Feeling guilty for weaning DS at 5 months!

[Fourleaf]

I started weaning DS a week ago at 5 months - just baby rice and some limited fruit and veg mashed/pureed. He loves his food so far and hasn't had any problems (beyond being a bit bunged up at first). I read a bit about it first and spoke to NCT friends etc and thought it was fine. However, after reading the (pretty strongly worded) mumsnet advice and some other stuff on weaning online I'm feeling terrible! Am I wrong to be weaning this early, putting my DS at risk of health problems in later life? He is a large boy for his age, can sit up with minimal assistance, grab at food (although we are spoon feeding), is fascinated by food etc... any thoughts? I could just stop I suppose but he seems to be getting used to it already!

I have three babies (big kids now) all who started weaning at 4 1/2 months and all are perfectly healthy, plus there is probably not one person who has posted on this thread that was not weaned themselves before 6 months and are all alive and well to tell the tale. All i would say is dont rush it, if its going well then good but if baby not interested then wait and carry on exclusively with milk.

Tbh , shoot me down ! I don’t really listen much to my hv she has contradicted herself many times , also she has no children and is reading from a textbook . Only parents know what’s best for there babies I personally started weening at 4 months as he was keen , if he wasn’t ready for food they would simply spit it out . I say carry on obviously avoiding cows milk , gluten and milk until 6 months :)

These threads make my boomer generation laugh. We weaned much earlier than this - my own DDs were downing wee tastes of mashed potato or yogurt at 8 weeks.
Our generation of children had a much lower incidence of food allergies - there is actually some evidence that countries which wean early confirm this, they rarely see the peanut allergy so common here.
I’ve seen theories from immunologists that there is a “window” for introducing new foods to babies - leave it too late (beyond 4 months) and they may have developed an allergy by skin contact, before their gut can identify it as a safe food substance. We certainly gave peanut butter on little squares of bread to babies well before six months. My DDs are both healthy adults with no allergies and normal BMIs.

sometime between 5&6 months my dd was sat on my lap and she grabbed and ate a quarter of my tuna sandwich. Figured this meant she was ready and I started weaning. Within reason I think you have to go with your instinct.

Don’t listen to other people, do what is right for your baby.

I wouldn't stress at all. My boy is too young to tell of any health issues (didn't wean drastically early), but mother weaned me at 4 and a half months and I have no health conditions at all. So if baby is happy to continue, keep doing what you're doing!

Also, a paediatrician friend of mine had two kids with voracious appetites, and she weaned them before 6 months as well. If baby is ready then he's ready!

FFS people the babies this thread is about are at secondary school now!

Not for me :( too earlie but each to their own

I weaned DC1 at 17 weeks due to bad reflux and DC2 at 5 months because I wanted to. No problems with either. I was given baby rice at 3 weeks apparently on the advice of the Health Visitor. In many other countries weaning guidance is 4 months. I think many people in the UK still wean early so they leave the advice at 6 months to stop them doing it even earlier.