Weaning

[polkadotx]

Hi

Me and my partner has started "weaning" our three month old. We were set to wait until 6 months however she's quite an advanced little one and watches us eat and her little mouth goes round and round. It's the best choice for us.

However. I've started giving her baby rice (she loves it) just wondering if anyone else weaned early and how they started?

Should I just keep her on baby rice for the first few months until she is 6 months then go onto other foods? Or should I wean onto other tastes now?

She's tiny, only 12 weeks old. Please stop. 😟 She's not advanced and watching you eat doesn't mean she needs to eat.

Please talk to your HV first - those are normal developmental signs and don’t mean your baby is ready to wean. They need to be able to sit up and hold their head up, pick food up and put it in their mouth and swallow food - so unless your baby can do all three you’re advised not to wean.

If she watched you drink a glass of wine would you give her some? Watching you do something is not a sign that a child is ready for something or we would have children driving and toddlers working as bin men. Please do speak to your HV and read up on the potential long term health issues which you could cause by early weaning.

I weaned early (5 months) on the advice of a paediatrician, so I'm not someone who says you should always wait until 6 months BUT 3 months is far too small. The digestive system is just not ready - why are you in such a rush to wean?

I honestly don't think you should consider this until 17 weeks at an absolute minimum - and only if the baby is ready. What you describe is normal 3 month old behaviour.

Jesus, why are people so desperate for their kids to grow up and 'move onto the next stage'?

Just enjoy them being tiny.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 you think she's "advanced" because she watches you eat and mimics your mouth movements!

STOP!!!!! The recommended MEDICAL advice is 6 months

She might look "advanced" but her bloody insides aren't

Stop!!! 3 months hell no. Wait until 6 months (some are c.5 with medical advice), and don’t bother with baby rice, start with veg purées.

I think I read that weaning should never happen until 17 weeks at the absolute minimum. As in, that's the absolute earliest a doctor would ever recommend starting weaning. I think you should get advice from the HV or doctor as they might be able to explain the difficulties your baby could face with much too early weaning.

3months is far too young. The very very earliest should be 17 weeks unless advised for medical reasons.

Please stop. Being interested in food, watching you eat etc are NOT signs of readiness. Just signs of being a normal baby. Her digestive system is not mature enough to cope with food and there could be long term implications. It may work best for you but it certainly isn't best for her.

Personally, i think you're posting made up bollocks and sitting back to enjoy watching people panic.

If you're not, then you need to call your HV and potentially get some additional support on parenting, because while your intentions may be good (maybe), your instincts are fucking appalling and you seem to have absolutely no common sense, which is not a recipe for good parenting.

Well. Thank you all for your advice (albeit not the advice I actually asked for)

We have been advised to start weaning by my health visitor. She has a dairy allergy and has other complications. Like I said in the original post this is the best choice for us. We have spoken to our paediatrician AND our dietician who said to start on baby rice.

I have left a message with both in regards to the question in this post. I was just hoping there may be someone else out there that's been through the same and could maybe give support.

I don't want my baby to grow up. In fact I'd love her to stay this tiny forever. However I am acting on professional advice. And since she is MY child I will do what I think is best.

OP - can she sit up unaided? If not she isn’t ready for weaning unless a doctor recommends due to a specific medical reason.

@polkadotx

Well. Thank you all for your advice (albeit not the advice I actually asked for)

We have been advised to start weaning by my health visitor. She has a dairy allergy and has other complications. Like I said in the original post this is the best choice for us. We have spoken to our paediatrician AND our dietician who said to start on baby rice.

I have left a message with both in regards to the question in this post. I was just hoping there may be someone else out there that's been through the same and could maybe give support.

I don't want my baby to grow up. In fact I'd love her to stay this tiny forever. However I am acting on professional advice. And since she is MY child I will do what I think is best.

Interesting complete 180 from your OP there...

"We're weaning cos she's so advanced and she watches us eat!"
"That's a bad idea, talk to your doctor"
"Our doctor told us to wean, because she's got allergies"

I still call bullshit.

Personally, i think you're posting made up bollocks and sitting back to enjoy watching people panic.

I'm actually hoping this is the case. The alternative, that a tiny 3 month old baby is being forced to eat crap like baby rice is terrifying. 😢

@Ohalrightthen why are you so bloody nasty?

I didnt include the fact I'd spoken to a doctor in my post because quite frankly I didn't realise I'd have to explain myself and my parenting to everyone. Surely if I'm weaning early there is a reason for it?

I'm not a bad mum. I'm just doing as I'm told. And trying to get some support in the process. So please stop posting if you have nothing supportive to say.

Yeh sorry OP not buying this- no credible dr advises this. I have a friend whose baby has been inundated with digestive, colic issues so she was advised to weaned just over 5 months- but no one in the U.K. advises at 3 months.
As for showing interest in your food...you eat baby rice? It’s not nutritious, it’s just filling and means they will take less breastmilk or formula which they actually need.

Nope, lots of people do it for the hell of it tbh. I don't see how weaning a baby early due to allergies stands up though.

Btw I’m not criticising you as a mother but you need to see if everyone is screaming “don’t do this” there’s a readon

I have a book coming today on weaning and I will ring the HV again and express my concerns I won't feed her anymore food.

But this post is a case of tearing down someone. I suffer from postnatal depression AND anxiety. I had a baby in lockdown and it's my first. I really do suggest you all check your approach. Instead of going all guns blazing at me. Knowledge is great, it's what I was asking for. I am open to hearing what everyone thinks that's why I posted. But when other mums start judging other mums that's when problems start. Educate. Don't be nasty.

I won't be posting on Mumsnet again.

[quote polkadotx]@Ohalrightthen why are you so bloody nasty?

I didnt include the fact I'd spoken to a doctor in my post because quite frankly I didn't realise I'd have to explain myself and my parenting to everyone. Surely if I'm weaning early there is a reason for it?

I'm not a bad mum. I'm just doing as I'm told. And trying to get some support in the process. So please stop posting if you have nothing supportive to say. [/quote]
Im not being nasty, i (as a medical professional) just don't believe you've genuinely been told by a UK doctor to wean at 3 months. If that is the case, i would seek a second opinion ASAP, before you give your baby any more baby rice. Your baby's body is simply too underdeveloped to handle solid food. Baby rice will fill her stomach, but it's not very nutritionally dense, so she'll stop being hungry but she still won't get what she needs.

And since she is MY child I will do what I think is best.

Why bloody ask us then? Just carry on as you are?

Presumably you aren't breastfeeding if she has a milk allergy? Plenty of lactose free baby milk options available now?

Knowledge is great, it's what I was asking for. I am open to hearing what everyone thinks that's why I posted.

You're not open to hearing it though?!

You wanted validation for your choices. Of which none of us have given so you've got the hump???

@Ohalrightthen

Oh no. So let me expand.
We don't feed it to her as a meal yet. That's not the purpose. We feed her one spoonful before her bottle at the moment for one feed as the idea behind it was because she has dairy free milk it's really runny (we have to have small teats as it comes out so fast) and the hope was a spoonful of baby rice would thicken it in her tummy so she stops bringing it all up. So she is still having her usual bottles etc.

But I'll seek advise again
I just wondered about food for 4+ months but obviously now I've seen these posts I'll wait.

[quote polkadotx]@Ohalrightthen

Oh no. So let me expand.
We don't feed it to her as a meal yet. That's not the purpose. We feed her one spoonful before her bottle at the moment for one feed as the idea behind it was because she has dairy free milk it's really runny (we have to have small teats as it comes out so fast) and the hope was a spoonful of baby rice would thicken it in her tummy so she stops bringing it all up. So she is still having her usual bottles etc.

But I'll seek advise again
I just wondered about food for 4+ months but obviously now I've seen these posts I'll wait. [/quote]
Yeah, that's not weaning. If you've been advised to give baby rice as a thickener to combat reflux, then stick with that. It's not food, so don't replace it with food.