Weaning advice

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Permalink Reply by Clare Good on October 7, 2009 at 20:52

Hiya,
That sounds very similar to my DS. Once he started to be sick he didn't stop until his stomach was emptied. As soon as that trigger went, the whole lot came up and I know what you mean about the amount - I couldn't work out how there could be that much in there! My HV (who said it was quite common - some babies just gag on stuff) advised really really really slow weaning - he only really started eating properly at 10 months and even now at 11 months can't tolerate any lumps. Anyway what she said was literally just 2 teaspoons of baby rice mixed with her milk but mostly milk, only tiny bit of rice about 5 times a day for 2 weeks. Nothing else. Then if she tolerates that then increase it slightly. She said it was about training their stomachs to hold something different to milk. Something like the milk forms a coating on the stomach lining and anything else that goes into the stomach breaks down that coating and for some babies that is enough to trigger the gag. Don't know if that is true but it made sense to me!

My son spent most of his life from about 4 months to 7 months bringing his entire feeds up. It was so frustrating. But he is better now - still sick occasionally but not the 4 or 5 times a day that he was doing. Stick with the weaning but go slow slow slow, and if you are anything like me, don't look at other babies who diligently open their mouths and have anything put in there without a problem! It used to really get me down. You'll get there!
xx

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Permalink Reply by Matthew's mummy on October 8, 2009 at 10:40

Hi Clare,

Just read your reply after posting mine. Please don't think I'm totally disagreeing with you! It's interesting how two babies with similar problems manage them totally differently. Any time Matthew has runny food he responds by bringing it all back up! We've been really lucky.

Just didn't want you thinking I'm some nut who completely disagreed with what you said! It's obviously about what works for everyone's own baby, isn't it :)

Marion x

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Permalink Reply by Clare Good on October 9, 2009 at 10:01

No worries Marion! We actually started with baby led weaning because I really agree with its concepts however my son has real issues with lumpy stuff making the gagging (and sick) 10 times worse. So like you say, you just have to try different things for different babies!!
xx

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Permalink Reply by Matthew's mummy on October 8, 2009 at 10:34

Hi Sarah,
I've just read Clare's reply before and it makes total sense, but we did things differently so just to give another idea?

I don't know if anyone else has tried this but with my son, who is just gone 7 months now, we've done baby-led weaning. We've never pureed anything and he's basically eaten what we've had (obvioulsy avoiding salt, honey etc.). We've given him a selection and he almost always chooses the doughy / starchy foods first and I think because they're heavier and they keep his milk down. He manages lumps fine and after about a week could eat apple (not stewed first) including skin. He chews really well and he loves his food. He had previously stopped gaining weight and was referred to the paed again and was booked for barium swallow etc, but now he's gaining really well and he's eating healthy food.

Have you tried using his normal milk to cook with, rather than just to drink? If he has it with something to thicken it, like weetabix or something, maybe it'll stay down better?

I've also tried feeding him a snack before offering a milk feed (if he's up for it) and sometimes that helps. We've experienced the same as you where he brings up the milk that he had first but with us the solids generally stay down despite this (though not always). If you're not breastfeeding I've heard you can give them very little milk before a meal to settle them and then give them food, but keep the milk feed seperate? No idea if that's true or relevant as I'm breastfeeding but someone else could maybe give more info on that?

I really reccomend baby-led weaning but obviously it's not for everyone. There's a really good bok by Gillian Rapley that we got that gave some really good advice about weaning in general, though not reflux.

Take care,
Marion x

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Permalink Reply by Victoria on October 8, 2009 at 16:44

Thanks hun - just a quick note - my son had this and when he gags he carries on till he is sick - he sort of grew out of it - I say sort of as if he gags more than once it carries on till all the contents of the stomach come up but he gags infrequently now - however when introducing lumps he always did

Just some advice I found (contrary to advice) to feed the solids first and then the milk stops this happening and I would advocate it - just stop feeding a little before they get full and then top off with milk

Worked with him once I knew when to stop

Or

Feed solids and milk at different times - that worked for him too

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Permalink Reply by Wendy Marsh on October 8, 2009 at 20:21

Hi Sarah

Just one more angle, I don't know as much as the others as my little man takes solids fine but he does have a strong gag reflex and has just had a very bad cold which did make him bring back his feeds and do exactly as you describe, we were told that colds can do this to some reflux babies as it changes the pressures in the airways and they cannot get rid of the mucus so you never know it may get better as the cold does - fingers crossed. :-)

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Permalink Reply by Sarah Moore on October 9, 2009 at 16:29

Thanks for your replies. I would love it to be to do with her having a cold but she has been exactly the same for a long time. When we give her calpol or her meds if it is too close to a milk feed she will bring it all back up. I am giving her the solids first at lunch and tea ( what little she takes of it :() but it is affecting her milk feeds which we have only just got on track, which is demoralising.

I would love to give BLW a go and have ordered the Gill Rapley book but I have a feeling that the bigger bits of food will make her gag more. But everything is worth a go. I get the idea with BLW that food isn't all that important to start with and it's just to get them used to textures and tastes?

Matthew's mummy - we don't generally have a problem with her bringing her milk back up any more that often due to the meds she is on and carobel in her milk. It's just the solids hitting her stomach that seems to cause a reaction. And like Clare said, usually once she starts urging it all comes up!!!

I will have to try lots of variations and see how it goes I suppose. My HV said I should give her milk first and then solids and then refeed her if she brings the milk up. I don't think she realises how traumatic milk feeds have been for us in the last 6 months!! We have just had two good weeks and weaning has to come along and scupper it...

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