Question re: prem feeding

[BakeSaleBarbie]

Can anyone tell me roughly what stage a baby born at 30 weeks but is now 10 months old should be eating now? Is milk likely to be enough?

[BakeSaleBarbie]

Ignore the 'stage' in the last post, it's too early!

[cheekydino]

Have a look at the Bliss website (charity for prem babies) - I think they have a section on feeding. Sorry - am on phone and can't link. By 10 months my 31 weeker was on three (big!) meals a day but he did love his food.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Really don't know on premmies sorry. If Lo was full term the advice is that their main nutrition should be from the milk until they are one and food is just supplemental.

Bliss has some information here and hopefully this will bump for you

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Xposted with cheeky.

[CelticPromise]

Morning. As others have said the weaning guide on the Bliss site is great. The guidance is to wean prem babies at 5-7 months actual age so I'd expect a ten month old to be eating meals. Are you having difficulties? My son (also prem) was never a keen eater either.

[CelticPromise]

But also agree with Julie, food for fun until they're one.

[GoatBongosAnonymous]

As already said, Bliss advice is to start weaning between 5-7 months actual age - a prem's digestive system has been working since birth like a full termer, plus there are developmental benefits apparently. I know Bliss also say not to do baby led weaning with a prem, but my 31 weeker really took to finger food and at 8 months is happily munching away... Of you are having difficulty maybe try this? Agree that food is just for fun at the moment!

[TwelveLeggedWalk]

Hi Barrie
My dts were 30weekers and at 10 mo were eating three meals a day of mush, but had only just started trying finger foods as they had very poor pincer grips for ages.
We were advised to start at 6mo actual, and we did it very slowly as they struggled to sit well, so we took along while doing soft mush in bouncy chairs/bumbos, before progressing to high chairs. Ironically when they were being spoon fed mush they ate really well, and as we moved onto more textured food (trying to remember, think around 10mo) DS in particular got more and more difficult.
We also kept DS gluten free for a few months, and lactose free for a while too as he had reflux which he grew out of as he weaned.
What stage are you at? Are you getting follow up care/advice?

[TwelveLeggedWalk]

Barrie? Barbie!!

[BakeSaleBarbie]

Hi all, thanks for the replies, it confirms what I thought really. The advice isn't for me but for someone in my family who seems to be struggling a bit with weaning.

I think the problem is that the baby really dislikes pretty much everything that they've tried feeding and it's not going well.

Do you think it'd be rude of me to forward her the link to the Bliss site? Part of the problem is that she hasn't seen a health visitor (nor taken the baby to be weighed) since October so has not been able to ask any professional for advice. I am terrified of stepping on any toes but I am a bit worried and want to help if I can.

[GoatBongosAnonymous]

I think forwarding the link is a good idea - it can actually be quite hard to find advice on prems if you are not sure where to look, as NNUs don't always direct you! Surely a 10 month old 30 weeker is still under a paediatrician though, and she could ask there for help too?

[TwelveLeggedWalk]

Yes do forward the link.
I tended not to bother much with my HV once we were past the first few months as they didn't seem that clued into premmies, but we did have consultant follow up care - still do actually - so I could ask more relevant questions then. I think she needs to make sure she's getting some age related follow up, be it through HV, gp, consultant, scbu clinic, and in my experience the nhs is very happy to give it for ex prems.