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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Early weaning?

4 replies

lalath · 16/07/2016 13:43

DD is 21 weeks old and has started helping herself to solids. As in, we will be sitting at the table (dd on my lap or in high chair), she will reach over, grab a fistful of food and eat it. She then helps herself to more.

Is this too early? With DS I didn't start weaning until he was six months, and he wasn't really interested until about 10 months. He breastfed for three years.

DD has also been, up to this point, exclusively breastfed, and I'm concerned that eating solids might mean she feeds from me less, which might not be good for her. She can sit unaided, has been able to hold her head up from very very young. She does still have the tongue thrust reflex, which is what is making me think it might be too early, although when she eats (it's only been two days) she feeds herself and she swallows. From her nappies, it seems she is digesting the food.

So far it's only few teaspoonfuls (I estimate, she finger feeds herself) a day. And I do make sure she feeds from me immediately afterwards.

Any thoughts? Should I stop her? I sort of feel it's too early, but I'm also reluctant to stop her as she really seems to be enjoying herself! I intend to breastfeed until she weans herself from me, anyway.

OP posts:
mrsmugoo · 16/07/2016 13:47

If she's been grabbing and eating food then you've already started weaning! You're only 5 weeks off 6 months. I wouldn't have thought a few bits of finger food would really be a big deal - crack on, I would.

geekaMaxima · 16/07/2016 13:55

Most babies aren't able to grab food and self-feed until 6 months or later, but it sounds like your DD is an early bird!

Go with it and keep a careful eye on her to make sure her finger foods are suitable, especially if her tongue thrust reflex hasn't faded (though if she's swallowing the food she grabs, it sounds like it's on the way out).

You can bf before meals to be sure she's still getting plenty of milk and the food is just for fun.

She's started weaning herself really... You're just an innocent bystander Grin

HeyRobot · 20/07/2016 06:50

My dd was the same, early sitter, can't really remember her not holding her head up, and by 5 months we really couldn't eat anything in front of her without her grabbing some or being really upset if we didn't let her.

When we were babies the advice was to wean at 4-6 months and while I aimed to follow the NHS guidelines she had other ideas.

ShowOfHands · 20/07/2016 06:56

You've already started by the sounds of it. She sounds ready.

Just breastfeed before meals which is the recommended way round. And enjoy it.

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