Prem and weening.

[Dani-lou]

My HV has said that we will re-evaluate weening in 4wks time, that will make my son 5months actual age 4months corrected. He is showing all signs that he is ready for food as well as milk, saliva, hands in mouth etc etc so unsure why I have to wait. I have tried him on little bits like cow and gate porriage and puree apple also cow and gate range and he loves it, only small spoonfuls as I just want to get him used to the taste.
My hv said possibly between 5-7months. I think 5months would work but any later and I would have to question this with my gp.
What has your experiences been?

 

[AP]

You don't have to wait, not at the corrected or actual age Theo is at now. It is up to you.

HVs go by government guidelines because they have to really. Our HV swore down she thought she was right when it came to weaning LO but turns out I was right and we went by Bliss guidelines.

Bliss guidelines say 5-7 months actual age, no matter how premature

 

[katy1310]

I had arguments with my hv over it - she wanted me to wait till Sophie was 6 months corrected but that would have made her 9 months actual, and neonatal were expecting her to be on 3 meals a day by that point! We went by the Bliss guidelines and just didn't tell the hv that we were weaning when we were!! She eventually admitted that she'd read the Bliss stuff and now believed me (!) but she still didn't understand it.....

I'm glad we started when we did - Sophie's now 11 months actual/8 months corrected and past the stage of all purees - she's coping brilliantly with lumpier things and even baby pasta etc.

 

[aob1013]

Leni was 6 weeks premature, he started eating at 5.5 months he is now 6 months.

 

[Dani-lou]

Thanks ladies. I have started giving Theo some baby rice and small meals of an afternoon. I think your right and will def follow bliss guidlines.

 

[stargirlll]

Here's my understanding of it - now I could be wrong - I'm no expert, and I'm really just learning myself - so please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

Babies's stores of iron start to run out around 6 months and so will no longer get all they need iron wise from milk so this is why weaning is recommended to start then. However with premature babies because they haven't spent the last part of their time in the womb when iron stores are built up, they may need to be weaned at a different time.

Babies shouldn't be weaned too early however as the stomach hasn't developed properly until around 4 months which is why weaning isn't generally recommended before 4 months, so it's important to remember that premature babies stomachs don't develop any faster - they will develop at same rate as if they were still in the womb.

Now, I know that 'they' say you shouldn't hold your baby back from the weaning process and should go with their actual age i.e when they were born. I think it's important to consider their corrected age too.

For example my baby was 10 weeks early. Now, if I'd weaned him at 17 weeks actual - he would have been 7 corrected - now, is his stomach going to be ready for this? Is it going to develop super-fast because he was premature? I don't think so. Also, is he going to be able to hold his head up? No.

However, if I wait until he is 26 weeks actual - he would be 16 weeks corrected. His stomach will be more able to cope with it, and he will be around the age when his iron levels will be naturally starting to drop. His head control will be better too. There wouldn't be any reason why I would need to do it earlier.

This is something I've been researching for weeks now, and have read everything on the Bliss website about weaning, I've spoken to HV, neonatal nurses, gps, pediatricians at local hospital, and pediatricians specialising in premature babies at Sick Kids about this. I don't think there is enough information out there about weaning premature babies.

I have a friend whose baby was 5 weeks premauture and at 15 weeks actual - 10 corrected she gave it an orange to suck on. Citrus fruits aren't recommended until much later, but she asked hv about weaning and was told 'don't hold her back'. So she just assumed 'well I can wean her now as she's nearly 4 months' without looking into the finer details.

If I had a baby that was born 5 weeks premature. I would wean them at 26 weeks actual - 21 corrected.

Sorry for rambling - I think this was more to clear my own confused head!