Weaning info. Stories please?

[FraggleRock77]

I've posted on here a LOT but briefly, DS 16 Wks actual. We were advised to start looking for weaning signs from 20 Wks. When did you start to wean your prem baby? How do it work out? Our DS feeds two hourly day and night, he is a very hungry baby and throwing on weight x

[plentyofsoap]

Another night feed done so I can reply
Ds was about five and a half months? He would not be filled up with milk and this was not common with him at all so I started him on baby porridge in the mornings.
Due to his rubbish weight gain I made all his food and froze it. He was not actually able to sit unaided so I had to hold him in my arms to feed him. He always seemed to prefer finger food as he got older too. Bliss have a weaning leaflet you can download off their website.
I have hundreds of plastic tubs ready to to filled! I hate cooking....

[minipie]

I weaned at 26 weeks actual, 20 weeks corrected. She seemed perfectly happy on milk, so I waited till the 6 month mark. I didn't really go on weaning signs tbh, more on Bliss leaflet recommendations.

She took to it pretty quickly and soon built up to 3 meals a day - can't remember when exactly but certainly within 4 or 5 weeks of starting she was on 3 meals and not having nearly so much milk. It was just fruit and veg purees at first then a bit of porridge with formula, then added meat and fish and dairy.

She was not able to sit till 6 months corrected so in the meantime we used a bouncy chair (Babybjorn one which is quite upright and washable )

Bliss leaflet was helpful.

[FraggleRock77]

Thank you Plenty/Mini. Can i ask how did you manage when out and about with feeding a prem who couldn't sit? X

[plentyofsoap]

We did not go far to be honest, only friends houses. Any trips we would work around meal times. Not great, but he got stronger.

[FraggleRock77]

Thanks Plenty. I was trying to work out the logistics of it all x

[minipie]

I didn't really try feeding DD anywhere other than home until she was able to go in a highchair - this was before she could sit independently, so not such a long wait. I can't remember exactly when she was ok in a high chair, but I do remember that a rolled up towel to prop her up helped a lot. So at that point I could feed her at friends' houses or cafes if they had a high chair. Or in her buggy at a pinch (eg in the park).

They don't start on 3 meals a day, so at the start it's only one meal to fit into the day. By the time she was on 3 meals she was stronger.

There is a period when they are on 3 solid meals a day, and still want all their milk feeds, and it feels like you do nothing but feed them! But on the other hand, they get quicker at their milk feeds (and then eventually maybe drop one or two), and also they become more flexible about when they are fed (as they are being fed more often so aren't quite so starving) so in that sense it gets easier.

[Twunk]

Alex was 7 months plus a bit - he actually ate for the first time on his due date. I was told to correct for his due date and he was 6 weeks early - he had completely different ideas and refused to eat. I was pulling my hair out and I so wish I hadn't worried about it!

Just turns out he's a stubborn sod! He would never take a spoon so I just gave him stuff and left him to it.

[Twunk]

Grrrrr I meant the date he should have been 6 months old! As in "6 months after his due date"

Wish I'd check my posts before publishing

[minipie]

That's interesting Twunk all the advice I read was not to correct, i.e. wean according to actual age. Nobody could ever explain to me why though

[Twunk]

Me neither. So I ignored it all in the end.

[FraggleRock77]

Thanks for all the feed back. I've downloaded the Bliss fact sheet. I saw my new HV today who was nice but useless about prem babies. Felt like i was leading the meeting. Going to look for signs from 20wks actual on NICU advice and wait and see

[neversleepagain]

We weaned at 24 weeks (18 weeks corrected). They couldn't sit up unaided so we started in bouncy chairs until they could move onto highchairs at around 8 months.

[FraggleRock77]

Anyone use the Hungry Baby milk prior to weaning. Our DS really likes it but I'm concerned about the amount of casein to whey?! X

[Katnipp]

I followed bliss guidelines (can't recall exactly) but was about 7 months actual 5 months corrected.
BLW (in terms of focus on finger foods and eating what you do wasn't really an option, advice at this stage was to wait until corrected age for diary, wheat etc.)
Started very slowly, small amount of baby rice once per day for a week then introduced second "meal" of veg mash being careful to introduce one new food every 3-4 days.
After a month we were onto 3 meals a day and a milk feed had dropped and one was more like a snack.
At this point started with small mashed portions of what I ate and by 7 months actual finger foods etc worked well.
I moved from breast to formula at about 11 months actual and hv said just normal formula was fine until 1 corrected when I could move to cows milk. She was clear that the 6 month +, hungry baby etc weren't really needed. I know a few friends that were advised against using hungry baby and told to feed more frequently instead.

[minipie]

My understanding is that Hungry Baby milk is harder to digest so it sits in their tummy and makes them feel full. There is no extra nutrition in it.

I don't really like the idea of it tbh... if they are hungry then IMO they need more milk or food, not something that tricks them into thinking they are full.

[FraggleRock77]

I hear what you're saying Mini. I asked our NICU outreach nurse who said there was limited research to suggest it digested in a different way to normal formula. DS still wakes hungry all the time, so I'd have to agree x