To think weening should be done ASAP

[Ryoko]

I plan to start Weening him when he is 4 months old if he will except baby rice or porridge at that age.

IMO weening as soon as they are able is natures way, thats what all other animals do it sounds unlikely to me that our ape-ish ancestors sat there giving milk alone for over 6 months so I feel that weening at 4 months is probably better for kids.

Behave.

I heard to put some whiskey in the bottle if they won't settle and to stick them up a chimney when they're five.

Give over.

Well I'm going to start giving mine formula to make him sleep, let him CIO (does no harm, honest) and my elders are very suspicious of giving garlic, must stop the varied diet then
FFS

OP - I know lots and lots of people who think the same as you. Baby reaches 4 months, is time for another milestone in the form of starting weaning. Nothing wrong with that really, I agree, especially as each child is different.

The guidelines are just that, a guide. 6 months is what they're saying is best, but doesn't mean we have to wait till the exact day and hour our children reach 6 months.

I've heard different things from different people, and it's something I'm taking keen interest in atm, as DS is 17 weeks old.

I haven't started him on any food yet as I don't think he's ready, but I wouldn't cry about anyone else weaning their 17 week old if it's what they thought was for the best.

IMO, I think the guidelines say 6 months to encourage us all the bf till 6 months. I really think that's the main reason.

this is a very recent view from the British Dietetic Association. It seems highly sensible and reasoned to me. I fear it will disappoint some mumsnetters though as it does not recommend the stoning of mothers who wean before 26 weeks 1 day....

diamonds there is no major new research on this. The paper you are referring to (ESPGHAN)takes existing research and evaluates it, without, though, saying the 6mth guidelines should be ditched.

It is in favour of this remaining as the guideline, but points out that there is little to indicate that for most babies, solids after 4 mths (but before 6 mths) is harmful.

It's more or less the same position as the link that Northern Lurker has in her post.

The evidence we have shows there is no advantage in starting solids before 6 mths, as a general rule (unusual individual circumstances may change this, of course). It's certainly not 'nature's way' to begin at 4 mths and it's certainly not 'better' to begin at 4 mths. In the words of the thread title, there's no evidence that weaning should be done as soon as possible - ie as soon as you can get rice into the baby. That's a very odd idea, and could be risky.

UK guidance did indeed change in 2003, and had been 4-6 mths before that for about 20 years, so saying 6 mths is not that big a change, really.

OP have you researched this?

Do apes feed their baby apes food from 4mths?
Did early man feed their babies solid food from 4mths?

Genuinely curious because you seemed to have based your early weaning on these notions.

What if you found out that your beliefs were erronious (just you lot dare mock my spelling

I have an 11 week old DS. I weaned my DD at 12 weeks. When I look at DS I cannot imagine putting a banana in his mouth in a weeks time

How times have changed.

They're all out tonight, aren't they?

Is there a prize for the OP who can post the most controversial thread perchance?

Breastfeeding toddler, working mothers and now weaning ages. I smell a rat.

Oh, do what you like. Who cares? You have made up your mind anyway it seems.

I was weaned at 6 weeks apparently, with weetabix in a bottle. Madness. No wonder I am a glutton.

I weaned dd at 4 months because those were the guidelines then. HOW I wished that baby led weaning were around then, it would have saved all sorts of nonsense re pureeing brocolli carrots etc which dd was patently not interested in.

Well as people know I don't BF (I am not anti-BF, I am anti people feeling like they are being pushed into doing it when they don't want to).

I heard it was 4 months anyway, but I don't see there being much difference mixing some rice in with his SMA.

He is almost two months, he's been trying to talk since he was 2 weeks old, making ooh, aaah, laa, gaa, waa and naa sounds and annoyingly he is mobile, he puts his feet on the floor while on his back lifts his bottom off the ground and pushes himself along (I fear he will give himself carpet burns doing it).

So I stopped expecting him to match the milestones as it said in the books.

Let them be babies we are constantly pushing our children to grow up, looking at tomorrow and missing today. Weaning at 4 months, pushing to walk, dressing babies up like adults.

They are only babies once let them be and enjoy it while it lasts op you will have the rest of your ds life to give him solids but only 6months where he is on solely milk try to enjoy him for who he is today and not rush through his life.

So how do you feel about wanking monkeys?

Lol at trying to talk since he was 2 weeks old.

Op my ds was nearly dropped by the mw because he held his head up the day he was born he was walking at 7months, Dd was gurgling within a week of being born and has remained on the 91st centile so far (she is 10months) It never hurt either of them.

LOL!

is there a centile for gurgling??

All babies do the walking thing it was in my baby book the nhs gave me something about it being instinct.

Christ all these genius babies.

Babies start getting ready to talk, and to move, from birth - it's all part of the way they grow. Your baby is no different from any other baby, Ryoko, and he's no more ahead with his milestones than anyone else's.

Even if he was reciting Shakespeare by now (he's not, is he??) or turning somersaults (ditto) it wouldn't necessarily mean his metabolism would be read for solids sooner than other babies.

No centille just emphasizing that not weaning would not harm and I was not trying to be smug soupdragon sorry if it seemed that way.

Stop lowering the tone ShirleyKnot

Sorry getorfmyland I genuinely didn't want to be smug or be seen as bragging and ds actually had bad speech problems so I echo what tiktok said babies develop at different rates but there is no way of knowing how developed a baby's stomach is.

No, don't apologise, i was just being facetious!

ok,

I was actually told to start weaning by my HV before my son was 4 months and then told off by the same woman when he was 4 months and I still hadn't started

I weaned my DS at about 4 months, it was hard work and bloody horrible. He was my first I was eager to reach another milestone and everybody else was doing it. I wish I had waited. With DD I didnt really start until she was 5 and a half months, she's just turned 6 months now and Ive only just started being regular with her mealtimes. It's soooo much easier, less mess, and she actually eats it.

It's your choice. But take it from someone who has done both. 6 months weaning is by far the easier option.

Oh and in regards to your baby's developments, talking and babbling is no indication of being ready for solids, sitting up is probably the best clue for when a baby is ready, less likely to choke etc.

And seriously... Apes?? wtf? Very weird arguement/excuse for early weaning.