for thinking that: "because it always been done like that"

[3LoveHeartsAndNoMore]

just doesn't cut it as an argument?
It's funny we live in a society where new things are lapped up...but when it comes to parenting the whole ole...but our parents did or it;s always been done like that...suddenly becomes a valid argument...just because it fits the bill...I mean...wtf...lets just ignore all the new research then right...saying that though, we might aswell scrab it all, because it wold safe money...just lets plod on wihtout knowing any better then, yeah....thumping my head agaisnt a brick wall for sure, sigh....

[snest]

Anyone having similar issues ?. My now (just) 11 month old daughter will only feed on formula (never had breast)and more or less NO solids. She will open her mouth for a few blackberries when we are out walking and now and then chew/suck (2 teeth only)on a bread stick. Nothing with a spoon, that just gets her upset, nothing in a high chair, finger food just gets scattered on the floor, no fruit juice or water.
She's constipated-no surprise given her diet, and on regular lactulase. She has 24ml follow-on formula per day, more or less sleeps through (til 6am).
Any thoughts anyone ??

[LowFatMilkshake]

Was just making an observation from an early post (09.59 13/02) and proving her point that infomration changes all the time and each age group from them seems to have got on without any adverse health effects (so far).

I actually belive that it should be the parents decision when to wean - taking into account advice available.

I did read somewhere that babies should'nt be weaned until they reach 6 months...or double thier birth weight, and have decided I am going to follow that advice personally.

My daughter was actually weaned at 3 months a she wass a very hungry baby and filling her up with formula was not working, so on advice from 3 individual medical proffesionals we started the baby rice.

MY DS is 10 weeks so I dont know what we'll be doing with him at the moment. Before a recent stint in hospital he was also a very hungry baby, but now he is almost back to where he was at about 5 weeks old.

FWIW I did read all posts

[3andnomore]

please...........read previous messages just why that argument may not stand!...to tired to say anymore than that, lol!

[LowFatMilkshake]

agree with Kitty!

When friend had baby (just turned 5) weaning was acceptable at 3 month, when I had DD in 2003 weaning was four months...Now it's anything from 16-26 weeks, depending on what HV I talk to! And whatever we've done..."it never did them any harm"

[3andnomore]

lol...sometimes called my lil ones, before they had teeth "the mighty gums", as yeah, they surely don't need teeth to bite you painfully, lol!

[welliemum]

It is truly amazing how painfully they can bite without any teeth at all

Not sure that it would relate to food readiness much.

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

LOL, yes, DS's teeth didnt start coming through until 7 months.

[3LoveHeartsAndNoMore]

must have confused something then...htoguht you said you had... don't take much to confuse me, lol!

[robbosmum]

havent weaned my baby early...becos i dont think she is ready, just observing the posts, and as i said earlier ,all 3, guidelines, research and knowing your baby is the best way to go.....
signing off for the night now lo needs me

[3LoveHeartsAndNoMore]

robbo...but the reasons you mentioned that you baby was ready for solids aren't really reasons, are they...they grap and try to chew everything, it's develoopement, they try that with a plastic duck or their favoutire toy, don't mean they should it that?
Teeth...you do realise that the teeth that really will help them eating/proper chewing don't come in until quite late...and many Babys of course do not get teeth until latish (both my younger ones were 9-10 month old, and there are BAbys, like me that are born with Teeth....surely, clearly not a sign for readyness of solids.
The important thing for readyness for solids is the gut....read Edams post about this ( I think it was Edams)....
The speech devellopement worries have been disputed...and there is even a bit in the new DoH weaning guidelines that mentions this...
Tbh, I think that often mothers wean early for their own sakes, in the hope to get a Baby to sleep through, or sleep longer , to me that is not a good reason whatsoever...btw, I am not saying anyone in particular here is doing this, just my general observation.

[robbosmum]

actually no- one as far as i have read has said thats its wrong to wait 6 months, they have just said that we should look at our babys' own development...

[welliemum]

Can anyone see the irony here?

That the pro-6 monthers are being accused of being slaves to guidelines, by people who are slaves to fashion.

Because weaning at 4-6 months is fashion, chaps. There's no evidence that babies need solids before 6 months, and the WHO looked very hard.

When it comes to deciding when is best to wean, you have to believe someone. Unless you're a world class nutritionist with your own research project following thousands of babies, you have to, when the chips are down, trust someone else's advice.

I trust the advice of an impartial organisation dedicated to improving child health, advice which was formulated using the best available peer-reviewed evidence. I read not just the WHO document, but many of the studies on which the advice was based. Then I made up my mind.

You may prefer the advice of your mother and that's your business, but don't accuse me of being a slave to any guideline!

I question everything. And I mean everything. It amazes me that I haven't been murdered by an enraged axe-wielding midwife by now.

[robbosmum]

Thats my feelings too harpsicord.. for most studies completed you can find an opposite conclusion, however all mners can agree that no mattter on our feelings on topics , we all love our children dearly and want the absolute best for them. (no matter the cost to our sanity) Hence things get a ickle bit heated from time to time

[MrsBadger]

robbosmum, where did you hear this?

If I can see the research for myself I can make a judgement on its validity compared with the (very good) study I just linked to, but I cannot go on hearsay, My Mum Says, The HV Says, This Book I Read Once Says, Everyone Says etc

Sucking is far harder work for a baby's jaw than slurping baby rice anyway.

[harpsichordcarrier]

yes, and there is research that leaving it later than six months delay it? in bf babies?
I am

[robbosmum]

..thats research for you..apparently taking on solids develops the jaw muscles that prepare for speech

[MrsBadger]

impeding speech development? what?

The only recent study I've read that links them (here ) claimed the actual opposite - that weaning too early can impede oral motor development because babies don't do enough sucking.

[harpsichordcarrier]

"experts (bah) have said that leave it any later and you risk impeding speech development..."
what "experts"? I haven't heard anything like this before.
sounds like utter bolleaux to me

[robbosmum]

thanks,, i know it was just the slavish adherence to the not before 6 mths,, however.. experts (bah) have said that leave it any later and you risk impeding speech development...so who shall we follow ---answer , gut or gob,

[robbosmum]

In my baby: ( tongue in cheek)
teeth,or teething, interest in food eg attempting to grab,and not being full after feeds...... no matter the age
or were you trying to be inflammatory, surely not on the supportive forum of mumsnet?

[3LoveHeartsAndNoMore]

so robbo and Fox...what do you then see as a sign of readyness to wean...I mena, afterall, Babys are all so indicdual, but obviously people do claim there are certain "obvious" signs for them to be ready right....

[evenhope]

I was brought up by the Truby King method- put outdoors every day no matter what the weather, fed 4 hourly and no sooner, and left to cry for hours. (Then my mother says to me "do you need counselling then?) It's a very cruel method both for the baby and the mother.

[foxabout2pop]

Robbosmum - totally agree with you. Lets not all be slaves to the latest "guidelines" - trouble is that we keep being advised that various bits of advice/research are "conclusive" and then they still shift a couple of years later.

There is no such thing as "conclusive" as long as research continues, which it always will hopefully. In the meantime we listen to the advice, and then have to make a judgement based on common sense, our child's individual needs and our own experience with our previous children.

[robbosmum]

hmmm, im sure i should be offended, but too new for all the colloquialisms yet