Weaning at 3 months - thoughts?

[Peppery123]

Just wondering
Both sets of parents and in-laws have advised me to do this as she is waking up every 2 hours in the night.
Also, the country where my partner is from they wean around 3-4 months. So just wondering if anyone has done it and their experience.

Was also sent this link by dhs sister who has also weaned her dd early -->www.nhs.uk/news/pregnancy-and-child/babies-fed-solids-earlier-sleep-better/

Please don't take medical advice from your mil.
Unless she is a qualified GP /other.

If your child has issues from the silent reflux then talk to medical professionals.

Giving a baby a "taste" of something isn't going to impact normal developmental waking.

Wowzers - im all for weaning before 6 months, but 3 months is way too early. ALL the literature says not before 17 weeks. After that its a bit of a debate.

@Peppery123

Sorry didnt mean to dripfeed but the idea of weaning her early from family is not just because of the sleep, she is suffering from silent reflux and MIL swears that dh was the same when he was a baby. Apparently in and out of hospital as wasnt putting on weight, they gave him baby rice and was fine after that. Iv heard some gps prescribe a thicker milk. She reacted badly to the gaviscon so havent given it her again

Why don’t you just use carobel then?

I was advised to wean at 5 months due to reflux and it didn’t help.

If your baby has silent reflux then that could be cause of the multiple night wakings. Is she medicated for the reflux?

Our paediatrician said we could start weaning from 6 months. I wouldn't start any earlier tbh. 3 Months seems very, very young to me.

@Vicky1989x

I was advised to wean at 5 months due to reflux and it didn’t help.

If your baby has silent reflux then that could be cause of the multiple night wakings. Is she medicated for the reflux?

Same, wish we had waited. Loads of faff for no benefit. I was also advised to slightly raise the head of the cot.

What is carobel?
We were given infant gaviscon advused by HV to try..she had diarrhea from it and tummy ache so stopped.

HV does not get back to me..im in the process of changing HVs as she has been absolutely useless tbh

There is good research that shows introducing anything except breast/formula milk before 17 weeks has serious risks.

17 weeks is the absolute earliest I'd introduce food and I do tend to offer a bit to my babies between then and 20 weeks (which is a crime on MN :o)

The research is less clear between 4-6 months, but it's very very clear about not before 4 months (17 weeks).

@Peppery123 Carobel thickens up milk

Friends had to give it, with CMPA milk to stop their DTs reflux

If reflux is still a problem, go to GP.

I was advised to wean at 5 months due to reflux and it didn’t help.

Exactly the same here and it made naff all difference to his reflux.

That aside I absolutely have no idea why some people are so eager to wean it's a total faff and so much extra work.

There are much more calories in milk than there are in vegetables so why would food make her sleep more?
You need to learn to stand up to these people

I really wouldn’t recommend it, please stick to NHS guidelines and not guidelines from when your MIL was a new mum.

Its norm in my culture to wean that early and i kept getting told to wean early too, but all my family and their kids have some sort of stomach issue, including me and i think its down to early weaning tbh.

Waking is normal, reflux is also normal (not pleasant I agree )

I'd do anything to avoid those weaning nappies so the later the better as far as I'm concerned. Weaning made my DD wake up more because it gave her terrible wind - we used to have to wriggle her legs round so she could fart. 🤢

If baby's reflux is causing problems go back to your GP.

Solid food has less calories than milk so it's not necessarily going to help sleep.

Have you googled when baby growth spurts are? It is perfectly normal for babies to be unsettled every time they go through one.

Most 3-4 month olds still have the tongue thrust reflex and losing that is very important in order to wean successfully.

Too early for me, sorry op. I was a nervous wreck during weaning though. I tried at 5 months as I thought he was ready but he wasn't. Tried again at 6 months and he was definetly ready

Research has found that babies' guts aren't mature enough before 6 months for food other than breast milk or infant formula. Weaning early increase the likelihood of developing food intolerances and allergies. I would suggest seeking professional advice before weaning early.

Absolutely not. Dd had severe reflux and waited til 6 months. They are absolutely not ready for weaning at 3 months! Solids are nowhere near as filling as milk for a baby either, and won't stop her waking.
Waking 2 hourly at 12 weeks old is absolutely more than normal. Please don't give your baby solids So young

We were advised by a paediatrician to wean early because she was medicated for reflux, but he said absolutely not before 17 weeks and only if she's ready.

Take 17 weeks as the very earliest but really I would wait a bit longer. We started at 5 months because she was ready (no tongue to thrust, sat well with support, could pick things up and bring them to her mouth).

Babies can wake up every 2 hours to feed (mine did for 7 months almost). Their gut is not ready for solids and by introducing food you may cause an allergy, intolerance or many other problems. I'd not even consider this at all till they are at least 5,5 months, ideally 6. All they need at 3m is milk.

I personally wouldn't! Babies don't actually need food until their 1 years old you just start weaning at 6 months so that they are ready & prepared for when there 1....weaning is not to fill your baby up it's to experiment...milk is plenty for a baby at that age!!

Agree with all PPs. Night waking is totally normal. More calories in milk than food.

The only reason for early weaning is for properly diagnosed medical issues, and it should be done under medical supervision.

Like many children born in the 1980s, I was weaned at 12 weeks. I now have IBS and IBD. I might have had them anyway, of course (there's a family history), but they are significantly more common in people who were weaned early, along with food allergies and intolerances. The gut is too immature at this age for solid food... it is too permeable, and larger particles of food can enter the bloodstream and provoke an immune reaction, leading to long term digestive problems.

I started 4/5 months. Daughter sitting unaided at 4 months. Gave her finger food veg. She mostly plays with it. One day I noticed carrot in her poop, so gradually increased foods from then.

2 hourly waking is normal. Weaning didn't help my girl sleep any better.

What is the motivation for not following NHS and WHO guidelines? Is it because your DP wants a better night sleep and one or both of you are complaining about normal night time waking to family? That's not good enough to be honest, baby's welfare should come first.

@2Cats3Kids

Sorry but I really disgaree with this and hate when people use this as the be all end all NOT to wean.

Especially in my circumstance- my parents weaned me and my sister around 4-5 months,
My dhs parents weaned him and his 3 brothers at 3 months!!!
My sister followed all the guidelines weaning and weaned her 3 kids at 6 months i think more or less on the dot. I will also add she EBF them all for 6 months. All three kids have digestion issues. Her first ds has IBS, second always has acid reflux allergic to eggs and has just been told her youngest (baby) has CMPA!!!

None of us - me, my sister and my dh and siblings have no IBS or allergies at all!