Advice please on feeding

[Rainbowbrite]

Hi again,

Just wondering if anyone can help me out a bit. You all probably know that MJ is a little bub and I was told to make sure she gets enough of the end milk. HOw can I do this?

She has never fed for more than 7mins per side. I've tried just making her stay on one side longer but to no avail. Once the flow slows, she looses all interest. She'll sip, squirm and play until i give in and change sides, then she'll happily feed for another 5-7minutes.

So is there any way at all to help her out?

Also, i'm not going to start her on Farex till she's atleast 6 months but have been told that i'll know when she's ready..... HOW???

Thanks
RB :)

[JanetF]

Hiya *waves*

To make sure bubs gets all the way down to the bottom (there's not really a bottom, I'm just giving you an image LOL) just feed off the same boob several times in a row. My son has always been a speed feeder, no more than 10 minutes all up even as a newborn! But he's grown just fine. I bet your wee one is the same, just a really efficient feeder. I've never taken much notice of which we start on, or whatever. He knows what he's doing! I bet if your baby is slipping off after 5-7 mins she has emptied the breast. A massive amount pours out in the letdown reflex!

There are lots of signs that a baby is ready for food, and it doesn't have to been on the magic 6 months (although earlier is potentially problematic) and it doesn't have to be Farex. Ds has never had any and he's 2 next month LOL. I'll get you a list of signs.

Now you could do with a bit more relaxing about this whole thing. It isn't rocket surgery, Kimmy ;) It's only people who don't understand what a beautiful dance it is that freak out like it's a science experiment. You're doing a brilliant job, so trust your baby, trust your body and trust the process. It's been keeping human babies in tip top form for millennia! I'll be back with links ;)

[Sarie]

Can't help you out with the breast feeding thing :( Sorry.
But on the food side yeah you will know. My older son started on solids when he was 3.5 months. His bottle just wasn't enough to fill him and he was showing interest in what we were eating. He didn't have farex, I tried him with some, but he wasn't interested. He went straight to weet bix with his formula.
PJ was about 4.5 months when we started him on farex, he actually likes it, but he also has weet bix, plus veggies and yoghurt (if you give your bub yoghurt make sure it's suitable for baby, no chunks of fruit and full fat)

There are lots of signs that a baby is ready for food, and it doesn't have to been on the magic 6 months
Janet F I agree with you here but
(although earlier is potentially problematic) what makes you say that? Some babies are ready for solids at a much younger age.

[JanetF]

http://breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/justbm.html
How can parents recognise the right time to offer other foods to their breastfed baby?

At around six months, or possibly later, your baby will let you know when she is ready for extra foods. She may seem unsatisfied even after a few days of more frequent breastfeeds. She may try to grasp food from your plate (or somebody else's), or show an interest in eating when you do. Keep in mind though, that babies of this age (and earlier) often try to grab everything, and put things in their mouths. If this is the only indicator, you may like to wait a little longer. Let your baby take time to learn new skills. Some babies obviously relish the opportunity to try new foods. Others are very fussy and indicate their disapproval at being given food that isn't breastmilk. If your baby does not show interest in family foods, wait a week or two before offering them again. Some babies are seven or eight months old before they begin solid foods.

Starting solids - like learning to walk and talk - will happen when your baby is developmentally ready. Like these other exciting milestones there can be a lot of competition between family and friends to get there first! When it comes to eating other foods, being the first to start doesn't make you a winner!

6 reasons to wait and FAQ.
http://askdrsears.com/html/3/T032000.asp
Some indicators of readiness
Tongue-thrust and gag reflexes lessen; accepts solids Sits erect in high chair Begins teething
Holds bottle/sippy cup
Thumb-and-forefinger pickup begins
Fascination with tiny food morsels
Begins mouthing chokable food and objects (parents beware!)
Bangs, drops, flings
Reaches for food and utensils
Munches food
How will I know when my baby is ready for solids?
As with all aspects of parenting, watch your child and not the calendar. Besides the developmental milestones above, watch for these ready-to-eat cues in your baby:
• Able to sit with support, reaches and grabs, and mouths hands and toys
• Watches you eat, following your fork as it moves from plate to mouth
• "Mooches," reaching for food on your plate
• Mimicks your eating behaviors, such as opening her mouth wide when you open your mouth to eat. Grabbing your spoon is not a reliable sign of feeding readiness, since baby may be more interested in the noise, shape, and feel of your utensils rather than the food stuff on them.
• Baby can show and tell. Around six months of age babies have the ability to say "yes" to wanting food by reaching or leaning toward the food and "no" by pushing or turning away. Expect mixed messages as your baby learns to communicate. When in doubt, offer, but don't force.
Does baby seem hungry for additional food? If your baby is content with breastmilk or formula, no need to complicate his life with solids. If, on the other hand, your baby seems unsatisfied after a feeding, is shortening the intervals between feedings, and several days of more frequent feedings don't change this, it may be time to begin.

[Sarie]

Fair enough, but just to say that both of my boys had readily accepted food from around 3.5 months and even at this age can let you know when they're not hungry.

[Rainbowbrite]

Now you could do with a bit more relaxing about this whole thing. It isn't rocket surgery, Kimmy ;) It's only people who don't understand what a beautiful dance it is that freak out like it's a science experiment. You're doing a brilliant job, so trust your baby, trust your body and trust the process. It's been keeping human babies in tip top form for millennia! I'll be back with links ;)

Trust me, i really need to relax more & i know it. Just don't know how. I just want to be the best mum I can be. Its like co-sleeping, i love nothing more than waking up next to MJ, looking into her big blue eye's but it takes me forever to relax enough to fall asleep. Sometimes I think she wants food, she watches me eat very intently all the time.

If MJ's not a fan of Farex, do I start with veges or fruit & which ones?

Sorry I hound you guys with Q's, i just trust you more than people I "know."

Thanks again
RB

[JanetF]

Sarie, WHO and UNICEF recommend 6 months exclusive bf but more is fine as well. Here are some reasons.

1. Baby's intestines need to mature. The intestines are the body's filtering system, screening out potentially harmful substances and letting in healthy nutrients. In the early months, this filtering system is immature. Between four and seven months a baby's intestinal lining goes through a developmental growth spurt called closure, meaning the intestinal lining becomes more selective about what to let through. To prevent potentially-allergenic foods from entering the bloodstream, the maturing intestines secrete IgA , a protein immunoglobulin that acts like a protective paint, coating the intestines and preventing the passage of harmful allergens. In the early months, infant IgA production is low (although there is lots of IgA in human milk), and it is easier for potentially-allergenic food molecules to enter the baby's system. Once food molecules are in the blood, the immune system may produce antibodies to that food, creating a food allergy . By six to seven months of age the intestines are more mature and able to filter out more of the offending allergens. This is why it's particularly important to delay solids if there is a family history of food allergy, and especially to delay the introduction of foods to which other family members are allergic.

2. Young babies have a tongue-thrust reflex . In the first four months the tongue thrust reflex protects the infant against choking. When any unusual substance is placed on the tongue, it automatically protrudes outward rather than back. Between four and six months this reflex gradually diminishes, giving the glob of cereal a fighting chance of making it from the tongue to the tummy. Not only is the mouth-end of baby's digestive tract not ready for early solids, neither is the lower end.

3. Baby's swallowing mechanism is immature. Another reason not to rush solids is that the tongue and the swallowing mechanisms may not yet be ready to work together. Give a spoonful of food to an infant less than four months, and she will move it around randomly in her mouth, pushing some of it back into the pharynx where it is swallowed, some of it into the large spaces between the cheeks and gums, and some forward between the lips and out onto her chin. Between four and six months of age, most infants develop the ability to move the food from the front of the mouth to the back instead of letting it wallow around in the mouth and get spit out. Prior to four months of age, a baby's swallowing mechanism is designed to work with sucking, but not with chewing.

4. Baby needs to be able to sit up. In the early months, babies associate feeding with cuddling. Feeding is an intimate interaction, and babies often associate the feeding ritual with falling asleep in arms or at the breast. The change from a soft, warm breast to a cold, hard spoon may not be welcomed with an open mouth. Feeding solid foods is a less intimate and more mechanical way of delivering food. It requires baby to sit up in a highchair – a skill which most babies develop between five and seven months. Holding a breastfed baby in the usual breastfeeding position may not be the best way to start introducing solids, as your baby expects to be breastfed and clicks into a "what's wrong with this picture?" mode of food rejection.

5. Young infants are not equipped to chew. Teeth seldom appear until six or seven months, giving further evidence that the young infant is designed to suck rather than to chew. In the pre-teething stage, between four and six months, babies tend to drool, and the drool that you are always wiping off baby's face is rich in enzymes, which will help digest the solid foods that are soon to come.

6. Older babies like to imitate caregivers. Around six months of age, babies like to imitate what they see. They see you spear a veggie and enjoy chewing it. They want to grab a fork and do likewise.

This is from our own National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/_files/foodinfa.pdf
Note: Information for parents, carers and health care workers on the revised National
Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) dietary guidelines and new
recommendations about exclusive breastfeeding duration times and the introduction of
solid foods.
The revised Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults and Dietary Guidelines for Children and
Adolescents in Australia (including the Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health Workers) were
publicly released on 19 June 2003.
The revised NHMRC dietary guidelines reflect a recent World Health Organization (WHO)
recommendation that infants should be exclusively breastfed up to the age of 6 months (the
previous recommendation was 4-6 months of age). This means that solids or other
complementary * foods should not be introduced until infants are around 6 months of age. This
recommendation is for the general infant population, however the guidelines acknowledge that
there are individual infants who may benefit from introduction to solids earlier than 6 months
(but not before 4 months) of age. Parents are advised to consult their doctor or child health nurse
for advice about the individual nutrition needs of your infant.

http://www.wiessinger.baka.com/bfing/older/solids.html

[Sarie]

I started with potato and pumkin first, then slowly added brocoli and cauliflower. Just remember it's a new texture and taste so if she spits it out that's ok, she just has to get used to it.
I often find if PJ gets something he's not expecting he'll spit out the first mouth full, but on offering another spoon he's quite happy.
Every baby is different though, but give her a go, see how she handles it.
Good luck!
Sarie

[Sarie]

I wasn't saying anything against your info JanetF just saying that all babies are different.
As I've said before people need to see different experiences not just one side.
:)
Sarie

[JanetF]

And I thought I was just answering your question, Sarie. So there you go.

[Sarie]

So there you go.

Fair enough

[Rainbowbrite]

Thanks for the info. I'm thinking that MJ may be wanting more than just me.

THis is whats happening

She constantly has her fists in her mouth even straight after feeding. Doesn't matter how much i try to get her to have more she refuses and wants her hands.

She watches in awe at us eating and leans towards it.

She's waking more and more during the night. She slept through since 2months.

She's reaching for toys etc and as soon as she gets them she puts them straight in her mouth.

Its been going on for a while now and i thought it may just be a growth spurt (they happen about every 7weeks right?). I guess all i can do is see if she wants it :( I really want to wait till she's ready, maybe she's waiting :)

Thanks
RB

[JanetF]

You could always give her a bit of mashed veg to hold or just put it in front of her and see what she does. I love how they work! But you're still doing a great job feeding her, RB *hugs*

[Rainbowbrite]

You could always give her a bit of mashed veg to hold or just put it in front of her and see what she does. I love how they work! But you're still doing a great job feeding her, RB *hugs*

Thanks JanetF :D DO you mean give her a bit of mashed potato or something in her hand and see if she does eat it rather than farex? Hubby likes that idea.

RB

[Sarie]

Make sure it's quite smooth, but yeah see what she does. If she get some in her mouth she might love it! :D

[JanetF]

Something like sweet potato mashed with a bit of bm? All she can do is spit it out if she doesn't like it ;) Those cereal things are all that nutritious when compared with the boob or a plain vegie.