Aunty Lactivist is all of us! The idea is that anyone with experience or knowledge can become an agony aunt and help someone out.
This question came in today, please leave a comment if you can help:
“Dear Aunty Lactivist I was very interested looking through your website and am in desperate need of some help and advise.I am a mum of a 6 month old baby girl who has been following the continuum concept/attachment parenting almost exact for the last 5 months. I have read nearly every book, and have found loads of help on the internet, and have been really happy bringing her up. I have recently stumbled across starting to try her on solid foods. I would like her to be trying two meals a day (of only vegetables). It has worked to an extent, but she has recently gone off the idea of eating or trying anything.
I also now feel the peer pressure and feel embarrassed that I seem to be the only mum who still breastfeeds my baby in public. The only thing my local nurse could say to me who has been very sceptical about the way I have been bringing up my little girl, said “I need to start cracking on with weaning”.
I ideally would like to start child-led weaning instead, and am still happy to breastfeed until she is about two years old. Is there any advise you can give me or anyone you know I can try and contact?
Thanks
S”
Care Instructions – Shopping Bag 
Mummy Milk Rocks – Shopping Bag 
“Any old Cow” Short Sleeved T 3-6 months 
“Any old Cow” Short Sleeved T 6-12 months 
Any Old Cow – Shopping Bag 
Hi and thanks for your question. I am really sorry that you are feeling pressure to stop breastfeeding.
There is a very good article about Baby Led Weaning by Laura Spark here: http://www.lactivist.net/?p=1945 it has a great list of food ideas along with other useful things and thoughts.
My son was not interested in solid food at all until he was quite old according to the health visitors. He is now a perfectly average size very healthy 7 year old so I was right not to worry at the time.
I had to look back at my diaries to check when I tried to wean him onto solids – I started at 7 months but in retrospect that was just too early for him and he was not interested – http://www.lactivist.net/?p=85 at 8 months he grabbed the spoon himself apparantly http://www.lactivist.net/?p=86 but I have no recollection of that happening, though it must have because I diaried it! I also diaried peer pressure to stop so please don’t feel alone!
I clearly remember him grabbing a friends banana and stuffing it into his face at about 10 months, when he was ready for it!
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Many spoon fed children go through stages of refusing food, fact is they dont NEED two meals a day at 6 months old. They need milk first until they are at least 12 months old and there is no rush to try and force solids on them if they arent ready.
My youngest is 8 months in a couple of days and he doesnt even have solids every day, he is offered food but if he doesnt want it he doesnt eat it. He certainly doesnt have two meals a day yet and I doubt he will for some time. Yes, some babies will be on two or even three meals a day by 8 months and still be having milk feeds regularly but just because someone elses baby is doesnt mean yours needs too as well.
I do practise BLW and offer him all foods we eat with the exception of nuts and avoid anything high in salt/sugar/artificial colours and flavours but he will happily eat roast chicken dinner with us on a sunday or spag bol, lasagne, pasta…..granted its a messy business and more ends up on the floor than in his tummy but that doesnt matter, he is learning and thats far more important than filling him up on food he just doesnt need.
Oh and I do and will feed my little boy in public for as long as he is feeding. Even if you dont see others doing it we are out there nursing older babies, toddlers and children in public.
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I have 6 children. The eldest is 16. We did baby led weaning (introducing solids) with all of them and they were between 10 and 15 months old when they decided they were ready. Breastmilk remained the largest part of their diet (up to 90%) until between 12 and 18 months and I carried on feeding them until age 2 or 3. They all weaned from nursing when they were ready. They are all excellent eaters (even the ones with Asperger’s who have problems with certain textures and tastes) and are very healthy.
Be led by your baby, you trusted her to know how much and how often with breastfeeding, now do the same with food.
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Ignore the nurse and instead follow the guidelines of the World Health Organisation..that babies should be exclusively breastfed to the age of 6 months, when complementary foods should be introduced and breastfeeding should continue for up to 2 years and beyond! This is your baby not the nurses baby!
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I think the replies here are great. I also breastfed, in public, well over a year (the last one was nearly four when he stopped). I found some positive responses to that in surprising places (a budget shoe shop assistant noticed me feeding once, sat in the middle of the shop, and she started telling me about how she’d fed her son as a toddler
). But unfortunately, whatever the current advice, there will always be some health professionals who resist it and are stuck in their ways. The six months guidance hasn’t been around for very long (I think it’s less than 10yrs since the UK adopted it), so there will be lots of people out there who think – and want to tell you – that the way they did it was ok for them & therefore right for you.
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Please don ‘t feel peer pressure – you do what is right for you and your little one – I breast my eldest until she was two – 2 weeks before my youngest was born – it was fine all round – it is whatever you are comfortable with hun – wishing you well and stick two fingers up to those who don’t make you feel comfortable – life is too short and you should enjoy your time and what feels comfortable for you and your babe xx
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Food is just for fun, Until they’re One!
Breastmilk will give your baby all the nutrition she needs until she is as least 12 months old. Until then just carry on nursing her on demand, and at your meal times put her in the high chair with some finger foods to play with and let her figure it out for herself. (Commonly known as Baby Led Weaning)
i had the same stupid, rigid advice from a “nurse” when my second baby was about 5 months old, I smiled, nodded and ignored her and she began feeding herself over the next few weeks, when she was ready.
Be proud you are still nursing your baby, you are doing an excellent job!
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(Juno, the 6 month guideline was adopted here in the UK in 2003, when I was pregnant with my eldest!)
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I weaned my now 3 year old daughter from 4 months on advice from health care professionals and supplemented breatmilk with formula ‘top ups’ – she is a really fussy eater and we constantly have mealtime battles.
When it came to weaning my now 19 month old son I ignored all the advice about weaning! I followed my instincts and at 6 months he started reaching out for my food so I let him try it. We are stil breastfeeding now and he eats whatever I am eating and enjoys it too!
I found really good advice here: http://www.babyledweaning.com/forum/
from Mums going through the same thing as me at the same time.
Good luck, and remember: you are the Mum and you know best
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Thank you all for your wonderful comments, its nice to know I am not alone. We are both happy breastfeeding and will carry on with it for as long as she is ready. I will also carry on letting her try my food (baby led weaning.) It is a shame that I have a constant battle with my nurse and other mum’s about still breastfeeding her and not being weaned yet.
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