Is 18 weeks to early to wean?

[koalabear]

she's not grabbing at food, but is consuming 7 ounces of milk every 2.5 hours during the day

Will she take more in her bottle?

yes, i usually go for a refil on about half the feeds for another 3 or 4 ounces - i don't make up more to start with to avoid waste

Yes, it's too early to wean. Baby's gut is still 'open' so that the milk can be digested easily, which means that solids can pass through into the bloodstream. Hence allergies, yucky bowel problems later, etc. Very scary! 17/18 weeks tends to be growth spurt time so stick with it - it'll pass, though this growth spurt tends to last for some time, which can confuse mothers into thinking that it must be a readiness for solids.

i weaned my boys at 4mths. both healthy and happy. they were having 9oz every 3hrs, so i started on baby rice. hv said this was fine. both big babies......7lb 13oz at 36wks!!!!

go with your gut instinct. spk to hv.

cx

Mt DS had a growth spurt at this age and got very hungry but it passed ane he was weaned at 24 weeks - just keep on as you are - the longer you can hold it off in the meantime the better. Good luck.

New guidelines now say to wean babies at 6 months. Speak to your health visitor for more advice.

health visitors? more advice? sometimes those two things are diametrically opposed. hope you have one who keeps her knowledge current.

i guess i am looking for the answer as to whether it is "4 to 6 months", or "at least 6 months", or "as close as you can to 6 months", or "try for 6 months, but 5 months is fine" ....

there has to be an answer out there somewhere .....

Koalabear I have recently attended a 'weaning group' for three weeks which was run by no less than three healthvisitors one dental technician and a registered nurse. The cooked food to let us sample thing and talked a lot about weaning.

The general feeling i came away with (as did other attendees) was that definately not before 4 month but after four months be led by you baby. Hold off till 6 months if you can but don't despair if it is sooner when you start.

I came away feeling at lease that it is not completely black and white and I will take the hints from my DD aged 14 weeks and basicly wean her when I think she is ready as all babies are different.

Signs that indicate baby is developmentally ready for solids include:
*Baby can sit up well without support.
*Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue.
*Baby is ready and willing to chew.
*Baby is developing a “pincer” grasp, where he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer grasp development.
*Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth.

We often state that a sign of solids readiness is when baby exhibits a long-term increased demand to nurse (sometime around 6 months or later) that is unrelated to illness, teething pain, a change in routine or a growth spurt. However, it can be hard to judge whether baby’s increased nursing is related to readiness for solids. Many (if not most) 6-month-old babies are teething, growth spurting and experiencing many developmental changes that can lead to increased nursing – sometimes all at once! Make sure you look at all the signs of solids readiness as a whole, because increased nursing alone is not likely to be an accurate guide to baby’s readiness.

• taken from Kellymom.com

let your baby tell you when to start weaning. listen to your baby.

Mine were both 16 weeks and both are fine - go with your instinct if you feel it's the right thing to do

that is basicly the advice given at that group.

I am lucky as these health visitors also seem very realistic about the facts a lot of people do not stick to the WHO guidelins and stressed watching for the signs your baby gives you will indicate a more individual and accurate need for weaning.

that is basicly the advice given at that group.

I am lucky as these health visitors also seem very realistic about the facts a lot of people do not stick to the WHO guidelins and stressed watching for the signs your baby gives you will indicate a more individual and accurate need for weaning.

oops double post

Ds was weaned at 11wks on advice of HV and he is fine. I have recently recieved a letter from HV[general one sent to everyone] that said it is generally not recommended to wean before 17wks and it would be better if possible to hold off until 6mths. DD is 15wks and not showing any sign of needing to be weaned at all so I am not doing it. Where at this age DS was completely different

Sod it,get them guzzling curry and rice from birth and have done with it!!

(Listen,leave the weaning thing alone for as long as possible. For one thing,it's a right bloody bore faffing about with all those silly sloppy little meals.)

Pagan - can I ask why you want to wean early ? If its anything to do with wanting more sleep at night, don't be fooled into thinking solids will help.

At the risk of starting a fight, I don't buy the "well mine was weaned at x months and is fine". Thats a bit like saying "I crossed the road in front of a bus and was fine" or "I smoked during pregnancy and baby is fine". Medical advice is that there are risks associated with early weaning, so take a decision bearing the risks in mind.

p.s. my older ds1 was weaned at 4 months and is fine, and ds2 is currently being weaned at 6 months and is fine.

I weaned ds at 4m because his sleep was terrible i had started bottles to supplement the breast but it wasn't enough for him. i received a lot of contradictory advice from hv and don't really trust them because of it. ds took well to solids and now at 16m is the best eater out of his peer group. it didn't solve the sleep problems but it did make life easier because he was more satisfied. i believe it depends on the child. my ds would not have waited til 6m. i believe the guidlines are in place to protect premature babies who may be harmed by early weaning. if you have a healthy, hungary full term baby i think it is fine to introduce baby rice at 4 months and see how your baby reacts.

The guidelines aren't in place for premature babies, or babies in developping countries, or any of that. The guidelines are in place for all babies.

I'm afraid I get a bit confused when people say their babies wouldn't wait until 6 months. How can you tell? Are they trying to order takeaway? Sneaking downstairs in the night and gobbling down cheese?

lol, nqc. I can't see what is wrong with giving more milk. Bottles are marked up to 9 oz anyway. why not just increase from 7.5 oz to 9.

again, is it because it is more work?, more expensive? more wet nappies? babies drink milk.

i find it amazing that people think food will solve the problems of waking ie teething, illness, growth spurt, developmental milestones...

my ds was not ordering a takaway however he was showing an interest in my food and screaming for more milk all the time. The thought of making him wait an additional 2 months to me is like starving your child. i don't think this is right for everyone but i think that equally the current guidlines cannot speak for every situation. There are always exceptions and when my ds was upset and hungry i was pleased that i received advice about weaning early and waiting. i was able to make a decision about what i thought was right for my son. isn't that what parenting is all about. i believe that i made the best desision for him.

you are not going to kill your child by giving it some puree pear or a little baby rice earlier than 'guidlines'.....these are 'guidlines' not 'rules' and those of you that are up in arms about weaning a baby before the 'guideline recommendations' obviously never had the 'need' to wean an earlier than 6mths as your babies were quite content with milk.

the 'who' or gov may well change their opinion in time and then recommend going to 7 mths.....or 5mths.....(they changed from 4 to 6 mths)....then those of you who marked a nice little 'x' on your calendar at 6mths would have been 'wrong'....

no-one is wrong, you jsut do what you need to do and if that makes your baby happy and you know you are doing the right thing then gof or it.

cx

p.s. both my boys were premature so infact weaned at 3months technically, and not 4mths.......funny really, as the special care nurses had premmies in their that were 6mths (from dob) who were born at 26wks, so technically weaning at baby who 'should' have been only 2.5mths old

My HV advised no earlier than 17 weeks, this is advice on guidelines which they are obliged to give, its not a law,if your baby can last on milk, great but i agree with carlyp.