Stressing for no reason...

[~ Mylitta ~]

I had an appointment with Kyson's MCHN today and she got me a little worried. I'm pretty sure I'm needlessly worrying, but I just can't help but be a little paranoid.

Kyson has recently turned 6 months old (1 week ago), and one of the first questions the nurse asked was if he was having three meals a day. I must admit that I was a little shocked and probably looked it. Kyson generally only has one meal of solids a day (dinnertime). He's still being breastfed (no formula) and we have been using BLS techniques and letting him feed himself. Even when I've given him mashed potato or pumpkin from a spoon he generally holds the spoon himself. We started with broccoli because I read that it was fairly high in iron and he LOOOOOVES the broccoli! He's also had some zucchini, carrot, cauliflower, rice, pasta and sucked on some beef strips. I thought he was doing quite well....

The nurse asked me what time we get up and he has breakfast and I told her he has his solid meal for dinner. Then she said "yes, but what time does he have breakfast?". She was surprised that he didn't get any rice cereal in the morning and went on to tell me about how babies iron stores drop at six months and that they need the rice cereal. I started to explain that we are following baby-led techniques and giving him vegies that are high in iron, but she insisted that he NEEDS the cereal. She also told us not to give him pasta anymore because they shouldn't have anything with wheat in it until 7-9 months. Does the one month between six and nine months of age really make that much difference?

Anyway, I ended up just doing my usual "uh huh", "sure", "yep gotcha" responses just to get past the conversation. Everyone has an opinion on everything when it comes to babies and I find myself responding like that a lot and then just doing what we are comfortable anyway. For example "What do you mean he's still feeding at least 3 hourly during the night?! He should be sleeping through the night by now. Maybe you should book into a sleep clinic". Hmmm, no thanks. I think I'll just let him feed as much as he feels he needs to. I'm pretty sure he won't be 15 and still feeding throughout the night...

Ok, back on topic... I was feeling pretty confused and doubting our techniques, until I got home and started reading through this forum. All the information in these threads about BLS has made me feel so much more secure in our decision. Kyson is a very healthy and happy little boy who LOVES to feed himself and enjoys the food he is eating. He also still loves breastfeeding (although he recently discovered the joy of water from a sippy cup, lol!). I want to thank everyone that has posted information, and even those that have posted questions because I have had many of the same questions.

[Heaven]

You're on the right track Krystie!! Just as you thought, you are doing awesomely!! Have you got the ABA solids booklet? It says from 6 months they can eat pretty much anything, just normal healthy family foods, just like you're doing

So the MCHN is supposed to tell you to start solids at 6 months but also thinks he would be up to 3 meals a day by now?? Just go at your own pace!! I started with dinner too and then gradually increased to 2, then 3 meals when I felt DD wanted more.

DD has never had rice cereal either, she has fruit for breakfast and sometimes porridge. There is iron in breastmilk and it is more easily absorbed than any iron in bloody rice cereal!! Plus you've already started meat which is great so he'll be getting his iron there aswell.

Well done!!

[feeb]

DS started on solids at 6 months and did well for 10 days then stopped and refused, after a while of him refusing I stopped offering for 2 weeks and at 8 months we re started and he got better and better. (BLS didnt work for us as he seems to think its more fun to throw them on the floor that eat)

He did not start having 3 meals a day until 11 months!!!!!!!!!!! And breaksfast was the last meal we introduced.

Good work you are doing a great job

[Sterla]

It's hard isn't it, when you do things differently to the majority? I always start doubting myself after a MCHN appointment.

My MCHN follows the 'normal' way of doing things... I've even had one look at me in shock when I said I was still breastfeeding! I've had the same with the feeding through the night - my DS still feeds at night too. Don't worry - it's normal - I think more babies feed through the night than don't, which says something, don't you think!? Sorry, a bit side-tracked there... MCHN's really bother me when they try and make everyone do everything by the book.

Anyway, to address to BLS stuff... Sounds to me like you're doing fine. As Heaven said, your bub would be getting iron from breast milk and it's much better absorbed from breast milk than rice cereal anyway. And remember too "Food is for fun until you're one", which means it doesn't matter how much or little food your DS has, because breast milk is still the main source of food and nutrition.

HTH

[MummyTummy]

Sounds like you are doing fantastic without the help of the MCHN. They are funny - I know one in our area who is just like yours, and then two that I see who are so pro-BLS but don't tell people about it because they don't want to listen! One of them cheered when I told her that was what we were doing and she told me I was going to be her poster-girl!!! But I have heard of more and more now encouraging this method which I think is a really good thing! As long as people are prepared to listen!

But to make the most of the support around here come and join us in the the BLS chatter thread. You can talk to very like minded people who can answer all sorts of questions (they can ask them too!!) and offer all sorts of suggestions for people to try!

[~*Niadalla*~]

I am worried about this sort of reaction when I see my MCHN ( although she's been fantastic so far) in about a month. Allira doesn't even have food every single day... sometimes she's asleep when we have dinner.
She also wakes for feeds during the night now. It's not uncommon at all.
You are doing a wonderful job!

[Janie]

Sounds like you're doing a GREAT job Krystie . Don't let your MCHN sway you, you know you're doing the best for your baby. 3 meals is alot for a baby that has only just started solids. And it's not necessary. You just keep doing what works, following your baby's lead, and you'll all be fine .

[Pip82]

The MCHN sounds like a bit of a wally if you ask me!! She should be reccommending herself that they start solids at around 6 months, so it is strange that she thinks he should be eating that much when he has only just started.

As for rice cereal, yes it has iron but so does a lot of things (like your broccoli!). Don't worry about it, PLENTY of people never give it to their babies, no dramas.

Really the MCHNs would be providing a better service if they value informed choices and diversity!

Don't worry about it and keep going the way you are!!

[Jennifer13]

Blergh! Rice cereal, have you ever tasted the stuff! I bought it once and mixed it up for DD and it looked so unappetising I didn't bother. We stuck with BLS (and leftovers).

I stopped going to the MHCN by six months so I never heard any bad advice from one!

[ss_storm]

we haven't started solids (or even thinking about them yet!) but even to me 3 meals a day for a 6 month old sounds a bit ridiculous! TBH I never listen to my MCHN either...I only tell her the bare basics and don't ask her questions (although have only been to see her twice). BB is a much better place for information and advice! I would be so lost without lovely BB members!

Just keep doing what you are comfortable with, and I think if he loves broccoli then great!! and who cares about rice cereal!

[~ Mylitta ~]

You are all so fantastic. These sorts of responses are exactly why so many people feel so comfortable asking questions and raising their concerns on BB

I was telling my DH about it all and his opinion is that the nurses probably HAVE to tell you to start with rice cereal and most likely aren't generally allowed to tell you alternative methods (like BLS) because they have to stick with their current guidelines. He figured that if a child happened to get sick from BLS and the nurse had recommended it, then they are opening doors to lawsuits. I guess he's right, but at the same time I would have thought that the nurses would want to be up to date with current research and methods and even if they aren't allowed to recommend BLS, at least they could be supportive if you mention that you are going down that path...

We ended up getting some rice cereal just to see if Kyson would even be interested. I made it up with breastmilk and he still mostly turned his nose up at it. Usually if I give him spoonfed foods he grabs the spoon and shoves it in his mouth himself, but with the rice cereal he played with the spoon until pretty much all the cereal had fallen off, and then he just chewed on the spoon, lol. I then gave him his broccoli and he chowed down like he hadn't been fed in days! HAHA!

[Panda74]

I had a similar experience this week with my GP except my DS is 8 months so you can imagine her shock when I said he's still feeding during the night! My DS is not interested in food until about 7pm, he's so full of milk. However I have been offering him solids at least twice a day every day for three months. I have tipped SO many bowls of mush (vegies, fruit, rice cereal, various combos of the three) in the bin!! We've had good days and not interested days and at the moment he's blowing raspeberries at almost everything offered...however he will pull himself to stand to grab my apple and has just started tasting veges and toast (I think he likes the carbs like Mummy!!) off my plate - without coercion and I think thats the way forward for us..

Thanks for the post KrystieLove, I was feeling a little teary after my docs visit..

[CAH]

Oh thank goodness I've read this. I was bit woried as we don't really seem to be getting anywhere fast with actually eating solids, not even 1 meal a day! She is interested but not alot actually goes down, I was panicing as to when its a problem as in when do they stop getting what they need from milk (DD is formula fed), DD is now 6.5MO. As for the 3 meals a day thats just silly, way too soon to be doing that!

I told myself last night that DD will do this when she is ready & not before. She was born a month prem & had inital feeding problems, that felt like it would never improve but within a week she had got the knack so I'm thinking this will eventually twig with her & away we go!

[~ Mylitta ~]

Well, we decided that seeings as we bought the rice cereal, we might as well try to use it up rather than have it go to waste, so even though I'm now secure in my feelings that he doesn't actually need it, we've been adding some cereal to his other foods. I haven't given it to him just by itself, or to replace his finger foods though. He still gets his chunks of broccoli, sticks of cucumber (which he is loving at the moment!) and other chunky foods. The most success we've had is when it chopped the small green tops of the bits of broccoli that were too small for him to hold, and mixed it in with the cereal. It didn't look appetising to me, by he seemed to quite enjoy it, lol.

I've very happy that we are doing BLS, and am amazed at how well Kyson is getting the hang of it, and how much his fine motor skills have improved! Also, the other day I was at my mothers group and quite a few of us had pulled out some food for our bubs. All the others ladies were sitting there spoon feeding their babies, while I was sitting there enjoying my drink and biscuit while Kyson happily munched away and fed himself I think they were all a bit surprised and didn't realise that their babies could even learn to do it at this age. I wonder if any of them will start doing the same now...

[CAH]

Oh wow Kyson was born same day as my Attia!!! A very, very special day indeed!

[~Kaz~]

I was at my mothers group and quite a few of us had pulled out some food for our bubs. All the others ladies were sitting there spoon feeding their babies, while I was sitting there enjoying my drink and biscuit while Kyson happily munched away and fed himself I think they were all a bit surprised and didn't realise that their babies could even learn to do it at this age. I wonder if any of them will start doing the same now...

Hahaha!! Krystie, I do the same thing!! A couple of the mums have expressed interest and I think have introduced their bubs to finger food earlier than they would have otherwise. The other response I've had from others is in regards to the mess. I just tell them that their babies will have to progress from being spoon fed to feeding themselves at some stage and mess is unavoidable. They look horrified (it's not that bad in my opinion) and I am inwardly laughing at how they will cope when their kids get onto solid food.

In regards to the MCHN, you seriously can't win. Mine is pretty good, has "vaguely heard" of BLS and hasn't given me anything but support about how I feed DS but apparently he's not moving around enough and she wants to refer him to a physio if he doesn't improve by 9 months. It stressed me initially but now I think they really need to start to actually LOOK at the baby they have in front of them instead of running through their mental checklist according to age.