Silly question - confused about baby's age!!

[milkyman]

Hi,
My baby is 20 weeks - so I have been telling everyone that he is 5mths old. However, the HV said he is only 4.5 mths!. I can obviously see why but have received emails etc... from Mothercare saying I have a 5 mth old! I was hoping to begin weaning him soon but can see that he has 6 weeks to go and not 4! I know this is really silly but is this correct??!

I always counted in calendar months, I'm afraid so I'd agree he's 4.5. My NCT crew and I were desperate to wean early and were counting down the days (I'm pretty sure the official recommendation is 6 months, though!?). We all bought the myth that baby would miraculously sleep though on a fuller tummy and guess what? It didn't make a blind bit of difference!

The confusion probably comes because there isn't always exactly four weeks to a month. If your baby was born on January 1st then he would be one month on Feb 1st, two months on March 1st and so on
Yes six months equals 26 weeks for weaning.

Your HV is right as there aren't always 4 weeks, exactly, in a month. I always counted my baby as x months when it was the same day of the month that she was born ie, she was born on the 22nd Feb so she was one month old on the 22nd March, 2 months old on 22nd April etc.

If your baby is 20 weeks today then that means that they were born on the 31st October which is only 4 and a half months ago. I guess that you could round up to 5 months but it's 2 weeks out.

Well whatever date your baby was born + 6 months will tell you when he is 6 months lol same for any other month in question. So if he was born on the 25th October he would be 5 months on march 25th. Just for example.

Lol GiraffeAHolic, it looks like I just copied your post but you said it much more concisely and made more sense than I did! :o

Sorry - just re-read. You are waiting for 6 months. TBH, it's not an exact science anyway so I'd just go with instinct if you feel he's ready around that time.

I'm glad someone else asked this question, I've always been very confused!! But I now go with Calendar month, I don't want my DS to grow up, so in my mind it makes him sound younger!!

thanks for responses - just wishful thinking that he was 5mths!

I just counted, and when DD2 is 6 months she will be 26 weeks.

So I am not sure what the issue is.

I find that when they are new borns people and hv count in weeks like they are 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 12 weeks old etc but from about 4 months people start counting in calendar months like their 6 month check 9 month check etc. Otherwise if you keep assuming 4 weeks = 1 month you would be celebrating their 1st birthday too early!!!

There are 52 weeks in a year so there are obviously 26 weeks in half a year.