weaning - what are your views????

[mummy2t]

Hi all, my little one is 15 weeks and i am not going to start weaning until 6 months. after talking to alot of different mums i have have found not many of them share my view! some are definately going to wean at 4 months, some i have met have considered weaning BEFORE 4 months and i was told on one woman who has been giving baby rice at bed times to try and get baby to sleep through!!!????!!!! bubba is only 3 months old!!!! i am quite shocked that there are so many people that just ignore advice thats out there, thinking they know better. What does everyone think about this??

Man, I feel I have to step in to give Mabelmay some support - I weaned DS1 at 4 months cos well...he was showing apparently those 'classic signs' that are in all the books. He was an extremely hungry baby from birth and certainly became happier when on solids and is doing great now. I am a GP and understand guidelines etc but that is what they are...guidelines and they don't fit every person. I agree with purplepolecat that 'facts' change regularly in the medical world and I do believe there is some 'maternal instinct' in knowing when something may be good for your baby. ( I can hear the screams of disgust already). Practically all my older family were weaned from 12 weeks, as was the very old guidelines and none of them have any tummy gip and are perfectly healthy....i agree if there is a very strong family history of allergies , then yes, later is better, but otherwise.....anyway, think I will go and hide under the sofa after posting this!

And before the 1940's it was a fact that you shouldn't start weaning until between 9 months and a year. That age came down with the wider introduction of formula (which at that time was insufficent nutritionally), until it was 4 months or less. We're only just now getting back to the point that centuries of experience had led us to.

And its since that weaning age dropped that theres been a massive increase in allergies....

I keep having to come back after I've said goodbye because I feel I have to keep defending myself...

seeker, goodness me! "you actually can't have an opinion..." - Of course I can have an opinion! How scarey that you think "facts" override having the right to have thoughts on a particular matter. And the OP did, in all fairness, ask, I quote: "What do you think?"

At no stage have I said I disagreed with the Dept of Health recommendations (and I emphasize the word recommendations) - I just gave an honest answer to what I'd done with my ds1 and explained why and said I thought that individual baby is more important than some strict prescriptive one size fits all, don't start until 6 months etc etc. Fine, if your baby can wait. I honestly don't think mine could have/would have. He was blatantly unsettled and hungry. I did what I firmly believed was in his best interests.

If my paediatrician (who is a consultant, and a highly qualified, intelligent, thoughtful expert on children and babies) believes there are times when it is necessary to wean before 6 months - he has actually recommended weaning my second ds2 early because he has reflux - then I'm inclined to think it's not all going to end in disaster if I do so.

If my baby can wait until 6 months then I'll let him. If he can't, I won't make him.

McGill, come and join me. My sofa's huge!

Just to say my ds had reflux and early weaning didn't help that either despite being told sby my GP it would. He eventually stopped vomiting at 10 months but still can do it on demand (he'll be fun whens he a binge drinking teen).

Mabel May - I'll be there, as long as I can bring my bottle of wine...

cmot, I said something about that on here recently and someone asked where I heard it, I can't remember can you point at something for me, please?

Guidelines are guidelines because they can't legislate it!

Guidelines are not guidelines simply because they cannot legislate it - they are guidance based on the best evidence from studies available CURRENTLY BUT.....new studies come out all the time ( some good, some crap) so things can change AND...they are certainly not a 'one size fits all' - they are meant to be a 'general guide' not an absolute be-all-and-end-all etc....

Its actually from me reading the baby advice sections in my extensive advice book collection - I've got them from 1850 onwards, and they are all the same until 1943 ish, when Dr Spock starts in on weaning at 6 months, and it goes down from there.

The recipes for making your own formula are very interesting to say the least.

So, cmotdibbler, are you saying that the recommendations for weaning in 1850 were better for baby than those of the late 20th century/current guidelines...?

I'm not challenging you, just genuinely curious as to what you think.

Obviously infant mortality was a lot higher in 1850 than it is now... for a myriad of reasons, of course. But why were they 'right' about weaning age then if they got so many other things 'wrong', through no fault of their own other than not having the technology/science to know otherwise and not having as nutritious diet as that which is available to us now.
Am genuinely interested in your opinion.

excuse crap grammar, watching telly at same time...

Actually, I have no idea whether they were better than today - its just the point that 'early' weaning has not been the norm forever.

However, what I do notice is that they are very concious of the things that contributed to child mortality - so not weaning in the summer when food poisoning would be most likely, lots of things about bfing being important for the babies health etc. And we are certain that people of my parents generation did have a much lower incidence of allergies.

As a good scientist, I know that the only way to be certain about these things is a blinded, randomised, controlled trial - but its never going to happen. So we have to do retrospective studies which are far from perfect, but can give us guidelines for the future.

Do you post on Aitch's site and written that at some point maybe? I know someone said about homemade formula. I can't remember where I read it, I just know I do and obviously didn't dream it!

MabelMay, they're not the only ones that weaned that late though. There are countries even today that still do, so it's not just picking one bit of history and deciding it's right.

That was me. One day I'll find a bit of free time to scan the relevant bits in.

I'd imagine weaning late has a lot to do with what kinds of food are available to give to the baby once they are weaned.
Also, don't baby's iron stores start depleting from 6 months of age? And don't they need extra protein?

Anyway, this has been fun. But I'm really, really logging out now.
MM x

MabelMay,

I must offer some support to you too. I weaned DS at 4 months for similar reasons to you. He has developed well, eats well, has no allergies.

I wasn't desparate to wean him, I just felt for various reasons that he was ready for the next stage and I read the guidelines around at the time.

He has only just started sleeping through (20mo). I didn't wean so he would start sleeping through. I accept that is what babies do!

May I join you on the sofa?

I'm assuming that you think I'm talking about developing countries. I'm not.

Iron stores built up in pregnancy start to deplete, but there is plenty of iron in BM and of course added into formula.

BM is the most perfectly balanced meal for anyone of any age. Of course it wouldn't be practical and would be pointless to supply adults, but it is given to the sick in some countries for that reason.

cmot, I'm surprised if no one has yet uploaded copies of the books. I would love to read them myself.

I've been searching Aitch's site, but I can't remember where it was. I'm sure it was part of a very similar conversation to this where I said I had spoken to TD's secretary and she said they wean at 2.

I was weaned at 12 weeks, as was an exbf.
I have suffered from IBS for years. My exbf has a severe nut allergy (causing anaphalyxis) and coeliac disease.
There is a lot of research about which suggests that early weaning may lead to an increase risk of gastro-intestinal disorders.
For the sake a few weeks, I'm not prepared to take a chance on my son's future health.
Sorry if this offends, but I genuinely don't get the rush to wean. All those signs people go on about can be put down to other things!
My ds grabs and puts EVERYTHING in his mouth. If I happen to pass him a piece of banana, it will go in his mouth. This is because the mouth is more sensitive than the hands at sensing texture and feeling and object - he is simply exploring his environment.
I like to be sat up to eat, lying down or slouching when you eat is not particularly good for the digestion - so I will wait until ds can sit up straight with minimum support before giving him solids.

ok .... I've read through and I agree with both sides.

My personal "opinion" on weaning is that if you can hold out till 6 months then it should be done. If you have ANY ALLERGIES AT ALL IN ANY MEMEBER OF FAMILY AS FAR BACK AS CAN BE TRACED OR REMEMBERED then you shouldn't wean till 6 months.

My DD is 20 weeks (born 2 weeks late so technically 22 weeks)

Originally when she turned 4 months I gave her babyrice as the cartons said 4 months and no-one advised any other way. However, when I came on here I realised it was wrong (and tbh, she didn't like it) She was drinking 9oz bottles and asking for more at the end but this was not a reason I gave her food. (I once allowed her to drink as much milk as she wanted during all feeds all day and she took over a bottle in every sitting)

She has suffered from reflux (I'm assuing its reflux from what i've read) She would drink a bottle and be sick all day until her next bottle. I saw 3 different doctors who won't medicate her as she is gaining weight healthily. However after having a night where I woke up with her choking I wasn't willing for it to happen anymore and went back to the doctors.

They said they still wouldn't medicate her but said to try small amounts of puree to put a lining on her stomach. I originally refused to do this due to guidelines but after speaking to my HV who said that her behaviour/development (sitting up alone, holiding her head etc etc) gave the idea she was ready. Also checked with mine and DP's family and as no-one had any allergies I finally gave her some puree. (this was about 3 days ago)

She has now completely stopped being sick all day. She still sleeps through (this was never a reason and in all honesty should never be used as a reason) and she is soo much happier.

I struggled with my decision as I think every mother should. Speak to as many people as you need to to make up your mind.

As a final note - I'm still oposed to weaning before 6 months if can be helped and made that clear to a friend of mine who wants to wean her 15 week old baby cos he's not sleeping through the night. She has ceeliac (sp?) and thinks cos DD and a friend DS (who is 9 months) are eating solids so should she. I had to walk away from her today while she was stocking up ready to feed him. (Buying Rusks to go in his milk etc)

I honestly think that mothers need to READ EVERYTHING and LISTEN TO EVERYONE and make their own decision but stick as close to the 6 months as you can.

OK, when I was a child nobody used car seats, or even seatbelts. It was OK then, because people didn't realize that it was dangerous. Nobody in my family or anybody I know got hurt and it actually suited my family very well - lots of children, small cars and so on. And it was so much better for long journeys because children could lie down on the back seat and get a good sleep. So , would it be OK for me not to strap my children in now?

Excellent point seeker.
My friend who weaned at 20 weeks hoped it would help cure her ds's reflux. He is now 8.5 months and he is still being sick lots. He also stopped sleeping through, but again weaning him onto solids made him sleep through temporarily but he has stopped again because he is teething.

lol seeker I remember my parents taking some of the boys from BB in their car, they had 14 boys in the back!

Seeker - I don't understand your point? What do carseats have to do with weaning? - Sorry but I don't get the reference (you may have to dumb it down for me! lol)

BT - Weaning has stopped DD's sickness and if the 2nd point was directed at me. As I said I never did it to make her sleep through, she sleeps through anyway and even if she didn't as I said sleeping should not be the reason you wean.