Is 3 months too early to wean?

[May2000]

My baby girl is 3 months old and is having 6-9 oz every 2/3 hours ( having a 6oz then wanting more so she has another 3oz) she was taking 5oz every 2/3 hours HV said it’s normal as she was a bit small at birth and she might be ready to wean early.

I tried her with a little bit of banana porridge the other day and she loved it and was demanding more when I took it away as I was too scared that she was too young. Has anyone else’s baby been ready before 4 months if so what do you start them off with? Thank you x

Here is a miss know it all who hasn’t read it properly so I will repeat myself again. GP gave me advice but said if I’m still worried or have more questions then ask on her

Oh no I did read it all properly, just don't believe a word of it because it's ridiculous 😂

I think you need to find a new GP… recommending weaning from 4 months and telling you to ask on Mumsnet for further advice!?

NHS advice is six months. This is literally the most basic fact of weaning. Mum knows best is a crock if you don’t bother to find out any actual facts on which to base your decision. Three months is madness.

I was weaned at just over two months 35 years ago and my digestive system is absolutely shot.

Okay fair enough but she is showing signs she is ready that’s all I was trying to say

HV sent me a guid to weaning as she even knows some babies are ready before other

What she means is that some are ready at 24 weeks and others at 30 weeks, not that some are ready at 12 weeks. Also, it;s all about the gut being mature and you can't tell that just by looking at them.

It's a bit depressing that all the nonsense about how they need food because they're hungry, they watch me eat, they are chewing their fists, they seemed to really like the baby rice etc has not moved on since my eldest was born 21 years ago. So much misinformation and so many myths. Mostly peddled by the infant formula and "baby food" industry which has a vested interest in selling their products.

You have had lots of advice on this thread. The overwhelming majority of posters have said that, for a number of excellent reasons, it is too early to wean including the risk of damaging her gut health in the longer term. If you want to wean, then do it, sure, nobody on here can stop you but most of us are saying we absolutely wouldn't do it at this age.

Okay she is just over 14 weeks I didn’t need to be made out like I’m stupid. I know it’s 6 months but HV and GP says it’s when they are showing signs she is ready whether it’s true or not I’m just here for advice not to be spoken to how I have been. I appreciate all the advice

If this is real...

If she's 14 weeks old, she's not 2 weeks away from being 4 months old. What you are proposing is potentially dangerous. She drinks loads because she has reflux and it's soothing at the point of intake. Unless she's had a paediatrician recommend early weaning, you'd be neglectful to do so.

The guideline was well and truly 6 months when DC 3 was born in 2001. There has been a bit of softening in certain specific cases but being 'hungry' isn't that. After all it is very easy for a baby to absorb calories from milk .

She is not showing any signs of being six months old.

The advice is six months for very good reasons.

Showing readiness signa is not the same as being ready to wean as the biggest thing is the gut being developed enough. That doesn't happen quicker just because she can sit unaided from an early age.

Go and read about gut development in babies then see if you still want to wean a 3 month old.

I get that I was just trying to state a fact of someone saying that 12 weeks is too early I was just correcting them by saying she’s 14 weeks that’s all. No she drinks so much because whatever she is drinking she is vomiting over half of it back out. I feel like I’m going insane on this thing. Im not saying I’m going to start giving her food I was just genuinely asking for advice from one desperate mother to other mothers I shouldn’t be made to feel the way I have just for asking questions and stating what I’ve been told whether it’s right or wrong this is what I came here for

Get help for the reflux.

Your baby needs milk, it is a very calorific food.

If you introduce solids you risk reducing the calories she gets which will affect her development. You risk harming her gut which is not old enough to deal with solid food. You risk causing anaemia. You risk other health problems.

Your baby is too youg for solid food. The advice is 6 months for very good reasons. It is better to start a little late than a little early.

No need to be rude I was just trying to answer someone’s question when they asked

The UK seems to be a bit of an outlier on baby weaning age in Europe.

Everyone is having a go at the op but in Europe although the generally recommended age is 6 months under certain circumstances (such as the op is describing) the recommended age is 4 to 6 months (as it used to be here). https://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/Complementary_Feeding_PLS_PDF.pdf

I’m just a desperate mum at her wits end asking for advice

At the risk of sounding like a broken record. For the third time have you spoken to your GP or HV about the possibility of her having CMPA?

@DramaAlpaca surely your children are adults now?

The guidance changed to 4 months in 1994. Thirty years ago. It's very misleading to present this as though it happened last year or something!

OP please wait until 16 weeks which is the minimum that NHS advise. It's really irresponsible for your health visitor to say you should wean before 4 months. She doesn't need solids, she just needs more milk. There's no problem with her having 9oz of milk.

The signs of being ready for food are being able to sit up with support, showing interest in food and being able to bring an item to their mouth themselves with their hands while they are in a sitting position. Three month old babies can't do this. It's great that she's interested in the porridge, but wait for the 16 weeks and that she's sitting up more.

Taking more milk, waking at night, chewing their hands and so on are old myths, they aren't readiness signs for weaning.

Amy Brown always has great weaning info as she wrote a good book about this: https://www.facebook.com/profile/100050422242672/search/?q=solids

Ah xposted with the vomit info - I would ask the GP about feed thickeners and reflux medication. It must be stressful dealing with that.

You have a child with reflux or CMPA. You need help with that.

Weaning is for later.

I understand you are worried but going against the NHS advice without proper nutrition advice from a specialist is not a good idea.

@ZipZapZoom Yes I have but they told me at first I was feeding her too much then I cut it down but it was still the same just with her screaming for more. GP won’t listen when I say it’s getting worse no matter how much or little she’s drinking judging by everyone’s reaction to what I said my GP told me I clearly need to change GP

I didn’t think I was going against it as my GP and HV said that she will let me know when she’s ready so sorry I’m a first time mum and was just listening to what I was told

OP the guidelines on things like banana porridge that say 4 months + are a marketing ploy.

No baby needs food before 6 months unless medically advised by a dietitian.
I know you're mum but you don't know best when it comes to decades of research.

She is crying for more to sooth the reflux. Adding food too early can make reflux worse.
Trying to feed a just out of newborn phase baby is dangerous as they have the tongue thrust, they don't know how to chew. The tongue pushes the food to the top of the mouth and to the back of the mouth. This can cause choking.
The midwife's who 'have never seen anything like it's with your babies head strength were probably complimenting you as a new mum. Of course they've seen babies with strong head strength before.

Babies aren't naturally meant to have solids yet, so your baby won't be showing signs of being 'ready' as she's not biologically meant to have food yet.

Leave it a few months, offer more milk.

Definitely get another opinion. The simple fact is food will not fix the issue and whilst they might fob you off with excuses or incorrect information you really do need to get to the bottom of the actual problem.

Seek an alternative opinion ASAP and don't be misled into weaning early.