Weaning baby

[mrsm22]

Hi

My baby is just turned 5 months and I have started trying him with a baby spoonful of Cow & Gate baby porridge on a morning, which he takes perfectly and seems to like. However, I have only done this the last couple of days and on a night he seems to have got bad tummyache, drawing legs and crying etc so I am thinking that maybe it is too soon for him. My other child started on baby porridge at 5 months and didn't show any signs of tummyache or wind and was fine, but I know all babies are of course different. At the baby clinic where I have my baby weighed, they seem quite adamant that you shouldn't start weaning your baby until 6 months as they are not ready to digest the food yet. I'm happy to wait another few weeks until my baby is 6 months old but wondered if anyone could share some advice on whether 6 months is best to wait and if baby porridge is maybe not best to start with? Is it better to start on baby rice and should I wait a little longer. It is quite difficult to remember what I did and how I did it exactly last time but I'm assuming my baby isn't quite ready as he's getting tummy pain.
Any words of wisdom appreciated! Thanks for reading.

There really is no good reason to start weaning earlier than the current nhs advice of 6mths.

I waited and it meant I could just give her whole foods and skip purées. Baby rice and to a less extent porridge is really not of any nutritional value at all, just a filler which means baby takes less milk.

Dd loved carrots and broccoli and has embraced baby led weaning, but I appreciate all babies are different.

Any particular reason you started to wean early? Honestly, weaning is messy and generally a pita (from my experience) and not worth rushing into. If he's appearing uncomfortable then wait a while or try some veg.

I think wheat (and possibly gluten in oats?) is something they recommend waiting until 6mo+ for. Baby rice is more bland (but vile) and might be better for his tum?

If it helps I found out at a weaning class today (at sure start) that, although it says 4 months on the packet, baby porridge should be left until 6 months as it contains gluten (like bread etc) and is harder to digest.
The class leader did say that as close to 6 months as possible was the guidelines but no earlier than 17 weeks.
If you feel you want to leave it longer then do, the choice is yours as you know your baby best.

Not sure why you want to do it early, but I'd have thought the fruit purées would be better to start on than rice/porridge.

I weaned all mine at around 20-23 weeks, once they were sitting steadily and could pick up food. I did fruit and veg, either pureed/mashed of finger food pieces. If you don't think your baby is ready yet though there's no harm in waiting a few more weeks.