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Weaning

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

Original poster

Am I the only one waiting!!?

37 replies

Sleepybunny · 29/03/2013 15:23

I have a group of mummy friends, and our babies are all around the same age (15-22 weeks). We've been going a playgroup for a couple months now and it's been fab to hear how each others babies are getting on. I've had my mind opened to different parenting styles and ideas.

This week conversation moved to weaning onto solids, and I was surprised to hear that I'm the only one of my 11 friends who hasn't made a start. I know the advice is 26 weeks so just assumed most people would be waiting.

My dd is 20 weeks, but kinda felt that people were thinking I was being a bit precious about it all and wanting to keep my baby a baby for too long(may have been imagined!)

Are there other people out there waiting or have waited until week 26? Or am I being a bit too regimented with the guidelines? I have a lot of pressure from family to wean, every week I get 'oh just get a little jar of purée to try' or 'just dip a dummy into something sweet' I'm fed up repeating myself WE ARE WAITING! She's not even showing any of the signs of being ready yet!

I'd also quite like to try baby led weaning as I think it'll be the only way for me to tell if she is ready or not by week 26. Are there any other BLW people out there? Seemed like a foreign concept amongst my friends!

OP posts:
CornishYarg · 29/03/2013 15:44

I had a very similar situation when I met up with my NCT group when our babies were about 5 months old. DS was the only one who hadn't started solids then. I got various comments from the other mums along the lines of "You need to start soon or he'll not be open to different tastes." So I know how you feel. I also remember feeling slightly sick at the sight and thought of the courgette, apple and blueberry puree one of the babies was being fed!

Anyway, I let their comments wash over me and we waited till 6 months when we did BLW which has been great. (And in case you're wondering, he was very easy to wean, loves his food and eats a good variety of things!)

FunnyBird · 29/03/2013 15:49

I made a rare trip to the baby clinic with DS when he was 5 months old. The health visitor asked how weaning was going....
I waited until 6 months. Not many seem to.

Puddlelane · 29/03/2013 16:07

I'm waiting, I waited with my 2nd too. Much easier, much less stressful.
Don't worry :)

leedy · 29/03/2013 16:16

I'm waiting too - waited til 6 months with DS1, did BLW, totally unstressful.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 29/03/2013 16:31

I waited too. You're not the only one. Eating solids early makes no difference to sleep, or at least rarely and its not an indication of an "advanced baby".

spottyparrot · 29/03/2013 16:42

I waited with both mine. I cannot understand why people want to make work for themselves by feeding a baby under 6 months solids. Nobody other than me waited in my antenatal group. Bizarre!

One of mine was a total giant baby as well an still is a giant child years later.

Totesamazeballs · 29/03/2013 16:46

I waited until 26 weeks and he got a tummy bug, so actually, we didn't really get going until about 28 weeks and no adverse effects at all!

I was the last one in my NCT group too!

forbetterorworsted · 29/03/2013 16:49

I'm waiting. Not had any comments about it yet and my son is 22 weeks. My mum and MIL both queried when I'd start weaning and I said the guidelines are 6 months now which they accepted easily without comment other than to say what they were advised (apart from my mum thinking it would be funny to give my son a taste of pomegranate at 8 weeks but that's another story).

Hoping to try BLW too. Just seems less of a faff and I'm a lazy parent!

humblebumble · 29/03/2013 16:49

I waited until 6 months for both of mine and did BLW weaning (finger foods) with my first and a mixture of BLW and purees for my second.

I found they both didn't really start "eating" until they were about 7/8 months, before that it seemed like they were playing with it. My DCs are huge as well and one was a great sleeper the other one definitely not.

My friend started her DS at 5 months as he was starving and he literally gulped the food down. He isn't abnormally large. In the grand scheme of things now much DCs are a bit older I don't think it matters if they start at 5 months or 6 months. However, I did try and stick to the current guidelines as it suited me and my DCs.

Nicknamenotavailableeither · 29/03/2013 16:49

I'm waiting too, you're not alone! One of my nct group started at 18ish weeks, 'because he's so big'! But all the evidence point to there being no benefit, and more than a few risks if you wean too early.

MrsHelsBels74 · 29/03/2013 16:55

I started weaning last week, when DS2 was 6 months old. HV had been asking about it since about 20 weeks but I held off. DS2 has taken really well to it & eats most things so far!

MrsNPattz · 29/03/2013 20:28

I waited until the night before his 6 month birthday a few weeks ago, and we are doing BLW! Still finding our feet but it's definitely the right decision for us! I get the impression people thought I was being precious for waiting too but I didn't let it bother me! Stick to your guns!

Puddlelane · 29/03/2013 20:41

Actually due to an operation ds1 didn't start until he was 7 months! No adverse effects.

gardenpixie32 · 29/03/2013 20:51

We started at 24 weeks. I wanted to do BLW but my twins were 6 weeks premature and not able to sit in a Bumbo/highchair for very long and feed themselves so I had to start slowly with purees. Advice for a prem baby is to wean between 5-7months.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 29/03/2013 21:23

Thought you might like [[http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2011/01/starting-solids-facts-behind-todays.html this] OP [bsmile]

JiltedJohnsJulie · 29/03/2013 21:24

Total link failure sorry [bublush]

Try here

AmandaPayntedEgg · 29/03/2013 21:29

Well, if the youngest babies are 15 weeks and well into weaning then they are going against even the advice for early weaning, which is 16 weeks onwards.

BLW was great for us because we knew when they were ready. DD1 went to very close to six months (think it was about 25 weeks). DD2 had a lot more time sitting around during toddler meals and started grabbing stuff at about 5 months, so we let her help herself a bit from then on.

Original poster
Sleepybunny · 30/03/2013 07:31

Good to hear I'm not alone! It would be so easy just to fold to the pressure.

I'm still unsure about BLW, can anyone direct me to a website or book that gives a suggested method, foods to try first etc?

OP posts:
Awakeagain · 30/03/2013 07:40

Ds is just 5 months and has just begun to show an interest in food
He sits in a high chair at the table when we eat
Going to wait at least a few more weeks before letting him have anything, he'll probably be 24/25 weeks when we start
We are going to do blw (to lazy to arse about with purées)
Hold your head up - you are following q guidelines Wink

woopsidaisy · 30/03/2013 07:41

With my first two DC I fed at 4 mo, starting with baby rice.
For DC3 I waited until 6mo, and then just gave him normal food. It is somuch handier and way less fuss to wait.
DC3 was nearly 11 lbs, all of mine were big. Weaning 'early' did notbmakebthem sleep better/longer, or make them more settled, or help them grow ,more. It just caused a load of faff with purreeing and mushing, making baby food etc.
DC3 has exactly what we eat, sandwiches, soup, pasta-even fish and chips from the take away!!! :))
Do not bend to pressure!

Awakeagain · 30/03/2013 07:43

Sleepy bunny there are threads in here (can't link on phone) there is a blw website that has post from parents on and ideas (I've had a little browse previously to get my head round it) google baby lead weaning I think it's the 1st result
There is also a book (think gill rapley) there is an info book and a cook book
Depending on how much info you want there is enough in the cook book tbh

I basically take it as give baby normal food (certain things to be avoided) baby will play/try/eat etc on their own

Hope you find some info

AmandaPayntedEgg · 30/03/2013 08:49

Aitch runs a baby led weaning website, or there is a book by a woman called Gail Rapley. It's all pretty straightforward, but it gives you confidence first time round!

PurplePidjin · 30/03/2013 09:02

Ds is nearly 19 weeks and we'll wait till 6 calendar months which is my gran's 92nd birthday! Last night he sat in his high chair with a spoon while i ate and waggled a toy at him, but that's quite enough for now thank you

Even my completely fucking useless hv recommended 6 months, although there is a study going on at the moment into allergies and early weaning [buconfused]

Quak · 30/03/2013 09:03

try here

This seems to be the main site and I think it is the one someone mentioned earlier.
I am waiting/have waited too. DD is 26 weeks and we're starting next week. I think she's an excellent candidate for blw because she grabs and gums everything. She also refuses things like calpol when they are forced into her mouth so I think she'd likely reject puree too.

The reason you're supposed to wait 26 weeks is because your baby's gut is not mature enough before that point to deal with food. It has nothing to do with size, appetite or interest in food. I don't understand why people don't understand that, but as most people alive today were probably weaned before 26 weeks it isn't completely catastrophic if you do get started earlier. [bugrin]

I think you did the right thing and I have no idea why people want to start real food earlier. I'm going to miss the golden poo and convenience of milk an awful lot.....!

FadBook · 30/03/2013 09:05

Good link from JiltedJohn - definitely read this

As for support / info:
Purchase the book by Gill Rapley - Baby Led Weaning (or get from Library) Link here to ebay one or at Amazon

www.babyledweaning.com/ is a good site of info and support too.

Just come on here and perhaps start a new thread of 'new BLWers' when the time comes to start. There will be a few people on MN.

DD is 19 months, we waited until 6 months (well a couple of days before), she wasn't quite ready so we held off for a week, started again, sat her with us at dinner, she had what we had. Didn't cook anything different. She has a good relationship with food - good days and bad days of fussiness but to me the key to any kind of weaning, is reading and understanding what your child is telling you. If a baby is full, they will refuse food, you just don't force their hand at it. If a baby refuses a particular food, that's ok too. Offering it again next time you are having it - don't rule it out.

Whatever method of feeding you go down (traditional or BLW) the main goals are, 1) for your baby to have fun with food 2) to continue to get main nourishment from milk until 12 months old, 3) eat a varied and balanced diet similar to what you eat I am of course a BLW advocate, best decision we made, I love watching her eat now, it amazes me