need some advice please

[purplelou]

hi ladies,

my 6 month old is ebf, i went back to work at about 5 months and still feed before and after work and during the night. she has expressed milk during the day.
we just started to wean her. we are doing blw.
seen the health visitor today as we just moved to a new area, so it was a meet and greet, and i mentioned LO wakes for food every 2-3 hours during the night. she is steadily gaining weight so although i am tired, i am not concerned. she drinks about 6- 8 oz breastmilk during the day. anyway the health visitor said 'shes just feeding for comfort and that i need to put a stop to it' she said she will eat her requirements in food and that bm is a drink only and i should offer a beaker of water during the night instead

this seems a little different to what ive read....that babies get most of their nutrition from bm until they are a bit older. i feel like a right useless mum now! she said i am teaching my baby bad habits by letting her feed at night

is it just me?? this is my first baby and its so hard to know if you are doing the right thing.

please excuse typos/lack of capitals etc - im pumping and typing!

 

[CupcakeBaby]

I'm no expert but I thought its "food for fun until you're 1"

I wouldn't give the baby water. BM is everything your baby needs. Especially this early in weaning where she probably isn't eating lots of food.

 

[purplelou]

thank you cupcake... at least Im not alone in thinking that!

 

[doggylover]

I agree its food for fun til one.

Anyway, even if LO is feeding or comfort...why would your hv basically advise you to stop comforting your baby using a method that works?if you rocked her would that get the same advice?

 

[superfrizbee]

Bloody hell! At 6 months your baby has only just started solids so to say BM is only a drink is crazy! Especially with BLW, where babies tend to eat less at first than TW. I would just keep doing what you're doing. DD has only just recently stopped a night feed at 11 months. In fact sometimes she still has one. I don't think it's hunger necessarily waking her now, but frankly it's the easiest way to get her back to sleep and I'm happy for her to have that "feed" as comfort.

 

[LegoHouse]

I hate health visitors. Well not all of them. That is so untrue. It is only a bad habit if you fall into the trap of thinking babies should do as they're told and live up to expectations before they can talk. Sounds to me like you are doing brilliantly!

 

[purplelou]

Thank you all so much
LO is my first baby and I want to do the best for her, and I thought I was...then the HV planted a seed of doubt. I am probably over sensitive (I know I am) because I've had to go back to work and leave my gorgeous girl, my dad died just a few weeks ago and I'm struggling with that...it's all a bit hard at the moment

 

[Piper84]

You don't need to "put a stop" to it. The HV sounds dangerously misinformed and really unhelpful.

When weaning my LO the last feeds to go were those at night. It seems like you're doing just fine

 

[kerrie24]

If you are happy and baby is,ignore the hv and carry on regardless.Mine didnt bother to come out between 10 days and 2.5 years old so she had no say in los upbringing but if someone asked I would just be like ''oh yeah im very happy with his sleeping ''etc.Forcing your baby onto water when shes happy bf is absolutely pointless and cruel advice imo.I hate hv.

 

[superfrizbee]

Thank you all so much
LO is my first baby and I want to do the best for her, and I thought I was...then the HV planted a seed of doubt. I am probably over sensitive (I know I am) because I've had to go back to work and leave my gorgeous girl, my dad died just a few weeks ago and I'm struggling with that...it's all a bit hard at the moment

Very sorry to hear you're having such a tough time. In my experience with most HV the best thing you can do is nod and smile then carry on exactly as you feel is right!

 

[purplelou]

thank you all again.
today feels a better day, now I feel a bit more confident to carry on despite the hv.
xxxx

 

[Piper84]

I still can't believe the HV said you have to put a stop to the "comfort feeding". If your baby is gaining weight and happy and comforted and you're happy, then screw what this silly cow has to say. You can ease off on it when you're both ready. You're doing nothing wrong