Is DS *really* ready for solids?

[highlander]

He's 22 weeks and can't sit up without support, but will take really runny rice cereal from the tip of a spoon (he slurps it off).

I read somewhere that I should wait until he is demanding both boobs at a feed but DS doesn't feed like that. He's been a bit refluxy since he started to move around so I encourage him to more or less take booby every hour to hour and a half.

Do I have to wait until he can sit up independantly before I move onto anything else? ( I didn't sit up until I was 8 months!)

Sorry to be so dumb about this

[beansprout]

I'm watching for signs too. Am a bit behind you (16 weeks) but am suddenly feeding 4 times a night (from 1-2). Really want to hang on til 6 months though. Anyway, I've been reading that yes, we can wean them sooner, but holding heads still really is a key sign that they are ready. Apparently it is easier the longer we leave it (please, please, please let that be true!!!)

Not sure if this is any help but good luck.

[beansprout]

Sorry, I meant sitting up without support (doh! am sooo tired!)

[Fran1]

Its not just the sitting up. It is showing interest and an ability to attempt to feed himself. So becoming alert when food is around, showing interest, being able to hold a spoon and actually being interested in it.

Let him lead the way, once he seems used to something, move onto the next. Maybe start with thickening the rice a little and seeing what he thinks of that.

[Twiglett]

Not a dumb question at all

The WHO has recommended for over a decade that you wait until they're at least 26 weeks (the UK has just adopted that advice recently) this is based on research that says it helps protect them against developing allergies (asthma / excema) later in life

[Twiglett]

the 4 month increase in appetite is a growth spurt and will slow down in a week or so

[beansprout]

Music to my ears Twiglett

[highlander]

he does love spoons, but probably in the same way as he loves his teething ring! Shows absolutely no interest in my food yet.

[WellieMum]

dd has just gone 22 weeks, holding out for the magic 26....

dd is also feeding all the hours in the day, and we started wondering if we were doing the right thing by holding off. So yesterday we gave her ice-cream! I poured some ebm into a bottle lid and froze it, stirring a couple of times til it was slushy.

Fed it to dd and she liked the cold on her teething gums, but had absolutely no idea what to do with the spoon, or how to move the 'ice cream" to the back of her mouth, so most of it came straight out again.

Anyway, it reassured us that she's not quite ready for a roast dinner......

(By the way, it's summer here (NZ) and scorching hot, before anyone rings social services about cruel parents giving icy cold snacks in midwinter )

[NotQuiteCockney]

Oh, WellieMum, that's an excellent idea! I might try that. It's cold weather here, but DS2 is perpetually warm, anyway.

I'm also trying to make it to 26. DS2 is 20 weeks. He's huge. (Particularly compared to the size DS1 was when I weaned him, at 16 weeks.) He's working on sitting independently, and should be there in a few weeks. He's very interested in my food, and is always trying to steal food off me, or his father.

I don't really keep track of his wakings in the night, he's in with us, and I've been feeding him in my sleep, mostly. I think he only wakes once or twice.

But I have mild excema and mild asthma, and IBS (which could be caused by early weaning, surely?). And so far, the only things he's eaten other than milk have been one dose of calpol, some teething gel, and probably some cat hair. So why not carry on?

Besides, weaning is such a faff. I'm planning to wean him as lazily as possible, and just watch out for allergic reactions to the big allergens (wheat, egg, dairy, nuts, seafood), and otherwise be mellow.