Six months' exclusive breastfeeding: does that mean 24 or 26 weeks?

[motherinferior]

Just wondering before I tackle dd2 - currently 23 weeks and exclusively breastfed - with mashed bananananana. I'm in no hurry, but feel vaguely that she should probably eat something before she's 15.

[FairyMum]

My friend bf exclusively until her DD was 13 months!! Not even any banananana.....Only because her DD refused anything else. She is eating now though

[Gem13]

13 months - wow! At our NHS new mothers group thing they were very keen to stress the importance of both breast feeding and starting solids at 'the right time'. Can't remember when exactly but am sure it was before 10 months.

Can't imagine a week here or there would make much difference. Usually with these things they mean calendar months rather than number of weeks. Various threads on here about how 4 months is not 16 weeks.

[princesspeahead]

leave it three weeks and then start her directly on christmas pudding?!

[ninja]

It is 26 - but my dd was desperate to be trying things so I gave her 'tastes' before. Saying that now (7 months) she clamps her mouth shut if I try and get ANY solids in there so she's pretty much exclusively breastfed (although nursery and dp manage a bit!)

Not much help or relevance! Hope she enjoys it when she does get there. PPH is right it could be a great christmas treat

[prufrock]

MI - are you sure about the mashed banana? You do know that GF warns babies must not eat banana to start with (I think they explode if you give it too early )

[tiktok]

6 months mans 6 months - but as with anything to do with babies, go by your baby not the calendar!

The 6 months thing is based on research, and because researchers have to be specific about what they are looking for, and what they are recommending, you get this artificially rigid guidance.

If Gina Ford says babies mustn't have banana too soon, then of course she must be right, as I gather her qualifications in nutrition are as impressive as her qualifications in breastfeeding and baby care.

[motherinferior]

dd1 got mashed nana and loved it!
Thanks everyone. Perhaps I could just puree the entire Christmas dinner for her?

[tiktok]

No need to puree...and yes, at 6 mths she could have a bit of everything, though she won't want more than tiny tastes. You might want to reserve a non-salted portion of veg for her, and take care the gravy you use isn't too salty.

[motherinferior]

Let's banana to each other, then, Bron. How are the back to work plans?

[zebra]

Tiktok.

[willow2]

Tiktok - well, of course you know that GF is bringing out/has brought out (not sure which) her very own weaning the Gina Ford way book... which is sure to sell billions. Annabel Karmel must be pretty p'd off!

Next up: The Contented Little University Student. Followed by: The Overdrawn Little University Student - Avoiding Top Up Fees the Gina Ford Way. And not forgetting the: The Contented Little First Time Buyer; They Conceited Little Property Developer; The Minted Little OAP - oh, sorry... that is Gina Ford.

[Clarinet60]

willow

[tiktok]

Willow, I have seen the GF book on weaning, and while I know there are some mothers who want to be told how many teaspoons to give in exactly what order and at precisely what time of the day at whatever precise age their baby happens to be, this mindset is not shared by everyone....of course, those people are just slobs who can't be bothered

[motherinferior]

incidentally does the fact her demand is now exceeding my expressed output have any significance whatsoever in this debate? mears or anyone else?