To want to wean DD earlier than 6 months due to reflux/spit up?

[Tjsmumma]

I know this is a sensitive topic but, i want to know, if you weaned earlier due to spit up/reflux and what you gave first, when, why please.

My DD is nearly 4 months, recently she is spitting up a lot more, like nearly after every feed.

She's EBF and seems like she's so hungry she's taking more in that she needs due to this and then just spitting it up again so i really think she is ready for more than just my milk.

She shows all the signs for readiness, looks at food, put things in her mouth, sits really well with support, over double her birth weight, grabs out for anything we eat and doesn't have the tongue thrust.

I know other DM who have weaned way earlier and their babies are fine and really enjoy it and showed the same signs.

I know i should contact HV but, i cant gwt through at the moment, ive left multiple messages to no reply.

i have looked into every option, researched a lot and i know its advised from 6 months but, a lot of people i know have from 3/4 months and all the pouches etc say from 4

I'm just confused and know they advise weaning early if reflux is an issue, she goes very squirmy and irritable and then spits up but, isnt crying or upset.

@carystoppins thats what I've read to, frustrating that people say that isnt a sign of readiness before 6 months but as soon as they are 6 montha it is??

People go a bit nuts about weaning for some reason
So long as you sit til 17 weeks you’re fine.
If you manage to speak to an NHS person you will find their advice is likely to be a bit more nuanced than the hard lines you get on here because they’ve actually read the research.
When we saw an allergy specialist we were told they believe introducing as many allergens as possible before 6 months is preferable than waiting.

wait til 17 weeks.

Also no bouncing, no matter how gentle after feeds. If your dd has wind lower down, use the same position with her lower abdomen on your breast, your arm or thigh under her bottom and slowly lift her bottom up and down. Your breast acts like a gentle hot water bottle, the upright position means less strain on the upper stomach sphincter, the up and down motion helps the bubbles to break up making it easier for baby to fart.

Tjsmumma Happy to help.

DD was always put to sleep on her tummy and she crawled up her cot from days old until I put her head against the top wall. She crawled at 15w 5d (nose and toes) so she was strong. She just sicked up. Constantly.

Her weight was at about 50 percentile coming out from hospital but quickly went down to 10% but then tracked the line so I was happy with that. (I have only the one child but am an older mother and she is now a stroppy teen so perhaps I was less inclined to fret). Once DM remembered her experiences, I stopped worrying and just rode it out.

We lasted until 5.5m before giving solids. It just discoloured the vomit. Some pp are talking about the rate of feed. I had a slow letdown so it was 45min per side with a nappy change (that's when she would fill it) at half time for the early months.

cary i won't argue as I'm a bit out of date, but 99.9% sure BLW was after 6 months.

But perhaps it might be useful for you to post the NHS link to that guidance?

NHS guidance is around 6 months, and when babies can sit with support, pick up food and get it to their mouths.

BLW is a style of weaning described by someone called Gill Rapley iirc. I’m sure you can google for more information!

This is what Gill Rapley herself said:
“ The 6-months 'rule' is important because it keeps babies safe from premature interference with their eating, so I always refer to it in whatever I say. However, my actual position, based on my research and my clinical experience, is that whatever an individual baby is ready to do is probably what's right for that baby. There is good reason to believe that those developmental abilities that are visible to us (sitting upright etc.) are a reliable indicator of the maturity of that baby’s (internal) digestive system – nature very rarely makes mistakes. So, if a full-term, healthy baby can (genuinely) sit upright, grasp food and get it to his mouth UNAIDED, then he's probably ready to do just that. If he's also ready to chew it – and perhaps even swallow it – that’s fine, but it is more likely that these skills will follow in due course”

The only reason while the 'recommendations' can be from 4 months is because of the research/legal loophole. Baby's iron reserves start to deplete from about 3-4 months so there has been some research in the past suggesting weaning from that age. However if you're going to give your child fruit puree it makes no difference to their iron levels so it's a very poor, albeit commonly used, excuse.

If your baby isn't sitting up unsupported you should wean. Period. Having your baby chomp on a piece of veggie or breadstick will not ease their 'suspected' reflux. It will be months before they will have enough meals to sit in their stomach and honestly they will deal will food better and more efficiently once they're a bit older and their hand-mouth coordination is naturally improved.

thats what I've read to, frustrating that people say that isnt a sign of readiness before 6 months but as soon as they are 6 montha it is??

There is a big diffeeence between...

Baby must be able to do x, y and z before they can be weaned..

....

When baby can do x, y and z then they should be weaned.

Developmental milestones that show “readiness” have no correlation to the development of the gut.

Regardless of what age a baby can sit unsupported and watch people eat, research shows that their digestive system is not ready for the introduction of solids.

Retyping my message because of so many errors....

There is a big difference between saying...

“Baby must be able to do x, y and z before they can be weaned.”

and saying...

“When baby can do x, y and z then they should be weaned.”

Developmental milestones that show “readiness” have no correlation to the development of the gut.

Regardless of what age a baby can sit unsupported and watch people eat, research shows that their digestive system is not ready for the introduction of solids until they are 6 months old.

@TheSandgroper where do you live that you put your newborn on their tummy to sleep? That hasn't been advice for about 35 years! Back to sleep campaign has been running for decades to prevent cot death.

@firsttimemum30 your baby is 5 mo and has been weaned at 3mo? How would you know what damage has been done, when any issues caused wouldn't be apparent for 10-15 years yet?

@CaryStoppins the reason NHS staff will be more 'nuanced' about when to begin weaning is because they know their audience. Some people are ignorant enough to put coke or tea into baby's bottles. Some people will do anything to stop their baby crying and to sleep for longer... by saying 6mo hopefully it cuts down the numbers who think they should start giving baby rice at 10 weeks, or chocolate at 12weeks etc.

When we saw an allergy specialist we were told they believe introducing as many allergens as possible before 6 months is preferable than waiting

An allergy specialist focussed on giving allergy related advice rather than taking everything into consideration and giving rounded advice? Well I never. There is plenty of contradictory research and 'evidence', unless a medical condition though or something such as failure to gain weight (of which weaning would be under the guidance of a HCP anyway), what's the rush? Most babies just need milk until 6 months.

@KrakowDawn - the medical advice is and always has been to sleep very premature babies on their tummies as it helps them breathe better.

Sorry @GrumpyHoonMaini did not know about premature babies. I didn't see Cary say her baby was prem.

My babies had no reflux and I started solids between 4 and 5 months nevertheless, because I looked at the evidence and decided it might be just slightly better than waiting till 6mo.

I don't know if weaning will help your baby. I doubt it will do her any harm.

@Tattiebee avoiding allergies was quite important to me.

@carystoppins @mamabear18 everything ive read states if they can sit up in a highchair unaided without flopping bacj that's unaided. Which she can. Ive read multiple things that state a baby can be introduced to foods without being completely unaided. Some children may never be unaided due to physical disabilities, or be delayed etc. www.google.com/amp/s/jessicacoll.com/blog/sitting-upright/amp/
www.netdoctor.co.uk/parenting/baby-and-toddler/a27185/how-to-wean-baby/ - she already does everything stated in that second article. Are you meaning every baby must sit up completely un supported, no high chair to help them? Because id not feel comfortable feeding a baby with no high chair at any age, we all sit on something to eat even as adults..

I don't want to give vegetables or bloody breadsticks, you have not read the entire post.

My DD had reflux: she projectile vomited after every feed, screamed constantly and wasn't gaining weight. She was on meds from 6 weeks old, and the pediatrician recommended solid food at 4 months simply because "heavier" food stays down better.
A little bit of sick is fairly normal, I think, so maybe try and get a phone consult or something before trying solids before 6 mos?

One of mine couldn’t sit completely unsupported until almost 8 months - you can’t delay weaning til then.

For reference:
scienceofmom.com/2015/05/14/starting-solids-4-months-6-months-or-somewhere-in-between/

As long as the baby is at least 17 weeks or so, it's fine to start small amounts of food. Honest.

The EAT study showed convincingly that allergies to things like peanuts were rarer in babies that started small amounts of the foods early than 6mo, which was a big reason why I started giving small tastes from 4mo.

However if you're going to give your child fruit puree it makes no difference to their iron levels so it's a very poor, albeit commonly used, excuse.

Sure. Which is why I gave small amounts of iron-fortified cereal, egg yolk and meat puree to my baby, among other things. Problem solved.

@QueenofmyPrinces so understand your understanding when is a baby then? 🤔 If dieticians, doctors and HV advise some before 6 months, surely at that point their digestive systems would be ready? Displaying those signs at 4 months is surely no different to 6 months? Because those are signs they are infact ready, surely! And they aren't the only signs she has.

@KrakowDawn every parent is different, co sleepjng isn't advised yet i do, as i practice the safe sleep seven. How do you know that poster DC wasnt premature and advised? It states on many sites that 4 months is acceptable, medical professionals also states It to many parents to help other issues which im sure they wouldn't if it was indeed harmful. Every parent is different, there is no need to pick and judge at what you feel is bad parenting or not. Do you at the end of the day, guidance is ever changing. Like you say 35 years ago it was norm to tell baby to sleep on tummies, now its not, some babies in fact sleep better on tummies. Same regarding introduction of foods it states never before 17 weeks, but ideally wait til 6 months as thats when most babies show readiness, not all. Every baby develops differently, im lucky that mine is veru advanced for her age.

@Kokeshi123 thank you! I will definitely be introducing foods that are indeed beneficial for her! Hence my initial question what did you give! Definitely wont be giving it to her this weeek at 16 weeks! But dint think it will harm to try soon, if she responds like she's not ready ill leave it! Definitely dont want to introduce any allergies etc

@carystoppins everything ive read states as long as they can hold head up, sit uo straight in a high chair and hold back uo straight its completely fine. Some babies dont sit completely unsupported for months! Some peoples replies are absolutely ridiculous, thinking they know way better than any other professional advice is out there and 6 months is indeed advice it states not before 17 weeks as their tums are immature. Would you say thd same to someone who had a medical professionals advice? No...

@Sweetbabycheezits thanks! Yes, ive tried, seems like its not an urgent matter so not needed at the moment. Just wanted to see others advice. Ill wait a bit, im not planning on giving a whole piece of broccoli or a breadstick, just a bit of porridge mixed with expressed breast milk or mushed up veg/first/egg/meat and even so, a spoonful or two, not completely replace or skip a milk feed