Yes I followed others advice rather that my HV as well because I don't think they know much about premature babies either.

Also I went to the library and got the Annabel Karmel book. I am going to be the best cook ever now. Some of the meals look hard though lol. Can you now tell how rubbish a cook I am. I am the plainest eater ever and it looks all so exotic for me lol. I will try it though as I don't want Kara to be as fussy and plain an eater as me and her daddy.

Hi , my wee boy keelan was born at 35+6 weeks, im starting to consider introducing solids, he is 15 weeks now, the only thing holding me back is he is on a lactose free milk, we r waiting to see pedeatrican to see if he has other allergies, as his 2year old cousin , cant hav diary, wheat, eggs and peanuts. so wot im wanting to knw is how can u tell that they are ready for solids???

Hi Jellybaby, when are you seeing the doctor cause maybe you should hold off starting solids until you get advice from them.

I knew Kenny was needing to try something else because he was still hungry after a 7oz bottle, screaming like he had never been fed for hours. He now gets impatient if you dont get the rice on the spoon quick enough! He wants everything done yesterday and he takes that from his daddy.
xx

Kenny got weighed yesterday and has only gained 3 1/2 oz in 3 weeks despite him guzzling an extra 2oz per feed and the solids iv been giving him. The HV was worried he wasnt feeding well but in fact its the opposite. I told her iv been giving him food and she didnt say much but it was at the busy baby clinic with about 10 people waiting after me.

He is now 11lb 8oz but I think the scales are wrong and I dont understand how he could put so little weight on when his appetite is so big.

When I got Kara weighed at almost 5 months I was surprised that she didn't put a lot of weight on but she was feeding well. She was only on bottles then. The HV said that it is normal around this age for their weight to slow down. I was a bit put out too as I expected her to be more. I was thinking of making an appointment shortly for baby clinic to get her weighed as she will be 7 months next week and on 3 meals a day. I stood on the scales with her in my arms and she is approx 14lbs but I am not sure as this is not really accurate. The last time I done this I wasn't far out.

Kenny is now eating 3 meals per day but showing no signs of reducing his milk. Iv increased the amount of solids he is taking each time and still guzzles 7oz after that and is still not happy there is none left! When should i try to reduce his milk? I dont want to do it too soon as he is a hungry lad. Also, since iv been weaning him he keeps spitting out one of his liquid vitamins and wont take it anymore.

docs have said prem babies always wean early my two sons were both put on solids at 3 half months and elise was weaned at 4 and half months so basically i would always go with what your gut instint says. If we all listened to hv we would end up going crazy lol
mariax

Your right Maria. I weaned Kara at 5 months and she done very well and was on 3 meals a day pretty quick and is a great eater. She eats better than me and her daddy as we are really fussy. We give her all her fruit and veg as we don't want her to end up like us lol.

yeah elise loves her porridge and apple puree and has munch on a rusk now and then although think she follows me because she does like a bit of choccy pudding now and again lol

Hello, I just wanted to say thank for this thread. My twins were supposedly born at 30 weeks (though I think they were around 34 weeks... as did all the nurses... but sonographers know best...) and are now just over three months old. They're not ready yet for solids, but their feeds are getting larger and larger every couple of weeks and are now on 6oz every four hours, and I don't think it will be long before milk no longer satisfies them. No one has told me that prem babies could need to be given solids earlier than full-term babies, I thought it would be the opposite, so thank you so much for enlightening me!
I am seeing the consultant at their hospital tomorrow for their check-up so I will be asking her her advice!!

Hiya im new to this chat forum, but my daughter was borm at 27 weeks and is currently 6 months (3 months corrected). I speoke to my neo natal nurse this morning who said i can now start weaning her. im just slightly confused with the amounts to give and frequencies as well what to add and when. if someone could help id be grateful thanks

nat

Hi Nat and welcome to the premature forum.

I started weaning Kenny at 5 months with a few spoons of baby rice before his lunch time bottle. After a few days I made him some pureed butternut squash and he loved it and wouldnt touch the rice again. After a week I tried him with carrots, parsnips, apples and ate it all. Week 2 I introduced baby porridge for breakfast made with formula milk. By 6 weeks he was eating breakfast, lunch and dinner with his usual milk feeds in between.

See how your daughter does with the solids, some dont take to it and others love it, go at her pace and you will be fine.

xx

re the iron thing my twins were born at 31+3 and we have to give them once a day a syringe well 1ml of an iron supplement up until their first birthday, I will try and hold off weaning until they are about 5 1/2 months uncorreted well obviosuly will do it early if they looking for it. You can get a really good booklet free from the BLISS website on weaning premature babies.

Hi Louise,

My little girl was born at 27 weeks +0, I have just been googling 'weaning premature babies' and I came across your blog so decided to register.

Jasmin is now 17 weeks + 2 (4 wks +2 corrected). She had her first check up at the hospital yesterday and I asked the pediatric nursing staff about weaning her. The general opinion is that weaning should be based on the birth date, not the due date as your babys tummy should be mature enough from having the milk from a young age.

I came across this article on the bliss website that I have found really helpful....

http://www.bliss.org.uk/page.asp?section=584&sectionTitle=Weaning+your+premature+baby

(or just google 'weaning premature baby' and go to the bliss link)

i agree. the HV dont know much about preemies. my daughter was born at 26 weeks and i started weaning her at 6 months actual age, almost 3 months corrected age. start off with just a few spoonfuls of baby rice or porridge before a bottle. then move onto pureed veg. sweet potato is a good one. i made the mistake of going onto fruit too early and then she refused veg so i had to start all over again. good luck

i need some advice please, my daughter was born and 30wks and is now 4 months old, i gave her some rusk in with her bottle because she wasnt satisfied on bottles alone but now my HV is being very funny with me and says tht i need to stop doing tht and have her on bottles alone till she is 6 months corrected but tht would make her 8 months, im really confused because i really do think tht Lily is ready for solids, please help

You don't have to wait till 6 months CORRECTED but it is usually advised to wait till 6months BUT if you think she needs it I would mix some rusk with some milk but feed it off a spoon NOT from a bottle.

Sure others will have advice too!

Hey Lilysmyprincess
My special care officer said that I would be best waiting until Skye was approx 5 months corrected age if at all possible b4 weaning her. Think I held off until about 4 1/2 months corrected though as we were having reflux probs too.
Best not to mix rusk in with bottles though as the first step to solids, mainly as it can cause babies to possibly choke when taking the milk from the teat as they are not expecting anything other than fluids. I started with baby rice mixed with milk from a spoon b4 the lunchtime bottle as the first step too. And then after about a week moved onto carrot/apple/pear/parsnip purees at the same time of day. They say to give first tastes of food at lunchtime in case their tummy gets upset by anything, and therefore they should be settled again in time for bedtime, not causing their sleep to get disrupted.

Iz & Skye x (born at 33+2)

This is a helpful leaflet from Bliss.

http://www.bliss.org.uk/page.asp?section=584&sectionTitle=Weaning+your+premature+baby

I weaned Kenny at 5 months actual age, he was less satisfied with milk so started baby rice at lunch and he loved it. Couple of days later he had porridge for brecky then tea a few days later.

I agree with Crafticharlie about not putting rusk in the bottle, its not recommended.

He also had reflux and he was a little less sick with the solids.

Hope this helps
xx

[Modified by: denise007 on July 07, 2009 09:01 PM]