If you weaned your ebf baby under 6 months would you please talk to me

[sedgieloo]

I would love to know your reasoning and if on reflection you feel it was a good idea.

I'm trying to do my own reading but I'm so busy with a two yr old and 4 month old, if I have the time I don't have the mental energy!

I've read the nhs booklet and some discussion papers on intl studies. But i would value the view of experienced savvy mums please. I've asked my own mum she ebf us all and weaned at 5 months, I'm thinking of doing similar.

I have a big baby - 91st centile tall. Definitely more hungry lately - not development leap stuff definitely definitely more hungry. I two concerns, a little bit of on baby. Also baby seems to benefit from my being off gluten (stinky wind) but it upsets me so maybe that's why. Also he had a lot of antibiotics as a newborn (gbs) so gut health is something I wonder about.

Thank you

[sedgieloo]

a little eczema on baby

[1500mmania]

Hi - just do what is right for you. It is not as if the moment that babies turn 6 months old that they are ready for food (and sometimes I think it is a bit bonkers that people stick to this guidelines to the day!). Every baby is different and every mum and situation is different.

I started weaning DS at about 5-5.5 months I can't remember exactly now. I know it was a tad before 6 months. The main reason I did was that the little blighter completely refused the bottle, point blank there was no way the bottle was going near him and I had to leave him for an all day work meeting. My mum was terrified of having him all day and being unable to feed him. So a couple of week before I slowly started introducing some solids, he loved his food from the word go and ate probably about 4 sweet potatoes worth of puree whilst I was out. (obv that was a one off!)

Because he was a little bit younger when I started I did a couple of weeks of pureed to get him going and then by 6 months he was ready to start on the baby led weaning route.

When are you thinking of starting weaning? I think 4 months may be a tad to young but closer to 6 months and if baby seems ready I don't think there is a massive issue.

I have no qualms about starting weaning a bit early - just be sensible.

[YellowAndGreenAndRedAndBlue]

Given your issues re. Eczema, gluten, gut health I would probably wait.

As milk is more calorific than early foods weaning won't help the hunger issues.

Is your child meeting the recommended milestones for weaning such as able to sit up unaided etc?

[Tolly81]

I started a little before 6 months but did BLW so it didn't make much difference as she just didn't eat much at first. She was grabbing at food and could sit up and put things in her mouth by then. One thing I would say is that it is so much extra work/mess/annoyance that I would be in no particular rush especially with a toddler around. Remember all the endless food prep, mess, cleaning them up, cleaning the highchair tray then starting again a few hours later? I agree the jury is most definitely still out about weaning between 4-6m and it probably does no harm but equally waiting till 6 months does no harm either and with eczema, poss food intolerances and a toddler I would be in no hurry!

[blueblackdye]

Due to risk of allergy, weaning is not recommended before 17 weeks. But if your baby shows all signs i.e sit up, hold head steadily, hand eye coordination and being able to swallow, and GP/HV don't say otherwise, you can probably start weaning. DS started when he was 5 months 4 years ago. DD just started at 6.5 months. Went this week to a weaning workshop to refresh my memories.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

I did weaned both early, one in my Naive days on the recommendation of my HV and one at 23 weeks when she grabbed some food and ate it.

It made not one jot of difference to the number of feeds, but it did affect sleep, it made them both worse.

Agree with yellow and blue, given your and Los situation I'd wait.

[ElliesWellies]

I started around five months. My 'reasoning' for it was that I read some guidance saying that babies' iron stores start to become depleted at six months, and I thought I'd let DS start a bit beforehand to get used to having food before that started happening. He seemed very interested, but I only really gave him fruit and veg for the first few weeks anyway.

Guidelines also confusing - says milk should be sufficient for the first six months, and not to start before 17 weeks. So totally up to you - so long as you're not practically forcing it down the throat (like someone people I know ) then I don't see the problem.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Ellie's I thought that once you started to feed solids it made the iron in the milk less easily digested so early weaning could lead to lower iron levels, not higher? There is also sone evidence that later weaning is better for iron levels, have a look here. OP you may also want to read this on iron.

[meditrina]

The guideline was 4 months for my DSes, and that was about the time I did it. There were no difficulties in introducing food, nor any symptoms (digestive, atopic, anything) at all. Nor do I remember any problems amongst DSes friends , who were all done at at age too.

[SofaKing]

I was the same as you, 9lbs 6 ds1, ebf, 91st centile. I weaned at 5 months as he was constantly hungry, would fall asleep on the breast and wake crying for more an hour later. He ate everything offered when weaned and is now five and has no food sensitivities or allergies.
I think sometimes bigger babies are ready to wean earlier, and the best guideline is to see if they show interest in food, watching you eat or gesturing toward food. Ds1 was like this and I think early weaning was the right thing for him.

[sedgieloo]

Thanks so much to all posters. I'm on my phone so it's hard to see all the member names as I write my reply but this is what I am thinking:
I combination fed dc1 due to weight/feeding/supply issues so it was quite different. This baby is ebf, I would prefer to feed hourly (bit like that now in the day) than add in any formula. I'm sort of on a mission to ebf this time. I was thinking 5 months and baby rice with expressed milk (I have a freezer drawer full) until that runs out then use a formula to make it up.

Sleep is not quite as good as it was. Baby wakes twice instead of once and is hungry of a morning. Whereas previously if he had fed twice he would have shown little interest in Morning feeds. Also feeds have gone from two hourly to hourly or even less in the day. Also he has started to drop down the centile chart. He was 75 at birth. The. 91st at 2 weeks. Now 60th. He is otherwise content but then I am feeding loads and loads between 6.30am and 20.30.

He seems very strong. He can now grab with both hands and put items in his mouth. He can sit upright with some support at his sides for quite some length of time and very happily.

Of it were not for these new patches of eczema (mild but there) and this smelly wind when I eat food that typically bothers me (gluten). I would feel more confident.

Also I am a bit thrown by the suggestion (can't cite the research just now but it came after just when I weaned dc1 at 25 weeks ) that waiting until 6 months + can cause more issues with food sensitivities and fussy eating :s there is of course plenty to the contrary?!?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Don't worry about that "new research", it was funded by a baby milk and baby food manufacturer. Think you can safely dismiss it

[sedgieloo]

Ok thank you.

I appreciate that baby rice is low calorie (forget who mentioned this point) but it would be in addition to normal breast feeds.

[weegiemum]

I did, when my currently 13yo dd was a baby. Back then it was advised at 4 months, as with my now 11 yo ds. By the time 9yo dd2 was born it was 6 months and I went with that.

My dd2 is the best eater I had. The others are picky. I'm convinced that later weaning helped a lot.

[YellowAndGreenAndRedAndBlue]

With the issues you describe, i would absolutely avoid baby rice. If you want to start early then start with stuff that has some nutritional value at least!

[sedgieloo]

Yellowandgreen - the reason I thought that as a starting point is that my hv said in 25 yrs she has not known of an adverse reaction. So a safe beginning?

Would you say potato or something else?

[MoelFammau]

I was happy to wait til 6 months but DD weaned herself at 5 months by scoffing our tortellini and pesto. DD always preferred strong tastes right from the start - garlic, chilli, steak etc, she'd spit out yoghurt and bland stuff - so don't assume bland is always the way to go.

[Flisspaps]

Being 'big' is a red herring.

DS was 11lb 7oz born. 98th centile or thereabouts.

He was BLW at 23/24 weeks after being EBF. He fed every 2-3 hours until then, and didn't sleep particularly well. Weaning made no difference to either feeding times or sleeping.

[ShowOfHands]

"I think sometimes bigger babies are ready to wean earlier, and the best guideline is to see if they show interest in food, watching you eat or gesturing toward food. Ds1 was like this and I think early weaning was the right thing for him"

Just for good info, the above is totally incorrect. Readiness to wean is nothing to do with weight, it's to do with gut maturation. Watching you eat and gesturing towards food mean nothing too. Babies watch you drive and use drills and operate machinery. They are interested in you NOT ready to drive a car or drink your wine. Signs are that they are sitting up, able to pick up food, put it in their mouth, chew and swallow.

[SamSmalaidh]

I weaned DS at 5 months, well he weaned himself really - he could sit up, grab food, get it in his mouth, chew and swallow at that point so seemed no reason not too. Didn't seem any point in giving him baby rice - first foods were banana, roast root veg, brocolli, rice cakes, hummus, lentils.

[MikeOxardAndWellard]

My dd started on baby rice made with breast milk at 4 months, as she was showing all the signs of readiness for weaning and was starving for some solids. Having as much milk as she could drink but still really hungry after, chewing her hands and crying. She was quite small. Ds is massive and started weaning at about 5.5 months, just because it was about the right time and he seemed ready, seemed a bit hungrier (nothing like dd was though, thankfully!) and I didn't see the point in waiting another 10 days or so just so it was on the guideline day.

[YellowAndGreenAndRedAndBlue]

Hi, I didn't feed baby rice at all. Lots online about why it is not a great food.

I am not clear which way you are leaning. i can't tell whether you in your heart want to wean now but feel you shouldn't, or you want to wait but feel you should do it sooner, iyswim?

Do you have a specific reason you want to start at 5 months rather than 6? Is it cos your mum did, your HV suggested, your baby is big, you want them to sleep more? If you explain your reasoning more, people might be able to advise more helpfully.

[sedgieloo]

Hi yellow green. He's moved down the centile chart for weight just lately and moved up for height. He is feeding more. He is looking wire-y. He appears hungrier. It's not about sleep he seemed more hungry at night, but last night he slept 10-7. Although he cluster fed for about 3 hours prior to that. He is being fed in the day hourly or less. It was two hourly. He sometimes squeals at the end of the feed as if he wants more. I any see him lasting two more months. Outward (development) signs are indicating on the way to readiness. My mum weaned at 5 months. Yes I take a lot of advice from her. I do not want to ignore current advice without being informed. I dont understand what I risk starting at 5 months. But there is no real going back from ebf/virgin gut state. So I want take a good decision.

Many western countries say 4-6 months as opposed to uk advice since 2003. Just trying to figure out the solid reasons why.

Some reservations explains in my op.

Is that more helpful as to where I am coming from?

[sedgieloo]

My instinct is to lean to weaning a little early also. But that's not to say its right!

[sedgieloo]

Oh. And no I do not want to wean now. All my friends seem to be weaning by five months. One at three!!! Except one ebf friend who weaned at 7 months whose 2.5 yr old is unusually small for their age. And has food intolerances. Hence seeking advice from a wider audience.

Sorry for lack of info in op. I didn't want to make it too long.