balanced diet, full of all the nutrients they need to grow healthy and strong and lay the foundations for an opened minded approach to food when they're older and able to choose what to eat themselves.

To help you encourage your little one's love of food we share our top tips for introducing new foods into your baby's diet:

Don't expect it to be easy

Learning to eat isn't easy and it will take your little one a while to master the chewing and swallowing skills they need to cope with solid (or even pureed) food. To begin with it may seem that they're not eating very much at all and this can be quite frustrating, however this is fine as long as they're filling up on plenty of milk. Over time your little one will get better at eating and they'll gradually begin to consume more of the food you've prepared.

Introduce one food at a time

It's a good idea to introduce one new food at a time (once every 2 to 3 days is usually a good interval), this lets your baby get used to new tastes and textures gradually and also means that you can spot any potential reactions such as an upset tummy or rash.

Persevere

Don't be surprised if your little one doesn't warm to a new food straight away, it may take several attempts and lots of clever blending before they begin to enjoy a new flavour. So, if your baby initially rejects a new food, don't be put off and try it again the next week, and again the following if they're still not interested. Disguising it as part of a sauce or pureeing it with something they do like will help them to get used to the flavour indirectly. Over time your baby's pallet will adapt to the new taste and they will learn to enjoy it.

Introduce food strategically

While most babies hit it off with fruit straight away, as its sweetness is very similar to the sweet taste of breast milk that they've become used to, vegetables are often another story. For this reason it can be a good idea to put off introducing fruit until your little one has learnt to eat a wide range of veggies. It's a good idea to start with a combination of green and yellow vegetables as yellow varieties such as parsnip, butternut squash and sweet potato tend to be sweeter in flavour and these can be used to soften the taste of more savoury vegetables such as peas and broccoli.

Get good at hiding

Once you've started weaning and are beginning to introduce an ever growing range of foods into your baby's diet a blender will become your new best friend - a plug-in hand blender is best as this means you can puree whatever you're cooking in the pan or bowl you prepared it in so there is less washing up. By mixing new vegetables in soups, stews, casseroles and pasta sauces you can get your little one used to a whole range of flavours and encourage them to eat a whole range of nutrients without making the fact that you're feeding them something new so obvious. For older babies, cheese sauce or a grated cheese 'topping' on vegetables can be a great way of making the healthy stuff more appealing. However, if your little one really hasn't warmed up to the taste of vegetables you could try mixing a little vegetable puree in with fruit puree, gradually increasing the proportion of the vegetable over a number of meals until they are willing to eat it on its own. Fortunately as babies have little idea as to what should 'go together' in terms of sweet and savoury you can get a way with unusual yet very tasty combinations that you would not be able to with adults.

Get your timing right

When you go to introduce a new food to your baby's diet it's important that they're feeling happy, rested and relaxed so that they will be more willing to experiment and try new things. Many parents find that mid morning is the best time, however this may not necessarily be the case for you. Over a few 'new food feeds' you'll begin to recognise at what time of day your baby is in the right 'frame of mind' to be more experimental with their diet.

Split up mealtimes

When you're starting out with solids or even introducing a new food later on it can be a good idea to split mealtimes in three phases as this method can help encourage your baby's interested in the new food. Firstly, start off by giving your little one about half of the milk they'd usually consume during a feed, next try them out with the new food, letting them eat until they show signs of having enough (i.e. repeatedly turning their head away), then finally feed them the remainder of the milk. By using this method you will ensure that your baby is not so hungry, or so full that they aren't interested in trying out the new food. You can also use this method to introduce a new food later on by sandwiching the new food between foods your little one is already familiar with.

Go homemade

Pre-pureed jars of baby food can seem convenient but they can give your baby a slightly skewed idea of what 'normal' food looks and feels like (not to mention the added expense of feeding your little one these for every meal). For this reason, wherever possible it is better to feed your baby home cooked food. This doesn't mean that you have to spend hours in the kitchen creating pureed masterpieces. Instead it is much easier to simply feed your baby what you're having, provided it's not too spicy or rich. Blending up a baby version or your meal will see your little one enjoying a whole range of nutrients and will introduce them to a much wider range of food tastes and textures. What's more, if you didn't eat particularly healthily before knowing that your baby is going to be having what you're having for tea may spur you on to cook more healthily for the whole family.

Teach by example

Babies are incredibly clever and they're much more likely to try a new food if they you eating it first (this is one of the big benefits of baby led weaning). So, before introducing a new food, eat a little yourself and make 'yummy' noises to show that you're enjoying it (even if it's not one of your favourites). It can also be a good idea to give your baby a little of the new food to play with first, this can be a messy approach but the familiarity means that they may be more likely to give it a try.

Make mealtime fun

Eating regular meals at the table with your baby is a great way to make mealtimes a fun, relaxed experience rather than a chore. This also gives your baby the opportunity to watch you eat a whole range of foods, opening them up to the idea of trying them. If possible try to eat at least one meal together a day as a family, whether this is breakfast, lunch or dinner, sitting around a table (plus high chair). This will not only help encourage your baby's enjoyment of food but the 'chatter' will also encourage their developmental skills.

there a few things i found xx

 

[sublime_ivy]

there is a massive growth spurt at 4 months, if you google it you will see it is one of the worst ones to go through and it pretty much known as the 4 month growth spurt hell.

 

[mommyof3co]

Yeah I was going to say the same about the growth spurt....it's a tough one, seems like they are eating 24/7 for awhile there. I personally would see if it passes soon. But here is some other info for you
https://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/readyforsolids.htm

 

[saraendepity]

i agree with everyone else about the growth spur hun! have you tried Hungry Baby Formula? the 4 month growth spurt was a killer for us but she has settled now and life is back to (jsust about) normal! imo i would try to wait it out as best as you can hun if you are still unsure and want to give her a little bit extra to fill her up speak to your HV as there are certain things you're supposed to avoid if you are weaning early i think ?

sara

xxxxxx

 

[Samemka]

Thank you everyone for your advice, I really appreciate it x

 

[polo_princess]

Id hold off for a week or so just to make sure its definatley not just a growth spurt, and then if its not read through the advice Serina posted and perhaps make a start with the small amounts of baby rice

I weaned Brooke at around 16 weeks so if youve got any questions feel free to pm me

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

I was debating baby rice, but I held out and it was just a killer growth spurt. every 1.5 - 2 hours day and night. back to two night feeds now(thats the best he's ever done)

good luck with whatever u decide

 

[rubyredford]

Hi there,

My daughter is exactly the same age and we have had the same problems this week. She hardly slept at all over the weekend and had been sleeping through since she was tiny. I finally cracked and gave her some baby rice and it was the best thing I could have done - I got my happy, smiley baby back! She has been having a full 4 month portion twice a day and is doing really well on it. Hope whatever you try works for you!!

 

[Samemka]

Hi there,

My daughter is exactly the same age and we have had the same problems this week. She hardly slept at all over the weekend and had been sleeping through since she was tiny. I finally cracked and gave her some baby rice and it was the best thing I could have done - I got my happy, smiley baby back! She has been having a full 4 month portion twice a day and is doing really well on it. Hope whatever you try works for you!!

When you say a 4 month portion how much is that, a teaspoonful?

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

The thing I often wonder is, how would you know if the improvement in sleeping was because the early weaning had 'worked', or that growth spurt had simply passed?
Good luck Saml1 in getting Emma back into her normal routine, whatever you do.

 

[Samemka]

The thing I often wonder is, how would you know if the improvement in sleeping was because the early weaning had 'worked', or that growth spurt had simply passed?
Good luck Saml1 in getting Emma back into her normal routine, whatever you do.

You're right, I've wondered this myself. Because we went through something similar about 3 weeks ago (a week of what seemed like constant hunger, and waking in the night), then she settled back down to sleeping through again for a week...I do think this is probably another growth spurt. But it's just when I'm making up the biggest bottles I can and she's only sometimes going 2 hours between (never does she go more than 3!!) it makes me wonder if she's not satisfied. I'm using 240ml of water and 8 scoops of powder per bottle - so they're completely full!! The tub only says up to 210ml and 7 scoops but I've had to make bigger ones as she'll drain those and cry for more

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

Like everyone said it may be a growth spurt so hold up for a week or so

If not (because you know your baby) Them start on tiny amounts of baby rice maybe in the morning and before LO goes to bed and then work your way from there

I weaned aidan early so if you need any help Im here
xx

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Is that a 9oz bottle then...? I use ready made and Ruby has been draining just over 9oz / 260ml of this since she was Emma's age. I don't know what the equivalent of that is when you use powder though.

 

[Samemka]

Is that a 9oz bottle then...? I use ready made and Ruby has been draining just over 9oz / 260ml of this since she was Emma's age. I don't know what the equivalent of that is when you use powder though.

I think it must be - always get confused about bottle size cos not sure whether you go on how much water you put in (think 240ml is around 8oz) or water & powder (just over 9oz). I'd say 9oz though cos there's no way I could get anymore milk into the bottle, so this must be 9oz lol. I use avent bottles.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

But don't you have to put 9 scoops in the bottle for it to be a 9oz feed? Maybe someone else can help with this! I use Avent bottles too.

 

[maccy]

It's 1oz water to 1 scoop of feed, so an 9oz bottle would be filled to number 9 on the bottle with 9 scoops of powder I know mixed up it looks a little more but yes your right Mum2b you go by the scoops.

Gd luck in getting her back to her usual routine hun...mine went through hers a few weeks ago and it's hard but she's much better now..hang on in there. x

 

[Samemka]

Ok thanks, so she's having 8oz bottles then x

 

[Lara+sam+bump]

I started weaning Noah at 20 weeks. I started him on babyrice, just one teaspoon full mixed with milk till it was like liquid. Then I started adding fruit/veg puree's to the rice. Now he has porriage or baby cereal for breakfast. I knew it wasn't a growth spurt because it started at 2.5 months and has stopped the last week or so, now he is on 3 meals a day. He fed every 1.5 to 2 hours day and nite wouldn't nap for loger tha 40 mins in the day, now he does for up to 2.5 hours and only wakes 3 times between 6pm and 8am. Good luck what ever you chose xxx