out of date information

[ciwi]

Had a weaning visit from the health visitor today and i cant believe how out of date the information in the 'weaning pack' she gave me is.
indications that the baby is ready for solids includes, doubling birthweight (he is 20 weeks and doubled his birthweight a month ago), holding head up, watching you eat etc, i could go on. it also says you can get infant formula with 'healthy start vouchers', something which i believe they stopped a long time ago. the nhs website says pretty much the opposite of what her information says. just having a bit of a rant really.

Eh?
What signs are you looking for then?
What is out of date?

well you cant get healthy start vouchers any more, current recommendations say around 6 months and babies can hold their heads up well before that, i cant see how doubling birth weight lets you know that your baby is ready for weaning. basically everything she told me were signs they are ready the nhs site says are not, maybe out of date was the wrong wording, it is definitely inconsistent though.

From the NHS site:

"No rush to mush - the three signs that show your baby is ready for solid food

Research shows that starting solid food at the right time is important for your baby?s health. This is usually around six months. Just because your baby looks interested in food, is feeding more frequently or is waking in the night, doesn?t necessarily mean they are ready for solids.
What to look out for
Your baby is ready if they can:
Stay in a sitting position and are able to hold their head steady
Co-ordinate their eyes, hands and mouth, can look at food, grab it, and put it in their mouths all by themselves
Swallow their food. Babies who are not ready will often push their food back out, so get more around their faces than they do in their mouths."

Are you wondering if your DS is ready? Maybe he is if you look at the signs.

you do get healthy start vouchers and they can be used for infant formula

Doubling birthweight has not been considered a sign for weaning for many, many years now...but the vouchers for formula still exist.

Is the weaning pack linked to commercial products?

Sorry, my mistake, it does say healthy start vouchers. Sorry to rant, I am just wondering if he is ready or not and it really doesn't help to get conflicting advice. The nhs site says as harecare posted above and my hv pack says holding head up, sitting with support, doubling birthweight, demanding more frequent feeds, waking in the night and watching you eat. So basically most of the things the nhs site says are not necessarily signs they are ready.
Not linked to commercial products tiktok

He can't sit unaided for more than a couple of seconds but he can pick things up and put them in his mouth, maybe he is not quite ready but getting there?

Easy way to test - offer him something to eat - banana in hand, cooked carrot or spoon of mushed veg. If he eats it then he's ready. No pressure, just try him on your knee at teatime/breakfast/lunch when you're eating. Providing you've spotted signs mentioned above. Just don't give bread, meat or dairy 'til 24 weeks.