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Original poster

To start weaning my 16 week old baby?

58 replies

WhatOnEarth67 · 29/07/2020 15:46

The last few nights my baby has been waking up every couple of hours for 7oz feeds. From nine weeks he has slept throughout the night. He’s been dribbling non-stop and I’m worried he needs a bit more.

I’m aware they say six months so spoke to one of my health visitors and she said that I could start on some baby rice. I then spoke to the other health visitor (she’d missed a call from me before calling the other one!) and she said it’s in his best interests to not start until six months.

I’ve read that it can affect the digestive system, is this correct? I’m just reading conflicting information and getting quite confused. I know the weaning time changes every few years, and that not that long ago it was three months.

If it does affect the digestive system I won’t be doing it because I have inflammatory bowel disease and there is a 50% chance he will get it too, so I don’t want to increase those chances!

Just thought it might be easier to ask other mums for advice. Would be grateful for any early weaning experiences, issues, or whether there is any other formula that might be more filling for him? He has been on SMA since birth and is exclusively formula fed.

Thank you! X

OP posts:
TinySleepThief · 29/07/2020 15:49

The lack of sleep is much more likely to be the 4 month sleep regression than because he is hungry for food.

I would honestly wait until 6 months. There is a reason the advice changed and part of that reason is indeed due to digestive problems.

Thriceisnice · 29/07/2020 15:50

The advice to wean at 6 months hasn't changed for about 15 years, so it's not regularly changing. Most research indicates that waiting until 6 months does lead to fewer gut intolerances and issues. You wil get lots of people who weaned early with no ill effects though, so you are better off looking at proper research as opposed to anecdotal evidence, which is only ever based on one or two of their own children

ChocolateRaisin · 29/07/2020 15:50

Food won’t help with sleep at all.

switswoo81 · 29/07/2020 15:51

He sounds more like he is teething than hungry.
Is he draining the bottles, might just need 8oz. I really wouldn't wean him yet aside from.the substantial advice about gut health in the future some pureed carrot is not going to fill him up.

Also I only gave baby rice to my first and she was really windy after it so never again.

NoProbLlamaa · 29/07/2020 15:51

Good luck posting this on here

Absolutely do not wean your 16 week old baby! It’s advised to wait until 6 months, possible digestive issues and choking hazards just a couple of reasons why.

Babies wake up through the night, it’s a part of their development cycle. Waking up and dribbling are not a sign of needing more food.

Speak again to your HV.

Doje · 29/07/2020 15:51

Just wait OP, it's not much longer in the grand scheme of things.

The baby rice advice is very out of date. It has absolutely no nutritional value.

Feralkidsatthecampsite · 29/07/2020 15:52

Baby rice is polyfilla not baby filler imo.

Your baby needs milk at this age.
Nothing more.

SummerPeony · 29/07/2020 15:52

Baby rice has fewer calories than milk. The sleeping is probably due to the 4 month sleep regression. I’ve seen lots of teens and young adults diagnosed with inflammatory bowel diseases and they’re horrid and can be quite debilitating. The official advice is 6 months because the most current research suggests this is safest. When new research becomes available the advice may change if this is what the research shows is safest. For now, the information available suggests 6 months.

Pumperthepumper · 29/07/2020 15:52

I would definitely wait, especially with his chances of inheriting your condition. Use the time to read up on baby led weaning and the ‘food is fun for a year’ philosophy. Waiting until he’s six months means you can immediately give him proper food - bananas, toast, pasta - rather than minging old baby rice, which is really just thickener.

Misscoffeecrazy3 · 29/07/2020 15:53

My baby now wakes in the night again for a feed, he has done for the last month or so. He’s a very big five month old but we’re still waiting til six months to wean him. Better safe than sorry.

MashedPotatoBrainz · 29/07/2020 15:53

I'm in Sweden and here the advice is to start weaning at 16 weeks. They changed it to 6 months when the WHO did but then went back to 16 weeks as their own research showed it was better. I forget the details, it was a long time ago for me, but I think they found an increase in food allergies or something like that.

Nixen · 29/07/2020 15:53

Baby rice has no nutritional benefit so ignore that bullshit

Sounds like the 4 month sleep regression to me. I really wouldn’t wean early

MrsTerryPratchett · 29/07/2020 15:53

Baby rice is crap anyway. I started on fruit and vegetables at 6 months. And why would fruit and vegetables fill up a child to eat when dairy (much more nutritious and filling) doesn't?

Even then, sleep is a bad indication of readiness. Interest is better.

thetangleteaser · 29/07/2020 15:54

Sounds like teeth and the 4 month sleep regression, I sympathise as my LO hit both at once, he went from sleeping 10-7 to waking every 90 minutes or so. Weaning wouldn’t help as a 4 month old would never eat enough to sustain themselves, they just need milk at this point, it’s rubbish but it does pass although he rarely sleeps through since, even at 7 months and on solids!

kathryn19801 · 29/07/2020 15:54

My little boy got his first tooth the day he turned 4 months and 3 more at 5 months so he is likely teething. Try to hold off on weaning- milk should be enough at this age. Xx

Galvantula · 29/07/2020 15:55

Totally normal 4 month old behaviour. It's a developmental thing.

They tend to go through phases of sleeping better and worse, it's not linear like they just sleep longer and longer all night unfortunately :(

Pieinthesky11 · 29/07/2020 15:59

No rice XX just milk

RedRumTheHorse · 29/07/2020 16:00

I’ve read that it can affect the digestive system, is this correct?

Yes.

I read loads of research as well and 4 months is just far too early. The earliest guidance you will find from other developed countries is 5 months. (If you look at what comes out the other side you will see that lots of it isn't really digested.)

Also, don't give him baby rice. Give him vegetables. The idea is to get your child use to more bitter foods first to help avoid them rejecting them when they are older.

You just need to give him more formula feeds. Don't change formula if he's happy on SMA. It is crap but they are hungry at that age because they are growing a lot.

HolyMilkBoobiesBatman · 29/07/2020 16:00

I was told by a paediatric consultant That 15 weeks is the absolute youngest. My first was very gradually weaned at this 18 weeks but this was under paediatric guidance due to a failure to thrive resulting from DC health issues (and prematurity).

Even then, the process was a gradual one. When the time comes to wean don’t bother with baby rice, it fills a baby up but the nutritional value is minimal.

Honestly in your case I would wait until 6 months and wean onto veggies as per current guidance.
I know it’s frustrating but babies have sleep regressions and growth spurts constantly but at this age good sleep habits and offering more milk are the best solutions.
Best of luck, hope you get more sleep soon!

HolyMilkBoobiesBatman · 29/07/2020 16:02

Sorry 15 weeks should read 17 weeks in my previous post.

KittyFantastico · 29/07/2020 16:06

"Food is for fun before age one" is a bit of a myth too, babies iron stores start to drop from around 5-6 months and cannot be sustained by milk alone so they need iron from other sources by six months.

Six months isn't a magic number and - bam - that's when they're ready. Some will be ready before and some will be ready just after, in general it's best to aim for as close to six months as you can but to also be aware of the signs of readiness. The night waking is a normal developmental stage for his age and giving him rice isn't likely to change that. If he seems hungry you could offer him an extra ounce of milk at his bedtime feed?

I know the weaning time changes every few years, and that not that long ago it was three months.

When my first DC was a baby in 2008 the advice was 4-6 months will an explanation to try for six months but if you started earlier then it should not be any earlier than four months, then when I had DC2 in 2011 the four months part had been dropped and it was nothing before six months. DC1 started on solids at 16wks on medical advice, the others started between 5m and 7m based on signs of readiness.

MileyWiley · 29/07/2020 16:11

4 month sleep regression, it's a developmental step. Don't wean that early.

zingally · 29/07/2020 16:15

I started both of mine at 4 months. One took to it straight away, and the other was NOT a fan. We ended up holding off on that one until he was closer to 6 months in the end.

Staplemaple · 29/07/2020 16:16

Is he draining the 7oz bottles?

Camomila · 29/07/2020 16:18

I've just last week started weaning my 6m old so I remember the NHS weaning page well, it says that wanting more milk and waking up in the night aren't signs of readiness.

Honestly, wait till 6m or there abouts (I started one week early with this DS as he is sitting up by himself and grabs at anything we eat) and it's so much easier. Chances are you won't even have to puree anything - DS has had finger food or stuff mashed with the back of a spoon.