Weaning guidelines seem conflicting !

[AlphaAndEcho]

Ds is 4mo and lately his first stage formula is not satisfying him . I've read the weaning guidelines say that the hungry baby / second stage formulas are not recommended . Weaning before 6mo is not recommended . I dont know what else to do . He is taking about 800mls a day and any more than that he just brings it back up it's obviously too much milk for his stomach to take , but he's still hungry .

Any advice appreciated Tia

[nickelbabe]

don't worry about liquid "sloshing" around in his belly, it doesn't work like that.

babies are designed to drink liquid. their bodies aren't ready yet to process more solid food (even thicker milk)
they really, really don't need it.

[nickelbabe]

and all of your posts have basically told me that he's not hungry. If he were hungry, he'd want his milk more often.
babies don't know anything other than milk.

when DD is poorly or hungry, she'll go for milk first every single time, even though she's now 14 months and knows that solid food fills her up too.
it's instinct.

[Andcake]

At 4 mo ds was on about a litre of a mix of formulae and expressed bm. But in lots of littler feeds. Sometimes i would have to take him somewhere quiet to feed as he was so distracted. Typically he only ever seems to down a full bottle at 4 am!
Apparently only avocado has more calories than either formula or breast milk so not sure food will help. The 6 mo rule s apparently to do with gut health which has nothing to do with size.

[TheNewStatesman]

"Apparently only avocado has more calories than either formula or breast milk so not sure food will help."

No, this is not true. Breastmilk/formula is roughly in the middle in terms of calories per 100g.

I'm not saying the OP should necessarily start food at this stage, but that particular statement is not true.

[shouldIbecrossaboutthis]

My son is currently weaning at 21 weeks old. We started at 20 weeks. I decided to wean my son on his external readiness signs on the advice of The Department of Health, who say, "if an infant is showing signs of being ready to start solid foods before six months, for example, sitting up, taking an interest in what the rest of the family is eating, picking up, and tasting finger foods then they should be encouraged."

I decided to wean my son, not because he seemed hungry but because he was constantly trying (and sometimes was successful) to get my food and placing it in his mouth. I spoon feed him a little porridge in the late afternoon so he is used to a spoon but otherwise he helps himself to chunks of soft fruit and veg whenever I am eating. When I spoon feed him he clears the spoon with his top lip. He has no tongue thrust. He tries to hold the spoon himself.

If he was trying to crawl or walk or talk I would encourage him. I understand why the advice is 6 months due to gut closure but it's not a fast rule as people on this thread seem to suggest. Each child is different and each gut matures differently somewhere between 4 and 8 months. We can't see the gut and this is why the advice is 6 months, as by the vast majority of guts are closed. Some are closed earlier.

You need to educate yourself on the mechanics and bodily processes involved in weaning and take your cues from your child and then base your decision on that with the help of the guidelines. Ultimately milk is more filling if a baby is hungry.