When is the earliest anyone has started baby on solids? V hungry baby.

[mummy22gorgeousboys]

I know 4-6 months tends to be the general rule, but has anyone started earlier? And what did you start with?

I have an insatiable 8 week old. He's on hungry Aptimal milk and feeds every 2-3.5 hours with 4oz. He won't drink any more per feed.

At 7 weeks he weighed 15lb 9oz. He hasn't been weighed this week.

Although I'm not necessarily thinking about putting him on solids just yet, any help, advice or thoughts would be hugely appreciated.

Many Thanks.

I agree with woof, people lie. Also when I mentioned about sleeping through HV advice was that 6 hours between feeds is sleeping through.

My BF was telling me to let my 8 wo cry to elongate times between feeds and that I needed to be tougher. When she left the room her DH told me to take no notice; their DC1(5) was still in their bed and DC2 (3) went to bed at 11pm. Felt much better

I remember being so sleep deprived that I was frantically trying to see if the budget could stretch to an overnight nanny and looked into how much this would cost. It does get better.

is he draining the 4 oz bottle? if so, make up a 5 oz bottle and i would go tback to regualr milk , feeding every 2 - 3 hrs and taking 4 oz is not a terribly hungry baby, that's a normal feeding pattern

Mummy22- I was always under the impression ff babies slept longer too but thats now always the case. It just depends on the baby. You're doing well and he sounds as though he's thriving. I weaned both my sons at 17 weeks as they were taking 8-9 oz bottles every two to three hours..and they were still starving!! When you get to the point where the maximum amount of milk is not settling them then you could consider weaning. At that point you've reached the end of the road milk wise iyswim. xx

Well mine were weaned at 12 weeks - as per the guidelines at the time...

There's nothing about the way he's feeding that sounds like he's ready though, some babies skip a feed at night, some don't, but 2-3.5 hours between bottles is pretty much what every baby I've ever known does and 8 weeks would be young for sleeping through anyway.

12 weeks? That must have been q long time qgo! Good that we know better now!

I don't think guidelines in the UK have ever been 12 weeks - it was 4 months from when guidelines were first issued (late 70s?), changed to 4-6 months in 1994 and then 6 months in 2003 iirc.

Thanks again for everyone's posts.

I'm definitely going to try a different milk, and like a few of you have suggested I'm not going to start weaning until he finishes a 9oz bottle, that makes sense to me now someone has suggested it.

I thought 2-3.5 hours sounded about right for BF babies but wasn't sure about bottle fed so it's put my mind at rest about how much / often he's feeding. This bottle feeding is new to me so thanks to everyone for your advice.

I think with what people have said I just need to accept how it is and pull my socks up and get on with it, rather than fretting like I have. I thought I was doing something wrong.

I definitely wish I'd BF but at least I can enjoy x factor with a little glass of ye olde pinot hey?

Thanks again.

Mummy22 you could have had your Pinot and bf. Its another myth that you can't have some alcohol and bf.

You can drink alcohol and bf!

Know there are often lots of pregnant lurkers in the feeding section so here is the info on bfing and alcohol.

No way could I have bfed for more than a year if I had to give up wine! Though maybe that is why I haven't lost any baby weight...

When I had my eldest daughter (1992) 12 weeks was the guideline for weaning using babyrice. This was in accordance with the booklet we were given and also what the health visitor said!

Well technically in 1996, half my paperwork advised 12 weeks and half 16 - but my point was that nothing the OPs baby is doing sounds like he wants weaning even if you're thinking about doing it early.

Well, it was definitely 4-6 with a recommendation to leave it as long as possible in 1996. Because I weaned dd at 6 months then, and I knew as much about babies as I knew about the history of lighthouses, so I would have followed the instructions I was given.

Interesting - I know the recommendation changed to 4-6 months in 1994 and I'd read that was from the previous recommendation of 4 months/16 weeks. Unfortunately a quick google hasn't revealed the government recommendation before 1994, though my mother says she was advised 16 weeks in the 1980s.

I suppose pre-easy access to Internet and what have you, people would have been much more at the mercy of individual HCPs, luckily that's no longer the case :)

did you bf at all op? Just wondering if there is any chance at all that you could give it another go? I know it is possible even after mums have stopped for a few weeks, probably not though if you never bf iyswim?!

No I didn't BF for longer than 4 days, I didn't want him to settle on the breast for me to change to a bottle and I had already decided that I was going to FF. So BF is definitely not an option now, I think it's gone too long to start again.

Enjoyed my glass of Pinot - but I never knew you could have a tipple while BF! I never did with DS1.

Thanks again for your input, I feel more assured now that I'm not doing anything wrong, though I will change the milk I'm currently using.

Thanks MN'rs x

Hi OP, looks like you have the answer you need but to perhaps give you some light at the end of a sleepy tunnel! My LO went on to FF at 6 weeks (medical reasons - whole other story!) & was & still is a greedy monkey! By 10 weeks she was drinking 6oz bottles every 3 hours and started to sleep through 7.30ish to 6.45am (no wakings at all, pinky promise!)
I feed her at 7am & every 3 hours on the dot until bed time, swaddled her a hoped for the best & it just started happening.
No dream feed, just filled her wee tummy during the day. HTH.

PS. Started weaning at 17 weeks, very slowly. She was ready, very good head a neck control, didn't push the food back out etc & was draining 8oz bottles & looking for more!

Have you tried HIPP Organic? It's purely anecdotal (and therefore possibly coincidental) but a couple of friends and I found that HIPP seems to fill them up better.

"I know 4-6 months tends to be the general rule" just wanted to add that the current recommendations is 6 months not 4 months or 4 to 6 months. Know there has been a bit of confusion recently over this and some people thought the age had been reduced.

There is some NHS info on weaning here.

Glad you are feeling better, you are doing nothing wrong, your DS has a perfectly normal feeding pattern. He's still so young and one thing is for sure, he'll grow and this time will end.

OP you should still be able to relactate if you do feel you've made the wrong decision. It's entirely up to you but you do have the choice (and yes you can still have the wine )

Here's some info if you choose to give it a go:

www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/relactation.html

Rita Morgan Prior to 1994, weaning guidelines were no solids before 12 weeks/3 months.

Do you have any links for that Beveridge? I'd be interested to see any published guidelines.