My feed
Premium
Please
or
to access all these features

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Weaning

Weaning.

26 replies

Shellbell · 21/05/2005 17:34

Hi everyone. My son is 4 months old today and people keep asking me when I'm going to start weaning. Ideally I would like him to be weaned before I go back to work in two months but I just don't know where to start. Please help!

OP posts:
Report
NotQuiteCockney · 21/05/2005 17:37

Oh dear, this is a bit of a minefield. Have a look in the archives ...

That being said, the current medical advice is to not give solids before around 6 months. Babies should have only breastmilk (or formula) until that age.

Or, alternatively, they should be able to sit up on their own, and pick up things using the pincer grip. These are both very good signs that a baby is ready for solids.

I weaned my first son at 16 weeks, as I was pushed to by my HVs, and my second at 6 months, and the second was much much easier. I strongly recommend waiting. At six months, you can start giving bits of your food, and wean more naturally. I understand wanting to do it before you go back to work - maybe start just before then?

Report
charleepeters · 21/05/2005 17:38

try a teaspoon of runny babyrice or fruit puree with his bottle at lunch and gradually as he gets older increse it and add more flavours and textures, good luck xxx
i do warn you i dont know many babys who like babyrice its to bland but give it ago if not pear/apple puree is fine!

Report
Chandra · 21/05/2005 17:40

Up until last year the recommendation was to start weaning not earlier than 4m but not later than 6m. This year has changed to 6m, however, going back to work can make the issue tricky. I started with DS at 5m and followed The Contented Little Baby Book of Weaning.

Though the author of the book may be a bit controversial, I found the book great speceially the program for the first month that allows you to try every ingredient and check for reaction before getting to more complex dishes (I have a very alergic child so this program was a blessing). Recipees are really tasty and very simple, most of them can be frozen which is great if you don't have lots of time for cooking once you start working (we used to cook one day a week for DS during the first months) HTH

Report
MarsLady · 21/05/2005 18:23

I'm with NQC. I used Annabel Karmel's book. Fab! Still using it for the entire family not just the DTs.

Report
Shellbell · 22/05/2005 11:48

Thanks everyone. I think I am going to wait until he is 5 months. Just for piece of mind. I've heard a lot about Annabel Karmel's book, will definately be purchasing that (think most of my maternity pay has gone on baby books- particularly those that have a focus on sleeping!)
Am going to search the archives now- many thanks!

OP posts:
Report
NannyL · 22/05/2005 13:46

yes get annabell karmels complete baby and toddler meal planner!

Do the first week only on baby rice (maybe you could start this in 3 weeks time) (just a little organic rice mixed with babys normal milk in between his lunch time feed, ie milk, a little rice milk)

then move on to fruit / veg purees.

Typical 1st tastes are apple / pear / carrot then move onto things like butter nut sqaush, sweed, sweet pot etc.

Dont try a new food more often then every 3rd day to start with (so if he has a reaction you know what the reaction was to).

Just steam the veg until soft and blend. I always do LOADS and then make lots of ice cube trays. Esp things like apple and pear which i ogten mix into babys cereal later for their breakfast time!

Youll be fine, dont worry!

Report
NotQuiteCockney · 22/05/2005 15:56

The current Unicef-recommended way to wean is to just let them self-feed and give table scraps.

I started trying to wean DS2 at just before 6 months. He wasn't interested in purees, but did like big pieces of meat. Generally, he does much better with table scraps.

He's now 8 months. We all went out for vietnamese food for lunch, he had prawn crackers, satay chicken, char-grilled pork, and some strange Asian radish. Much easier than pots and purees.

Report
hsanders · 25/05/2005 13:39

Sorry to crash this thread but I am also having a weaning dilemma - my DS is 17 weeks and HV said at 15 weeks I should just start at 16 weeks and that was that! However, having read the Contented baby Weaning Book, he is not showing any signs apart from...

He used to sleep through to 7am absolutely fine, whereas he is now waking but not crying a number of times between 3am and 5am - from 5am he is awake and just 'chatting' in his cot, but he does not cry for food..

He is 13'10 so not desperately heavy..

He does not cry after he finishes a bottle of 8oz so he's not wanting more..

And in the morning, he only has about 5oz at 7am and again at 11am..

So I am very confused! I do not want to start just because he is now waking up through the night, but then I do not want to not start just because he does not fit a profile.

The HV just said to go for it!

Report
NotQuiteCockney · 25/05/2005 13:52

Your HV isn't giving very up-to-date information. It used to be that we were told to wean between 4 months and 6 months, depending on baby readiness. Somehow, HVs decided that 4 months was 16 weeks (it's 17!) and that all babies should be weaned at 16 weeks.

But more recent research has shown that it is best to wait until 6 months, or thereabouts. If he needs more food, he should have more formula, not solids.

Report
imation · 25/05/2005 14:49

my ds is 15 months now and looking back i wish i've never started weaning him at 16 weeks def gonna wait till 6-7 months with baby No2.

Report
loulabelle222 · 25/05/2005 14:51

imation why do you regret weaning at 16 weeks. I weaned my ds at 18 weeks because he was ready for it. your baby no.2 might be ready way before 7 months and milk may not be enough for her? you should wean when they are ready and not when it is convinient!

Report
NotQuiteCockney · 25/05/2005 14:54

I regret weaning my DS1 at 16 weeks, too. He wasn't ready for it, it was just a big waste of time and energy. At that age, the food comes out pretty much unchanged, so they're really not getting much from it.

They now think babies are ready for food when they can sit up unassisted, and when they can pick things up well, ideally pincer-style.

Report
NotQuiteCockney · 25/05/2005 14:55

Oh, and I also regret it because I worry it may have harmed his gut or immune system - not in a big way, but a little.

Report
loulabelle222 · 25/05/2005 14:58

as long as they are ok then whats the problem? My ds was getting hungry looking at food, crying for it. I knew he was ready. It didn't do him any harm!

Report
NotQuiteCockney · 25/05/2005 14:59

My DS1 is ok, I guess, but it's impossible to know if their immune system is weaker, or their gut. It really is better to wait.

Babies always want whatever you've got - my DS2 has been grabbing my books for ages now, but it doesn't mean he's ready to read!

Report
loulabelle222 · 25/05/2005 15:02

i could just tell plus why feed them if you know they're not ready.. if he was happy i wouldn't of bothered

Report
imation · 25/05/2005 15:24

loulabelle222, hi my ds got eczema. not severe but he keeps getting skin rashes and scratches a lot. we link these to foods in country where i'm from and after i've seen my gp maybe 30 times i know that there is no such link here although homeopath does agree with me

Report
Windermere · 25/05/2005 15:38

NQC - What do you mean by table scraps?

Report
NotQuiteCockney · 25/05/2005 17:19

Windermere, I mean food. Bits of food, off my plate. Family food. Not mashed, not mushed up, not pureed.

Chip-shaped things seem to be best. The first food he took happily was a piece of chicken, that he sucked on. He now likes bananas and melons. Lightly cooked carrot sticks are good, too.

Because he's older, I'm not too too twitchy about salt. It helps that I almost never salt homemade food, which is most of his diet (that, and raw fruit), so he can't end up with too much salt.

(And yes, you have to be careful about choking. But he's been fine, so far. Some gagging at first, but that stopped quickly.

Report
hsanders · 26/05/2005 11:42

Taking my HV advise out of the equation, my DS woke up at 1.30am screaming for something..eventually gave him food and he had almost 6 oz, having fed at 11.30pm [4oz]. He must be ready? He's having between 30-35oz during the day including the 10/11pm feed. I just do not want to make the wrong decision and start weaning him and feel like some of the other people on here saying they regret it!

Report
Aragon · 26/05/2005 11:44

hsanders,

I'm a HV too and in this area our current advice is that babies don't need anything more than milk until 6 months. It's best to keep this in mind and go with your instincts and what you feel your baby needs.

Report
Aragon · 26/05/2005 11:45

Mine weaned at 17 weeks by simply taking food off my plate.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

hsanders · 26/05/2005 11:54

Aragon - thanks for your messages - slight misunderstanding, by writing 'taking my HV advise out of the equation' I meant my health visiotr not that I am one!!

Report
Ruthiebaby · 07/06/2005 20:15

Last week my HV discussed weaning with me. She said that it 'sounds' like he's ready and wants me to start on some babyrice which I got quite excited about. However, after doing a lot of research on the net it seems that I should wait a bit longer. It's a bit of a dilemma because the signs do seem to be that he is ready - but then all the advice says that he doesn't need to have it yet. Aaaaarrrrggghhhh.....what should I do ?!
He's 16lb 2oz and will be 17 weeks tomorrow. He's entirely breastfed and has never had any formula yet. He's having 8-9 feeds a day (used to be 6). And he's now waking up at 5am after his 11pm feed wanting to be fed. He used to sleep through till 7 - 9am. Everything he gets hold of is straight into his mouth.

What should I do ?!?! I have the babyrice and bowls ready - but I'm not sure at all when to start using them

Report
Magscat · 07/06/2005 20:24

Hey Shellbell. Good to hear from you. Are you getting the sleeping thing sorted now?

I went back to work this week (dd is 5m & 1wk)and so far still exclusively bf. I asked my HV if it really is as important as they say to wait strictly till 6 months before giving solids and she advised that all the research now shows that it is worth waiting. I can't see that a week or two would make much difference but I'm planning on leaving it a few weeks.

As for how to start, baby rice is usually recommended but ds never liked it (tastes like cardboard). Ds really liked root veg (potato, carrot etc) & banana/apple/pear - all of which mushed up finely with a fork should be ok for a 6 month old. You can mix it with your milk/formula if it helps & just give him a tiny bit on a tea spoon & see how he reacts. He'll eventually get the idea of swallowing it and you'll soon know if he wants more.

Re. Advice books - have faith in your instinct as a Mum -you are a book addict
(Although, the odd recipe book never did any harm!)

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.