weaning onto solids

[Feelingsolow12345]

when did you start your little ones onto solids?

DS1 - started on cauliflower rice made with breastmilk at 17wks. There was simply no filling him and he was showing a keen interest in food way before we decided to wean (eg attempting to grab food off people's plates whilst in my arms at a barbecue!) We had the full support of the HV and nursery manager (qualified in children's nutrition) and it made a world of difference to him - he almost instantly became less screamy and much more chilled.

With DD the health visits has advised to "try to get as close to 6 months as possible, but 5 months is fine". Although so far she's nowhere near as hungry and grumpy as DS1 was!

"Mine was at 4 months I started solids, but gave him baby rice at 3months and he loves his food he's now 9months, my hv said its fine they wouldn't recommended it at 4months if it wasn't safe ie jar, but it's up to you what is your lo like do they drink a lot of milk"

Please ignore this post. It is utter, utter rubbish.

How is it rubbish

Wholeheartedly agree with Bert and I was just about to write something similar.

Health visitors seem to be incredibly hit and miss; I swear some just give advice based on what they did or something - a friend was worried about her baby being underweight at a couple of months old, and the HV told her to add cereal to the bottle! In the early weeks with mine I mentioned that he was spitting up after a feed a lot (with hindsight, just like a totally normal newborn baby, then) and she told me that sometimes they overfeed themselves so I should try taking him off the breast after a few minutes, let him cry for a while, and then see if he's hungry again later! I completely ignored as - even as a novice - that would clearly have buggered up establishing breastfeeding.

So basically, OP, unless your GP is advising you to wean early, you're probably better leaving it until 6 months and ignoring your HV.

^^^

What Bert said.

Rh1annon's post is complete and utter nonsense and frankly, dangerous advice to be giving anyone

Rh1annon. Because you recommend giving a baby baby rice at 3 months. Because you say that it's up to the mother. Because you say it's only jars that aren't safe.

Another little anecdote from the practice nurse at my health centre...

My son was born end of October - he was fairly big and I'm fairly small. She says to me (at his first vaccine appointment so, 8 weeks) 'gosh he's a big boy' and I said yes he feeds a lot, she said ' awk you can't keep breastfeeding him, my daughter was born in October and she was having puréed Christmas dinner that same year'

Riiiiiiiiiight. Needless to say I didn't listen to that little tit bit of bullshit. And I continued to breastfeed him until I was 12 weeks pregnant with this baby. So fuck her and her bollocks.

Anyway OP, what I'm trying to say is trust your own gut. You probably really do know best. But honestly, weaning is such a huge pain in the bum I'd hold off

HV son had the same problem as my son is at the moment with his skin. she mentioned apple and pear as an example as it's the least allergenic food.

I understand leaving it to as close as 6 months as possible and, even though it says you can start from 4 months, I wouldn't risk that but he's a few weeks off 6 months that's why I was asking.

As long as you don't immediately replace his milk feeds with solids, his weight won't be adversely affected.
Most babies don't swallow much food at the start anyway - food is for fun until a year old.
My Dd spent many "meal times" at the start of weaning just smearing puréed carrot all over her head

The recommendation is 6 months, just because a jar says 4 months doesn't mean Heinz are right.

It's up to you, you will get people who started at 17 weeks because they wanted too and will say their children are fine. However they won't know if that had an effect for many years.

Research shows its best for the gut development to wait until 6 months.

It's your choice at the end of the day.

6 months.

DS was tall and heavy (he was born 11lb 7oz) and we did BLW at 6mo. No need to feed anything other than milk until then. If you wait until then, there's no need for baby rice, jars, or purée at all.

I've found most HVs spout utter tosh.

"Anyway OP, what I'm trying to say is trust your own gut. You probably really do know best.

What, because of that special "X-Ray eye" superpower mothers have so they can check their baby's gut development?

I didn't mean to start a debate off

you'll never know what their gut system is or will be like. I know it'll be hit and miss for many parents but surely you'll know when they're ready?

I started my DD on solids at 4 months as she has reflux and the GP said to start. You're not supposed to start babies on sweet foods as they are more likely to not want to eat veggies. It's recommended you start on baby rice (as it doesn't really have any flavour, but gets them used to food) then move on to single veggies and once they like them then to move onto fruits. If your DC is putting things in their mouth you can give them finger foods, like cooked veggies or rice cakes (they are gluten free, so have no allergens).

Bert the OP has said that the baby is 5.5 months old. So yes there is a degree of her having to decide now on what she thinks is best.

It's doubtful that anything miraculous will happen in the next 2 weeks to suddenly mature the baby's digestive system. With BLW we are told to watch out for the 'signs' - this is what I meant.

Fwiw I don't advocate weaning pre 6 months.

"Because you say it's only jars that aren't safe." I thought she was asserting that the marketing guff, eg "this substance is absolutely fine for your 4 month old baby", on the jars means it's safe for 4 month old babies. Either way, the post is still absolute rubbish.

OP you sound as though you've already decided what you're going to do, and the horse has long bolted regarding why your baby is receiving lactose-free formula, but it's likely you've received misinformation or poor advice in relation to this. Except in the case of very rare conditions which the baby cannot survive without medical intervention, a young human baby doesn't have primary/true lactose intolerance. They might, after some gut damage, eg from a bout of gastro or from food sensitivity or intolerance (which could include cow milk protein intolerance), have temporary/secondary lactose intolerance.
The lactose intolerance info and the HV advice re introducing milk substitutes indicate that you're not receiving great advice. Are you able to access other health providers who might have up to date and accurate knowledge?

Interestingly, scientists researching caeliac disease in Sweden have noticed that cases increased since weaning times were pushed back. They think it's because fewer women are likely to be breastfeeding at six months and later, when gluten is introduced, and some protection against whatever it is that triggers coeliac disease is lost.

sciencenordic.com/counter-coeliac-disease-early-glutens

There are also quite a few studies now stating that the period in a baby's life when it is predisposed to enjoying new tastes and textures is coming to an end at six months, so I wouldn't be surprised if it shifts back again to four months.

I let my babies decide. I made food available from 6 months onwards but they didn't eat until 8/9 months. ebf up until then.

The DoH is looking into the evidence for a change back to, possibly, four months. This is a good summary:

www.madeformums.com/news-and-gossip/weaning-from-four-months-or-six-latest-research-questions-current-guidelines/12293.html

I didn't mean the jars weren't safe Im just saying my hv said that they got from 4months on the jar so it's safe from that age, sorry for any confusion, but all hv are different n go with what you feel right, mine was fully weaned by 6 months he's now 9months n still has his bottles n 3 meals n is perfectly healthy

Rhi1annon- you started to wean your baby at 3 months and are suggesting other people could do the same. This is dangerous advice and goes against all the guidance given by competent health care professionals.

And suggesting that people should "go by what feels right" is equally ignorant and dangerous.

And personally I would steer clear of baby rice.

• It looks like wallpaper paste.
• It tastes like wallpaper paste (yes I tasted it to see why my Dd was screwing her face up and spitting it out!)
• It probably has the same nutritional value as wallpaper paste

My hv said to go to baby rice cause he was drinking 8oz every 21/2 hours I was going to put him on hungry baby milk but she told me to say away from it and give him the rice and to start the food at 4months that's what they recommended

That is not what competent health care professionals recommend. You were unlucky enough to be advised by somebody who did not know what they were talking about. Please stop repeating incorrect advice.