To think that second time mums with a large age gap should be offered a weaning talk

[Reallytired]

When my son was a baby the advice was to wean at 4 months. I believe the advice is 6 months. My son was born in 2001 and lots of ideas have changed. I want to be up to date with research ideas and not reliant on the internet.

There is zero support in our area for second time mums. I realise that first time mums need more support as they have the biggest life change. However other mums have needs.

[rubyslippers]

people are tho - there was a thread on this topic the other day

I had a weaning talk with DS 3 years ago (which i mainly ignored)

You can also contact your HV at anytime to dicuss it/any concerns (athough you will probably find the best advice on MN)

Advice has never been to wean at 4 months apparently but was intereprted in that way

[Lizzylou]

I have posed this already, but I was asked to go to a weaning party with DS2, when he was 13 weeks old, to speak with First time Moms of babies 12-16weeks old. DS2 is only 3.5yrs old, the advice then was 6mths, but my HV said that this wasn't "necessary".

YABU, but Health Professionals seem to give conflicting advice anyway.

[thedollshouse]

Well first time mums aren't even offered antenatal classes around here so I wouldn't expect them to offer weaning classes.

The health visitors are there to offer any advice and you are given loads of pamphlets which include weaning advice.

Personally I am not in favour of and child related classes, I have never found them useful but I guess everyone is different. I prefer to read up on the subject myself.

[curiositykilled]

I don't know, I think maybe I agree that there's an issue with support for second time mums but there's far too much advice out there that normal people don't really seem to understand. They did used to say wean from 4 months at one point. People interpret the advice as hard and fast rules, it's not a good idea, it teaches mums out of being able to make decisions and interpret their baby's behaviours.

I think mums should be encouraged to make their own decisions about their own children and not be so eager to follow 'rules' because there aren't really any. Much better to read and interpret things yourself - agree with thedollshouse.

[curiositykilled]

more support for everyone and less advice I guess is my real opinion.

[ChunkyMonkeysMum]

I totally agree with curiosity, mums should make their own decisions.

[piscesmoon]

I had a big gap. I didn't find a problem-just ask to be included.

[pooexplosions]

I don't think most Hv's know shit about weaning anyway, so I don't know how much it would help anyway if they were doing it?

Isn't there plenty of info available for anyone interested enough to be looking for a talk anyway?

[seeker]

My dd was born in 1995 and the advice from people who knew what they were talking about was 6 months then, as it is now.

[curiositykilled]

seeker - who are people who know what they are talking about?

[Reallytired]

Seeker - how do you know who to believe? Who is more likely to be right an experienced and highly trained health visitor who had actually met your baby or some UN person in different continent?

Not everyone uses the internet regularly. Not everyone has the literacy levels to understand the finer point.

I also think its a mistake to think that something is right just because your read it on the internet.

[Devendra]

Um.. I have a fourteen year age gap and the advice was to wean at 3-4 months way back then!! But I read and and use the internet and so on.. I did not need a weaning TALK!!! maybe stupid people rather than second time mums should be offered the talk!

[mazzystartled]

If you are feeling that you need support - and you see the stuff that is in place - then I think you should go ahead and ask to take part.

We are lucky in our area as the standard of community midwifery and hv support is (currently) great (who knows after next april?) and 2nd and even 3rd time arounders are invited to everything that new mums are.

[bruffin]

Seeker my baby was 1995 and the advice was certainly not 6 months, it was 4 month. The advice in my 1997 red and 1995 blue health book is 4 months.

[seeker]

I would believe the WHO over a Health Visitor any day. And whether or not s/he had met my baby is irrelevant - unless s/he had x-ray vision and could tell me that my baby's gut was mature enough to deal with any sort of food except milk.

[curiositykilled]

seeker - have you read any of the research that the WHO guidelines are based on to make up your own mind?

What is the evidence that says a baby's gut is 'not mature enough to deal with any sort of food except milk' until 6 months, for example? Also, what kind of milk?

[Reallytired]

Health visitors aren't idiots. They have degrees and many of them have master qualifications. My dd red book says 6 months, but my son's red book says 4 months.

I did ask the health visitor and was invited to a weaning talk, but the weaning talk is in the middle of half term. My seven year old would not be interested in weaning babies.

My daughter is putting everything in her mouth and starting to get mobile.

I want to know when to introduce problem foods like dairy or gluten.

[TheCrackFox]

Can't they just put all the relevant information in a pamphlet? I wouldn't have had time for a weaning talk with 2 DCs.

[seeker]

The World health Organization recommends exclusively milk feeding - preferably breast feeding to 6 months. And has done for a long time - certainly since my dd was weaned 13 years ago.

[TheCrackFox]

I don't think I had any awareness of WHO until I became addicted to Mumsnet.

[lilolilmanchester]

5 years between my DCs and I was invited to a weaning talk - but perhaps because I had gone to ante-natal classes for DC2.
BTW Rubyslippers, I didn't misinterpret advice re weaning at 4 months for DC1 (now 16). In fact we were actively encouraged to WAIT til 4 months, rather than start at 3 which was not unusual back then... so just goes to show that Mums do need updating second time round (tho that was before MN and internet at home, so perhaps easier to keep uptodate now?)

[paisleyleaf]

As a first time mum I was never offered ante-natal classes and certainly not weaning talks.
I didn't know about mumsnet then either
I'm sure you'll manage to find the info you need.