to think that someone who works in paediatrics should know better than to wean at 20 weeks?

[vampirebankholidayweekend]

none of business what age they wean, I know.

It is a member of my family, she has decided to start weaning her son, who is 2 weeks younger than my DD, which would make him 19 weeks this week. She has said he is particularly hungry and her health visitor has managed to pursuade her to hold off til 20 weeks!
Even my mother, who weaned us at about 3 months (as was the advise in those days) has tried to convince her it;s probably a growth spurt.
She is a paediatric nurse

Yes, but I think its moved on a bit since then hasn't it? Even then- a post on MN if not shared with the parent is no more than a mumble to the DH in the end is it (unless you get caught in which case oops)

I guess

I think wannabe said exactly my thoughts. I don't understand people taking advice as gospel from an internet site.

Very few have read the guidelines from the WHO and quote things from other mn's. The WHO clearly state never before 17 weeks, optimum is 6 months/180 days but ALL babies should be weaned at 6 months, not to wait after that. They say there is no harm to wait until 6 months, they don't say harm will be done if earlier (always after 17 weeks tho) These are all optimums for bf babies, there is very little research for ff as far as I can see

Always being quoted is the virgin gut theory, often being linked to the WHO when it comes from kellymom site

Very few people actually know/read the WHO and people are taking advice from the ones that haven't, that's worrying

My Dr cousin told me that she weaned her (now 19 and 21 year old) children at two months.

Dunno if the age recommendation has ever been that low, they seem ok though.

purepurple...problem we hardly ever do things by instinct...our instincts are very much impacted by social norms, etc...
So, social norm has been, for a long time to believe a 4 month old Baby in a growthspurt is ready for solids, however, research and evidence based on that research does tell us different...

One of my children (who is now 6) was very poorly as a baby and spent alot of time in hospital.

At 9 weeks old the doctors and dieticians made the decision that she would better off being weaned, basically, due to the fact that she had lost her ability to suck after being ventilated during an operation.

I know this is unusual, and it was done on medical advice, but my daughter lived off jars of Heinz rice pudding and egg custard for months. She had a tube fitted directly into her tummy so that we could put fluids directly into her. I was worried and asked the doctors if this would damage her giving her "food" so young. The doctors and dietician assured me that the benefits far outweighed the risks in her case and basically, the rules on weaning were only brought in due to a small minority of silly parents who wean early with the WRONG type of food.

Her eating and swallowing gradually improved and she had the tube removed aged 2.5. She is 6 years old now and has a fantastic diet, eats anything I give her and eats like a horse. She has no allergies or anything.

I think the argument that it causes food intollerances and allergies has to be wrong. Or else surely our age group would be the ones with allergies etc, seeing that we were all weaned at a couple of months old. Never did us any harm.

Go with your instincs I say. No 2 babies are the same, and it depends on their size/weight as to whether they will be satisfied with just milk for 6 months.

marie doesnt that depend on what we're fed though, and how our aprents are exposed to allergens when they are pregnant? Like the nut example I used below.

I'm sure its more complex and there are many variable that work together but I cant see its hard to beleive that weaning too early for a aprticular baby might cause some susceptibility issues.

My ds4 was weaned early on paed advice btw; I do try and say that paed advcie should be used as an over rule.

judgy pants. YABCU

What I don't understand is that the WHO guidelines recommend EBF until 6 months before weaning - the vast majority of women don't EBF to 4 months let alone 6 months, once you've introduced cows milk via formula alot of the protection from allergies from weaning later is pointless. I know lots of women that have got their babies to 26 week target filling their babies full of hungry baby milk formula. Top consultant allergist advice given to me is EBF to 17 weeks then formula/food (as long as only fruit, rice and veg) whatever you wish to avoid allergies buts the EBF that is important not the 26 weeks.

Her kid, her choice.

Mind your own, eh?

So what she is a pead nurse? She nurses sick children who really do need worrying about.

I really do not think weaning at 19-20 weeks warrents a . Its hardly sausage and beer at 3 weeks is it?

I have come to realise that all anecdotal evidence is sneered at on MNs but how can you ignore thousands of perfectly happy, healthy, allergy free babies who were weaned at 3mths, 4mths etc?

I followed guidelines because I wanted what was best for my babies and that was 3mths for DD and 4mths for DS1. Cant remember what it was by the time DS2 came along but he was weaned at 4mths too (I was v.careful with him so would have done as I was told - he had severe eczema and I didnt have parental responsibility).

So DS3 came along and I was told I HAD to wait till he was 6mths old. Much as I wanted to do what was best, he was hungry, he showed all the signs of wanting to eat and I had done it 3 times before. I weaned at 17 weeks.

I didnt give him chocolate pudding, chips or burgers. I gave him teeny bits of rice for two weeks followed by teeny bits of banana for two weeks and so on for the next couple of months.

Many new mums I know who have weaned at 6mths + have been given schedules that look really rushed to me. The baby is expected to be on 3 meals a day within a couple of weeks. It seems far to quick IMO.

But I know this is MO and not scientific. I dont think babies should be stuffed with solids at 3 weeks but I dont think parents should be made to feel like baby poisoners if they give their kid a bit of rice when they are 17 weeks old either.

mariemarie

super points

I was weaned at 10lb blimey o riley. Why aren't we all atopic if early weaning causes allergy?

and p, sorry, none of your beeswax, she still knows a lot more than you about children's health

I really don't get all the vitriol against the OP . She even said that it wasn't her business! I don't think that she's being at all judgmental.

That doesn't mean to say that all mothers who wean prior to 6 months are neglectful or ignorant! Like some other posters have said, look at the guidelines then make the best possible choice on your baby - the clue is in the term "guidelines".

"how can you ignore thousands of perfectly happy, healthy, allergy free babies". Isn't the point that the research showed that thousands more would be happy, healthy and allergy free if they were weaned later?

I actually don't think that "anecdotal evidence is sneered at" on MN. Some discussions seem to consist of little else. In fact it seems to me that citing research is what gets you sneered at (of the "I weaned my ds at 3 weeks and now he's a weightlifter" variety).

Just because many people are (or appear to be) as healthy as they could be having been weaned at 3, 4 or 5 months does not alter the fact that the weight of evidence supports leaving weaning until around 6 months. No amount of anecdotal evidence can negate that.

well, yes, except that allergies are enjoying a phenomenal rise in the west in tandem with the rise in weaning ages

goodness -- maybe later weaning CAUSES allergy

boredwithmyoldname there have been several programs on tv here (oz) over the last few months suggesting similar. Saying latest research is linking allergies to the late weaning and late introduction of nuts and things.
Guidelines here are still 6months though to my knowledge.
to OP - weaning at 5months is hardly worthy of starting a thread now is it?

people seem annoyed at WHO guidelines but remember they are just that: advice issued to coincide with best research available now. What would we rather they did? Say 'but as many women only BF until.....? That'snto their remit: their remit is to set ideals, give the besta dvice on the basis of their info.

People sneer at the allergies thing but as someone who does have PITA intolerances (milk for myself,ds1, ds3, ds4; ds1 also gluten) that cause pretty horrifd effects (diarrhoea, cramping as severe as labour pains, worsening of ASD symptoms where applicable) I am glad of that best case scenarioa dvice and attempting to follow with ds4; certainly it's helped me to keep BF when times have been harder/. if you have no allergies etc in youtr family you would naturally weigh that up with the information you have, but for famillies like mine we do wanta ccess to the best research and advice that they currently have.

Peachy - My understanding is that people aren't annoyed at WHO guidelines, but at judgypants mums who take them as gospel and lash out at anyone who doesn't strictly follow them.

Anyone slightly familiar with allergies should know that there are many variables involves and IF weaning is at all involved, it must be a very small part of what causes development of allergies.

Sorry cote I was sort of responding to iwantit whilst juggling the door, 2 coats for children and the baby so should ahve addressed it rather than being lazy but knew I wouldnt get back to it

When i was a baby weaning was usually about 6 weeks some as early as 3 weeks.Yet I don't remember any child in my school having an allergy.In fact I still know most of my primary school friends and they all seem to be ln rude health.Much healthier bunch than today's lot

it's vaccinations anyway causing all those allergies

it's just so damned obvious

how people ever started to blame pureed carrot at 20 weeks i can't imagine

Ah but maybe its the vaccinations the pureed cow was given? eh?EH?

PMSL

For those of us with high risk factors or other allergies / intolerances adhering to the guidelines seems emininetly sensible.

Everyone else should be aware of thema nd then make their own decisions.