5 month old - beginning weaning.

[kattypink123]

Hi
I'm new to this so bare with me I'm just looking for some idea's/help on weaning my 5 month old.

We began giving him rusks and puree's at around 4 and half months, he's had banana, apple, pear, sweet potato, parsnip and baby breakfast porridge and loves it all. BUT the problem is, we started all of this as a taster for him. So he's been having about 2 ice cubes worth of these things each morning. We now want to begin cutting out the bottle he has after these foods so he can start to begin proper meals. How do i do this?
2 ice cubes of the puree's is clearly not enough for him as he's still drinking his full 7oz bottle after. How much would you recommend to be enough for a meal?
Im worried about taking his bottle away incase he doesnt get enough food. The same with his baby porridge, he's been having 2.5tbsp of it mixed with around 2oz his milk, which in the bowl seems like enough, but he then still drinks his 4-5oz after?
Any help will be much appreciated! Thanks xx

[kattypink123]

Sorry for the lonnng post!! Thank younfor reading anyone who does! ??

[CatsCantFlyFast]

Why are you weaning before 6 months out of interest?
For a good while yet, milk should continue to be his main source of nutrition so my first advice would be not to rush. Gradually increase his food and he will slowly take less milk

[IDreamOfPuffins]

To be honest, unless you've been specifically advised otherwise by your GP or health visitor, you'd be better to worry about his milk intake, which is the main source of nutrition at this stage. Food basically goes straight through them at this point, so doesn't give much nutrition - they still need lots of milk. Might be worth talking to your health visitor.

[NerrSnerr]

I would wait until he decides to drop the bottles but I wouldn't worry as milk should be his main source of nutrition at this age. I wouldn't hurry too much increasing his food unless advised by the health visitor as he's still so young.

[Ducky23]

I was told that milk should always be offered before anything else?
I was advised by consultant to wean at 4.5 mo but after trying ds on purees he wasn't ready so have stopped and will wait until 6mo to do blw.

Have you been advised by someone to wean early?

[Grewupinafield]

I was advices with both my sons to wean early due to very bad reflux, but it was small amounts at first. Dc2 is 8 months old, has 3 meals a day and still have 4 bottles of milk on top of that.

I don't understand why you want to drop a bottle or 2. When your DC is ready they will do it themselves. Ds2 has a bottle, breakfast, bottle at around 10, naps for 2 hours, lunch at around midday, bottle at about 3, dinner at about 5 and bottle at 7 then bed. He's happy with that so I'm letting him go at his own pace. Some days he doesn't finish his milk in the afternoon.

There's no need to rush him, if you want to wean him get advice because like others have said unless there is a medical need, you should wait until 6 months.

[trulybadlydeeply]

Early weaning needs to be done very carefully, under medical guidance, and only for specific reasons, so I would go back to whoever suggested it (GP/ consultant etc) and ask about how and when milk should be dropped

[CultureSucksDownWords]

I would also keep up with milk, it's far more nutritious than any solids you could give at this age. Milk should be offered before food at this age, about an hour before.

You don't need to get to 3 meals a day until 8 or 9 months so there's no rush!

[dementedpixie]

You don't need to drop milk especially as at 5 months milk is far far more important. I would keep milk feeds as they are and be guided by your baby as to when they start to drop their milk intake.

I also recommend giving milk first and solids an hour or so afterwards

[kattypink123]

This was the advice I was after. I dont want to put him on 3 meals a day now. He's deff not ready for that. His normal routine at the minute is like this:
6am: 7oz
9am: porridge with 2oz milk
10am: 4-5oz
1pm: 7oz
2pm: some puree
4pm: 7oz
7pm: 7oz

As i said, the foods he is eating now, is in between his milk feeds. We haven't dropped or reduced any of milk at all.
Maybe I didn't make myself clear, he's 23 weeks old, 6 months in a couple of weeks.
I have spoke to my health visitor and she was perfectly happy with the way we have introduced his food as we haven't cut down any of his milk feeds. Neither has he.
My question was meant to be, WHEN we start, how would be best to do it? Just take his bottle away, and up the food? I'm guessing from some of the comments to still offer his bottle, even at 6 months and let him have what he wants??
I thought these forums were suppose to help but some of the comments felt very judgemental then. Out of curiosity, it hasnt always been begin foods from 6 months, it used to be alot earlier? So why the sudden change, if its so shocking that i've got him on a little food per day, before being 6 months? But babies (my nieces & nephews) have had no problems with starting it even earlier then I did. Before it all changed. This isnt meant to sound rude by the way-just general.xx

[dementedpixie]

It's not a recent change as the guidelines changed to 6 months (from between 4 and 6 months) when my now 11 year old was a baby.

as the volume of solids increases the milk intake should start to drop. When there is a milk feed they take less and less at then you can drop it.

my ds was on 4 daytime milk feeds (plus 3 meals) until 9 months when the mid morning feed was dropped and replaced with a snack and drink of water

[dementedpixie]

At 6 months or so our general timings were:

7am milk
8am breakfast
11am milk
12pm lunch
2.30/3pm milk
5pm dinner
7pm milk

he also had 1 night feed until 8 months

[kattypink123]

I just re read what I originally put and i've completely worded it wrong. To make it clear, I dont want reduce a bottle NOW... I want to be ready and know the signs of when to increase his foods, ready for when he starts to go onto more set meals.
For example at the minute, with his porridge which he has between his 1st & 2nd bottle of the day, is 2.5tbsp with 2oz of milk. Which in the bowl, seems like a lot. But he gobbles the whole amount and seems like he wants more when its finished.
So I was originally thinking, when we build up his meals, the breakfast one first so doing it one meal a day. Gradually increasing to two and then three?

Sorry dementedpixie, I thought it was more recent then that as my HV said she had a 6 year old and when she was a baby, they were told to wean earlier then 6 months.
Both my sisters weaned earlier too but i'm not sure why. I've never really asked.
My mother in law is a health visitor too, she's already gave me the lecture on giving foods at all, before 6 months. And before anyone asks, no I havent asked her all this because I'm a first time mum, with a very hands on mother in law when it comes to het grandson so I like to at least find some of he stuff out myself so i'm not asking her everything.

[CultureSucksDownWords]

The guidelines have been 'around 6 months' for well over a decade.

My advice would be don't actively try to drop milk feeds/bottles. It'll happen on its own, and you don't want to try to reduce milk at 6 months as nearly all their nutrition should still be coming from milk at this age.

[kattypink123]

Oh dementedpixie thats perfect! Thats exactly he kind of plan we had, but doing it gradually one meal a day from around 6 months.
The only difference in your is my boys up between 6 and 6.30 but doesnt wake for night feed. So at the min, has 5 bottles a day.x

[kattypink123]

Ok thanks culturesucksdownwards thats partly what i was unsure of. Whether to just remove or to not. Thanks.

I wasnt aware it had been that long since it changed, like i commented above my HV said it was younger when her littlen was a baby so I assumed it was more recent.

[CultureSucksDownWords]

You'll find it becomes clear when they aren't interested in a particular feed anymore. They'll just take less and less time for that feed (or take less milk from a bottle) or not even be that keen to have a feed to begin with.

[CatsCantFlyFast]

Keep offering milk as normal.
Introduce a meal a week until you are up to three 'meals' a day - even if each meal is just a few spoonfuls of puree. He will gradually begin to take more food at each meal (over the next 2-3 months) and subsequently take less milk. When you get to the point he refuses a milk feed then you can drop it.

[GingerCuddleMonster]

only now at 9 months am I seeing a drop in milk, he's increased his food intake and water intake and now has 3milk feeds a day plus a night feed.