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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think baby weaning seems odd.

99 replies

ghostspirit · 15/08/2015 15:50

baby weaning used to start at 3 months. would start of with very basic baby rice. then would start adding new flavours tectures etc could take time doing it all was good...now from what HV says its start at 6 months and they say to intruduce lumps/flavours rather fast its like theres a rush i would have thought it a bit odd to rush them.

OP posts:
LibrariesGaveUsPower · 15/08/2015 15:53

So do it at the pace you feel comfortable Smile

It isn't odd really. Six month olds are far more developed and get the hang of it faster.

spanisharmada · 15/08/2015 15:54

Advice on these things are always changing, I think the best thing is to go with the flow and do what seems right for you and the baby.

Welshmaenad · 15/08/2015 15:54

I think it's s bit odd to feed human beings something that looks and tastes like wallpaper paste, but each to their own.

Original poster
ghostspirit · 15/08/2015 15:54

i will do power i just think its odd thats all :)

OP posts:
EnjoyTheSimpleThingsInLife · 15/08/2015 15:55

I started weaning both of mine at 4 months. They were more than ready. I agree with you, it should start slowly not everything all at once.

Original poster
ghostspirit · 15/08/2015 15:57

welsh how do you know what wallpaper paste taste like Grin

agreed spanish

OP posts:
coconutpie · 15/08/2015 15:57

YABU. Research has shown that introducing solids before 6mo is completely unnecessary. Waiting til 6mo means the baby gets all their nourishment from milk and their gut has developed enough to handle solid food.

Also waiting til 6mo (approx, for some babies it can be 7mo before they are ready) means you can skip the puréed mush and go straight to finger foods. I did BLW with my baby and just offered finger foods as a compliment to breastmilk rather than substituting. It's worked out great. I sure as heck wouldn't like to eat that baby rice crap (which has zero nutritional value so is completely unnecessary) or any meat puréed (yuck) so why should baby if they are ready for finger foods.

53rdAndBird · 15/08/2015 15:57

But wouldn't starting at 3 months rather than 6 be rushing them? Confused

Feline9 · 15/08/2015 15:57

I don't like baby led weaning, I think it's gross to see kids throwing food and rubbing it on their faces.

Do what's right for you :)

TheHouseOnTheLane · 15/08/2015 15:58

We know that commercial baby rice is a pile of crap now OP...and that babies can totally handle bland flavours like sweet potato and pear...so why not? It's not like we're giving them chunky onion curry or anything.

TheHouseOnTheLane · 15/08/2015 15:59

Feline so what do you do? Not let your kids hold a piece of toast till' they're 4 or so? Most under 5's are messy eaters! Do you spoon feed till they're neat? If so, how do they learn to be neat?

coconutpie · 15/08/2015 16:02

Feline - if you keep spoon feeding them, how will they ever learn how to feed themselves properly! Babies eating is gonna be messy. Just take out a pack of wipes and clean up after, job done.

Original poster
ghostspirit · 15/08/2015 16:02

53 i dont thinks if it was me i would be taking my time doing it very slowly even if baby was only having a couple spoon fulls a day. and then when hes happy with that add a new flavour/texture just doing it over a longer period of time rather than shorter..thats how i see it anyway

OP posts:
Mehitabel6 · 15/08/2015 16:02

It is only a short period so just do what you are comfortable with- it isn't important.

DirtyMugPolice · 15/08/2015 16:03

What coconutpie said. Babies will try to eat when they are ready - BLW means less chance of alergies and it's so refreshing being able to let them get on with it so you can eat your own dinner with both hands again!

scallopsrgreat · 15/08/2015 16:04

BLW is great fun! Plus you can eat with your children. You aren't trying to feed them whilst eating your own dinner. And they can very quickly start eating what you are eating.

Useful to have a dog though .

CloserToFiftyThanTwenty · 15/08/2015 16:04

I just don't get the angst and hand wringing about weaning... Do what is right for you, your baby and your family. Jars are not poison any more than formula is poison. Baby rice isn't for everyone (though it's a useful thickener for frozen, re-heated meals that have gone a bit runny). Some babies will be ready at 4 months, some ready at 8 months, some even later. Some will go straight to finger foods, some will eat purees off a spoon, some will do a mixture. Etc etc etc...

scallopsrgreat · 15/08/2015 16:04

Hah x-post with DirtyMugPolice!

Original poster
ghostspirit · 15/08/2015 16:07

sorry i should not have just said baby rice...anything really thats soft/smooth when they are little...i just dont think the lumps should be rushed..unless baby is happy.

thinking about it i dont think there is a wrong or right. i think its ok if baby is weaned before 6 month if baby seems ready and 6 months is ok to...its just the rush once they hit 6 months that i dont like...but then i guess it depends on the baby as well

OP posts:
ElderlyKoreanLady · 15/08/2015 16:09

YABU. I don't personally understand why so many people wean their children on flavourless, textureless slop that an adult wouldn't eat. I hear so many people claiming it's so that the baby learns to swallow solids. But the fact is that if a baby needs practice swallowing even the softest solids, they're not ready to be weaned.

Original poster
ghostspirit · 15/08/2015 16:10

never thought about it that was closer

OP posts:
Original poster
ghostspirit · 15/08/2015 16:10

meant way*

OP posts:
howabout · 15/08/2015 16:11

BLW is so much easier. By the time they are 6 months they are practically pinching your dinner off your plate - or in my case sucking at pieces of fruit while sitting on my knee. No need to make separate meals and faff about with fitting in milk / sleep / solids routine. Just sit them with you at your mealtimes and see what you are having that fits with where they are.

Also no need to rush as up to a year most actual nutrition is still coming from milk.

ThisIsClemFandango · 15/08/2015 16:11

I personally don't see the point in puréeing everything. For me it made a lot more sense to wait until DS was around 6 months and could pick up his own food and feed himself. Weaning is such a faff whichever way you do it so I didn't want to start early. He had pretty much everything we eat from the beginning and never had an upset tummy so no need to take it slowly imo

It's your baby though so do what you like. You're not breaking the law by weaning early!
But bear in mind NHS recommends that you definitely don't start before 17 weeks, it can do more harm than good starting that early.

RedToothBrush · 15/08/2015 16:12

Feline9 Sat 15-Aug-15 15:57:52
I don't like baby led weaning, I think it's gross to see kids throwing food and rubbing it on their faces.

Bully for you. I didn't exactly get a lot of choice about whether to BLW or not. DS decided for us.

Perhaps you can have a word with my son, who point blank refused spoon feeding and would only eat finger food from the word go. Of course he wasn't very good at it which meant he wasn't eating much solids.

He has eventually got spoons, but now is refusing to let me feed him and is trying to do it himself which would be fine except at 11 and a half months doesn't have the control to do it well enough to feed himself properly yet.

Its an ongoing battle. Any tips on how to force feed a baby would be much appreciated.

Please do have a Biscuit from me and my son. He's pretty good at eating those. Typical huh?