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Original poster

Has anyone starting weaning before 6 months

43 replies

Vicky1y · 04/01/2021 13:59

Im a FTM and baby is 5 months and 1 week old. NHS guidelines suggest start weaning at 6 months. Has anyone started weaning their baby before 6 months and how was it.

Many thanks x

OP posts:

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LikeTheOceansWeRise · 04/01/2021 14:15

Unless there is a medical reason, it's not advised because their disgestive systems aren't mature enough. Solids won't help them sleep better overnight, and the baby being interested in your food isn't a sign they are ready. Plenty of time in the future for weaning and the mess it makes!

MartiniDry · 04/01/2021 14:24

The advice on weaning was 3 months when I had my first child, and 4 months when I gave birth to my second less than 2 years later.
So, in answer to your question, yes, very much so, although it was not then a case of weaning earlier than guidelines.

It was fine, albeit messy, but that's small people for you. My children had no resulting issues at the time and none in later years.

Ohalrightthen · 04/01/2021 18:26

Tbh I wouldn't rush to start, it's such a pain.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

0-3 months old 3-6 months old Babies & sleep Families

lockdownpregnancy · 04/01/2021 18:30

I'm going to start baby rice with my DS when he hits 4 months in a few weeks but I won't start the full weaning process until he is 6 months unless I'm told otherwise by my HV or GP

Ohalrightthen · 04/01/2021 18:33

@lockdownpregnancy

I'm going to start baby rice with my DS when he hits 4 months in a few weeks but I won't start the full weaning process until he is 6 months unless I'm told otherwise by my HV or GP

Why? Baby rice is completely nutritionally useless, it just fills up your baby's stomach without actually giving them any nutrients. I wouldn't do this unless advised by a specialist paediatric dietician.

3rdtimelucky2019 · 04/01/2021 18:42

Honestly don't bother. Wait. Weaning is such a faff. My life with a one year old revolves around prepping and cleaning up after 3 meals a day. 3 weeks less of that is bliss (not that you'd do 3 meals a day straight away but still...)

lockdownpregnancy · 04/01/2021 19:07

@Ohalrightthen really? That's what HV told me?
Mind you they've given me duff information before so I don't know why I'm surprised! 🤦🏻‍♀️
Why make it if it's nutritionally useless?

Ihaveoflate · 04/01/2021 19:09

We started weaning at 5 months on the advice of the paediatrician (she was medicated for reflux) and it worked well for us, but I wouldn't bother if there's no need. As others have said, it's just one more thing to think about and a bit of a faff. If you do start weaning, don't bother with baby rice though - it's utterly pointless.

honeybun7979 · 04/01/2021 19:10

Yes at 5.5 months and it actually did help him sleep longer at night. He dropped a night feed because he got more calories in the day. He loved food! Just start small and simple, and and obviously if you notice any diarrhoea or constipation or anything doesn't seem right just stop and wait a few weeks

doadeer · 04/01/2021 19:10

I wouldn't bother it's just a pain 🤣 you will miss the milk days!

bloodywhitecat · 04/01/2021 19:20

Yes, under the advice of all his therapists I started at 5 months. He still isn't eating at 8 months. Our other little one I waited until he was bang on 6 months and he absolutely flew, he was eating what we ate within weeks of starting.

Ohalrightthen · 04/01/2021 21:06

[quote lockdownpregnancy]@Ohalrightthen really? That's what HV told me?
Mind you they've given me duff information before so I don't know why I'm surprised! 🤦🏻‍♀️
Why make it if it's nutritionally useless?[/quote]
...because people buy it! These companies exist to make money, and to flog their shit to people who don't know better. See also - follow on formula.

Your HV is wrong. Unless your child is experiencing significant weight or feeding issues, there's no need for baby rice, and if there were need a GP or dietician would be involved, not your HV.

lockdownpregnancy · 04/01/2021 22:01

Thank you for that @Ohalrightthen
I already know about follow on formula and how it's total shit!
I watched the dispatches programme on it when I was pregnant. Total eye opener!
I'll just wait until he's 6 months before I start weaning!
This is why I love this site! So much more helpful than google! 🤪

username1909 · 04/01/2021 22:04

@Vicky1y do it with just a bit of baby rice just to get him used to it if you feel like it's the right thing to do. It's no big deal. It's not like he's a month old. He's nearly there. I gave my DD baby rice at 5 months. It's not a big issue in my opinion. I don't follow all of the official advice to a T though in general. I make up my own mind about stuff and do research as well as speaking a lot to my grandmother ( who successfully raised 9 children ) and my mother and mother in law. Then I decide what to do and with the baby rice I just went ahead, as I have with other things. It's up to you at the end of the day. You're not suggesting giving your baby pizza to start of the weaning process haha. It's just a bit of baby rice.

jessstan1 · 04/01/2021 22:22

The guidelines were four to five months when mine was a baby, which I did. It was remarkably easy and he took to it like a duck to water, loved eating :-) (still does at 41 but has more discerning taste now).

johnd2 · 04/01/2021 22:54

last year moments before the first lockdown we went to a weaning information session at the children's centre, and the person there said he'll be ok to start as he was already sitting up correctly and looking around. So we started just before 5.5 months. But they have to be able to sit up and take an interest in your food before they can be weaned, and keep their head up properly. It's in the NHS guidelines how to tell whether they're ready (but with the caveat that it's usually around 6 months). I think they just don't want people shovelling food in, but if the child wants it themselves, then go for it.

00100001 · 04/01/2021 22:59

[quote username1909]@Vicky1y do it with just a bit of baby rice just to get him used to it if you feel like it's the right thing to do. It's no big deal. It's not like he's a month old. He's nearly there. I gave my DD baby rice at 5 months. It's not a big issue in my opinion. I don't follow all of the official advice to a T though in general. I make up my own mind about stuff and do research as well as speaking a lot to my grandmother ( who successfully raised 9 children ) and my mother and mother in law. Then I decide what to do and with the baby rice I just went ahead, as I have with other things. It's up to you at the end of the day. You're not suggesting giving your baby pizza to start of the weaning process haha. It's just a bit of baby rice. [/quote]
There's literally no point in giving them baby rice.

OP don't give your baby food before they are 6 months can hold their head up and put their hand to their mouth independently. They also need to lose the tongue thrust reflex.

Then just give them some plain vegetables to start,like broccoli. Puree it if you must. But ideally just steam/boil it well and let them have at it.

johnd2 · 04/01/2021 22:59

just to add to my post above, here is the information we were given
www.nhs.uk/start4life/weaning/ready-or-not/
"

stay in a sitting position, holding their head steady
coordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at their food, pick it up and put it in their mouth
swallow food (rather than spit it back out)

00100001 · 04/01/2021 23:02

And ignore the "they're almost 6 months, so you may as well,and I was given tizer and Jaffa cakes at 3 months old an I'm fine" bollocks.

There is absolutely no need to rush the solid food. Milk should still be the majority of your babies diet, even at 9/10/11 months

profilechange · 04/01/2021 23:23

Guidelines change all the time. I weaned all of mine at 18wks. None of them are allergic or intolerant to anything. Go with what you feel is right. I did however purée everything and only introduced something new every few days. They loved it and helped them sleep better too.

Original poster

Vicky1y · 05/01/2021 00:52

Thanks for all you comments, baby takes an interest in our food and can hold his head steady and also has good hand and eye coordination. My current plan is in a few weeks to maybe just give him one vegetable every few days as a puree just so he can have a bit of a nibble.

Does anyone know how baby led weaning works, I thought babies could only have purees first?. It's my first baby and there's no classes for me to attend so I'm kind of just researching online.

OP posts:

00100001 · 05/01/2021 09:01

Definitely best to wait.

You need to also serif baby has lost tongue thrust reflex. In a couple of weeks,try and put some porridge/soft veg/whatever in their mouth, near the front,don't push the spoon to the back if they instantly push it out with their tongue, they're not ready.

BLW will give you a great idea of if baby is actually ready. Just have them sit with you at meals times and wait for them to grab your food and out it in their mouth.

picklemewalnuts · 05/01/2021 09:10

If he's interested, make sure there's food on your plate he can try- don't salt everything. He can suck a carrot stick if he wants, try and pick up a pea etc.

I weaned prem and cleft palate babies early because that was the paediatrician's advice.
My DC's were weaned at 4 months because that was the advice at the time.

The key thing is to know it isn't a goal- you don't have to meet any targets, beat anyone else's baby (frieda's little Johnny was wolfing down rusks at three weeks old etc).

Your baby will be fine on milk for ages, and can just play/mess/taste food. Eventually he'll take a nutritionally significant amount, but there's no rush.

Dinocan · 05/01/2021 09:15

Yes. Weaned 2nd dc at around 17 weeks after advice from several doctors (some who I know on a personal level and a specialist who we’d seen for dc1s allergy). NHS advice is fairly outdated. It lowers risk of allergy to wean certainly no later than 6months but ideally from 17weeks (not before). I’m sure the vast majority probably do start at around 5 months, which is probably why they’ve not officially updated it. Very good evidence for this from the LEAP and EAT study. We have an epidemic of allergy in the U.K. and it’s not a fun thing to live with.

johnd2 · 05/01/2021 21:17

We got a useful pack from the children's centre with a sticker chart in it (mainly for our benefit) and the suggested options were well steamed vegetables eg carrot, potato, broccoli etc, and avocado. We just chopped into small enough strips or shoved it on a spoon and offered him both baby led and spoon fed as part of the same meal.
You can do 100% baby led or vice versa or any other combination as you like, and you won't be starving your baby if they don't eat enough straight away. Keep weighing them if you're worried, weigh yourself and then weight again holding them, then subtract to get the real weight. Then check in the red book.

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