The minefield of weaning! some advice plz!

[Jynann]

Morning!
I'm new to the forum - I did introduce myself in the appropriate section but incase you didn't see it hellooooooo! I have a little girl called Kayleigh and she is 20ish weeks (i think lol)

I was wondering if anyone could spare a bit of advise RE weaning.

I have been introducing a few different tastes to Kayleigh for the past few weeks, just bits here and there but I want to get her into more of a pattern. She has 5 bottles of hungry baby milk a day. first at about 6.30 and just before the second she has some baby balance cerial, then a bottle again, just her bottle, then with her fourth bottle I give her some fromage fray (sp) and her bedtime bottle at about half six - bed by 8 usually. I was wondering if I should try to introduce more food at another bottle time or drop a bottle alltogether and give her just food, but i'm worried she will miss her milk and also wonder if I do that should I give her water throughout the day to make sure she isnt thirsty cause she is missing the bottle??!! I was giving her more food a couple of weeks ago, along with all 5 for her bottles and she got constipated so I don't want to be back in the same position as I was then. I also wonder if she is really ready or not - it's so difficult to know what to do for the best - I would happly let her just have her milk but she is crying after bottles and she has 210ml at every feed, which is more than enough for her weight!

Sorry for the never ending barrage or questions lol - I spoke to my HV who told me off (in a polite way) for giving her any food so she wont advise me any further.
Thanks all xxxx

 

[Bee]

Hi

This is what I do:

7ish - bottle
10/11 - bottle and banana porridge (trying mashed banana today too)
1/2 - bottle
4/5 - bottle and carrot and some porridge. Finlay finds the fromage frais too runny just now
8 - bottle
11 - bottle and sometimes some porridge (doesn't always have this bottle)

Gradually introduce some mushed foods - carrot is good to start with. Finlay has had sweet potato and turnip as well. We've got butternut squash and brocolli to go onto next.

Once you established something at dinner time maybe introduce food at lunch too (1/2 time for Finlay)

Hope that helps!

 

[happy-chick]

Hey hun,

Personally i'd stick with giving her food at the 2 feeds and just increase the amount that you give her slowly and she will eventually drop the milk feeds herself by taking less and less. At the point when she drops the bottles then you can offer water in a cup with her meal so that if shes thirsty she'll have a drink of water instead of wanting her bottle.

You can also begin to introduce new tastes if you think she's ready, just becareful not to introduce too many at once in case of allergies etc as if you introduce one at a time and it doesnt agree with her then you know exactly what it is Try to give the food at set times each day so that she encorporates it in her routine too.

If you want any food ideas let me know xx

 

[Jynann]

Well today Kayleigh is constipated again!! Poor little thing had to strain loads just to get a little bit of hard poo out

I don't know what to do now, maybe she is a bit young? She never suffered before and I have swapped from the hipp organic breakfast yogurt jar things to cow and gate baby balance breakfast in case it was that and she is just having fromage frai in the aft - which I know isn't the cause, as I started her off on this a few weeks back and her poo was normal

Do you think I should try pureed fruit instead or stop the food again? I'm going to try her with some water in the meantime to try and shift it......The strange thing is, she is constpitated for a day (hard pellet like poo and straining) then the next day it is normal, then maybe the next day she is constipated again