Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

To be annoyed at weaning fanatics

81 replies

StrawberryShortcake32 · 06/02/2017 10:04

Am I just being overly sentiitive/protective here?

Since DS hit the 3 month mark, everyone and their dog seems adamant that I should be introducing solids.

I am waiting for the 6 month mark because I want to do baby led weaning, DS seems totally happy with milk and the NHS recommends it. It just makes sense to me.

DS is a big boy and was 9lb 2oz at birth. He's a chunk! Sometimes he sleeps through in 6 hour blocks but recently the 4 month growth spirt has kicked in and he's waking every 3 hours for feeds. Fine with me, he's going through the growth spirt. He needs the extra milk.

My DM, Sis, MIL and a handful of friends seem to be obsessed with when I'm gonna feed him solids. One friend and MIL in particular don't seem to want to let it drop.
'Is he sleeping through yet? 'You need to give him baby rice/purees'

Appreciate people are excited but I'm sick of the constant insistence that I should be weaning him. Growth spirt = extra milk feeds. Not selfishly feeding him things his tummy can't handle yet just so I can get some extra sleep.If anything it'll probably do the opposite as he's had tummy troubles lately.

Untill now I've been polite about it.
'No he's not ready yet, he's shown no signs of wanting more than milk'

I'm on the verge of changing this to
'Will you please drop it! He's my son and I'll wean him when I decide it's time!'

AIBU to be so pissed off about this?
When did you guys wean? Did you wait for the 6 month mark or wean earlier? Did it work for you?

Thank you for reading my essay
X

OP posts:

Gardencentregroupie · 06/02/2017 10:09

A week or 2 before 6 months I was eating toast on the sofa with DD sitting next to me, and fast as lightning she leaned over, shoved it in her mouth and started gumming it to death looking like she'd won the lottery. At that point I thought she was probably ready. She certainly thought so. I wouldn't have started shoving purées into her before then, there's no need and it just makes extra mess and work.

PickAChew · 06/02/2017 10:14

A stern look and "weaning at 3 months hasn't been recommended since the 20th century" should be enough.

Purees are a nonsensical idea for a"hungry" tiny baby, anyhow. Milk is far more nutritious and filling than mushed up apple.

Fitzsimmons · 06/02/2017 10:14

Ignore, ignore, ignore would be my advice. I don't know why so many people are hung up on how or what other people feed their babies, seems to be a national pastime. Sounds to me like you know what you are doing. I did purees from 19 weeks with my first on the advice of a paediatrician due to severe reflux but my second was weaned at 5.5 months with baby led weaning when she met all the criteria and was clearly ready, she is a great little eater now and eats anything put in front of her.

isupposeitsverynice · 06/02/2017 10:19

I tried ds with baby rice at four and a bit months because people kept saying it'd help him sleep. It didn't, it gave him belly ache and kept him up. Dd was five and a half months when she robbed me for an ice lolly, and that was fine - after that she started having a bit of bread to gum or whatever at dinner time and didn't seem to have any trouble. Yanbu - you're right to wait. it's annoying to have to fend off questions about it.

BendingSpoons · 06/02/2017 10:28

Argh YADNBU! I got fed up with the comments that milk wasn't filling enough and wasn't satisfying babies anymore. As Pick said, milk is far more calorific than purees etc! We started about 5.5 months as we were excited to. In hindsight DD wasn't quite ready and it took a few weeks before she swallowed stuff.

Artandco · 06/02/2017 10:28

Just say ' I will be following the current guildlines, which for the last 15-20 years has been 6 months for various reasons'

Trifleorbust · 06/02/2017 10:29

He will show an interest in food when he's ready. YANBU.

kel1234 · 06/02/2017 10:32

We waited until ds was 6 months. He showed no signs of wanting anything until then anyway. He was a small baby, 6lb 7oz. It worked for us.
My mum kept saying "you and your siblings were eating proper food by now", I replied with "yes I know, and he will when the time is right and I feel he's ready".
Now at 17 months he eats better than I do

NavyandWhite · 06/02/2017 10:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EurusHolmesViolin · 06/02/2017 10:39

No, waited until 6 months. I'm aware that some children are ready slightly earlier but mine were not. And as others have pointed out, giving purees and baby rice (which is what you'd be having to do with a 4 month old) isn't going to help with your particular set of circumstances. You don't mention how you're feeding but both breastmilk and formula are more calorific than fruit and veg purees. You'd just end up filling their bellies but without enough calories.

EatTheChocolateTeapot · 06/02/2017 10:44

YANBU and YA completely right. DS started to show interest for solids at 7 months, DD was trying to grab my Snickers bar at 4 months but she wasn't ready to do more than a have a little curious lick before past 6 months.

ineedwine99 · 06/02/2017 10:46

Hi OP, we started on puree at just over 5 months, thought I'd try prune as she was constipated (Gaviscon) and she loved it so much we bought more pouches/baby rice. She did watch us eat though and seemed bored with milk so if your baby is happy with milk i'd carry on. You'll know when he's ready

emmyhNL · 06/02/2017 10:47

Wait until your child is ready :-) I had the same and politely but firmly told them to go forth and multiply.

WHO says 6 months and milk is fine.

I repeat the chant: food before 1 is just for fun

MiaowTheCat · 06/02/2017 10:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ineedwine99 · 06/02/2017 10:49

I mix puree with baby rice for her meal so i know she's getting enough calories (husband worked out what she needs)

Pinkheart5915 · 06/02/2017 10:49

I hate this! I had the same with my babies once they hit 3 months, many people started with oh I think he wants food, some rusk won't hurt, well I weaned my early and it did them no harm. Ahhhh they are my children and me and dh will decide when to start weaning

With ds (17 months now) we started weaning at just over 6 months he hadn't showed any interest in food prior to this and was gaining weight/sleeping well with just breast milk. He took to weaning really well, we didn't do puree/blended food we mashed our food a bit and he ate the same of us. Now at 17 months he is a pretty good eater

My baby dd ( 6 months) we started weaning yesterday as she was gaining weight and sleeping ok with just breast milk so we felt no need to wean before six months

SparkleTwinkleGoldGlitter · 06/02/2017 10:53

I hear you OP, if one more person tells me that my dd wants some rusk or food I will scream

Dd will be 6 months in a few weeks and we won't be weaning here until then. She is growing perfectly well and sleeping good on her milk so I see no need to wean her early.

HollyMay84 · 06/02/2017 10:54

When I had my first (01) guidelines were 4mths. He was actually weaned at 3 months. Didn't do any damage, he let me know he was ready. 2nd dc (03) guidelines were still 4mths. He wasn't ready till about 5 months and 3rd dc (07) guidelines had changed to 6mths he wasn't interested until he was just over 8 months. All baby's are different. Baby will let you know when he's ready ignore everyone else, just trust your instincts

TiredAndRavenous · 06/02/2017 10:54

You will know when he's ready, 3
Months is far to early as I imagine he can barely sit up! Poor lil man.

Dw about what people say, I don't get why people obsess over feeding babies.

Aworldofmyown · 06/02/2017 10:58

Just get slightly more blunt, thats what I did.

"you need to start giving purees" - "No" (head shake for emphasis)

"my kids were weaned by 6 weeks" - "Thats nice"

"That baby is hungry" - "No"

No debates or reasons, just end of conversation!!!

User24689 · 06/02/2017 10:58

I had this with my DD. In fact she didn't start solids until 7 months because she had no interest, just spat everything out when I tried at 6. Ignore! It drove me batshit too. I felt like I could not mention anything about her sleep to anyone because they then felt vindicated in their insistence she should be on solids.

He will sleep through when he's ready, you're absolutely right. I found solids made little difference until she was older. I found i really had to get onto the stodgy stuff before it had any effect!

AllMyBestFriendsAreMetalheads · 06/02/2017 11:02

Big baby - give them food
Small baby - give them food
Baby drinks lots of milk - give them food
Baby doesn't drink much milk - give them food
Baby isn't sleeping - give them food

I was going to add on one about when the baby does sleep well, but I'm not sure such babies actually exist.

It seems to be the answer to everything at that age.

Smile, nod, ignore.

Artandco · 06/02/2017 11:02

Holly - The guidelines were 4-6 months from 1994-2001. They have been 6+ months since 2001. It hasn't been before 4 months since before 1994 earliest.

Laralouie · 06/02/2017 11:08

Oh it's so annoying. I weaned both mine at 6 months. Maybe a week before.

Both were big babies, both were growing and satisfied with milk, neither slept any better after introducing solids.

I guess it's hard for people to adjust to current guidance, if it's different to the way they did it.

If weaning guidelines were changed to 10 months then our generation would probably find it strange.

Lots of the older generation were spooning in purées and putting rusks in a bottle at 6 weeks old.

MusicToMyEars800 · 06/02/2017 11:10

I started giving my dd baby rice mixed up with my milk a couple of times in between feeds simply because she was a hungry baby from birth and seemed to be attached to my boobs most of the time lol I did this from about 4months old and she had more solid foods from 6months onwards, as she started trying to grab my toast in the mornings so I just made her some she loved it.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Swipe left for the next trending thread