What age did you start weaning your baby

[custardcream11]

Mine is only 3 and a half months at the moment so I'm thinking ahead and I know the recommendation is 6 months but a lot of baby food says from 4 months although I'll be making my own.
Just wondering how other people got on if you started at 4 months or if most people wait until 6.

You should really wait until 6 months unless there is a medical need to start earlier.

6 months. Their stomachs aren’t really ready before. Guidance has been clear for 20+ years. There are some situations where you might be advised to wean early for medical reasons, but if that doesn’t apply just wait until 6 months.

I would leave it to as close to 6 months as you can. It's to allow their digestive system to develop. Shop bought stuff saying 4 months is a marketing strategy!

I started a few days before each of mine turned six months old. They'll reach for food before then (like they will reach for your mobile phone or your glass of wine), but the advice at the time was to wait til six months.

Six months, pretty much to the day.

Personally I wouldn't start earlier, although I wouldn't be surprised if the advice changed again in time to wean earlier to reduce the risk of allergies.

6 months.

Baby food companies aren't prevented from advertising their product from 4 months so that's what they will do if it means making money as early as they can.

The signs of readiness are
•able to sit up unaided
•lost the tongue thrust reflex
•can pick up and bring food to their mouth

So when your child can do those things.

6 months here too! Also once they start it’s a right pain tbh I found life easier when I didn’t have to have food ready for him 🤣🤣 I was in zero rush to start!

6 months. I did a lot of research on this after seeing the pouches with “4 months plus” on them, and the overwhelming conclusion of the research is to wait until 6 months because their bodies are simply not really to digest etc before that. The pouches can be marketed, it’s a money making thing, but it’s not in the child’s best interests.

I'm surprised they say 4 months on the food then if it's really not advisable for them to have it yet and there's a whole facebook page dedicated to weaning at 4 months.
I was expecting a mixed bag of experiences to be honest but it seems waiting is best.

There’s no law to say they can’t market it as that, so for extra ££ they will and do.

For what it’s worth there’s a lot of Facebook pages for lots of things, it doesn’t make them all legit ideas. Ignore social media, speak to your health visitor and read the relevant guidance and medical info, you’ll see clearly all of the reasons waiting is best. That’s what I did and very glad I waited.

I weaned my children at four and a half months many years ago on the advice of the health visitors. It was the accepted advice at the time and one baby in particular was constantly hungry and I was having to breastfeed every two hours. Weaning solved this problem.
They are all fine and their stomachs appeared to be fully developed.

Six months is the optimal time for the vast majority of babies. There are instances in which earlier weaning is recommended but you would know if they applied to you as they usually relate to a family history of severe allergy.

I agree with this wholeheartedly 😅🤣

Totally. That phase when they're eating multiple meals but not yet dropping milk so you do nothing but feed them and clean up from feeding them. Urgh.

I have never felt so heard, this is absolutely my life right now with a 9 month old milk AND food monster😂

Wait until 6 months. I don't really get why so many parents seem to want to do it earlier (unless medically advised), because it's such a faff! Making the effort of preparing food only to have most of it end up on the floor or on them. The endless mess. I'd have happily waited longer tbh!

Oh my, I completely agree. DD2 (9months) has just dropped a milk feed and it's opened up time in our day to do something that isn't nap, milk, prepping food, eating food or cleaning up! 😅

6 months, no need to rush unless it's medical. Just giving yourself more to do and potential digestion issues for baby.

Urgh sympathies.

I remember struggling to fit a walk into the day. I got all my steps walking between the kitchen worktops and the table.

(It does pass, honestly! Youngest is 4 now and refuses to eat anything I give her.)

EBF until 8 months... both. weaned with mashed up steamed fresh veg with breast milk mixed in.
Still BF until 2 years old.
Those kids are now 32 and 40 and did the same with my Grandkids.

Having read your title, I want to reply with "I was 28".
But that's silly.

Yuckyyuckyuckity is right. Wait for 6 months.
I don't really get why so many parents seem to want to do it earlier
My SiL started feeding my nephew baby rice at 10 weeks because she wanted him to "sleep through".
He did indeed sleep through but also developed awful eczema and asthma which he still has as an adult.
It may not have been related but it seems silly to ignore guidelines. There's usually a reason for them.

We started at 5 months on advice of the gp and health visitor but this is because I have a tiny 1st centile baby who doesn’t drink much milk.

Although he would reach for food at 5 months he wasn’t really ready for it. Hes almost 9 months now and only in the last few weeks has he really started to feed himself and enjoy different foods and textures.

It’s my understanding the food is labelled 4+ for those minority of babies that are being weaned early for some reason.

Hahah yesss! This bit of maternity leave feels like I’m just constantly cleaning the high chair and the floor around the high chair and washing food covered vests 🤣🤣 oh and then the stress when they just won’t eat that day

Both dc weaned from around or just after 4 months.