Breastfeeding/Weaning Questions (for a total dummy!).....

[Laur_250]

Ok, so ive read some previous threads on weaing but im still quite clueless!

Reggie is almost 4 months now and breastfed. I know some people wean early due to baby but i cant imagine how i'd know that he needs more than my milk because if hes hungry, i feed him and we dont really have any problems. So i guess i will just wait til 6 months to start as this is when they NEED food as well? How do you KNOW when they need more?

What are they allowed to eat? Do some mums only buy pre-made baby pots of food and only feed them this? Or do you also give fruit, veg, etc but if so can they chew lumps?

And im breastfeeding so what happens at 6 months which is when i plan to stop, do i then start giving formla and food each day? If so do they drink as much as usual but have food as well on top of that or do they drink less when eating food? What if i carry on bfing past 6 months?? Dont 'think' i will but you never know i didnt think i'd get this far!

God i really am clueless on this I should have gone to the weaning class the HV tls me about but i missed it!

Also, sometimes when im eating yoghurt or fruit ive let him lick it to taste it, is this naughty? I just think its nice for him to have a little taste?!

God this post is a mess, if you can help with any of the questions it will be a help, thanks xx

 

[purple13]

honey, if reggie is content on milk alone then there is no need to introduce any food yet. IMHO its better to wait until 6 months and go down a BLW route (much easier than purees). bear in mind that you're more than likely about to hit the 4 month growth spurt - just don't read it as a need to introduce solids. there are more calories in your milk than in pureed veg/fruit/baby rice, so better to stick with that. there are lots of things that babies do that people read into as signs (chewing actions, putting things in their mouths, not sleeping through) but actually these are just normal development markers that happen at around the same time. at 6 months the digestive tract has had time to mature and the tongue thrust reflex has been lost - some babies still aren't mentally ready for solids at this point, but there's no real nutritional need for them until after 1 year anyway.

if you go down the BLW route, your baby will basically eat what you eat - no need to buy jars check out beanie's blog thread.

if you are intending to stop bf-ing at 6 months, make sure you drop feeds gradually - i think 1 a week is recommended - otherwise you risk mastitis. you will need to feed formula instead - i can't advise on how much and when though. connor has only just started to substantially drop his boob feeding now (at 8.5 months) - even then, he's having a bare minimum of 4 feeds a day with 1/2 boob snacks in between. i still love it and will continue until he self weans, all being well.

 

[Laur_250]

Thanks purple13, you're very helpful as always!

I like the idea of not letting him have food til he absolutely needs it as at the moment i dont mind feeding him myself and even if he does get more demanding i still find it easier to just feed him more often than worry about food/sterilising.

I may sound stupid here but what is baby led weaning??? I looked through the 1st couple pages of that thread but didnt manage to grasp what it actually means!

xx

 

[purple13]

BLW is weaning your baby straight onto solids - no purees/mash, just finger foods. its great for lazy mummies like me

once babies reach 6 months, they've lost the tongue thrust reflex that pushes foreign objects out of the mouth (weaning with spoons earlier than this overrides this reflex - babies are actually more likely to choke on puree from spoons than when feeding themselves solid food). at 6 months they're developmentally capable of feeding themselves finger food, so the idea behind BLW is that you just let them get on with it - chunks of banana are a good starter food; steamed broccoli & carrots are good, as are roast sweet potato, parsnip etc.

connor now eats everything that i do - he just uses his fingers rather than a knife and fork

hope that helps

 

[Laur_250]

That sounds alot like me! Thanks, im definately gonna look into this as it seems the sort of route i'd like to take. Do you or anyone know any good places (sites, books) on this to help me with more info when the time comes?

Thanks again xx

 

[purple13]

check out the following:

http://www.rapleyweaning.com/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-led-Weanin ... 23808/1832
http://babyledweaning.blogware.com/

and def have a trawl through the BLW weaning threads on this forum - several of us have posted day to day food diaries amongst them, as well as photos - its a very messy business... LOL

 

[Laur_250]

Thanks purple13 thats so helpful, i think BLW is definately what we're gonna do, ive just been reading it from that site to OH.

So i can start after he is 6 months and then my supply should gradually slow down due to him feeding less as more full from the food and i'll go from there on how long i carry on bfeeding but it sounds like i can do it all alot simply that way xx

 

[Squiglet]

You'll probably find he becomes dead fussy in a few weeks... but its just a growth spurt rather than a need for food, and once you get over that little spurt he will be ok for a few weeks when he should be nearing 6 months and ready for blw...

 

[Sherlock]

We are BLW and loving it. We started a bit sooner and Galen has done really well with it. Now we are past 6 months of age we can more or less eat everything with him now so are doing so OH and I are really enjoying having him eat his meals with us and eat what we eat.

Get through the 4 month growth spurt (I started eating foods to help increase my supply at this time) and you should be fine till 6 months or so to start BLW

 

[Laur_250]

Thanks girls, im alot more relaxed now to know that he can wait til 6 months so even if he does get more demanding soon i will just put it down to the growth spurt. I'm looking forward to the baby led weaning too it sounds so good for baby to let them feed themselves im quite excited about it!

Out of interest Sherlock, what did you start eating to increase your supply? I havent had any problems with mine yet but we are approaching 4 months at the end of this week so might experience more demand as people say?

Also one thing if anyone can answer- i dont really eat much meat (not a strict veggie but i just dont eally like it) does baby need much meat when BLW??

Thanks xx

 

[purple13]

oats are great for boosting supply - as are eating/drinking lots in general. fenugreek, fennel tea & blackthorn juice are also good.

you should just aim to give your baby a balanced diet, so if you don't eat meat, make sure that your LO is getting other sources of protein instead. its quite possible to bring your baby up on a veggie diet should you wish (a close friend of mine has done it with her 2) - i'm like you in that i don't cook meat v often cos i'm not a fan either. i cook with quinoa & tofu, which are both complete proteins. connor also gets cheese, eggs & yoghurt which are ovo-lacto protein. things like beans on toast, hummus and pita bread & pasta with beans are good ways of ensuring complete protein within a diet.

 

[Laur_250]

Thanks purple13, the only time i cook meat is for a treat for OH really as he loves it but i use quorn where i can. All your ideas have been great thanks , looking forward to baby led weaning! Im gonna order that book you reccomended too its on sale £6.50 on that site you showed me with free delivery! xx