weaning tips

[Bullzeye]

My baby is 4 months old with CMPA and reflux, we have been advised to wean early rather than medicating for reflux.

My eldest was weaned at 4 months anyway as it was a personal choice. He was on purees mostly then progressed to lumps etc but this time I really want to do baby led weaning.

I need some tips how do I go about baby led weaning? Do I start with purees to begin with or not? I worry she will choke if I just start giving her foods she can hold and eat 😨

I have researched but sometimes other parent perspective is more beneficial!!

Isn’t the allergy advice about weaning from 4 months to do purées until ~6 months?

They should not be having anything but purées until they can sit up unsupported in a high chair due to the choking risk. The exception being food they can’t eat, but rather “map their mouth” with/teeth on (cabbage leaf, broccoli stem, whole raw peeled carrot)

If you are weaning from 4 months due to allergies, you should be getting guidance from your health visitor. In addition, Annabel Karmel has some good resources for weaning from 4 months and then it would be quite easy to continue to BLW from there. Her app has a free trial that is worth it to get you started but I wouldn’t bother with the paid version.

From 6 months: Solid Starts (app) has excellent advice for serving foods for BLW and “How to wean your baby” seems to be the book everyone is using to guide order of introduction.

For allergy introduction, we were advised 1 allergen every 3 days and to serve them separate from any other allergen for the first three exposures.

I've been waiting for a dietician referral but it takes forever, health visitor and doctor are all aware of where I'm at but was just curious to see what other mums have done with BLW.

I'm very aware of the guidelines for weaning from 6 months and i choose not to follow this. Having a baby that is struggling with drinking milk and not gaining much weight is a constant battle I wouldn't wish on anyone. My dr said guidance is 6 months but at the end of the day it's parents choice when they want to wean.

Thanks for the tips will look into it 😊 👍

You can't do BLW at 4 months, but you can do purees from 17 weeks (esp if advised by HCP to do so). Good luck, I hope things improve for your LO.

That’s too young to do BLW but if you think it’s best then do purées. Dont feed from a pouch tho, always use a bowl and spoon. Get the Solid Starts app for once they are 6 months and have all the signs of readiness to try actual food.

I’m surprised you aren’t getting more support. I would have expected the HV and GP to what you to wean (on purées) at 4 months due to CMPA. Can you chase the dietician referral yourself and also get HV to chase? With an emphasis on it being time sensitive. We were given a horrendous waiting list estimate that suddenly disappeared after the HV chased. I really hope they can get someone soon for you.