How many people wait until the recommended 6 months before weaning and how many didn't?

[CrapBag]

DS was 17 weeks (3 years ago) when I started weaning him. The HV was adamant that I shouldn't. I was just as adamant that he needed more than milk (was FF). I took it really slowly with baby rice, home made purees or veg then fruit until he was 6 months, then introduced cereal, meat and everything else.

I took it slowly and it went really easily. I am not sure if I know of anyone that waited until 6 months.

DD is 16 weeks tomorrow and is getting increasingly unsettled in the day and struggling to go 3 hours between bottles, the times are getting shorter each day so I am thinking that maybe she may be ready for early weaning too.

There was something in the paper recently about how maybe waiting until 6 months may not be the best thing as babies are running out of iron stores and it is trying to get too much done too quickly within a short space of time. I wish the official recommendations would make their sodding minds up tbh.

I will do what I feel is best for my child but I was curious as to how many people on here waited until 6 months and how many didn't?

I waited till 26 weeks. The way I saw it, there were no benefits of weaning early, and potential risks - so why risk it?
But then we did BLW so I don't think a lot actually went in for the first 2-3 weeks.
Blimey, it does now though! (10 months).

23 weeks 4 days, according to my photo album from weaning DS1 that I've just looked through! We did finger foods from the beginning.

However - I was probably the last person in my antenatal group to wean, and I think one of the latest among the parents I know in RL. Mumsnet bubble effect...

Would love to try finger foods but DS just stares at them and then giggles at me! So just leaving bits on his tray at the mo and sitting eating with him, hoping he'll catch on..... Everything else goes in his mouth at the mo so sure he'll get the hang of this...!

I've just started weening and got to 23 weeks I did plan to wait till 6 months buut ds grabbed my plate with a hand full of potato and ate it plus he has all the signs I do feel gulity as HV etc look down on me for it, not sure when to offer water yet as his bf

Crikey don't let HV's look down on you for it, you made a choice based on your baby's needs!

I may be wrong but I think just milk til 26 weeks then water (pref in sippy cup type thing) after 26 weeks with meals? Someone may know better than me on this.

I offered water in a cup with meals as soon as I started weaning - they only take tiny sips at first. Just offer food an hour after milk so they don't drop milk feeds too soon.

Sorry to hijack - silly question - when did you stop sterilising equipment? Bottles I figured a year, sippy cups and spoons etc I figured post 26 weeks I'd just wash up with hot soapy water?

Never sterilised cups and spoons! Sterilised bottles for the first 3 or 4 months I think, but more important that they're washed properly in the first place.

Oooo fab, I may be being a little obsessive about the sterilizing then!

My DS1 (now 21yo) was weaned at 12 weeks according to guidelines then (1990) it had always been thus. No harm came to him and he's a strapping lad but as cases of allergies and excema have risen since, its thought that 'early' weaning may have been the cause of these increased cases. Now my DS3 is 18 weeks old I can see he doesn't seem ready for solids yet so will wait til I reckon he is.

Guidelines were 4-6 months since 1994, and 4 months for years before that. There is evidence that weaning before 4 months is harmful, though the evidenc for harm between 4-6 months is less clear (especially in developed countries).

InFlames I did the same as you for DS. Sterlised bottles up to a year and cups/cutlery etc until 6 months. I think this is what is actually recommended.

Youngmummy17 No harm is offering cooled boiled water to drink in a little cup at this age. I did with DS.

I was going to wean at 18wks as thats the earliest its is recommend to wait til 26wks but on advise of health professional can start from 18wks, anyway had mega growth spurt at 15wks (this is normal between 13-17wks) and was def doing it 18wks but things settled down and we waited til just over 25wks and so glad we did.

DD - 12 weeks (was the recommended age in 1998). DS1 - 16 weeks (recommended age in 2002). DS2 - 40 weeks (had muscle problems and couldn't suck from a bottle, much less chew food). DS3 - 17 weeks on HV advice as he is sitting, rolling and crawling, and was stealing food from everyone. He's now 19 wks, so 2 weeks into it.

Note - recommended age in 1998 for PREEMIES. Just remembered I was told to wean her then because she had been prem. Never quite understood that one, but apparently it's still the same, you still get advised to wean ear;lier with a preemie.

I weaned DS at 19 weeks, baby rice then the cubes of fruit and veg etc and he took to it really well. He started sleeping through and has no allergies, has not had a day off sick since starting school (he is now 6) so it was a real success!
I think it just gets to the point where it seems like milk is not enough for them.
My dd is now 17 weeks and she seems unsettled and it may be a growth spurt as others have suggested is normal for this age. She is suddenly not sleeping through, more restless in the day and seems to want to be more active generally. I am trying her with hungry milk as I don't really want to wean (I remember what hard work it is!) and the guidance is very anti before 6 months like all of you are but I do think that mothers instinct also counts for a lot. I am seeing the HV this week for her opinion. I have upped her normal milk amount and frequency but I feel like it is just not touching the sides really! However, I have seen the huge list of reasons for not weaning before 6 months so am being cautious and trying to hold off...

Thinking about starting soon (DD is 17 weeks). Hungry milk makes no difference whatsoever. She happily downs 400ml in one go, wakes 2 or 3 times in the night (I know weaning may not stop it), nicked and tried to eat a potato from my plate last week (I stopped her) but has lost tongue thrust and can almost sit unaided. Like cheekymonk I want to wait, but she seems to be a baby who fits the 'from 17 weeks' guidelines more than some other babies. HV said to take it slowly if we do it...

Somewhere between 5 and 6 months for all three. Went with their level of interest and all weaned with great enthusiasm and curiosity.

I planned to wait until 26 weeks with each DC. Both took matters into their own hands (independently, not twins) at 25 weeks by grabbing my food and gumming it enthusiastically. I was planning on BLW and they obviously agreed.

Re sterilizing - I stopped once they started licking the floor, so maybe 6 months? Was BF, not sure if there'd be a good reason to carry on longer if FF, can't think of one.

I did BLW so waited until 26 weeks before offering him food. He grabbed a couple of bits of my plate when he was about 24-25 weeks and even swallowed them, so I think that I followed the guidelines as he was demonstrating his readiness himself.

I waited as she just didn't seem ready. As it was it was 6 months and 2 weeks before her tongue thrust went anyway.

5 months with DS1 and 18 weeks with DS2. Both very enthusiastic eaters and anything seems fair game for DS2 who is now 6 months. Mainly blw for DS2, DS1 was more of a mix.

As for cereal in bottles, we were in France a couple of weeks ago and you can buy tins of formula with added cereal at stage 1!

I waited to 6mths. Mostly to pee off MIL as she was trying to give DD baby rice from about 12wks as she had only bfd for a few weeks herself yonks ago and that was naturally the only way to do things....

Cant see that going over well on a government poster of course but worked for me!