Has anyone weaned before 6 months?

[whyIsARavenLikeAWritingDesk]

As title suggests?
I have been having trouble getting any Mille into my 18 week DD, it is a daily battle and she refuses anything after taking half oz!
My HV isn't any help she says not to worry and she'll grow out of it, this has now been going on for 7 weeks!
Basically I want to know if anyone has weaned their baby this young? I know to speak to HV first but thinking MN might have some advise!
I'm in tears everyday because she just won't eat

funnyfarmer
Thank you, I was actually just trying to decide whether to post that it wasn't actually helping and I didn't start this thread to start a fall out, I did it for some advise, which I have got yes thank you all for your help!
I am seeing the HV in the morning for DD 4 month check so I will bring it up then but if I get no where then will make an appointment with the GP!
Typically though DD has decided these past couple of days to start taking milk again so I'm now within 2 minds to actually mention early weaning! Arrrggghhh minefield!!!!!!

Weaned all mine at 4 Months. No problems whatsoever.

Good luck op. I'm sure between you all you will be able to come to right decision on what's best for baby

I delayed waening both of mine after i thought they were ready. Ds because we were going to a wedding in a field, camping and I thought it would be easier if he was ebf. Dd because the guidence had changed and I was trying to wait for 6 months. Dd grabbed her brother's 3rd birthday cake of my plate at 5.5 months, so that was the end of that 1st food- chocolate cake !

I weaned my ds1 at about 15/16 weeks, as that was the norm back then. He doesnt have any allergies or food issues or any problems because of it.

I'd still mention it btw. Won't do any harm to discuss it..

I weaned both my DC at 5 months, following the official advice I was given here in Germany. DS2 was desperate to have something off my plate, I don't know how anyone can ignore that and decide to wait till 6 months exactly.

With DS2 I waited till a little over 6 months, despite him trying to grab food, because he really couldn't sit up very well until then. Grabbing at food means they're curious, not hungry, because they don't associate food with hunger at that point.

I would be worried about weaning your DD and her still not eating very much. Starter foods don't have much nutritional value in comparison to milk of any kind. If she's not putting on weight I wouldn't want to fill her up with, say, mashed carrot in favour of milk (which has more calories).

If you're getting conflicting advice from dietician/HV ask your GP which advice to take.

Good luck tomorrow.

sticklebrix thank you, I hadn't actually thought of this if I'm honest, I'm just blinded by her not wanting the milk. I will definitely take his into consideration, it's just she's obviously hungry because she shouts for it and gets excited when she sees the bottle but then won't take any or very minimal!

OP- how's her weight? Is she peeing and pooing? Alert and bright?

Everything is fine, she's not putting the weight on sh was but she's not losing it! I know that this means she's not coming to any harm but there's something not right, I can just tell by the way she acts when she sees her bottle or when she's really hungry! I've tried leaving her longer and she starts to cry for it but will only take the tiniest amount! And I mean 1oz and then I have to fight to get anymore in her and she still on takes a max of 3-4oz!

Have you tried a faster flowing teat? I feel your pain. Dd1 took an oz an hour at one point.

She's on vari flow teats but I tried her back on size one and two and nothing helped! It's like I'm force feeding her at times, my mum said last week just think at least she's getting something which is very true but I still can't stop worrying

How did it go with the HV, OP?

Really well, somehow DD has put on a lb in a fortnight! I'm thinking her scales might be defective though! She's told me that they wouldn't be adverse to starting to wean as it's getting me down but because she's under the care of a dietician to email her as they have more experience then HV!

Brilliant! Go DD!

Good advice to get in touch with your dietician, IMO. Glad to hear that it went so well.

Is it expressed milk or formula she's feeding on?

She's on prescription milk for cmpa!

My ds was 4 months, as was the advice back then. Dd was 6 months as the advice had changed. The difference between their weaning what what they would eat was startling, dd being by far the easiest. I'd wait until your dd is at least sitting up unaided and only on the advice of your gp.

If she has CMPA are you not already under a dietician? We had a fantastic allergy doctor who gave us tonnes of help in that arena.

So what is the consensus on 'unaided'??
Yes DD is under a dietician in a pp I mentioned she'd recommended to wait until at the 5 months.
After today's outcome I'm going to wait longer, DD is obviously taking no harm it's me who's worrying unnecessarily, I've just got to keep telling myself this!

To me, "unaided" means able to sit in a high chair, perhaps with a support, without slumping sideways or forwards. It doesn't mean able to sit independently on the floor with no support whatsoever. We started off in the IKEA Antilop high chair with the inflatable insert to support.

DD actually went in the ikea high chair today when we were out, she was great sat like a pro, but then again she's sitting unsupported for a few minutes on the floor

DC1 is 20. The advice at tthe time was 4 months. It had just been raised from 3 months. I started him on baby rice at 16 weeks, which is just shy of 4 months but well past the 3 month mark. I was considered late at the time.
By the time dc3 came along, I felt comfortable ignoring the 6 month rule and went with what she wanted, which was 6.5 months of exclusive breastmilk and refusal of everything else.

Guess which child developed the food allergy? The one who was exclusively breastfed the longest and not weaned till almost 7 months old. Years of horrible excema and vomiting.