why only 3 years ago....

[helsi]

was it ok to wean my baby at 4 months but now its 6 months.

Have I damaged my chld in any way? NO
Has she suffered as a result? NO
Was she ready for "food" at 4 months? YES most defo!

Why suddenly would I be such a bad mother this time round (due in 11 weeks) if I didn't wait until the 6 months stage?

Three years ago, the WHO-recommended weaning age was 6 months. The UK was just slow in adopting these recommendations, as the maternity leave allowance wasn't long enough.

Obviously, make the choice you want to this time around, it's your kid. But there are plenty of good arguments for waiting until 6 months.

I weaned DS1 at 16 weeks. I weaned DS2 at nearly 6 months. I do worry that DS1 will suffer IBS (which runs in my family) in the long run thanks to early weaning.

NQC is right - we don't actually know yet what damage may have been caused.

I suffer with IBS - could it have been caused by early weaning? Don't know, but I guess it could have been a factor.

I weaned dd1 at 4mths. She's almost 8 now and seems absolutely fine, but then my own digestive problems didn't become apparent until I was about 11.

(That's 8 years btw, not 8mths!).

what NQC said

and we all did it ..in fact I weaned DS at 14 weeks not even the 16 because I didn't realise there were any benefits in waiting

but I would say that you cannot tell whether your child will be detrimentally affected because its later in life

developmentally they look ready at 4 months .. but I now don't believe they're physiologically ready its just aping

you can't be a bad mother for doing what you think is best .. but ignoring well-published research doesn't make you a good one this time round

i think it changed to 6mths at about the same time the length of maternity leave was increased

Thanks - I understand what you are saying but what evidence is there that waiting until 6 months has any different effect?

Unless there is any real evidence that the damage with digestion caused before 6 months then surely that could be put down to the diet of the individual from anytime in their life - especially if the majority of digestion problems are not noticed until later on in childhood/adolescence?

If I could read something (a report or something) giving me hard evidence of the facts why it is so bad then I might be more confinced and able to make an informed choice. At the moment I just feel like I am being told - because I should rather than why.

Do I make sense?

Nobody can prove, really, that waiting is better. Much like nobody can prove that smoking is a bad idea. It's all a question of statistics and studies. But here is a page discussing the reasons to wait and providing links to studies.

thank you very much.

I'm so glad someone has asked this and now i know i'll wait next time round. I suffer from IBS and so does my db and we were obviously weaned early as they didn't know.

I asked my mum about when she weaned us and I have a feeling it wasnt so much when as to what children were weaned (my ds is 33 I am 29 and db is 26) and we were all weaned on, wait for it ................ mince (with gravy), potatoes and custard , my mum assures me this was normal at the time!!

11 years ago with dd 1 the advice was 12 weeks.

She seems OK...

Sorry was following this with interest, but as a newbie trying to pick up the jargon am confused with mummygows reference to ds? Is it a typo or is there another meaning for ds(not dear son?)

sorry dear sisiter

It has changed in the last year or so - my ds was weaned at 4 months (now 18 months). My dd is being weaned at 4 as well although now the advice is 6 months.

Thank you-i'll get the hang of this soon...hopefully

chipth - I probably made that up as looked at the acronym list and that is not one

Guidance was chenged almost 3 years ago:

May 2003 department of health statement but it is still only now trickling down to some HVs.....

chenged = changed