Think I need to buy a cow! Does this mean my baby is ready to wean?

[MiniMummyMonster]

My baby has always taken a good quantity of milk. Have just put her on "Hungry Milk" (in the past fortnight). She is currently on 4x8oz feeds a day (8am, midday, 4pm and 8pm) and she sleeps for almost 12 hours on a night. However the past few days she has wanted a lot more in her last 2 feeds - she has just taken a whopping 16oz on her 4pm feed. A record! Would be proud of her if I wasn't concerned she'd pop any minute... So - is this a growth spurt or a sign she's ready to wean. She's just over 16 weeks. HELP!

16 weeks is far too early to wean.

err, is that 4mths?
try a bit of mashed potato in her usual milk, off a spoon? at lunchtime
or baby rice.

4mths is the earliest recommended weaning time,

mine were 5mths ish

they say 6mths is too late now, dont they,

ask your hv for advice

Ds has a growth spurt at 16 weeks and was taking in excess of 40ozs of expressed BM (I felt like a cow). It settled down at 18w and we started weaning at 23 weeks. I'd say give it a week, see if it settles then maybe consider weaning.

If you have a good HV speak to them.

sounds like a growth spurt, just go with it for now :) also 4 feeds a day isnt that much for a 4mth old, you could try offering her an extra feed during the day? that way she wont take 16oz in one go which may make her sick?

16wks is too little to wean, the guildlines are 6mths.

She cut out the fifth feed herself by demanding more at 8pm and refusing any later. My gut instinct is that it's a growth spurt...

ah ok then, well i think you are right, growth spurt, just see how she goes, it may well settle down in a week or two :)

Hmmm - that seems to be the general opinion. She's a very happy, smiley baby and very alert so I know she's well in herself.

Growth spurt :) Just give her whatever milk she needs, it's the most nutritionally dense 'food' available!

Signs for being ready for food are -

• sitting up (light cushion to stop banging themselves if they fall, but not actually keeping them sitting up)

• reaching out for food

• losing the tongue thrust

Have a look at some of the other weaning threads.

... and whatever the hell else you do or don't do, don't listen to any numpty that tells you to add anything to your babies bottle.