Weaning a 5 month old

[hectorlion]

Hi everyone,
I would really appreciate some advice. I have spent the last few hours reading older posts on this subject and am so confused!
My DD will be 5 months in a week. She was weighed last week and is 18lbs and in the 91st percentile for weight (she was a 9 lb baby). She was breast fed but always topped up with formula (until 3 months) and is now exclusively formula. She is on 5-6 cartons of aptimal a day.
The HV told me last week that I should be cutting this down and that it wouldn't be a bad idea to start her off on solids.
I was initially hesitant about this as I wanted to wait until 6 months. However, due to very early morning wake-ups (3/4am) when she used to sleep til 6, hands in her mouth constantly and looking at food we put into our mouths, I thought I would try her with a tiny amount of baby rice today. She didn't like it one little bit and gagged.
Have I been a complete fool and started too early?
I should also add that I do think she's teething, which could be why she always has her hands in her mouth. Also she does sit up with help.
Advice please!
Thanks.

Nah not a fool at all. I would leave her another couple of weeks though as she obviously wasnt ready for it. My son started at 5.5 months with a bit of green bean which gummed round his mouth and spat out with a smile on his face. We never went near baby rice.

She is probably teething so concentrate on relieving those symptoms and just let her watch you eat, when she's interested she will probably steal something off your plate, just let her and don't panic.

Don't cut down the milk til she does herself. Milk is the main source of nutrition for some months yet.

It sounds like she was thriving on just milk, I would hold off the solids a bit longer yet until she is a bit more ready. TBH, starting solids is a PITA and having done it twice, I would leave until absolutely necessary

I would also suggest having a look at starting straight onto finger foods/baby led weaning. If a baby is sitting upright, able to grasp food and bring it to the mouth and have a try at eating it, they are developmentally ready for food, very straightforward.

By waiting til 6 months it can be a lot simpler - any food can be given except honey and choking hazards like nuts/whole grapes. Much more fun to offer strips of toast or cucumber batons than endless pots of orange sludge, IMHO. Have fun with it.

Thank you both so much. Great. It just didn't feel right today with the baby rice and I would really much rather let her go at her own pace and start to eat 'normal' foods as opposed to something that looks rather unappetising!
I think that the HV was subtly suggesting that DD should not get any heavier and so shouldn't drink any more milk. Tricky, as she has always been in the 91st percentile for weight, is very long and likes milk very much. Trying to get her to go four hours without milk is like pulling teeth!
RE the teething, Pascha, it's a bit of a nightmare. Nothing I've tried seems to relieve her symptoms. I have tried the sachets and bonjela. I give her the gel rings and teething toys (cold etc), nothing seems to help.

I know, teething was a bloody nightmare, still is occasionally. We resorted to teething gel a few minutes before mealtimes and nurofen at night when necessary. It gets better once the teeth poke through, my sons did at 6.5 months.

Ignore your HV, if DD is is happy and healthy just carry on what you're doing. Go look at the BLW website for ideas when she's nearer 6 months and follow her lead.

Oh, and early morning wake ups will happen the same regardless of food or milk quantities.

I didn't manage 4-hourly milk feeds with DS (also 9lb, also 91st centile) until after I started weaning. I started at around 5 months I think.

I didn't bother with baby rice, but went stright on to pureed fruit and veg - which DS wolfed down and then cried until I gave him more - he was definitely ready!!

The only thing that worked for teething with DS was calpol or neurofen (baby) - the gel/powders/granules didn't have any affect at all and he refused to teeth on anything. I wasted £15 on Sohpie the bloody Giraffe!!

I personally wouldn't give up on the weaning idea - just try her on something a bit more appetising than the rice. I gave finger foods from 6 mos too and they were also devoured with relish!

Hi IWOEB. Thanks for the teething advice. Sophie doesn't work for DD either!!
I may puree something in the next few days. Would you suggest a vegetable before fruit?
And yes, I do think that offering finger food at 6 months probably makes more sense and is what I'd like to do (if I can get over my irrational fear of her choking!).

Sweet potato, or apple, or pear might be more appetising to her. My dd was same centile and we weaned at 5mo. She loved puréed pear and apple. Sweet potato, carrot also went down well. She also used to sleep til 7 then started waking at 4am hungry. Teething wise, nurofen was the only thing that worked, and that is still the case.

Good luck

Thanks coraltoes. Reassuring to know I'm not the only one! Will try something a bit sweeter in the future.

Please ignore amelia33 her comments will be gone in the morning