Weaning

[MaddieY]

My baby boy is 17 weeks and is currently having 210ml/7.4oz of milk every 3.5-4 hours as recommended by Health Visitor. Saw doctor today and mentioned how he's still wanting more when finished and is grabbing for our food as well as watching every bite we take. I was told he's ready for weaning. Has any one else started weaning this early? He has a cow milk protein allergy so is on prescription Pepti 1 milk.

I was advised to wean early due to my DD having silent reflux, but when I tried around 18/19 weeks she clearly wasn't ready. I held off and continued with milk until she was 6 months and by then, she was definitely ready.

Personally, I wouldn't be in a rush to wean early and if I were you, I'd just try and increase his milk amount or feed him more often to keep him satisfied.

I'd up his milk rather than wean early on the advice of a doctor (assuming it was a GP rather than a paediatrician or a dietitian).

Watching what you eat isn't a sign he's ready for weaning, babies can't link food and hunger this early. The NHS weaning section will tell you the sign he's ready.

It was a doctor at the children's hospital so assume he knows a lot about children. I'll speak to my Health Visitor

Personally with a milk allergic baby I'd be wanting to hold off due to the risk of other allergies. You could try doing the BLW banana test - that's when you give them a chunk of banana when sat in a high chair and see if they can bring it to their mouth and swallow it on their own. If they can't or won't they aren't ready. This relies on an assumption that if the external development of grasping purposefully, sitting up, hand eye coordination and tongue thrust reflex is ready then their internal gut development is also ready which is just a theory, not a proven link however the 3 nhs recommended signs of weaning are included here - tongue thrust reflex gone, able to sit with support if necessary (but not reclined) and able to bring items to the mouth by themselves.

Watching you eat isn't a sign of being ready, it's just normal 4mo curiosity. And hunger is a sign they need more milk, not solids.

IME when they are ready for solids they will make that very, very clear! Usually by swiping something off your plate when you're not paying attention.

He sat on my lap last week when I was eating and he was grabbing at food on my plate.

He can sit up on his own, no longer pushes with tongue and can pick things up and put them in his mouth - all his toys end up being chewed on!

3.5- 4 hours is quite long gaps between feeds. He needs more milk not to be weaned.

Well - you're the mum so it's your choice. They do say 17 weeks as a minimum. As I say it would be the allergy which would make me pause just in case it triggered any others.