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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

when did you start weaning?

35 replies

muslimah28 · 27/08/2010 21:37

if you did it early do you think you did the right thing? and how do you do it early? do you introduce foods more slowly?

OP posts:
fortyplus · 27/08/2010 21:41

12 weeks - because that's what we were told back in 1993. No problems as a result though I avoided milk and egg products till he was 12 months because of allergies in dh's family.

pozzled · 27/08/2010 21:44

Just over 5 months, as DD was feeding a lot more frequently- milk didn't seem to fill her up. Don't have any regrets, but I think now I would try harder to reach 6 months and go with baby led weaning rather than purees.

ThatDamnDog · 27/08/2010 21:44

It's not clear whether you want answers from everyone or just those who weaned earlier than recommended.

Didn't wean until 6 months. Glad I waited, had no problems and could relax and enjoy it because there wasn't anything which we ate that he couldn't have too.

BikeRunSki · 27/08/2010 21:56

18 months ago, ast 6 months. Did BLW. Intorduced prett much everything except honey and soft eggs straight away,

loreli · 27/08/2010 22:37

17 weeks and it has been going well apart from last two days where DS has refused to drink milk, although he will take it on a spoon so I think it might be teething. I think there are plus points and negatives to early weaning. I didn't wait as DS had reflux and never loved milk, he was also two weeks late and a v big baby when he finally arrived. He really loves food now! However I now have the milk drinking problem. I have friends who waited until 6 months and did BLW and now have really picky eaters who are not interested in food at all. I spoke to two HV and a my GP before I started and all think the 6 month guideline is rubbish. But it is like everything - soooo much conflicting advice, you just need to do what you think is best and follow your instincts, that is what I did. Hopefully it was the right thing to do, I personally dont believe in baby lead anything!!!

Original poster
muslimah28 · 27/08/2010 22:53

ThatDamnDog was more interested in early weaners, but you highlight an interesting angle- if people weaned at 6 months, do they regret not having started earlier?

loreli mine is 16 weeks on tuesday and i know 17 weeks is the absolute youngest they say now, but DS was also 2 weeks late and i just think, well if he was born on time then he would be two weeks older but exactly the same stage of development! i want to start at 17 weeks but DH wants to wait, will be consulting the HV next week at the 'weigh in'. i think we may compromise and go for 5 months instead of 4 months, and actually at 5 months if i was to take his gestational age from his due date he'd be 5 and a half months so I wouln't be weaning really that early at all!

better get some sleep before he wakes up- he's waking up lots more having been such a good sleeper before- which is one the reasons i think he may be ready early for solids...

OP posts:
ThatDamnDog · 27/08/2010 22:59

All I'll say to that is that 4 months is classic growth-spurt stage so they wake more because they need more calories. There's more calories in milk than there is in mushed up carrot. :)

jetgirl · 27/08/2010 23:04

Both of mine were late, dd 2 weeks and ds 9 days. Both weaned at 26 weeks in the same way, one eats anything the other is picky so I couldn't put it down to age!

loreli · 28/08/2010 09:05

I have followed a book called your baby week by week. It is written by a GP and I have found it amazing. My DS has fitted into the book EXACTLY - if she has said expect X this week, my DS will have done X. She advises weaning from 17 weeks but very light and gently. I have followed this to the letter. DS nearly 6 months is gaining weight (is in top 97%) and is happy. But everyone is different. My HV told me that since the "rules" have changed to 6 months they have seen more incidents of picky eaters and babies refusing food as mums are missing the window for when a baby shows an interest in food. My DS was a great sleeper (slept 7-6 from 5 weeks, 7-7 from 8 weeks) but started waking all the time at 4 months. I started weaning and he went to 7-8. That said it is one of those things (like breast feeding advice - aggggghhh how many conflicting things were we told about this!!!!) You just have to do what you think is best for baby.

ThatDamnDog · 28/08/2010 09:30

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH not the window of doom!

As someone kindly pointed out to me once, she didn't have avocado until she was 21 but now happily eats it. She didn't miss her avocado window Wink

Purplebuns · 28/08/2010 09:39

Hi,
I regret weaning at 17 weeks, the reasons for not weaning early are more concrete and I wish I had known more.
The reason why they say 6months is that their body systems are simply not mature enough to cope with the food. One reason being their gut isn't sealed so more harmful toxins are able to pass through and they are unsure as to the long term damage that can result. However it has been linked to bowel conditions, allergies and suchlike although it is hard to prove...
Anyway I like to play it safe and if I had my time again I would leave it as long as possible (to 6 months) as their body is mature enough to cope with food without it being a stress on their young bodies.

They only reason to introduce solids early is if the baby is actively losing weight and, very unsettled (hungry) although this can be remedied hopefully with more milk feeds.
HTH

pommedeterre · 28/08/2010 09:40

I know a GP who has had to retire due to bad health who moans about the guidelines for babies. They were not consulted on them and feel that they are the ones left to pick up the pieces when mums cannot persuade their babies to take much of anything other than milk.
My GP congratulated me on giving up breast feeding by the six week check without coming to see him. To be clear - he was not congratulating me on failing to bf but just that when it got too much for me I didn't bother him but just got on.
ANYWAY - I started weaning at 17 weeks and so far dd has had baby rice, baby porridge and a whole array of fruit and veg (not citrus). I will be waiting till six months for dairy, gluten, meat and fish.
I think that with the internet we have lots and lots of information at our fingertips to sort through and analyse. This should enable us to make decisions we are happy with.
However, my dd has the 4 month sleep regression and solids not helping yet. I'm hoping when we get to 6 months and start bread and protein things will improve!!

Shaz10 · 28/08/2010 09:41

About a week shy of 6 calendar months. Don't regret it at all.

Fluteyboots · 28/08/2010 10:06

20 weeks. Ds is quite small, 2nd centile, and extremely active (crawled at 6 months). He was feeding every 2 hours, including at night, not just a growth spurt but the whole time. Wasn't getting any better and was showing lots of interest in food and cooking smells. HV said he needed some more calories so advised weaning early. Yes initially a bit of carrot doesn't help, but sweet and regular potato, banana does, and means you can get straight on to some more carby things like bread and pasta as soon as they hit 6 months as they have already mastered the food movement and swallowing thing.

I did only give fruit and veg before 6 months though, and waited to give finger food too due to risk ok choking. Ds 10 months now, still only a little chap but eats like a horse. No signs of fussiness yet......but I know people who have done all sorts of different things and ended up with fussy or unfussy children, think some of it is luck!

If hadn't had specific advice I would definitely have waited though. If there is no reason to, don't rush it. Bear in mind your life suddenly gets a whole lot more messy and and a bit more complicated than when just milk feeding. And it certainly doesn't guarantee improved sleeping patterns.

bruffin · 28/08/2010 10:42

"The reason why they say 6months is that their body systems are simply not mature enough to cope with the food. One reason being their gut isn't sealed so more harmful toxins"

That is outdated advice
All the recent position papers in the last year say that weaning from 17 weeks do not affect the gut and in fact it is the introduction of food that actually matures the gut.

Bda Position Paper

ESPHGAN position paper

Plese read the ESPHGAN re gluten

European Food Standards

Fluteyboots · 28/08/2010 13:22

Thanks for those links bruin, interesting reading

Tootlesmummy · 28/08/2010 13:27

I waited until my DS was 6 months and went with BLW. I would do the same again based on the research which I managed to find. As someone has already stated babies have a growth spurt at around 4 months and there is more calories in milk.

Bumbleconfusus · 29/08/2010 11:22

I weaned at 22.5 weeks (20 corrected) as DD had a diarrhoea (2-6 dirty nappies per day) for 8 weeks straight prior to weaning (she was exclusively BF). At her 4 month weight check she was stuck on 2nd percentile and we had been told we'd need her weighed more regularly due to the toilet troubles and low weight, and now just past 6 months she has jumped up to half way in between 9&25th percentile, as within two days of weaning her diarrhoea was gone. I was a bit weary of weaning but DH thought it was best, and turns out is seems to have been really good for her.

jemjabella · 29/08/2010 14:26

6 months. BLW. No regrets.

FYI late babies do NOT need weaning earlier - digestive system does not get going til birth so due date is irrelevant.

tassisssss · 29/08/2010 14:31

ds now 7 - 20ish weeks (just less I think)

dd1 now 4 waited till 6 months and the last month or so was really hard, I was exclusively BFing and I think she was hungry, wee lamb.

dd2 now 2 - 20ish weeks

dc1 and 3 started really slowly with just fruit and veg for the first 4 weeks or so and went from one meal to 2 to 3 really slowly which was quite nice

dc2 at 6 months was straight to serious quantities, main course and fruit, 3 times a day within a week or so!

TheMummatron · 29/08/2010 15:00

I started today! DD is 24 weeks so pretty much bang on target but she has been waking every hour for the last couple of weeks - I put it down to teeth til someone suggested trying some food... Wish me luck, I could do with a good nights sleep Confused!

I wanted to ask though (sorry to piggy back on your thread muslimah!) - if BLW, does it have to be exclusive or can I do a bit of her grabbing chunks of my food etc and a bit of spoon feeding?

TIA those of you out there who have a clue - could do with some advice!!

ThatDamnDog · 29/08/2010 15:58

By definition it's not baby-led if you're spoon feeding. But if you want to do both there's nothing stopping you. Personally I just couldn't be doing with spoons, found it really hard not to hover and coax, so left them in the drawer and let the sprog get on with it :)

NormalityBites · 29/08/2010 15:59

Around 32 weeks.

HumphreyCobbler · 29/08/2010 16:06

waited till six months both times.

With DS I don't think he was ready by then even, it unsettled him terribly. He didn't seem to digest any food for ages, it just passed through his system and came out like it went in.

DD it went much better, I did BLW with her and she ate everything with gusto from the word go.

I think BLW gives you a real indication if they are ready, as they can pick it up and get it to their own mouth at exactly the point they are developmentally ready for food. DS could not have put stuff in his own mouth when I started to wean him. For that reason I would wean slightly earlier if my baby showed all the signs of readiness (no tongue thrust, sitting unaided, pincer grip etc).

missbeehiving · 29/08/2010 16:09

6 months with both and BLW with DS2. Arf at "Avocado window".