Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To start weaning my baby at 4 months old???

107 replies

bubbsy · 02/09/2007 17:52

I started weaning my baby and he will eat a rusk with his milk for breakfast, but wont eat lunch or dinner, but will eat pudding. Can someone tell me why he maybe doing this or if i have maybe started to early.

OP posts:
kentgirl73 · 03/09/2007 20:06

Hi - I breastfed my daughter for 14 mths, started weaning her at 17 weeks, she was never a huge eater but always gave her veg first and always took it really slowly. At nearly 6 she eats well, loves all her veg and fruit and knows what is good for her.

I only breastfed my son until 8 weeks, but when he was going through a growth spurt at 4 mths I upped his milk amount etc (did mean I got up a bit more in the night) - I then weaned him at 21 weeks, when I knew he was ready and pretty much over 3 weeks he was weaned onto everything, all home made cooking and now he eats like a horse and their isnt much he doesnt like!

I would say rather than weaning early, the later you go for it the quicker it will take to get them properly weaned, I found my son was alot more interested in food and got more excited - wherever possible (it is time consuming) make your own food - its such a wonderful thing to see them devouring your food = can also be frustrating when you have slaved away and they dont want it - my tip is to persevere with the food, keep trying the same bit for about 3/5 days, then introduce a new bit - Good luck!!! And get a splash mat!!!

micromummy · 03/09/2007 23:28

I left weaning my (bf) ds1 till 6 months and found he was almost completely disinterested in solids till over 7 months- he just spat it out. It was a bit of a struggle to get to 6 months (he had reflux and fed very slowly, so we were feeding all the time). When he didn't want solids I was really worried that he wouldn't get all he needed from milk but he was absolutely fine...late weaning didn't seem to bother him. He eats well now. What I was trying to say was that I shouldn't have fretted about trying to get solids in - ?lots of pressure about from other mums as their infants devour meat and three veg/have you tried this yet etc?
ds2 is 4 months and i will wait till about 6 months as he is quite happy as he is at present and at 6 months he will sit up and grab carrot sticks...but that's just us, and as I said, with ds1 getting to 6 months on a liquid diet was hard work (half of every feed popped back out again), so can totally see why some might be keen to wean earlier. I

ruddynorah · 04/09/2007 12:43

nurseyemma- but the op hadn't read everything. she hadn't heard of blw for a start. not every mum is fully informed or aware of the implications of early weaning or later weaning.

LoveAngel · 04/09/2007 12:46

Do it if you are informed and feel its best. All this 'if you wean a day before 6 months / give cows milk a day before they turn one' malarkey is rubbish IMO.

mamakirst · 26/03/2008 21:00

I have started weaning at 4 months and started very slowly, just a teaspoon of baby rice at 11. My little one enjoys the experience although I must admit hardly any actually makes its way in her tummy.

Lulumama · 26/03/2008 21:03

why? if none is going in . why?

babies need milk, milk and more milk

babies are not missing out by not having food

their tummies are small, they need frequent filling

a spoon of rice is not going to satisfy hunger like a big milk feed

mamakirst · 26/03/2008 21:12

I take the term of weaning as introducing non milk elements. Just tasters, I plan to breast feed for a year, but wanted to inroduce different textures to her in the meantime. and its fun, she sticks her fingers in and we have a few laughs.

lisa34 · 26/03/2008 21:31

my ds in now 7 years old, back then u could wean them at 16 wks - i started introducing baby rice at 13 wks he was such a hungry baby - never did him any harm he is now a strapping lad who eats everything put in front of him - in fact he eats us out of house and home

Lulumama · 26/03/2008 21:38

fair enough... but i don;t get the hurry to introduce to tastes , textures at that age

also later weaning does not mean fussy eaters

there are plenty of articles and info about early weaning on here

fledtoscotland · 26/03/2008 23:38

Bubbsy - i personally think you should trust your instinct when it comes to weaning. I also weaned early with the support of the HV and it suited DS. however 6 weeks on we only have two "meals" a day and he's showing no signs of wanting lunch yet.

as far as sitting up etc goes, DS has always been strong (even paed consultant commented on this) as he was able to roll over from 2days old. he has been sitting up unaided from about 14weeks and was mobile from 22wks. every baby is different

Kitti · 28/03/2008 18:24

I was told 4 months with my first 10 years ago and it seemed to work ok so I followed it with the following 2. Didn't realise guidelines were now 6 months but I do remember them saying before 4 months and baby couldn't cope - yet I had dfriends who started at 2 months because they were sick of baby being hungry all the time!!

fiodyl · 28/03/2008 18:51

my son weaned himself at 3 and a hal months and his first fod was a burger!!!

well it was the bread bun of the top of it hath grabbed of my plate and stuffed in his mouth while sitting on my lap at dinner time.

I decided then that it was probably time to start weaning him. although he was never really that keen on mushy 'baby foods' he always preferred to have something he could hold and feed himself

sparklyfairypie · 28/03/2008 18:54

IMO its too early, not worth the risk of intolerances in the future for the sake of 2 months.

HereWeGoRoundTheMulberryBag · 28/03/2008 19:10

Message withdrawn

hellish · 29/03/2008 02:59

I weaned my dd1 early at 11weeks, (1999) beacause ( and I am fuming just thinking about it), she was not gaining weight as per the charts, she was breastfed, over due, and born at 92nd centile. At 11 weeks she had dropped to the 50th - where she has been ever since.

After several tearful weigh-in sessions at the clinic, the HV told me I must either give ff or baby rice.

Looking back now, I know she was fine, and if she hadn't been first child I would have ignored HV.

BTW, she was constipated for months, way too early... first of many PFB mistakes I'm afraid.

mummy2lola · 13/03/2013 19:15

My dd is 4 months and 1 week, and I've started weaning her.the recommendations say 6 months, then why on hip organic jars does it say 4 months?? It's so confusing isn't it?
I think you know when your child is ready, so go with your own instincts- you know your child better than anyone, so you do what feels right....don't let people criticise your decision- I'm in the same situation, and dd loves the few spoonfuls I give her.

Good luck, and whatever you choose, there isn't a right way or a wrong way, only your way :-) xx

AmandinePoulain · 13/03/2013 19:18

This thread is older than my dd1 who is at school, so I'm thinking the child in question is probably weaned by now Grin

BoysAreLikeDogs · 13/03/2013 19:21

mummy2lola here are the signs of readiness to wean, have you seen this information? - 4 months and 1 week is really terribly early.

IneedAsockamnesty · 13/03/2013 20:17

The jars say from 4 months because they want you to buy them, they want to make money. They are not making them out of the goodness of there own hearts they are made by a multi billion pound industry and targeted at people who fall for there oh so convincing tick box clap trap then they convince you that you can't do any better than they can and perpetuate a massive myth.

They want to continue the myth that solid food is a race that it somehow signifies that your child is so much further along in development than other children and they want you to get all excited about how much your child eats.

On the great scale of life it does not matter,they are not a healthy way to do it and every single one of you can do much better without there helpful information leaflets advertising and products.

In the absence of a medical condition and good medical supervision most babies should wait until 6 months,from 4 months means not before 4 months not that its needed from 4 months.

And baby rice is a total waste of time and probably has less of a nutritional value than wall paper paste.

IneedAsockamnesty · 13/03/2013 20:18

I just noticed that amandine

mummy2lola · 13/03/2013 20:36

Thank you for the advice- I'm sure you mean well, but ill choose when to wean my child & if you consider me a bad mother, that's up to you- I've been recommended to wean early by paediatric dr and hv.

BoysAreLikeDogs · 13/03/2013 20:38

no one has said you are a bad mum Shock

Lawabidingmama · 13/03/2013 20:59

Old thread! Have to say I stuck to the recommended 26 week guideline for both of mine, I appreciate guidelines change but current research indicates that the digestive system is too immature to cope with food prior to 26 weeks. Early weaning is thought to be linked to certain medical conditions including ceoliac disease which my eldest DD has I've been told that by delaying weaning its likely that she is less sensitive. If you decide to go against the advice don't give dairy products or gluten as this can cause allergies. I would think the jars say from four months as the manufactures care mainly about profit...

Lawabidingmama · 13/03/2013 21:02

Sorry took ages to post that and cross posted with others!

GirlOutNumbered · 13/03/2013 21:10

I started weaning at five months, but now at 6 months DS2 is still only having two meals a day and not that much in them really. I think he just likes the joining in aspect of it and loves to suck on some toast while we have breakfast. He still won't really eat vegetables but does loose fruit.

Swipe left for the next trending thread