Weaning at 4 months

[Georgia0808]

Hi everyone, on the advice of my baby’s doctors, health visitor and pediatrician it has been decided it’s best to start weaning him at 4 months and I was wondering if anyone has any tips, advice or anything with weaning this young, in the nicest way possible I don’t want anyone telling me I shouldn’t or I should wait as that’s not what I need. TIA

Demeaning? Really? How so? I responded in the way that I always do.

I weaned dc 2 at 4 months because I have allergic dc1 and the evidence for it reducing allergy is strong. There absolutely is a benefit. People are so dogmatic about it but you will find more and more doctors/ HV s advising this. Something like 1in 10 children in the U.K. now have severe food allergy I think? The 6months is a WHO guideline aimed at making sure most children are exclusively breast fed for as long as possible. Hardly applicable to the U.K. given most babies aren’t even breastfed! Things change as science moves on but the ‘food before one is just for fun’ brigade can’t seem to accept this.

Anyway. I just mashed up veg. Sweet pots is a great one (still his fave food now) Gave him porridge, scrambled eggs, peanut butter, basically anything soft and spoon fed until he could sit up in his high chair. It really wasn’t long and then obviously onto more finger foods. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. They will only be having small amounts to start with.

Oh bloody hell just noticed it’s an old thread. Oh well maybe the op will come back to see my supportive message and hopefully the weaning went ok for her

on the advice of my baby’s doctors, health visitor and pediatrician it has been decided it’s best to start weaning him at 4 months

Ask the pediatrician very clearly what you are suppose to wean your baby on. They should give you specific advice OR direct you to information.

Don't bother asking the HV as they can only give you generic advice that follows the NHS guidelines.

In future if a doctor advises you to do something follow up by asking them a question on how you are suppose to do it. The advice on MN will vary because people are not in the UK, are in different parts of the UK, come from different cultures, had children 20 years ago, etc.

@FortunesFave given you seem to know everything, can you guide me to the studies that support your statement here?

Aside from being rude and judgemental, what qualifications do you have to categorically deny any open conversation or answer to this lady?

My own research has yet to find compelling scientific evidence on why, aside from the WHO recommending 6 months based on a shaky study aimed at developing countries reducing the incidence of infection AND who based all their comparisons on EBF, there’s an association of harm with weaning from 4 months.

@canyoutoleratethis perhaps you can also help me find the study relating to ‘inflammation’ you speak of? The only one I could find in response to your comment was, in fact, related to pigs.

You can read more here:

www.bmj.com/content/bmj/342/7790/Analysis.full.pdf

Not sure if you're still on here trolling people without a SHRED of actual knowledge, but I remembered you when I saw this 🤣

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11871845/Scientists-discover-way-drastically-cutting-risk-kids-allergic-peanuts.html

In case, you misunderstand, it's a SEVENTY SEVEN PERCENT reduction of severe peanut allergy reactions when they are introduced to a babies diet BETWEEN FOUR and SIX months.

Many thanks

At last! I have been advocating for earlier weaning and exposure to peanut for years - ever since a British immunologist went to a conference in Israel and was gobsmacked to find colleagues there who had never seen a single case of peanut allergy, due to their habit of early weaning with peanut butter snacks.
In the UK, children were practically raised on peanut butter when I was young, and allergies were unheard of here too.
The incorrect NHS advice to give nothing but milk for six months has caused a terrible burden of ill health, and will hopefully now be ditched.

I know. We were part of the latter stages of the trial for this.

Why is it incorrect to milk feed for 6 months? This study is suggesting introducing peanut butter before the age of one, at around 4 to 6 months when babies are physically ready for solid foods. The NHS suggest this too, at the moment.

I totally agree with you, I've read threw them all and everybody has definitely been rude and not helped you, you are right mums should help and not make you feel like your doing or saying something wrong, maybe good advice but it all seems critical. Most first baby foods are from 4mths so I have no idea where poeple are getting this information from, yes they can choke and I can imagine mothers aren't stupid to leave there baby unattended while eating. My son is 4mths 2weeks, he doesn't seem to get full on hungry baby milk and is very fussy, I've tried lots of different ones too but he spews and still struggling to enjoy his milk. He has 3bottles in the day and 3 in the night, in between I give him baby rice or mushed up rusks with his milk, he loves it and having no problems. I hope these poeple haven't ruined your day and there is decent mothers out there that want to support other mothers with kindness xxx