NHS on Baby-Led Weaning

[Seraphim]

We took Hazel to have her jabs last week, and we had her weighed by the HV as the clinic runs alongside...

I had a letter in the post about a talk on weaning, I asked what it would cover, was it all about baby rice, purees? BLW?

The HV told me they are not allowed to promote/discuss BLW as the NHS don't support it.

I was really surprised - can anyone shed any further light on this??

 

[Rebaby]

Ooh that is interesting. I don't think it can be the nhs as a whole though as according to one of the mums at our baby massage class (who is doing BLW with her baby girl) the HV team here do a one-off 'weaning class' (i think like an information session) at our local sure start, and as far as i could gather, from what she was saying, they covered BLW in that...

Also, doesn't the "birth to five" document from the DoH sway towards BLW (although i don't think it actually mentions the actual words Baby-Led-Weaning anywhere in it, it does talk about waiting until 6 months, offering fingers foods, getting baby involved in family meal times etc)

Recently at baby clinic i did overhear one of the HV's asking a mum of an older baby if he was "having breakfast dinner and a pudding now?" though, so maybe it's like a lot of other things and a bit hit and miss/dependent on the individual area/practitioner?

 

[Pyrrhic]

That's very bizarre, seeing as the NHS sent my HV on a course about BLW and she has started to recommend it to people.

 

[Bekkiboo]

Sounds more like she personally doesn't agree with it, my HV is exactly the same and tried pushing me towards traditional weaning like it was compulsary! I would definitely do some research on NHS and BLW and have info ready to back you up next time you bring it up with her x x

 

[Babyshambelle]

Don't even get me started on my NHS class on weaning. Here are some of the informative things they said

You MUST start BEFORE 6 months but after 16 weeks. Some of the benefits of weaning early include the fact that "most of the mess will be out of the way before 6 months that way". If your baby can hold his/her head up by themselves then they are probably reeady for weaning (Liv could do this at birth!) Finger foods are dangerous if given before they have reached the 'lumpy puree stage' (whatever the heck that is!) And much much more....

I don't think our HV's agree with it one bit, and I have neglected to tell them how I am weaning Liv...I just say "she eats really well and has 3 meals a day and snacks". Her weight gain has been fine and I don't feel the need to get into an argument with them over it. xxx

 

[Lu28]

I think it's moreso that the NHS aren't offering training on BLW across the board to HVs, some get it and some don't but if they don't get it they're not in a position to advise us about it. My HV knows we're BLW and hasn't mentioned much about it.

 

[FemmeEnceinte]

I'm always wary of telling my new HV things... she's a bit of a judgey judgerton I slipped up and mentioned co-sleeping and had quite the lecture on that, freaked me out a bit... so I shan't be mentioning much again, just going along with whatever they say whilst doing things my way behind the scenes.

 

[Love Bunny]

Yeah same here I got a right royal bollocking for C-S....

 

[Arcanegirl]

Our weaning class didnt include BLW at all, and when i mentioned to one of the nurses who runs the baby clinic she looked at me like i had a second head!

 

[jen1604]

Like I said hon I find this a bit strange because my HV really recommended it.

I agree that it just sounds like your HV doesnt know about it/doesn't like it.

xx

 

[Seraphim]

Hmmm this is so odd.

The weanong class is this afternoon... I'm tempted to go just to get her to say it infront of other people. She definitely said theyre not allowed and that it was NHS-wide.

I'm finding the whole issue pretty sad.

 

[purple_socks]

this is exactly y i have no faith in HV! theres so many mixed messages and it does seem to b acase of each HV promoting/advocating her own personaly opinion!

i have always been very open about my choices to do things like co-sleep, let Kian sleep on his front, AP and BLW but i've had really mixed responses from various HV...

last time i took Kian to b weighed the HV at the clinic ( she's not 'my' HV) asked if we were weaning and how that was going. I said we were BLW and she gave me that look that parents give u when ur little and start telling them about fairies or made up friends...i'm sure she almost rolled her eyes! then said "but you are also using a spoon yes?" to which i said "well Kian has a go with a spoon sometimes but i don't ever feed him anything...i'm doing BLW. you don't spoon feed with BLW" so she asked how Kian was at using the spoon which i thought was a weird question- He's not very good with it?! what did she expect! He gets the idea but generally misses his mouth and likes banging it around so all the food flicks off it anyway. I only really offer him it after he's had ago with his hands because the spoon is quite distracting. She was frowning and was about to say something else but i just quickly picked Kian up, thanked her and left.

 

[Bekkiboo]

I had to wait an HOUR for the HV to go get a leaflet when I mentioned Co-sleeping

 

[purple_socks]

Bekkiboo...yeah i got the 'leaflet of shame' when i mentioned CS too!

my sil had to sign a disclaimer when she confessed to putting her LO on his front to sleep! madness! i think its good to inform women of the dangers/stats surrounding something like co-sleeping/weaning etc (altho i've found that the info i've been given on these subjects was not correct and was quite bias) but i don't think you should be berated if you have made an informed choice that goes against their advice/ guidelines.

 

[Seraphim]

A disclaimer for what? They don't have any responsibility for you to disclaim them FROM.

I was wondering about this HV / BLW thing and I wondered was it because of the choking hazard / 'she told me to do it' posibility of suing???

 

[Pyrrhic]

What really annoys me, is that there is no consistency between HVs at the same surgery, let alone nationwide! There seems to be something lacking in their training or general work practice but I cannot believe these people are allowed to dish out 'professional' advice time and time again when they act anything but professional! Most seem to just make up crap as they go along!

 

[purple_socks]

A disclaimer for what? They don't have any responsibility for you to disclaim them FROM.

lol she had to sign something that said she had be told the dangers, understood them but was still opting to go against the advice of her HV. I found it all rather bonkers!

 

[FemmeEnceinte]

That's insane... she clearly wasn't legally obliged to sign it :/

I think HV are a bit of a law unto themselves, dishing out advice that always seems, to me, to come from their own personal opinion rather than a broad and comprehensive knowledge of all things baby. Shocking, really, considering the amount of faith new mothers often place in them.

 

[trumpetbum]

I think I should be ok with my HV, I hope I went out with them as a student nurse when i was on my community placement and she knows I'm more than capable of finding these things out for myself. Otoh, BLW is really the last thing our HVs have to worry about as the practice covers a wide area including a very deprived area which has a high morbidity and early mortality rate, drug abuse, alcohol problems etc. The HVs love a sensible mum and healthy baby and certainly have better things to roll their eyes at than BLW or safe co-sleeping.

 

[Kitten]

Mine don't even know what BLW is, they thought it meant you do it when baby is ready in terms of doing it early. I said I'm doing BLW and she said "That's fine but it can't be before 17weeks", I was like "No, I mean waiting until 6months and not doing purees".