bit worried i've weaned too late

[otchayaniye]

weaned first at 6.5 months as we were moving continent and paed advised starting when we settled. she took to food ok, buit slow to eat lots and lots

weaned second at just before 6 months, she was sitting unaided and moving stuff to her mouth. she's getting quite a bit in from the start.

both blw, both breastfed, first one til about 3 and no discernable allergies. other doesn't seem to either.

just concerned that the advice will shift again and i've been too lazy/ignorant etc etc!

We weaned at 6 months (BLW & some spoon feeding for things that can't be picked up) but it's taken until now (10 months) for DS to actually start eating bigger quantities. And it also depends on whether he likes something.

i'm thinking of the EAT study.

So if you have no allergies where's your fear? If you start at 6 months and give them immediately the food that they might be allergic to, and normal adult food rather than heavily pastuerised gloop from a jar/pouch or heavily cooked pureed vegetables then I think you're in a lot better situation.

Personally, I'm much more persuaded by the hypothesis that allergies are coming from a more "clean" enviroment, with very few bacteria around, which means the baby takes longer to get its gut colonised with the bacteria we all need to live, and the immune system is not busy enough dealing with actual threats so disproportionately sees regular food as allergens.

Early weaning of solids would of course address that too, since then the gut does see more variety of things early.

There's no really strong evidence in any direction yet, maybe the EAT study will find some. If your kids have no problems, then don't worry at all! The advice won't change that much, whatever.

My mum weaned me 30 years ago at 7 months.

From my understanding the rise in allergies is unlikely to be because of late weaning per se, more the later introduction of certain allergenic foods. Ironically, BF alongside the introduction of gluten between 4 and 6 can reduce the risk of coeliac disease. However most babies are a) given gluten after 6 months as per advice and b) not breastfed by 6 months despite what you might think from MN!

So if you did wean before 6 months you would have (I assume) not given gluten etc before then anyway? So little difference.

You can tie yourself in knots over this, but the decision was made with best intentions.