starting weaning

[Gemjar]

DS2 will be 17 weeks on Thurs and I am BFing on average every 2 hours during the day and he usually wakes once in the early hours for a feed, but some days he seems to feed even more often than that.

Firstly, does that sound like a lot in your experiences, and secondly would introducing baby rice/porridge this early help at all or not really make a difference and i'm just jumping the gun a bit?

2 hours a day and only once at night sounds pretty good to me, and definitely normal. My ds is 7.5 months and still sometimes wakes twice a night

Feeding often isn't a sign to wean - introducing rice/porridge might make him take less milk but that's not really a good thing for him as he needs all the calories and nutrients from milk. I'd wait at least another month before you think about weaning.

Gemjar your life sounds the same as mine! DD 17 weeks and sleeps through from 11-7 most nights but feeds every 2 hours during the day. To add to my problem, each feed normally takes 40 minutes so i actually only get an hour between feeds! I have introduced 1 bottle of formula a day with the hop of gradually moving to FF to give me a break! I would perhaps try that as formula may fill him up a bit more to give you a little longer between feeds!

Rita that's kind of what I thought, and I think I will wait until he is at least 20 weeks. I have received such conflicting advice on it and so not sure whether waiting was the best thing as he does seem to be a hungry baby, but I do love feeding him and so I am more than happy to continue as is for now. I just don't want to delay it too long if he is ready.

not sure about giving formula, I would rather not need to go down that route at all. BFing is much cheaper

Also, I have so far not been able to convince him to take much of anything from a bottle, he obviously prefers it directly from the source!

There's a bit about when they're ready to wean here

Basically you're looking for when they can sit well, pick up food and get it to their mouths, and have lost the tongue-thrust reflex. I started with my ds at 22 weeks, before then his head was still a bit wobbly I put a bit of broccoli within reach at dinner one night and he picked it up and ate it, so I was pretty sure he was ready.

Sounds pretty normal TBH. My 13 wo DD feeds roughly every hour when she's awake, but she sleeps 8-9 hours a night and has 2-3 naps a day, so it's the only way she can fit enough feeds in. I'd much prefer she did this than got me up lots every night! And bfing is so portable we go anywhere I want and if she gets hungry, I just feed her. If we were FF I'd either be up at night every night or unable to go out!

Needing to feed lots is not a sign that baby needs weaning at all, especially when it's only lots during the day rather than actually lots of feeds.

17 weeks is very early to wean.

"Also, I have so far not been able to convince him to take much of anything from a bottle, he obviously prefers it directly from the source!" Sounds like a clever lad .

Like the others have said it all sounds pretty normal and you are doing a great job.

There is some information on Kellymom about introducing solids and some information here on when to start weaning.

Your baby doesn't sound hungry to me and he wouldn't sleep with just one feed at night if he were hungry. You are doing brilliantly.

It won't be many more weeks before he is ready to start weaning. I've had 2 DC, one was weaned at 16 weeks (the advice then was 4 months) and the other at 6 months. I would highly recommend waiting, weaning an older baby is so much easier.

Gosh. Sounds like a remarkably content, settled baby. A baby of that age on one feed a night isn't really 'hungry'. You're doing brilliantly by the sounds of it.

Wait until your baby is sitting confidently, has lost the tongue thrust and can pick up and put food in his mouth.

What ShowyTech said. FWIW, DS was feeding 2-3 hourly in the day at 12 months, despite eating loads of solids from 6 months.