Weaning baby at 5 months

[Serj123]

Hi my lg struggles with her bottle in the morning till about 1pm. So I have given her a little food this morning and she took it quite well. Just worried that I have started too early as I did want to hold out till 6 months but she is very stroppy in the morning and thought this might help.

[melonribena]

Hi. What do you mean she struggles with her bottle?

[bailey1234whops]

She won't have any milk till gone mid day, and if she does it only like 2oz. I did try her with some mushed up banana this morning and she was happy to take that but pushed her bottle away 😫

[purplefizz26]

I think weaning earlier than 6 months is a bad idea, unless recommend for medical reasons.

If they can't sit up correctly they are at higher risk of choking, and their stomachs aren't usually strong enough before 6 months to manage food.

Milk should be the main source of nutrition until 12 months, so you run the risk of not giving the baby the right nutrients if you end up replacing milk with solid food.

[Stuffedshirt]

I agree that milk should be the major part of their diets until around 12 months. Solid food should be introduced gradually, so they get used to the tastes and textures. It's all about learning to eat rather than needing many calories.

Have you tried changing the bottles? The teat size might be wrong now she's older so worth changing them as well.

How long is she going without milk for? When does she have her last feed? Does she sleep through the night?

Having said all that, although six months is the recommended age for introducing food, some larger babies may be ready a week or two sooner.

[bailey1234whops]

She had her last bottle at 5am, she's good at taking them in the afternoon and evening just refusing them in the morning till about 1pm. She's sitting up and not sleeping through anymore. I would never replace milk with food at this stage. She's just very stroppy in the morning not wanting feeds apart from this bit of banana she had this morning changed her mood.

[bailey1234whops]

Also she has teat 2's and now she doesn't have reflux milk in they are definitely fast enough for her

[Soubriquet]

6 months is the ideal age but honestly a bit of banana in the morning isn't going to hurt

My Dd was weaning at 4 months. Not my choice.. dh insisted and she got on really well. She's a happy healthy 3 year old.

Ds didn't wean until 7 months.

It's all different

[purplefizz26]

But giving banana because when she won't have her milk is kind of replacing milk with food. Are you going to do that every morning if she carries on refusing milk?

You need to find out the root cause, get some support from a health visitor perhaps. Not having milk for around 12 hours during day time isn't normal at 5 months.

Even at 6 months when weaning generally starts, they should carry on having the same amount of milk to begin with and fit in tiny tastes of food in between. As they get older the amount of milk naturally lessens and they have bigger and more meals.

[bailey1234whops]

I have done this once ... I wrote on here for advise not a lecture and also to see if other people have experienced their babies not wanting their morning feed

[purplefizz26]

No lecture, just a bit of advice from one Mum to another
I would rather someone pointed out why something isn't a good idea. Especially seeing as you brought it up and suggested yourself it might be too early.

[876TaylorMade]

Calm down OP.
Nobody is lecturing you... they're just saying replacing a bottle with food at this age is not recommended.


If she's having a bottle at 5am.. what time is the next one?

[Heirhelp]

My DD often only had 1/2 oz of milk for breakfast but she had lots of milk later in the day.

I would definitely wait until 6 months to wean it is not worth risking her health to try earlier.

[Purpleprickles]

My dd has always been fussy with bottles, sometimes taking them sometimes not. If your dd has on at 5am and then one around 1pm plus more after it sounds like she is doing ok. My HV told me babies won't starve themselves, I was also advised to offer a little water from around 5 months if you are worried about her being thirsty.

[megan17594]

Baby tells you when theyre ready to wean aslong as after 17 months their kidneys are fully developed to process some food there are some that cant have but thats due to certain health conditions being linked however its your baby so it is entirely down to you! These are just guidlines. My lg is just over 5 months old and today had oat and banana pancakes (just finely blended oats and banana lightly fried in pure coconut oil. Chopped in tiny pieces so she could do it herself and she loved it. I have to make sure she knows her boundries and she only gets 1 taste a day (not a meal) but everything the hv has said regarding ready to wean my lg has been doing since around 18 weeks. Ages are a guideline every baby is different its down to THE PARENT OF THAT PARTICULAR CHILD to spot the signs of when a baby is ready!

[Artandco]

If she's having milk at 5am then that is milk in the morning. At 5 months mine would have milk at 9pm, then nothing until 8am. 11hrs without milk. If she's still having feeds in the night and at 5am, then 5am-1pm is only 8hrs. She just has night and day mixed up re feeding

[Lauralix]

A bit of banana isn't goin to kill your child !! I weaned at 16 weeks and he is soon fine my other son is now 15 yrs old was weaned on the 3 month guideline it used to be and he has also survived and isn't obese , health visitors are there to give guidelines not tell you how to bring up your children do what you feel is right xx