I appear to have started weaning at 19 weeks - totally unintentional...

[BettyButterknife]

With DS1 I started BLW at 24 weeks. Loved it, worked so well for us.

DS2 is 19 weeks but massive (9lb 8 at birth, 18lb 2 now, maintaining 91st percentile). He can sit up unsupported, has lost tongue thrust thingy.

Day before yesterday DS1 and I were eating our tea, DS2 was in high chair next to us. I gave DS2 a spoon so he could join in, and he grabbed it, put it straight into his mouth, looked at us, made chewing motions and then started crying.

We were eating stewed apple with custard, and so I put a bit of the apple on his spoon and he wolfed it down. He ended up having about 20 little spoon-tip-fuls.

I feel really weird about this as I wanted to wait to do BLW with him. But he seems ready. Although he was born 19 weeks ago he was 15 days late because of an undiagnosed physiological reason, so would probably have made a much earlier appearance (like 40+3 as his older brother was) otherwise.

Anyway, I feel like I have to completely justify weaning him this early... Has anyone done more finger food type weaning before 6 months? I'd rather not go down the spoon/mush route if I can avoid it.

:) yummy egg box.

Mmmm yes full of fibre and nutrition

DP thinks we should have let him have the avocado instead as 'at least it didn't have colourings'(egg box was fetching shade of avocado green)

Queen, my ds is 21 weeks and similar - certainly doesn't seem ravenous and is fine on milk but very keen on exploring food I think! I've decided to take the approach of letting him play with (suitable) foods at mealtimes, and if he manages to eat some then fine.

my ds is 23.5 weeks and over christmas i;'ve been letting him play with the odd stick of veg and he has been enjoying gumming them. he can sit up in his high chair, reach for and pick up sticks of food, put them in his mouth, chew and swallow them, so i guess he's ready. I've just introduced him to banana and he thinks it's truly the best thing in the whole world ever. I offered him sticks of it which he found quite slippery to hold, but I also mashed a little and gave it to him on a spoon which he thought was the best thing ever. i gave him a go with the spoon too i only let him have a little bit as it's his first real solids, but he would happily have eaten the whole thing if I'd let him!

What is worse for baby then - early weaning by a couple of weeks onto baby rice and puree or moving to formula? That's an interesting dilemma I hadn't thought of.

Hi!

My eldest was about 6 months when we weaned her. She still has ezcema and asthma- but these run in our family too.

My youngest was weaned at 20 weeks -with full support of GP and HV.

She is now 7 months old and is on 3 meals plus 2 puddings a day, and some organic snacks including fruit as well.

We took it easy though. Was on baby rice for one meal a day for a week, then went onto baby rice for 2 meals a day. After a couple of weeks started to introduce pureed fruit/veg mixed in with the baby rice.

Then at 6 months she went up to 3 meals a day. And has recently started puddings etc as well.

Typical day now:

Breakfast 8-9am- baby cereal or ready break, plus some banana or pear

Lunch 12pm- night before food (ie: sunday roast) followed by a yoghurt

Tea 4pm- pureed meat and veg, followed by mashed banana

supper 6pm- yoghurt/or baby custard

Between times she will have a munch on baby organic treat- ie: rice cakes, carrot puffs etc

She is still on 20oz of formula a day as well.

She was definately ready for solids, and loves her food so much. Actually think at times seh eats more than her 4 year old sister, who can be quite picky

My children are older and were bith weaned at around 20 weeks, so all this is far in the past for me. I'm interested in these studies though, and how the recommendations have changed. If early weaning is implicated in an increased probability of allergies, why do my parents generation (all weaned at 12-16 weeks, and frequently formula fed) show so few allergies compared with the current generation of 0-18 year olds?

Notrightnow - have you heard about the EAT study? It may interest you

No Alice - I saw it mentioned further up though. Who is running it and where can I find more info? I'm really interested.

Google EAT study, that is the best way

"What is worse for baby then - early weaning by a couple of weeks onto baby rice and puree or moving to formula? That's an interesting dilemma I hadn't thought of."

if you are talking of EFF vs BF & solids then research shows many benefits in BF & solids - the continuation of BF is v. important to measurable benefits in IQ, allergies, etc etc.

if you mean BF &FF vs BF & solids I don't think there is any clear evidence either way -
studies show FF interferes with BF more and can lead to early cessation (though a UK study shows this to be also true of BM & solids i think this is due to linked social factors, as a study in Sweden showed solids did not interfere with BF) but not in every case and i think you'll find plenty of Mums on here who combined the two.
the method of FF seems more likely to cause infections (as teats etc harder to sterilise than spoon & bowl)

most studies tend to look at EBF vs everything else - the problem with that being that although they recommend against earlier weaning, that is against a control position of EBF, not of 'BF &FF' or FF - and this is frequently misunderstood.

you find people claiming that is is better to introduce a bottle than solids when there is no evidence of that and some evidence to the contrary.

one thing is certain - i'd be alot fatter this Xmas if i didn't have DD2 suctioning it off me non-stop.....(although this does make me hungry, as tis Xmas, i'd be porkifying anyway)

EBF v. good for weight loss.

The World Health Organisation's guidelines re breastmilk only until six months are geared towards developing countries where hygiene is an issue.

If you think your baby is ready, i wouldn't worry about starting him on solids a little sooner.