Too Early For Solids?

[melb6j4z0]

ok i'm purely asking for opinions... baby rice has 4 mnths+ on box as do a lot of other weaning products, guidelines say 6 mnths+
weaned ds1 @ 3mo, (now almost 6 and fine,) ds2 @ 3.5 mo (now almost 4 and also fine) dd is almost 4 months, trying to hold of weaning for as long as i can but she seems to be ready... mind you, its been almost 4 years and i've forgotten i am out of touch with this whole weaning thing, any advice is appreciated !!!

Guidelines are to wean around 6 months, but never before 17 weeks - weaning earlier than that increases your baby's risk of infections and gut problems.

There is some weaning info here

Signs a baby is ready for solids include being able to:

* Stay in a sitting position and are able to hold their head steady
* Co-ordinate their eyes, hands and mouth, can look at food, grab it, and put it in their mouths all by themselves
* Swallow their food. Babies who are not ready will often push their food back out, so get more around their faces than they do in their mouths.

Maybe ask your HV for advice?

rita thank you... hv said definate no to weaning b4 6 months old fashioned fuddy-duddy suggested smaller feeds more often
dd can not sit up unaided, shes on hungry baby ff, 7oz x 6 a day,
always putting stuff in her mouth, toys etc,
both ds were on solids by her age, might just bite the bullet and try it, if it dont work i'll try again in a few weeks! thanks again

4 months is pretty young for weaning - might be better to play it safe and wait a bit longer? The guidelines are 6 months for a reason...

The guidelines are there for your child's health. Giving solids is of no benefit to them at all, so why risk future health problems? My friends dd was diagnosed coeliac at 15, thought to be down to early weaning. You think your kids are fine?? They are still small, you have no idea.

give her 8 - 9 oz of hte formula and feed more frequently too if necessary

being able to sit unaided is a key sign of readiness for weaning, as is loss of the tongue thrust reflex

milk milk and more milk is safer, more nutritious and more filling at this age, than purees or baby rice

I weaned my son at 4 months with baby rice at first. Your her Mum you know if she is ready. Don't feel guilty over a bit of baby rice :)

rita, just to be clear, is "sitting unaided" the same as sitting unsupported or is sitting supported by a high chair ok? meaning, sitting upright, head held well, but still supported by the chair? my two (6mo) can't sit totally unsupported, but I've been putting that down to lack of practise.

apologies for hijack.

Afraid I don't have any info beyond the NHS guidelines above.

However, my ds didn't master sitting completely unsupported on the floor til gone 7 months. From 5 months though he could sit straight up and hold his head steady on someone's lap or in a chair. Personally I would say if you have to use an extra support/insert in the highchair to keep them upright then it's probably too soon.

Sitting supported is fine - if they slump over while sitting or have to sit reclined that's not good as if they gag on anything it will go back into their throat and be a choking risk, if they are sitting up they will cough or splutter it out.

Also sorry meant to say yes try upping her bottles to 8 or 9 ounces, you can even get eleven ounce bottles now. I remember a friend coming over with her DS when he was about 5 months old and he drank 2 cartons of aptamil hungry and then asked for more, lol

Just a view here: my DS was hungry from 4 months and many friends were weaning their LO's. I didn't feel he was ready following the NHS guidelines and held out. I increased his feeds (EBF) and waited until 23 weeks. I have never had to give him purees; he has mashed food and finger food (although I do spoon feed too so not BLW). He is eating a far more varied and textured diet than many friends babies who were weaned at 3/4 months onto purees and now at 7.5 months they cannot seem to move them on from purees - it is a lot more work too!

However of course I feel that you should do what you feel is right as her mum. Good luck. HTH

thank you to all of you, i appriciate all of your advice, decided to put her down as a very hungry baby and fit in an extra bottle,
bertie 110z bottles... have never seen these... am off shopping tomorrow!!!
thanks again...now steering away from solids for hopefully a happy flow in blw...fingers crossed !