Weaning premature baby.......

[gemlou86]

Hi ladies

My baby boy was born at 25 weeks 5days gestation and now 21weeks 3days old should only be 7weeks old.

He is really struggling with some bottles due to silenent reflux, on meds and sometimes it helps somes times doesn't. I just needs a little advice.... He will be 5months old on 22/1/12 and was thinking of trying a little baby rice to see if it would help the reflux I asked our neo natal nurse and she couldn't advice only said they advice starting at 6months. I don't want to harm is little digestive system but want to make feeding easier for him. Don't think he is enjoying his bottles hoping he might enjoy food more.

Thanks for and advice gemma x

 

[stepmum]

Hi ladies

My baby boy was born at 25 weeks 5days gestation and now 21weeks 3days old should only be 7weeks old.

He is really struggling with some bottles due to silenent reflux, on meds and sometimes it helps somes times doesn't. I just needs a little advice.... He will be 5months old on 22/1/12 and was thinking of trying a little baby rice to see if it would help the reflux I asked our neo natal nurse and she couldn't advice only said they advice starting at 6months. I don't want to harm is little digestive system but want to make feeding easier for him. Don't think he is enjoying his bottles hoping he might enjoy food more.

Thanks for and advice gemma x

I can only roughly advise as my boy was not as early as your LO, he was born at 32 weeks and we weaned before 6 months due to a number of medical reasons but we did ask our consultant about the general issue early on and he advised that there are two occasions where the corrected age is not taken into account and that is vaccinations and weaning, and in some cases preemies need weaning earlier anyway due to the lack of iron stores.

We weaned at 15 weeks and he is fine so far had we not had to wean him as early our consultant was going for 5 months.

Maybe make an appointment with your consultant and ask for some medical advice before you make any decisions. There are also mummies with LO's of a similar gestation that have weaned on the premature section that may be able to help further (apologies if you've already asked over there, I haven't been over there yet) x

 

[anna1986]

same as pp really i have also been told that weaning a premmie you take into account their current age not adjusted
my LO was born 5 weeks early and we started weaning at 18 weeks (so it would have been 13 corrected) we were advised to do this due to reflux and her poor intake of milk. we started with baby rice but she disliked that so went straight to fruit n veg purees.
id say as your LO is 5 months then you could try with a bit of baby rice and see how he gets on!
if you want any advice feel free to pm me! good luck x

 

[Minimin]

have you looked/called BLISS? sorry one handed typing. hope theycam also help.

 

[gemlou86]

Thank you ladies. Your advice is much appreciated. Iv called bliss too and they said ok to try from 5 month just have to see how he goes x

 

[LucyJ]

My little boy was born at 36 weeks and suffers from refulx we have stared weening we've started with baby rice which he loves and his reflux seems so much better. Today I made some sweet potato puree for him to try and it went down really well.

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

Ellie was born at 32 weeks and we had to wean very early but that was on advice from her consultant, prem babies are weaned (usually not always) by actual age and not corrected if that makes sense xx

 

[minties]

Why is that? I'd love to learn

 

[anna1986]

Why is that? I'd love to learn

im pretty sure its because there digestive systems have been having milk for as much time as a full term baby has and because of their iron levels. Someone feel free t correct me though.

 

[special_kala]

I know from a few ladies on here that they weaned their premies on the actual age not corrected x

 

[stepmum]

Why is that? I'd love to learn

im pretty sure its because there digestive systems have been having milk for as much time as a full term baby has and because of their iron levels. Someone feel free t correct me though.

That's basically it I think, from what I understand the iron stores built up in the womb run out at the same time of each baby regardless of the gestation, they have been out of the womb for the same amount of time as a full termer of the same actual age

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

Why is that? I'd love to learn

im pretty sure its because there digestive systems have been having milk for as much time as a full term baby has and because of their iron levels. Someone feel free t correct me though.

That's basically it I think, from what I understand the iron stores built up in the womb run out at the same time of each baby regardless of the gestation, they have been out of the womb for the same amount of time as a full termer of the same actual age

same as this although we only done it to save ellie blood transfusions cause of her iron levels so we all decided after long discussions that it would be best to wean early than have all the blood transfusions xx

 

[minties]

Why not just give some iron drops then? I'm seriously just interested, not criticising or making a judegment. I love learning all this stuff. It's cool!

 

[stepmum]

Why not just give some iron drops then? I'm seriously just interested, not criticising or making a judegment. I love learning all this stuff. It's cool!

Oliver's on iron drops too until he's 12 months old I'm pretty sure most preemies are prescribed the same iron drops/vitamins until the same age.

I'm not sure the exact reason for doubling up with the weaning early and the drops. The consultant told us that the majority of the nutrients are built up in the last trimester therefore for babies born before the last or just after the start of the last trimester it's standard procedure. Maybe it's because weaning can be quite slow and technically "fun til one" so the drops are a back up.

I'm glad you're asking about this, I'm going to ask our consultant the reason for the double up, especially if weaning is going well like ours is, vitamins and extra iron can probably only be a good thing but I don't want to give him anything unnecessarily.

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

Why not just give some iron drops then? I'm seriously just interested, not criticising or making a judegment. I love learning all this stuff. It's cool!

most prems infact all that I know come home on meds and one of them being iron even although Ellie was on them ans she still is her iron levels were always virtually non exsistant and she needed loads of blood transfusions and she also has a blood condition too so we decided that weaning early out weighed the constant blood transfusions and all the complications that came with them