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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what age you weaned your children?

172 replies

buncakes · 15/09/2017 23:13

I have a DS, 19 weeks and am a FTM. I am conflicted about when to wean. NHS says 6 months. But my family and friends think I'm mad for waiting and they think he needs food now. He is FF and does cry for milk a lot more than he used to and I find it hard to fill him. I am not sure if weaning would help this - everything I've read online says no but everyone I know says yes.

Would be interested to hear experiences and opinions. I just want to do what's best for my baby.

OP posts:
lelapaletute · 15/09/2017 23:16

The NHS website is evidence-based, frequently updated and authoritative. What your unqualified relatives think is neither here nor there.

DonkeyOaty · 15/09/2017 23:16

Up to you of course. Have you considered upping his milk? Crying is a very late feeding cue. Sorry if a stupid question!

DisneyMillie · 15/09/2017 23:18

Current dd at 6 months (she wasn't ready before either so guidelines worked well for her). Older dd just before 5 months very slowly and on advice of hv - she was definitely ready (and she's been fine from it)

MrsApplepants · 15/09/2017 23:19

I weaned at 6 months. She did get hungrier from 4 months, I just fed her more and more milk at every opportunity during the day, seemed to be ok

geekone · 15/09/2017 23:20

It's up to you if you think he needs food feed him. If not then stick to milk. I weaned when my DS had 36oz of milk before 10am. You know when it is right.

InDubiousBattle · 15/09/2017 23:21

Both at 6 months. They survived the 3 months some of my family felt they were being starved!

Haudyerwheesht · 15/09/2017 23:21

Ds was almost exactly 6 months. Did purees etc.

Dd was 5.5 months. Did what's now called BLW but was basically just giving her stuff to feed herself because she hated the spoon.

Don't really have any advice but I waited until they were showing all the signs of being keen and ready

dementedpixie · 15/09/2017 23:21

Dd was at 17 weeks as that was what was advised. I found it stressful and she really wasn't ready. Ds was at 23 weeks and went much smoother. I would hold out as long as possible

geekone · 15/09/2017 23:22

FYI I weaned at 19 weeks and was later than a lot of my peers.

Spuddington · 15/09/2017 23:22

Up milk intake.

Birdsgottafly · 15/09/2017 23:23

They don't eat enough to fill them. They have growth spurts around this age and that is why they need more milk.

There is a lot going on in brain development and limb coordination etc, so it makes sense that their appetite increases.

They got the nutrition that they need from milk, so if the milk is cut down because they are eating, then that isn't great.

Starting BLW is just to get them used to different textures, so thinking that it's filling them in any way, doesn't make sense.

People suffer from confirmation bias and want others to carry on proving their results.

I weaned my first at just over four months, because it was the fashion to. My others were six months (last one born in 1997). My GC have been weaned at six months. My DDs friends have been a bit sooner and some later.

If you can wait as close as possible to six months, that would be best. They grow so fast anyway. In a few months you'll be wondering were your baby went.

Vinorosso74 · 15/09/2017 23:24

6 months, we did BLW so not much got eaten the first few weeks mind!
The guidelines state 6 months for a reason, the very minimum is 17 weeks but there is no reason to rush into weaning before 6 months.
Up the milk feeds, babies only have small tummies so they need filling regularly.

NotAQueef · 15/09/2017 23:29

Dc1 24 weeks - spoon feed puréed was eating 3 meals a day and dropped milk feeds by 7 months
Dc2 around 27 weeks, blw didn't eat much to start with but lots of fun and mess. Much better eater for her age than dc1
I was jibed about waiting but there are more calories in a bottle of formula or a bf than a bit of wallpaper pasted baby rice/vegetable purée.
I would wait until baby can sit up unaided where possible, & has lost tongue thrust

chancerprancer · 15/09/2017 23:30

Started 5-5.5 months all 3 times

Goldfishshoals · 15/09/2017 23:32

I waited until they were showing all the signs of being keen and ready

Sorry, clueless first time mum reading this thread with interest, but what kind of signs do you mean?

BuffaloCustardbath · 15/09/2017 23:33

6 months.

Blizy · 15/09/2017 23:33

My ds was 20 weeks. He was showing signs of readiness and was recommended to wean earlier by paeds consultant due to severe reflux.

bookwormsforever · 15/09/2017 23:35

6 months and 5.5 months here.

Signs of being ready - watching you eat, reaching out for spoon to feed the,selves, snatching food off your plate, being able to chew food...

chancerprancer · 15/09/2017 23:35

@goldfishshoals I looked for
Showing interest in food/trying to grab it
Seeming hungrier e.g. waking in the night when previously hadn't been, or feeling needed to up amount in bottles but already being at the highest amount.

corythatwas · 15/09/2017 23:35

Started with tiny tasters at 4 months, moving on slowly to more regular feeds at 6 months. Between 4-6 months is official advice in Sweden where I'm from.

Original poster
buncakes · 15/09/2017 23:36

Sorry I should have mentioned, I FF on demand and offer milk regularly throughout the day and when he wakes at night. I make 8oz bottles and he drinks probably around 7oz of that every 2 hours or so in the day and 3-4 hours at night. Some days more some days less depending on how much he wants. I'm definitely not holding back milk although I admit it's hard to read hunger cues now he often has his hands in his mouth anyway.

OP posts:
skankingpiglet · 15/09/2017 23:38

Both DCs were 5.5mo.
DD1 I was determined to wait until 6m but she reached over, swiped food off my plate and stuck it in her gob quicker than I could stop her. I thought there wasn't much point waiting another 2 weeks after that.
DD2 was a similar story. We were in a restaurant with her sat on DH's lap. She was screaming and reaching at his plate so he gave her a piece of broccoli to lick/play with. It was gone in seconds. As above, we just cracked on after that.

Both DCs were BLW so it was all at their pace, which made it nice and straightforward. They were definitely ready.
I'd always try to go with the guidance as it's based on the lastest information, but make small adjustments for your individual child if necessary.

SaucyJack · 15/09/2017 23:39

I tried all 3 of mine at 4 months.

One was born ready, one not interested at all, and the last one somewhere in the middle.

It's just a bit of fun for the first few months. It's not really going to fill them up.

pennysnow · 15/09/2017 23:48

It varies from baby to baby.

pennysnow · 15/09/2017 23:48

It is like asking how long is a piece of string, because all babies are different.

You AND your baby will know if he is ready. My daughter started eating (a few) solids at 3 months old (like liquidized fruit and non liquidized banana, and soup, and soft yogurt - no bits!)

There is this golden rule that the 'professionals' come out with, that is MUST be 6 months, but every mother knows her baby. I mean, you are also meant to breastfeed til they are 12 months old, but many don't, and what's more, it is not necessary.

I fed her only with breast milk til she was 3 months old, and then once or twice a day til she was 5 months old. I had to return to work when she was 4-5 months old, so it made more sense to wean her off it earlier.

My daughter was ready for solids at 3 months, so we started giving them to her; and even though the health visitor tutted at me, the doctor said I was doing nothing wrong.

So as I said in a post earlier today - on another thread - the professionals don't ALWAYS get it right, and they don't ALWAYS know everything. (Despite the 'oh you know better than the professionals do you?!' kind of comment people come out with now and again!)

If you feel baby is ready @buncakes then start introducing him to some soft solids. You can still give him milk too. Just give him a bit of solid once a day for a week or 2, and then twice a day for a week or 2, then start to alternate his meals; milk, solid, milk, solid. Etc...