More breastfeeding 'could save NHS millions'

Analysis by Unicef UK suggests that the NHS could save millions of pounds if women breastfed for longer, due to the health benefits for mother and baby.

The figures suggest £11m could be saved each year by preventing infections, and £31m could be saved by reducing the cases of breast cancer.

The researchers said it was important to note that the findings didn't depend on persuading more women to breastfeed, but supporting those already breastfeeding to do so for longer.

Rosemary Dodds, senior policy adviser at the charity NCT and co-author of the study, said there had been enormous improvements in the past 20 years in increasing rates of breastfeeding for newborns but support in the community for women to breastfeed longer was lacking and the government had failed to lead on the issue.

Read more.

Breastfeeding 'cuts depression risk', according to study

From the BBC News website:

Breastfeeding can halve the risk of post-natal depression, according to a large study of 14,000 new mothers.

However, there is a large increase in the risk of depression in women planning to breastfeed who are then unable to do so.

The study, published in the journal Maternal and Child Health, called for more support for women unable to breastfeed.

A parenting charity said mental health was a "huge issue" for many mothers.

The health benefits of breastfeeding to the baby are clear-cut and the World Health Organization recommends feeding a child nothing but breast milk for the first six months.

However, researchers at the University of Cambridge said the impact on the mother was not as clearly understood.

Read more here.

Branch Events June 2014

Bumps, Babies and Beyond

Friday 6th  10 - 11.30am

Methodist Church Hall
Chapel Street
Ely
(Map)
FREE ENTRY including refreshments and home-made cakes.

The usual toys and craft activities will be available for babies and toddlers. Breastfeeding and bottle feeding welcome. Feeding advice from breast feeding counsellor available. Parking available in St Mary's Street car park. Entrance to the church hall is through the blue gate at the back of the car park.

This month's special guest will be Crackpots Ceramics. They will be around all morning to help make painted, ceramic gifts for Fathers' Day. Prices start from £6.50 and everything will be fired and ready for collection in time for Fathers's Day. Fancy making a mug with your baby's handprint on or letting your toddler loose with a paint brush and a plate? Come along this Friday for some messy fun! (Please bring cash or cheques as items must be paid for upfront)

Open Houses

Wednesday 11th 9.30-11.30am

At Nancy's house in Aldreth

Tuesday 17th 9.30-11.30am

At Katy's house in Ely

Thursday 26th 1.30-3.30pm

At Emma's house in Ely

Monday 30th 9.30-11.30am
At Sian's house in Soham

Evolutionary theory on why babies wake their mothers in the night

A leading evolutionary biologist has put forward the theory that an infant’s tendency to wake up in the night may have been a Darwinian tactic to make mothers breastfeed more, thus reducing their fertility and limiting the number of siblings that will be born, which in turn improved a child’s chances of survival.

Breastfeeding acts as a natural contraceptive during the first six months after birth, stopping women from menstruating. Encouraging the effect would have been beneficial for our ancestors, because the fewer siblings one had, the more competition there would be for scarce resources, and the lower the risk of infectious disease spreading, argues Professor David Haig, of Harvard University.

Read more: Babies evolved to wake new mothers in the middle of the night as a survival tactic, claims Harvard biologist The Independent 10/4/14

Research supports link between exclusive breastfeeding and children's IQ

Does breastfeeding alter early brain development?

The prevailing consensus from large epidemiological studies suggests that early exclusive breastfeeding is associated with improved measures of IQ and cognitive functioning in later childhood and adolescence.

Brain imaging studies support these findings, revealing increased white matter and sub-cortical gray matter volume, and parietal lobe cortical thickness (associated with IQ) in adolescents who were breastfed as infants compared to those who were exclusively formula-fed.

However, it remains unknown when these structural differences first manifest and when developmental differences that predict later performance improvements can be detected.

In a recent study ( Breastfeeding and early white matter development: a cross-sectional study. Deoni SC, Dean DC, Piryatinsky I, et al.), MRI scans were used to compare measures of white matter microstructure  in 133 healthy children from 10months through 4years of age, who were either exclusively breastfed a minimum of 3months; exclusively formula-fed; or received a mixture of breast milk and formula.

The study also examined the relationship between breastfeeding duration and white matter microstructure.

Breastfed children exhibited increased white matter development in later maturing frontal and association brain regions. Positive relationships between white matter microstructure and breastfeeding duration are also exhibited in several brain regions, that are anatomically consistent with observed improvements in cognitive and behavioral performance measures.

While the mechanisms underlying these structural differences remains unclear, our findings provide new insight into the earliest developmental advantages associated with breastfeeding, and support the hypothesis that breast milk constituents promote healthy neural growth and white matter development.

Breastfeeding and the Law

Does a woman have a "right to breastfeed" under UK law?  

Not as such.  We have no law making it a criminal offence to prevent a woman from breastfeeding, as they do in Scotland.  Nor does our legislation currently provide a right to additional breastfeeding breaks at work, as it does in Norway and many other European countries.  However, if a woman is treated less favourably because she is breastfeeding in a public place then this will constitute unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.  

When the Equality Act came into force there was much concern that a breastfeeding mother would only receive protection from discrimination for the first six months of her baby's life.  Sure enough, the section on "maternity" (s17) states that the protection granted is limited to the first 26 weeks after birth.  However, these maternity rights have more impact on mothers in the workplace.  When it comes to breastfeeding in a public place, section 13 clearly states that treating a woman less favourably because she is breastfeeding constitutes direct sexual discrimination, regardless of the child's age. 

In practise this means that the owner of a cafe, hotel, cinema or other public building cannot ask you to stop breastfeeding or refuse to serve you, no matter how old your baby is.  You have the right to be treated with as much dignity and respect as any other customer.  These provisions also apply to all modes of public transport as well as parks and other public spaces.

A business may ask a breastfeeding mother to leave their premises for a reason that is not connected to breastfeeding (e.g. swearing or violent conduct) but if the case goes to court the onus is on them to prove that they did not discriminate on the grounds of breastfeeding.

Under the Equality Act 2010 it is also unlawful to discriminate against the companions of those protected by the Act.  So, an insult to the husband or friend of a woman who is breastfeeding her child may also be unlawful if it arises because of her breastfeeding.

Employers have a duty to make sure their employees comply with the law.  The owner of a public place - cafe, for example - may also have a responsibility for the behaviour of other customers towards a woman who is breastfeeding.  This will be the case if the behaviour has been brought to their attention and they have failed to act.  Therefore, if another customer objects to a woman breastfeeding in public, it is that customer, and not the breastfeeding woman, who should be asked to leave.

Exemptions:  There are very few exemptions to where a woman may breastfeed in public.  However, by nature if a woman can lawfully be excluded from a space or organisation she can also be excluded from breastfeeding there.  It is also legal to prevent a woman breastfeeding where there are legitimate health and safety risks e.g. toxic chemicals.

If you have a complaint:  If you are discriminated against because you are breastfeeding, you should first take it up with the organisation who has discriminated against you (or where the discrimination occurred).  If you cannot resolve the matter this way, you can bring an action through the County Court.  Cases must be started within six months of the incident, and you should always seek legal advice first.    

What have your experiences been of breastfeeding in public? Let us know by commenting below...

Danone and Nestle increased marketing in UK and Ireland

Since Nestle bought the SMA formula brand in UK and Ireland in December 2012, there has been increasingly aggressive marketing action in the region by both Nestle and Danone, their main competitor.
Baby Milk Action set out the details in their Campaign Blog on 15 May 2013. Particularly interesting, and shocking, is this graph comparing formula sales under highly regulated advertising laws with under loose regulation:

Graph showing the impact of India's tight regulation versus China's loose regulation

UK 23rd best place to become a mother

The UK has failed to make the top 20 in a list of the best places to be a mother - falling behind its neighbours Ireland and other European countries such as Germany and France. In a list of 176 countries in the Mother’s Index, contained in Save the Children’s State of the World’s Mothers report, the UK is ranked at number 23. Finland, Sweden and Norway take the top three slots respectively while for the first time, countries in sub-Saharan Africa - where 10% to 20% of mothers are underweight due to poor nutrition or under-age pregnancy - take up each of the bottom ten places in the annual index.
The detailed and thorough report also looks at what can be done to save newborn lives in industrialised countries. Increased access to family planning and better sexual health education for youth are among the recommendations, as unplanned and teenage pregnancies are high risk factors for newborn mortality. Also wider use of kangaroo care and better breastfeeding support including Baby Friendly hospitals.
State of the World's Mothers 2013 - Save the Children 

Breast-Milk Protein May Help Defeat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

 An ingredient found in human milk may make surface infections by the resistant bacteria MRSA more sensitive to attack by antibiotics, a team of researchers from the University at Buffalo, in New York, reports May 1 in the journal PLOS ONE.

1 May 2013 insidescience.org

Breastfeeding advice ignored by most mothers

Department of Health Statistics released

Reading the press release, 75% of children had complementary foods introduced into their diets before 6 months of age. The Telegraph chose to confuse introducing formula milk with introducing complementary foods.

Read the full press release here

Extract from Telegraph article below

Mothers are advised by midwives and health visitors to breastfeed exclusively for six months if they can, eschewing mixing in formula milk or starting them on solids until that age. But a survey of the parents of almost 2,700 babies and toddlers across the UK has shown very few indeed adhere to the official guidelines.
It discovered that 96 per cent of parents started weaning their children before six months - meaning that, at the very most, only four per cent breastfed exclusively for that period. Of the three-quarters of mothers who breastfed to some degree, 57 per cent gave up before the baby was three months old, and a further 22 per cent by six months. The report suggests parents are either not aware of the guidelines - or are choosing to ignore them.

The Telegraph 13th March 2013

Save the Children Lobby UK Government to Prioritise Breastfeeding for G8

The lives of 95 babies could be saved every hour if mothers started breastfeeding their newborns in the hour after their birth, according to a new report by charity Save the Children.  Receiving a mother's first milk within an hour will kickstart the child's immune system, making a newborn three times more likely to survive.


If the mother continues feeding for the next six months, then a child growing up in the developing world is up to 15 times less likely to die from killer diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhoea, the report said. According to the charity, there has been enormous progress in reducing child mortality, but more could be done if mothers were encouraged to breastfeed.
"Despite the benefits of breastfeeding being widely known in the developed world, and it being a free, natural way to protect a newborn baby, too little attention is being paid to help mums breastfeed in poorer countries," said Justin Forsyth, Save the Children's chief executive.


Save The Children is calling on the UK Government to use its G8 presidency to fund nutrition work with breastfeeding and on other donor countries to step up their funding.
"This year's G8 - with the UK in the driving seat - is a once in a lifetime opportunity to focus effort on a final push to end hunger," said Mr Forsyth.

Sky News report 18 February 2013

Should your baby have a dummy?

The advice about dummy use from the Cot Death Charity FSID seems fairly clear: "Settling your baby to sleep with a dummy – even for naps – can reduce the risk of cot death.", however the research isn't nearly so clear as that. The Analytical Armadillo, also known as lactation consultant Charlotte Young IBCLC, takes a look at all the research and how FSID came to this conclusion:
http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2010/10/ask-armadillo-pacifiers-sids-whats-deal.html

Our Newly-Qualified Breastfeeding Counsellor!

Over 200 NCT students attended their graduation at University of Bedfordshire on 21 November 2012. The day was hosted by the Vice-Chancellor of the university and marked the graduation of all students that studied in the Health and Social Science Faculty at the university. This included 226 NCT students, many of these graduates will go on to be practitioners for NCT helping to deliver high quality services to parents. 

Of these graduates was Megan Stephenson, who gained her diploma of HE Breastfeeding Counselling.

We asked Megan to write about recently qualifying as a breastfeeding counsellor. She thought that these extracts from the last essay she wrote for her diploma would be a good illustration of the impact of her training.

Extracts from "What have you learned about yourself during your training?"

My role as a breastfeeding counsellor is as a supportive outsider empowering parents to make the best decisions they can for their families by giving the knowledge they need to do that. At the same time, if parents have decided that the solution to a problem is to feed their baby artificially then, whilst I can attempt to find alternative solutions with them the decision is ultimately theirs, and once they have made it, it is my role to support them. I suspect that at the start of my training I would have found that role incompatible with my feelings about formula milk. I have dealt with this dissonance by separating my feelings about marketing tactics used by formula manufacturers with my feelings about the milk itself.

The process of understanding more about myself ... has actually changed me, knowing about it has changed what it is. This is how feedback works - being given constructive feedback means that not only are we aware of how we are perceived but we can change and improve our practice. It is therefore vital that, in all aspects of the role, I seek out feedback from clients.

When I began the training, I imagined breastfeeding counselling taking a small, voluntary, part of my time. During the time I have been training, the NCT has changed its relationship with counsellors, bringing in tuition fees, and creating relationships with other organisations, such as Baby Café, so that the role is now perceived as comprising a larger paid component than was the case previously. Since my personal circumstances have also changed during the time of my training, I am looking forward to making the role as full-time as I can manage to fit around my children's school hours. Being paid will be welcome in this time of austerity.

This course has impacted on many different aspects of my life - my relationships with my family, my view of myself and my fit within a local community of parents. If I met myself from five years ago I think I'd recognise myself, and my counselling training would mean that I wouldn't try to argue with myself, but I think we wouldn't agree on everything.

If reading this has inspired you to train with the NCT to support parents in their journey, take a look at NCT College http://www.nct.org.uk/nct-college

First-time Mum Review: The Essential Baby Care Guide

By Claire Williams

I watched the Essential Baby Care Guide from the position of being a pregnant first time mum whose closest previous contact with babies was seeing them on pampers adverts.  I had been pre-warned that the full set of DVDs took 8 hours to watch, so that was no surprise, though I must confess that I took so long about getting through them that my husband and I watched the final DVD post-birth.

As set out in the other review, there are 4 DVDs covering 1. Feeding, 2. Care & Development, 3. Sleeping, and 4. First Aid and Accident Prevention.  Each DVD has a good menu, allowing you to either watch an entire section, or to skip straight to the information you are interested in (e.g. baby resuscitation).  Each DVD includes interviews on the relevant topic with various parents, who are happy to explain the issues they faced with their children and how they overcame them. The real value of the DVDs however is that instead of just describing something, you are show (e.g. the ‘poo’ gallery clearly shows what you might see in the nappy of a breast fed baby, a constipated baby, what nappy rash looks like, etc).  For the clueless first time parent, being able to see what I might need to be looking for was invaluable.

The Feeding DVD covers breast feeding, bottle feeding and weaning.  Most time is spent on breast feeding advice, as the DVD goes through various problems that parents may encounter (such as mastitis and latching issues) and suggested solutions.  In contrast, the bottle feeding section is very short and essentially says you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions.  While the section on weaning looked useful, it will be a while before my daughter is ready to be weaned, so it felt a bit too soon for me to watch that section.

I found the Care & Development DVD extremely useful, with basic advice on baby hygiene and care, such as how to give baby a bath, plus information on games and toys that will interest and stimulate babies as they grow.   The Sleeping DVD was also eye-opening, as prior to watching it my husband and I hadn’t given any thought at all to questions such as when we would like to set up some sort of routine, what time is sensible for a baby or toddler to go to bed, how often and for how long children need to nap…

The final DVD, on First Aid and Accident Prevention, is perhaps the most vital to watch.  It covers basic first aid from dealing with cuts and burns right through to resuscitation and choking.  Techniques are repeatedly demonstrated, which helps fix them in your memory, and I now feel a bit more confident that I could deal appropriately with an emergency. 

All in all, the DVDs were useful, although I should note that they can seem very slow – sometimes I did start thinking ‘yes, I know, please move on’.  They can be purchased as a set, or alternatively as separates (enabling parents to only pay for the ones relevant to them).    

If you wish to buy the full set, you can get £5 off  and purchase at reduced price of £30 by purchasing direct from www.essentialparent.com and entering the code ElyNCT at checkout. For each DVD set sold The Essential Parent Company will donate £5 to the branch.

Research finds childhood obesity risk factors

High birth weight, rapid weight gain and having an overweight mother who smokes can all increase the risk of a baby becoming obese later in childhood, research by experts at The University of Nottingham has found. The study, published in the latest edition of the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, also discovered that children who were breastfed and were introduced to solid food later had a slightly reduced chance of becoming overweight. The findings come following a systematic review and analysis of data from around 30 previous studies looking at the impact of factors affecting babies during the first 12 months of their lives and their potential link with childhood obesity.

HealthCanal.com 29/10/12

Investment in breastfeeding could save NHS money: new study

NCT is one of the authors of a UNICEF-funded report published in October 2012 which shows that investing in breastfeeding support could save the NHS millions of pounds.

'Preventing disease and saving resources: the potential contribution of increasing breastfeeding rates in the UK' was led by Professor Mary Renfrew and takes a detailed look at the costs of not breastfeeding in the UK.

We know that the majority of women stop breastfeeding before they wanted to; a shocking 90% of women in the first six weeks. This not only causes distress and increases costs for families, it also costs the NHS through more hospital admissions and GP consultations.

The study looked at just a few of the illnesses where breastfeeding is linked to a reduction in risk  It found potential savings to the NHS from a moderate increase in breastfeeding of about £40 million each year, although the true cost savings are likely to be much higher. 

Some of the key findings were as follows:

If 45% of babies were exclusively breastfed for four months, and 75% of babies were breastfed on discharge from neonatal units, each year there would be:

• 5,916 fewer babies in hospital with respiratory illness, and 22,248 fewer GP consultations, saving around £6.7 million
• 3,285 fewer babies in hospital with gastroenteritis and 10,637 fewer GP consultations, saving more than £3.6 million
• 21,045 fewer ear infection GP visits, saving £750,000
• 361 fewer cases of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), saving more than £6 million

If half of first time mothers each year who currently don’t breastfeed were to do so for up to 18 months in their life, there would be:

• 865 fewer cases of breast cancer
• Cost savings to the NHS of over £21 million
• Improved quality of life equating to more than £10 million   

If the proportion of babies receiving breastmilk rose by 1% this could lead to a small increase in IQ so that, across the whole population, more than £278 million could be gained in economic productivity each year.  

A very modest increase in exclusive breastfeeding rates could lead to at least three fewer cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome annually, avoiding the loss of life and profound consequences for families and saving around £4.7 million.

Increasing breastfeeding rates could lead to around a 5% reduction in childhood obesity, which would save around £1.6million each year.

NCT is joining UNICEF UK in calling UK Government and policy makers to recognise that:

• Breastfeeding is a major public health issue
• Low breastfeeding rates results in significant costs to the NHS

And respond accordingly by:

1 Ensuring public services are fit for purpose
2 Strengthening legislation to protect breastfeeding
3 Supporting further research into the impact of breastfeeding on health

The full report can be found at http://www.unicef.org.uk/Documents/Baby_Friendly/Research/Preventing_disease_saving_resources.pdf?epslanguage=en

Review: The Essential Baby Care Guide

The Essential Baby Care Guide is a fabulous new DVD set that has been created by the Essential Parent Company. The 8 hours of content provide comprehensive information on 1. Feeding, 2. Care & Development, 3. Sleeping, and 4. First Aid and Accident Prevention.

The resource has been created with new parents in mind and is designed to provide information on everything you need to know from birth to 12 months, though as the parent of a 14 month old I can confirm that it contains some very valuable information which extends beyond it's target audience.

I have to say that having agreed to review this item I was a tad surprised when it arrived and was over 8 hours long! Not only did I think that sounded very long, I also thought it would need 'expert' reviewers to do it justice. As soon as I sat down to watch, I was hooked. Robert Winston is a great presenter. His gentle voice is easy to listen to and informative. At the beginning of each disc, he describes this resource as a parenting course which you can attend from your living room. That's just what it is: it covers everything, from the very basics, yet without being condescending. The advantage of being on disc rather than a course is that you can watch it again, whenever you wish, or when the information is needed.

If I was expecting my first baby now, I would definitely be buying this. I remember that feeling of getting home with Arthur and thinking, "right, we have a baby - what on earth do we do now?"  Of course I had books, but, well, when you're just had a baby there's not a great deal of time to read books! Watching a DVD is much more manageable. I could have sat in the nursing chair and watched this quite easily. It's also better than a book because you can see what they are talking about, they show you how, instead of just telling you.

Although my son is now 14 months, I still found the resource valuable. For example, after watching the section on sleep I realised that actually we could have a sleep problem. I hadn't noticed because Arthur sleeps well at night and always has, but having seen the DVD I decided that we would tweak his nap times slightly, and rearrange our schedule on a Friday to make sure he got his afternoon nap. He now sleeps even better.

As I mentioned, I am not an expert on any of the topics, but as the resource is advised and narrated by Professor Robert Winston and includes expert advice from The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative, St John Ambulance, Midwives and Sleep Experts, Meningitis Research Foundation, The National Literacy Trust, and the Child Accident Prevention Trust, I think we can be sure that it offers sound advice.

I certainly makes sense to me. A great resource.

If anyone else would like to borrow these DVD's and write a review that would be great. We already have an expectant first time mum lined up to take a peek, but if there are any new parents out there (who have the time) who would like to view please let me know.

We are hoping that once the review process is over the resource will be held by the antenatal teachers so that more parents to be get the chance to preview the resource.

There are several  official videos to be found on YouTube, and you may also want to like the Essential Parent Facebook Page to get updates, tips and competitions

If you would like your own copy, it is available nationwide from John Lewis, Amazon and www.essentialparent.com.  This website also has more information about the resource, plus some videos, tips and previews. You can buy the whole set for £35 or individual DVD's for £10 each.

If you wish to buy the full set, you can get £5 off  and purchase at reduced price of £30 by purchasing direct from www.essentialparent.com and entering the code ElyNCT at checkout. For each DVD set sold The Essential Parent Company will donate £5 to the branch.

. 

The Snip

British Study finds breastfeeding linked to thinness in later life in the Huffington Post.

How was it for you?

I asked local NCT mums what experiences they’ve had with weaning. This is what they said:

What age did you start weaning your babies and why this age?

Laura: I started weaning my first at about five months as most of my friends were starting and I didn't want to be left behind! I knew the guidelines but started then anyway.  I initially started with purees but about a week into weaning I read 'Baby Led Weaning' by Gill Rapley and became an instant convert.  I stopped weaning until 6 months and gave him only finger foods. With my second I didn't start until 6 months and was keen to do baby-led weaning (BLW) again.  Her manual dexterity was not as good and she was not yet sleeping through the night so I wanted to get a few more calories into her. I did not give her purees because I didn't want the hassle and I don't believe that there is any place for purees in weaning but I did spoon feed her some porridge/yoghurt/soup etc until she was able to manage herself. 

Megan: 6 months with all three children - it was the advice from the World Health Organisation. By the time I had my second it was also the advice from the UK government. I read quite widely (I always like researching things before I do them) and came to the conclusion that this was the best advice available.

Gillian: I held off with both of them for as long as possible to the recommended 6 months as I wanted them to have as much exclusive breastfeeding as possible, particularly due to the evidence about allergies. Baby #1 was weaned from 5.5 months - he was sitting, grabbing food and, frankly, desperate for solid food. Baby #2 was weaned from 6 months - she sat earlier than baby #1 but didn't seem as bothered by solids. Also, she turned 6 months in mid January and I wasn't going to start weaning over Christmas as we were travelling a lot and I couldn't deal with the mental effort of weaning, plus travel with two small people in tow!

Nadia: I let them both lead the way. When they started to stare at us eating and opening their mouths asking for food I started to give them solids. It was at about 5 months for both.

Vicky: I weaned both my children at six months, simply because it was the recommended age, and they hadn’t shown any need to start earlier (markedly increased appetite, noticeable interest in other people’s food) as can be the case for some babies. They were both mixed fed, with breastfeeding ending around nine months. I’m vegetarian, whilst my husband is not, and we agreed early on that we would give our children meat and fish, and let them decide for themselves when they were older whether they wanted a meat-free diet or not.

Sarah: I started weaning my first child onto solids at 4 months as that was the advice when she was a baby, although she did also seem ready (able to sit up, had teeth, was straining to try to reach food). By the time I had my second child the advice had changed to wait until 6 months, I did decide to try her on baby rice at 19 weeks (in a desperate attempt to get more sleep!) but she wasn’t interested and it didn’t make it into her mouth. At about 24 weeks she grabbed my hand when I was eating and steered the food into her mouth. For my third child I was happy to wait until 6 months before introducing anything other than breastmilk, but by 18 weeks he was desperately trying to drink from my cups of tea and glasses of water, and gnawing on apples, so I decided to push on the open door and introduced solids.

Nancy: I started at 5 months but not in any significant way, just trying lots of different tastes of food. Literally, I don't think she had more than a spoonful a day.  I started then as I had read they should be on 3 meals a day by 6 months and I was worried that I would be rushing and worrying that she wasn't eating enough by then.  Juno could sit unsupported by 5 and a half months so I felt she was physically able to have a go at eating.

How did you start weaning?

Megan: With my first I did the puree stuff and even used an occasional jar when cooking seemed like hard work. Because I waited til 6 months I didn't have to avoid many foods, but for the first few weeks I gave her single vegetables pureed, in order to spot any allergic reactions. After that she was having the same dinner as us, but whizzed up in a little hand-held processor. The second one probably got fewer jars but still purees - when what we were having was unsuitable I'd mash a banana or avocado with a fork. The thrid was baby-led weaned, which was much less hassle (I hadn't heard of it when I had the first two). He didn't really ingest anything until he was about 8 months (you can tell by what comes out the other end). 

Gillian: Baby #1 - 'traditional' spoon fed purees but he had different ideas and within about a week was grabbing bits of food (pitta, hummus, cucumber, banana). Baby #2 - more baby-led as I couldn't be bothered with the purees. I do usually spoon feed yoghurt and her breakfast (normally porridge) as she gets REALLY cross if she doesn't get it into her mouth fast enough. And sometimes I can't be bothered cleaning yoghurt off the ceiling. 

Nadia: I started to vary their diets a lot from the beginning trying all manners of vegetable and fruits. I wanted to make sure they experienced lots of different tastes early on in the hope they did not become fussy with food. It seems to have worked (so far anyway, fingers crossed). I was bought an Annabel Karmel book by a friend and that became my bible for weaning. I did read lots of leaflets and stuff on the internet but I used the Annabel Karmel books for recipes ideas. The key for me was to do big batches of everything and freeze in small portions. Much easier and stress free than worry about food every 5 minutes. I used ice cubes trays to start with and later the Advent pots. I tried baby rice for their first meal as often recommended but quickly moved on to veg and fruits. I did not see the point in giving them something bland for too long! In actual fact they only had it for one meal each.

Vicky: With my first child, Sam, I gripped my Annabel Karmel bible, nervously disinfected my kitchen from top to bottom, and read five times how to peel, boil and puree a sweet potato. It was a scary new world and I felt incredibly anxious about the whole business. How much? How often? Will he choke on his apple mush? For that reason, the Annabel Karmel book was great – I followed it step by step, gradually introducing different tastes and textures, building up Sam’s diet over the weeks and ending up with a freezer full of a rainbow of frozen puree cubes to defrost at will. He was a happy eater, and I quickly got over my initial nerves and found that, whilst I felt utterly clueless to begin with, it all just happened quite naturally.

Second time round, whilst it would be untrue that my second child, Grace, was gnawing on pork ribs by week 2, I think it’s safe to say I was more relaxed from the start. I still went the puree route, but was more confident to introduce elements of baby-led weaning (lots of large and varied chunks of finger food) earlier on - and whilst still flicking through Ms Karmel’s book (slightly sticky from round one) I was happy to simplify some of her recipes (Five pans to make a fish pie? Seriously??). 

Sarah: My first and third children’s first foods were whole apple, my second’s was margherita pizza, all three at their own insistence, and achieved by pulling my hand holding the food towards their own mouths. Following this, for all three I have also introduced purees plus finger foods from the very beginning. I don’t really make the distinction between finger foods and purees that BLW seems to do, after all if a baby chooses to lean forward, open their mouth and put it round the spoon of food held in front of them, isn’t that baby-led? I do have a couple of rules though, I keep an eye on the baby’s body language and don’t persuade them to eat something they don’t want to (e.g. using a spoon to open the mouth and shoe-horn some food in). As much as possible I try to give them the same as everyone else at the table (although with something mushed up in addition), and I never give them anything I wouldn’t eat myself.

Nancy: Bit of both.  When I just started out it was BLW but then as I wanted to make sure she was eating properly I gave more traditional puréed food.

What was your experience with weaning?

                                                                                      

Laura: I really enjoyed weaning. It was very satisfying to see them manage different types of food and enjoy new types of food. It is also funny what they do and don't like. I once gave my daughter a curry when she was about 7 months before tasting it myself. Her eyes were watering but she seemed to enjoy it. It was only that evening when we had it for dinner and my husband didn't particularly like it because it was too hot that I realised chicken madras is quite spicy!

Gillian: Baby #1 - I just followed one of the Annabel Karmel books which was easy enough, although a bit faffy with all the extra work. Baby #2 - I just gave her what we were eating (albeit lower salt options and minus honey, unpasteurised cheese and whole nuts). Much easier and much more instinctive. And she and her brother just have the same food. 

Nadia: I just did a lot of reading beforehand... There is so much info at hand now and lots of people to ask!

Sarah: I love weaning! I love cooking, so its extra fun making things for your baby and seeing what they enjoy, what faces they pull, what they spit out even. My first child pulled a horrendous grimace every time she tried a new food, but then would be straight back for more. My third child is currently at the blowing raspberries stage, what larks at mealtimes! With my first child I spent a lot of time reading about weaning and what foods I should/shouldn’t give, meal planners etc. With my subsequent ones they tend to get a subset of what everyone else is eating.

Nancy: I just made it up as I went along and tried to have fun!

Did your babies have any allergies?

Megan: None of them have any allergies, they were all exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months and we avoided peanuts and peanut products for at least a year.

Gillian: No allergies but both of them have had foods that initially caused some local rashes or very mild eczema around their mouth - e.g. raw or tinned tomatoes and strawberries. But they've both grown out of it.

Nadia: They did not have any allergies thank goodness so again I was lucky on that score

Sarah: (Fingers crossed) none of mine have had any food allergies, although my second child has yet to have any shellfish, and my third is only 6 months old so I don’t know how he will react to a lot of foods yet.

Nancy: The only reaction we had was to kiwi fruit where she came up in a red rash.  She hasn't had them since so I don't know whether she is still allergic or not!

What were your babies' favourite and least favourite foods?

Laura: I find that their favourite foods varied. In the first few weeks of weaning my daughter there was one week where she would only eat very sweet things to the extent that she would cry if she got the side of the toast that didn't have the jam on it in her mouth!  Initially I was worried that she was going to be very fussy about food but I relaxed and sure enough in a few days she was back to eating whatever was put in front of her. Some weeks they eat virtually nothing when other weeks they eat everything they can lay their hands on. For me the central message and main appeal of BLW is to allow them to develop their own instincts about what and how much they eat.  

Megan: When we first weaned they seemed to like everything. Fussiness set in much later, not until they were at least three years old (in fact my youngest, at nearly five will still try most things).

                                                                                        

Gillian: Baby #1 - hummus, peach, toast, marmite (yuck!), cucumber, rice pudding, yoghurt, scrambled eggs. Baby #2 - banana (her first word!), yoghurt, cheese, bread, butter, red pepper, pesto, fishcakes, chips, porridge. At weaning age, I don't really remember them not liking anything. Sometimes they'd not be hungry or pull a funny face, but they never really refused anything. Baby #1 is now 3 and it's much more annoying now. 'I don't like fishcakes!' 'But you had fishcakes last week and loved them.' [After moaning for 10 minutes, he tries a bit of fishcake] 'I love fishcakes - they're my favourite!' Aaarrrghhh!

Nadia: I don't recall anything they particularly disliked. My daughter seemed to have a sweeter tooth than my son but other than that I don't remember having to avoid anything. Even if they turned up their nose at something one day, I would try it again another day until they ate it. I remember my daughter disliking banana for quite a long time but I have persevered and she loves them now. Another thing she wasn't too keen on at first is the texture of mince meat so I mixed it with more vegetables until she got used to it.

Vicky: My children had similar early preferences. Sweet potato, banana and carrot were very popular, whilst neither would countenance avocado or pear. They are now 4 and 2, and have diverged in their tastes: whilst Sam will eat rice and dhal till the cows come home, Grace is never happier than when presented with a meal involving some sort of meat product.

Sarah: My eldest was very keen on avocado, and would happily eat very sour foods like natural yogurt with blackcurrant puree mixed in (I resisted the temptation to sweeten it, she didn’t mind at all). My second was less keen on food generally, but has maintained her love of tomato puree from her very first food. My third is very fond of apple puree, toast, strawberries, broccoli, mushed-up banana in Greek yogurt, sticks of cheddar, pretty much anything he can get his hands on.

Nancy: Banana was favourite and still is now! Tuna and mashed potato with cheese was also a big favourite. She didn't like mango at all, which was good as it’s expensive!

If breastfeeding, what age were your babies when you stopped?

Laura: I had huge problems with breastfeeding with both my babies and would have liked to have fed for a lot longer with both of them (long, long story!!) but I fed my first for four weeks and my second was mixed fed to 21 weeks. 

Megan: 3 years 11 months, 2 years 6 months and still going at 4 years 10 months.

Gillian: Baby #1 - 2 years 4 months - by which point he was just having a feed at bedtime. He decided to stop one night and that was it. Baby #2 is 9 months and still breastfed. I currently plan to feed her until she weans herself.

Nadia: My first (my son) naturally stopped at 10 months. he wasn't interested anymore. My daughter stopped around 9 months. I initiated that one because of going back to work (I did not fancy having to express at work!). It happened quite naturally. She did not complain in moving over to bottles. So that was easy with both, I was lucky!

Sarah: My first child was mixed fed until 5 and a half months when she went onto formula only (and solids), my second was 14 months old when I gave up breastfeeding, I’m still breastfeeding my third child at 6 months, and will probably do so until after he has his first MMR jab.

Nancy: 14 months. She was ready to stop at 12 months but we were going skiing and I wanted the option to breastfeed her on the plane in case she started getting upset.  

Please note that this article is based on mothers' personal experiences and is not to be seen as NCT advice. For the NCT guide to weaning go to http://www.nct.org.uk/parenting/how-start-solid-foods-and-weaning