5 month old grabbing food out of my hand - is he ready for weaning or just very interested?

[Gangle]

DS is 22 weeks old and is extremely curious about food. Everytime I eat something he stares at me and gets very excited. I was trying to hold out until he is 26 weeks before I start weaning but I'm started to feel like I'm starving him! He doesn't seem particularly hungry otherwise - still has 6 feeds per day including one at around 4 am (he is EBF). I've let him taste a banana and nectarine and some of my toast but he seems to want do to more than taste! Should I start weaning or hold out for another 4 weeks?

[littleducks]

ds has been doing this, i gave him a spoon to play with and he happily sucked and chewed that

he has obviously perfected putting things in his mouth as everything is shovelled in atm but he can sit unaided so i havent given any food

but am watching him and wondering

[Gangle]

how old is your DS littleducks? Do they have to be able to sit supported or unsupported? I thought it was supported?

[Imawurzel]

my DD is 33weeks and still on mush,i gave her spag bol jar the other day and she liked that, (7+ jar) but does really like finger food, i give her toast, cheese,cucumber,organix puffs and sticks, breadsticks, and other bits and bobs, she eats the organix things but gunges and makes a mess of the others.
She was making a grab for things when she was about 4 months or so.

[MerlinsBeard]

i tricked ds3(at 5 months) into waiting a bit longer by giving him a spoon to get to grips with(a plastic weaning one obviously!) he gave my apple cores a good gumming too. now at 6 months he will grab most things and literally shovel them in!!

[littleducks]

21 weeks

am intending to blw as i did with dd (who is desperate for him to eat )

[charchargabor]

DD was grabbing for food at this age, but also for anything else I was holding, like the remote control, or the phone. I figured she was just interested in everything I have, and waited til 6 months, when she tucked in with gusto! The guideline is sitting unsupported, btw.

[littleducks]

thought it was unsupported, the empty spoon seems to have pleased ds no end though

[Tinkjon]

I never understand an interest in food being a 'readiness to wean' sign. They are interested in everything you do, not just food!

[Gangle]

Well, DS is 25 weeks on Friday and apart from a teeny bit of baby rice on one occasion(very bad, I know, but wanted to see his reaction (he scoffed and swallowed the lot)) have still not given him solids. You start thinking that a few weeks won't make that much difference but surely it must other the advice wouldn't be as it is and, as everyone keeps pointing out, putting food in their mouths isn't necessarily a sign they are ready as everything goes in there! Very sad as well but already getting a bit nostalgic that in a few weeks DS will no longer be an EBF baby. Growing up so quickly. Oh, and real poo - not looking forward to that!