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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to wean at 5 months

53 replies

2weanornot2wean · 21/08/2023 08:04

Shameless post here for traffic.

My baby turned 5 months old last week. The guidelines in the UK AFAIK are to wait until 6 months.
However my baby seems ready. He is making chewing motions, I'm 90% sure his tongue thrust reflex is gone, he can sit unaided (albeit tripod stance but he sits well in a highchair) and tries to grab food from our hands.

I'm in a big mummy community IRL and anyone who deviates from guidance or does anything "risky" like cosleeping or formula feeding or screen time is looked down upon a bit.

Just interested in opinions and wondered when others weaned their DC. In my opinion it isn't like babies are magically ready for food the very day they turn 6 months, but I don't want to rush things unnecessarily either.

OP posts:
Createausernameplease · 21/08/2023 08:06

It’s been 6 months for about 20 years now. You’re right, you don’t turn 6 months and it magically grows, but at the same time you can’t say for certain that your child is 100% ready. The way I see it is, it’s only a few extra weeks that will ensure they are properly ready.

he may go to grab your food, but if he went to grab your car keys would you let him drive?

I think just wait the extra few weeks

DappledThings · 21/08/2023 08:06

Honestly if you can wait, wait. Wearing is boring and messy and makes every time you leave the house suddenly more complicated when you have to think about whether you are going somewhere they can share your lunch or you have to pack something extra.

Aside from the health reasons, which do admittedly vary from country to country, I waited till 6 months for convenience.

LeaW · 21/08/2023 08:07

Weaned one early due to reflux and weaned one just after 6 months….the post 6 months was an absolute delight to wean and now at 5 eats EVERYTHING!!! Like everything curry/fish/chorizo etc.

Toobusytowee · 21/08/2023 08:09

Wait until 6 months. You won’t gain anything by starting early.

RagingWoke · 21/08/2023 08:11

A couple of weeks either way is fine- or that's what my health visitor said.
If you can put off a week or two to let baby work on sitting then see how you feel. My dc2 weaned a couple of weeks before 6 months when they grabbed my food and started eating it and have been fine since.

The obsession with first foods bang on 6 months is weird.

3rdtimemumma · 21/08/2023 08:13

I weaned my first at 6 months. Second was like yours and 99th centile. One day I said to my hv "I just can't take the breastfeeding all the time anymore, I need to wean him!". She said "oh my goodness, I thought you had (i was expressing over 60 ounces of milk a day)! He's got all the signs he should be weaned. He's 99th centile and you probably should have weaned him at 4 months (he was standing before 4 months)." So 6 months is average. Some it'll be 7! If they have the signs of readiness, go for it.

katherinexix · 21/08/2023 08:14

"I'm in a big mummy community IRL and anyone who deviates from guidance or does anything "risky" like cosleeping or formula feeding or screen time is looked down upon a bit."

Why are you part of this community? Parenting is hard enough without surrounding yourself with a load of horrifically judgemental people Hmm

JenWillsiam · 21/08/2023 08:18

This issue is often that really babies are not ready and you’ve got parents spoon feeding pointless food like baby rice. It depends what you’ve got in mind and whether they really are ready, the quiz will give you a good idea.

TeenLifeMum · 21/08/2023 08:19

No idea if it’s still the case but when dd was a baby it was 6 months in England but 4 months in Ireland! Dd was weaned at 17 weeks due to reflux (under paediatrician and that was their advice). All babies are different and you know your own baby best but don’t be in too much of a rush, go with what your baby needs and if baby sleeps well and is content, there’s no rush.

Summerrainagain1 · 21/08/2023 08:20

In other Euorpean countries the guidance is to start between 4-6 months. It is suggested that early exposure to food earlier can reduce allergies. So I don't think you'd be doing any harm to your baby.

That said, I agree with others. Weaning is a faff and nothing to rush into. But you could start giving him little tasters here and there if you wanted.

Devilsmommy · 21/08/2023 08:24

My little one was 4 Months old when I started and now is 11mo and loves his food. Babies were being weaned before 6 mo in my parents day and If your lo seems ready I'd give it a try.

Original poster
2weanornot2wean · 21/08/2023 08:29

Thanks all very much for advice and comments so far.

I think I'm going to play it by ear week by week to be honest. As a pp said I think sitting unaided is important actually as choking is always a worry :(

Forgot to add my little one has very good fine motor skills (pincer grip) for his age, but I'd actually like to start with semi solids like runny oatmeal and things like mashed carrot or banana mixed with milk and work up to finger food.

For now he is still fairly good with his milk and isn't unhappy at all so I'm not in a huge rush, I just want to do what is best for him and his development, and as he was showing signs I thought I'd ask.

Thanks pp for the quiz though will take that now!

Re the mummy group, it sort of formed from a baby group and branched out to a larger community on social media. They aren't bad or horrible women, just by the book. I think all babies and circumstances are different personally. My family members with young kids started weaning around 4.5/5 months. I myself was weaned at 3 months 😫 back in the olden days but I know that is survivors bias, not saying its right! Although I have no gut issues or allergies or immune issues

OP posts:
MrsAnon6 · 21/08/2023 08:32

If you think they're ready then there's no harm in trying as you can try weaning from 4 months. I did this as my baby was always hungry and it just seemed like milk wasn't enough on its own. You can get food that's specifically from 4 months so I'd try that and go from there. You know your baby best and what suits them.

JenWillsiam · 21/08/2023 08:34

MrsAnon6 · 21/08/2023 08:32

If you think they're ready then there's no harm in trying as you can try weaning from 4 months. I did this as my baby was always hungry and it just seemed like milk wasn't enough on its own. You can get food that's specifically from 4 months so I'd try that and go from there. You know your baby best and what suits them.

According to who?

Original poster
2weanornot2wean · 21/08/2023 08:35

My baby doesn't sleep well :(
Actually I think he's probably about average, waking every 3 hours at night give or take. Then fussy from about 430am.
He has about 5oz every wake at night. I feed him every 2-2.5 hours in the day.

I've been stalking previous weaning threads and general consensus is it doesn't help much with sleeping through and can make it worse temporarily in some cases. Would be interested in people's own experiences of weaning in relation to sleep though

OP posts:
Peony654 · 21/08/2023 08:38

katherinexix · 21/08/2023 08:14

"I'm in a big mummy community IRL and anyone who deviates from guidance or does anything "risky" like cosleeping or formula feeding or screen time is looked down upon a bit."

Why are you part of this community? Parenting is hard enough without surrounding yourself with a load of horrifically judgemental people Hmm

I agree, this sounds horrific. Do what you want, you can’t live or parent based on how others will judge you. If he’s interested in your food, what’s the harm in letting him having some small tastes, I don’t get this massive thing around “weaning”. Read Bee Wilson’s book First Bites, there’s evidence that’s babies are receptive to flavour from 4 months so can be beneficial to introduce early

Blughbablugh · 21/08/2023 08:40

2weanornot2wean · 21/08/2023 08:35

My baby doesn't sleep well :(
Actually I think he's probably about average, waking every 3 hours at night give or take. Then fussy from about 430am.
He has about 5oz every wake at night. I feed him every 2-2.5 hours in the day.

I've been stalking previous weaning threads and general consensus is it doesn't help much with sleeping through and can make it worse temporarily in some cases. Would be interested in people's own experiences of weaning in relation to sleep though

I have two. Weaned both at 6 months. Second one took to food a lot better than first. Made absolutely no difference to sleep for either. Second dc didn't start sleeping through until age 2!

BubblinTrouble · 21/08/2023 08:40

We started early with DS as he had allergies and the advice was to start early with him. It was around 5 months he seemed to take to it fine.

Cakeandslippers · 21/08/2023 08:47

2weanornot2wean · 21/08/2023 08:35

My baby doesn't sleep well :(
Actually I think he's probably about average, waking every 3 hours at night give or take. Then fussy from about 430am.
He has about 5oz every wake at night. I feed him every 2-2.5 hours in the day.

I've been stalking previous weaning threads and general consensus is it doesn't help much with sleeping through and can make it worse temporarily in some cases. Would be interested in people's own experiences of weaning in relation to sleep though

No effect whatsoever here.... though mine were both horrendous sleepers. One of them started sleeping through around 3y, the other one who knows!

I'd give it three or four more weeks, weaning is messy and hard and they can often get a bit constipated too. 3 weeks is nothing in the scheme of things but might be enough time to get the sitting perfected.

hdbs17 · 21/08/2023 10:09

I'm not a huge believer in the very day they turn 6 months, they can start eating food.

The 6 months guidance comes from not really knowing when babies digestive systems become fully developed - but is believed to be at some point from 6 months old.

I started weaning DS softly at 5 months under GP guidance as he'd begun refusing milk - do he basically had baby porridge (the ones designed for 4m+) and plain yoghurts. All very bland, but ways to get milk into him.

I didn't begin weaning properly until 8 months old as he never really showed an interest in food.

Could you perhaps get one of those weaning things that looks like a dummy with a net so you can pop a small piece of fruit in the net and let little one have a taste rather than actually consuming anything?

Original poster
2weanornot2wean · 21/08/2023 10:16

hdbs17 · 21/08/2023 10:09

I'm not a huge believer in the very day they turn 6 months, they can start eating food.

The 6 months guidance comes from not really knowing when babies digestive systems become fully developed - but is believed to be at some point from 6 months old.

I started weaning DS softly at 5 months under GP guidance as he'd begun refusing milk - do he basically had baby porridge (the ones designed for 4m+) and plain yoghurts. All very bland, but ways to get milk into him.

I didn't begin weaning properly until 8 months old as he never really showed an interest in food.

Could you perhaps get one of those weaning things that looks like a dummy with a net so you can pop a small piece of fruit in the net and let little one have a taste rather than actually consuming anything?

Did he go back on his milk properly at any point before you started at 8 months?

Yes I defo want to get a net feeder, you've reminded me to place an order! Thank you.

Just booked LO onto a hv led weaning session first week of September, I told them his age and they said its totally fine. Not sure what it'll entail but will go along and see how we get on.

OP posts:
Cowlover89 · 21/08/2023 10:19

I weaned my son at 5.5 months.

hdbs17 · 21/08/2023 10:22

Not fully, there were good days and bad days but I spent a lot of time getting him to nap when he wasn't due one just to get him to dream feed.

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