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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

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Original poster

Can someone talk me thru this weaning at 6 months lark?

9 replies

wilbur · 01/02/2006 13:06

Ds2 is just coming up to 6 months and has been having a few tastes of rice/veg for a few days. I'm not really sure how fast to proceed as ds1 and dd were weaned between 4 and 5 months (as was advised then) and I took things v slowly with them. By 6 mos however, they were both having chicken casserole-type meals and on 3 small meals per day plus a bit of finger food. I know that delaying to wean at 6 months means you can move on faster, but how fast? Should I be aiming to get ds2 on chicken casserole and having three meals a day asap? In two weeks? Or do I still take it slowly and assume he won't be eating "properly" until about 7/8 months (seems late to me and I worry about iron etc). He is still breastfed, btw.

OP posts:

NotQuiteCockney · 01/02/2006 13:10

Personally, I offered food whenever. I didn't prepare special food for DS2 (well, I tried, but he wasn't interested in purees), so just gave him table scraps.

You don't want him to go from no food at all, to three meals a day in a week, I think it would be too much of a shock to the gut.

I don't think you need to worry about iron if they don't eat much before 7/8 months. Certainly DS2 was 7 months before anything went down, and I'm sure his iron count was always good. I'm sure other posters' kids went longer.

Auntymandy · 01/02/2006 13:12

You will find that the will progress faster

nailpolish · 01/02/2006 13:12

i started on breakfasts one week, lunch and breakfasts the next 2 weeks and breakfast, lunch and teatime the next. therefore took 4 weeks.

dd's would have done it much quicker though! once they got a taste for other flavours there was no stopping them

every baby is different though i suppose

MrsWednesday · 01/02/2006 13:13

I've just weaned my DS2, started at 6 months and took it slowly for a month because he didn't seem that bothered (he was also bfed). Then he was ill which delayed progression even more. By about 7 months he suddenly seemed to develop a taste for food and moved very quickly on to 3 meals a day.

I found it very strange as I weaned DS1 at 4 months, but DS2 didn't seem particularly bothered for food until 7 months, and since then it's been a battle to fill him up!

Not sure if that's any help at all really, sorry.

Eulalia · 01/02/2006 15:17

Just gave ds2 his first solids today! He was 6 months on Sunday. Wondering about how fast to progress as he's a bit on the small side and slipping down the centiles but then again he's healthy....

I left dd till 6 months also. She was a big baby and maintained her weight well. I just took it slowly with regard to different food, no. of meals a day etc and she continued to do OK. I did make the pureed stage fairly short though as being that bit older they can manage finger food and more lumps sooner. I'd not worry too much about iron till baby is nearer a year old.

Original poster

wilbur · 01/02/2006 18:09

Thanks for the replies. Eulalia, my ds2 is also slipping down the centiles a bit but he's v healthy so I'm not so bothered about that. It's more the introducing a range of food (I'm sure there was something about a wide range of foods at the baby stage making for better, more adventurous eaters later on) and how soon he should be on 3 meals a day. He's been showing signs of readiness for solids for a few weeks now - waking earlier in the morning, grabbing for my coffee cup, watching us like a hawk when we eat, poor starving baby bird , so I think he'll probably take to it well - he seems to like the bits he's had so far.

OP posts:

Original poster

wilbur · 01/02/2006 18:10

Oh and the protein thing - before it was no meat or fish b4 6 months, have they moved that back too? Or is it just when you judge baby is ready?

OP posts:

beansprout · 01/02/2006 18:12

I offered ds pureed fruit at 6m but he wasn't really interested until he was 7m. They will start when they are ready. If your little one really isn't interested, don't worry and try again in a couple of days. Food is just an add on at this age. They still get just about everything they need from your milk.

Eulalia · 02/02/2006 15:15

I think you can give protein straight away if they are 6 months. Similar to dd I am going to not give gluten for another month or too and hold off dairy till a year. I have v sensitive skin and ds1 is similar. I think it helped alhtough dd still a bit rashy in places.

I gave ds a ricecake today and he did gag a bit so am going to soak it in some breastmilk (still got a bit leftover from yesterday) to soften it up and he can eat that at dinner time. It certainly kept him quiet for ages earlier - forgotten the joys of giving food in that respect!

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