Does my baby need weaning

[kateboundy]

Hi
I am really confused and need some hard core BW advice please!!  Last week I put my LO on 4 hour EASY  - she is 5 months on Saturday so I know I was a little late but she has always been little for her age up until now (huge growth spurt 2 weeks ago).  She took to it like a dream and only woke up 30 minutes early than normal at 6.30. 

She nearly always wakes at 5am but I hear her, ignore her and she goes back to sleep... at worst I put in her dummy and tell her it is not morning or EVEN worse reswaddle...  but that is all.  This week she has started to wake at between 5.30 and 6 (there is no actual set time so not habitual) and won't settle back down and seems really, really tired and grumpy. This morning I fed her at 5.45. I treated it as a night feed and she went back to sleep - I then woke her at 7.30 to get back on sdchedule and fed her again.  She has not had a feed this early for 2 months!!

Over the last fortnight I have been weaning her from the breast onto formula as I know my milk is drying up. She takes 7 - 8 oz 5 times a day which my health visitor says is LOADS!  So she thinks that I need to wean her as she obviously now needs more than just milk in her diet.  I have deciede to just feed her formula for the rest of today and all of tomorrow and see how that goes (in case she is literally getting nothing from me).

I was also thinking of doing a cluster feed at 9pm tonight to see if that helps...  thoughts???

I would love to know what you guys think!  If 5 bottles doesn't work I will try some baby rice...  if I have too.. but I did hope to hold out for another couple of weeks at least.
Thanks
K

[clh]

{{hugs}} 

What does hv mean "wean her"?  I hear "wean" and think "stop providing (fill in the blank)" and that makes me really nervous.

At her age, breast milk or formula need to provide her nutrition.  Even when she starts solids (usually recommended at 6 months), it is for practice (uses different movements than sucking) & to get them used to new tastes, textures, etc.  Solids aren't going to be for a lot of nutrition for a long time yet.

Personally, I think not even 5 months is a bit early to start solids.  Something to do with the development of their gut, but forgive me, I don't know/remember all the specifics.  Hopefully some more-knowledgable lady (or gent!) will come by soon.

[Freya'sMum]

Hello!

Candice is spot on and if you check out this FAQ babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=118497.msg1240777#msg1240777 you'll get some idea why!

If your lo enjoys 35oz milk per day, then that's what she likes, and that's fine - if she's still taking 35oz happily at 9 months, and isn't really interested in trying any solids, then you'll want to gradually reduce it, but not for a good while yet the idea being that you maintain the milk supply, introduce solid foods at about 6 months to supplement BUT NOT REPLACE the babymilk, so the milk intake remains constant, but as baby grows, the amount of supplementary solids increases, until 9-10 months when they even out, and then the milk quantity gradually reduces as the solids quantity continues to rise!

No rush, no pressure - prioritise that milk

Ax