To be funding it hard to bite my tongue re weaning

[HugeFloweryPants]

I accepted a long time ago that a friend and I parent differently and am quite happy with that, horses for courses. I breastfeed and go with the flow and she's a routine queen with 4 hour bottles etc. BUT I'm finding it hard to bite my tongue now we're on our second babies regarding weaning, she's well informed/ educated but has a big baby that 'needs' early weaning...but it's taken to extremes...
7/8 weeks baby rice
8 weeks rusks at bed time (trying to keep 4 hrs between bottles)
now 10 weeks
morning: eg porridge powder stuff
dinner: eg powdered meal by heinz (not seen but described)
tea: rusk

...and today exclaiming he's dropped a few centiles

I know I lentil weave a tad...but give me perspecrive, surely this is outside the norm and not a good idea? Mine would have been unfeedable then due to tongue thrusting.Or am I just not used to this as I've never bought ready made baby food?

[hufflepup]

mmmmmm, seals.......

Judge away- clearly bonkers but I wouldn't say anything.

[PurplePidjin]

It's none of your business.

And very very sad for the poor baby

[AThingInYourLife]

That's all very well, but you can create a severe seal allergy if you introduce it into a virgin gut.

[Moominlandmidwinter]

Yanbu. This makes me feel judgy too, but I never say anything to the person in question. Somebody I know recently posted on FB how their 'lil soldier' was now a big boy, because he was having rusks at 10 weeks. Somebody else a few months ago kept posting about giving their baby solids from 7 weeks, a couple of months later was posting about their baby's hospital appointment for severe eczema .

[TheRealFellatio]

I started weaning all of my children at around that age, I was weaned at around that age, and probably you and most people over the age of 20 on this forum were too. It may not be what HCPs recommend now but honestly it is highly unlikely to so the baby any actual harm, so stop worrying about it and concentrate on your own children and let her worry about hers.

[TheRealFellatio]

do, not so.

[Mama1980]

I'm afraid its none of your business. But- it would make me worry too, I weaned my very prem ds1 early due to a combination of factors (he had to have his bowel rebuilt etc.) but it was done on the advice if my dr and carefully monitored for reactions or any dropping off the centiles. And I have spoken with a early weaning friend who was horrified she wasn't following current advice and changed her mind but if your friend is well informed but has chosen I think you need t bite your tongue I'm afraid.

[TheRealFellatio]

And personally I feel that leaving it until 6 months is too late. I don't actually care what the guidelines say.

[noblegiraffe]

Can you not just say something like 'I've heard if they lose weight, giving more milk helps'? Not mentioning the bonkers early weaning at all. Or would any advice be stamped on?

[HolidayArmadillo]

YANBU at all. She is obviously stupid. Inflammatory? Yes. But also true.

[TheRealFellatio]

very very sad for the poor baby


Seriously, all of you who have babies now, presuming you are over 20 go and ask your mothers what age they starting giving you solid food. And then ask yourself if you think you should be the object of pity and concern over that, or whether you feel just fine and dandy and are suffering no obvious side effects.

Choose not to do it with your own babies by all means, but don't over-react as though it's some form of abuse or neglect.

[Feminine]

Unless under instruction from a medical pro, I don't think she should be doing it.

I don't care what Mother's did before, research has to stand for something.

Actually, in the US weaning is not even suggested under 6 months!

My eldest is 14, at that time it was the norm to introduce solids at 4 months, I did. By the time I had my DD (10 yrs later) things had moved on. I took notice of latest info/help.

BTW, all of the first year is supposed to be an introduction to food...getting used to textures and learning how to eat.

Milk is supposed to be the main food for a long time after 4 months.

So...YANBU. not at all. :)

[TheRealFellatio]

Absolutely tiggytape. I can't help thinking there is a link with the recent fad for late weaning and the avoidance of certain foods in the first two years with the prevalence of food allergies and intolerances.

[Fluffycloudland77]

I've got food allergies to cmp and I was on rusks at 2 weeks old because I woke at night.

[LadyBeagleEyes]

I can't remember what age I waned ds now 17.
So that's how important it is in the scheme of things to me.

[LadyBeagleEyes]

weaned

[ICBINEG]

If baby is happy then YWBU to say anything. Given the baby is dropping centiles YWBU not to say anything.

[wishingchair]

I have a 10 yo and a 6 yo. With the 10 yo the advice was to wean at 16 weeks so lots of us (on the advice of health visitors) were giving little bits of baby rice a couple of weeks earlier than that. By the time I had DD2 it had changed to 6 months. I made my own decision based on my knowledge of my baby and started solids prob around 17 weeks.

Things change. Neither child has any kind of allergy/skin/respiratory complaint whatsoever.

[AThingInYourLife]

I'm 37. I was weaned at about 4 months.

I have no food allergies or intolerances.

I don't understand how you could get a 10 week old baby to eat solid food.

[wishingchair]

(PS - I did make my own food though with the obv exception of baby rice ... e.g. puree pear etc ... and they were def not on 3 meals a day for quite a while)

[sweetiepie1979]

It's definitely not your place to say s

[hackmum]

YANBU. I hate it when people say "it's none of your business". When does it become someone else's business? When they're slapping their child? Letting it starve? Locking it up in the cellar? Or is it always "your child, your rules"?

There's a reason for not weaning babies early - it's not some arbitrary whimsical thing dreamt up by health professionals to annoy parents. It's to avoid creating stomach and bowel problems later on. But if you do say something, you will seriously piss her off, and she probably won't change anyway.

[YouTheCat]

There's a vast chasm of difference between locking a child in a cellar and weaning early though.