Thoughts on weaning early ....

[Ghosty]

I think I know the answer to this but I thought I would just ask anyway ...

DD is 14 weeks old on Tuesday. She is over 15 and a half LBS in weight ... the weight of an average 6 month old.

She is fully breastfed and up until last week was feeding well and sleeping brilliantly ... She dropped her 4am feed nearly 3 weeks ago and apart from one or two nights when a dummy got her back off she has slept from 11pm till 7.30am.

A couple of nights ago she started waking at 4am again ... feeding frantically for 15 minutes then going back to sleep. Then at 7.30am she is hungry again. She is feeding more often during the day too.

I know that she could just be having a growth spurt but what are your thoughts on starting a bit of baby rice?

I weaned DS early (at 13 and a half weeks on the advice of my HV) because he was drinking 48 fl oz of milk a day and I really wanted to reduce his formula to a more respectable level ... he too was a really big baby (bigger at this age than DD is ...) and he took to it well and at 4 years old has no digestive problems or allergies.

DH suggested we introduce formula but I am reluctant to do that because as most of you know I am now a fully paid up member of the 'Breastfeeding Forever Until She Goes to School Club'

So ... bit of baby rice? Or shall I wait a bit longer to see if it is just a growth spurt? (She already had a growth spurt at 12 weeks but it didn't disrupt her night times ....)

TIA ... (sorry for length of post ... very boring!)

Ghosty xxx

I have asked her now, and she admitted it, and it was bloody rusk, which they are not supposed to have!

Typical, it hasn't done ds any harm though, as he is now 18 months and LOVES his food, esp shepherds pie and sunday lunch's - mind you, I never gave him jars and always just freeze up what we eat. I weaned him on things like swede and carrot, sweet pots, banana, etc. To think how worried I was and he had already been tucking in without me even knowing!

My eldest was born in 1986 & I was told to wean her at 3 months. By the time I had her brother in 1987 the rules had changed to 4 months.

I think my twin brother and I were given solids at 6 weeks and evaporated milk till we were 6 months old. Apparently that was the best advice at the time for premies. Mind you, my brother does have IBS and asthma now...

With DD I intended to wait till 6 mths (while breastfeeding) but got a bit of pressure from DH after a visit to the GP about a cold. I messed about for a few weeks with a spoonful of baby rice and apple here and there but it didn't really take off until DD was sitting up properly at around 6 months. That's when it seemed more natural.