"why don't you start weaning now - I weaned you at 4 months and your fine"

[Munz]

cos he's 13.5 weeks mum that's why

" yeah but it's done on weight you know and he's not settling like he used to, just give him a bit of porridge"

(apparently my h/v doesn't know these things it's weigh and not age! lol)

Oh the memories! My normally sensible family turned into puree-wielding lunatics when DS turned 4 months. And there was a lot of tight-lippedness when we started DS on BLW at 6 months. Heh heh.

Oh just wait. Another week or two and she'll be trying to slip him chocolate buttons (and thinking you're cruel if you won't let her).

The other day I heard an HV say that there's new studies showing that the 'optimal time for babies to try new tastes is 3 to 5 months' AND 'the WHO saying that you should exclusively BF is only for developing countries'
When I told her that I disagreed and that in Canada no one starts solids before 6 months she said that they don't have the research in Canada that they do here.
What a load of crrraaaapppp.
Keep up the good work Munz!

Surprising recent study shows "Delaying initial exposure to cereal grains until after 6 months may increase the risk of developing wheat allergy. These results do not support delaying introduction of cereal grains for the protection of food allergy." Abstract \link{http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/117/6/2175\here}

christina that's interesting. I think it's important to listen to all advice but to do your own research and listen to the needs of your own baby and your own feelings. It's too easy to swallow the latest advice hook, line ans sinker. It's what people did with putting babies to sleep on their fronts, and I'm not aware that those giving this advice have ever apologised for the unnecessary cot deaths that occured!

Not that I'm saying delaying weaning will kill anyone, just I'd like to be open minded.....purplemonkey was very willing to disagreewith her HV on the 'new studies'....why? have you read them?

Sparklemagic - don't shoot the messenger! I just came across this article when looking for something else and thought it was interesting as it goes against the usual advice which goes against the previous advice etc etc. Then I saw this topic and it seemed suitable to mention it. I haven't read the full article anyway, so I don't really know more than what's in the abstract.

Are you breastfeeding? I think nanas always get a bit antsy around weaning because they're desperate to finally get a turn at feeding their new grandbaby. Obviously you can't change your weaning plan because of that but I bet it's the root cause. My mother in law was seriously chomping at the bit. I reckon your mum is saying "he needs porridge" meaning "let ME feed him something pleeeeeeese." Understandable in a way, no?

Just repeat to yourself - she is only trying to help.
Ignore.

Sounds like my mum

"oh she's hungry, one chocolate button wont hurt!"

I don't want the first thing to pass her lips to be chocolate.
I did wean dd1 at 15 weeks after advice from my HV, that was before the 6 month rule came in and she is fine.
I know i will be weaning saffron before 6 months as she is a hungry baby but i will hold off as long as possible.

I think the authors of the study Cristina linked are making a very big claim from what looks like smallish evidence. The WHO recommendation is based on expert review of many, many trials. This is one study, which found just four children with a true allergic response to wheat (as opposed to 16 whose parents believed them to be allergic).

There's no demonstration of a causual relationship, just (as far as I can see from the abstract) two things which may possibly be related, who knows. Hardly cause to overthrow the weight of established scientific evidence. It's interesting but would need much more research before you could say it actually proved anything. I'd guess the much bigger issue is what they mention in passing – "A first-degree relative with asthma, eczema, or hives was also independently associated with an increased risk of wheat-allergy development".

SM - I undertand now! :) I looked a lot into allergies and BF and weaning and wasn't totally convinced about holding on to 6 months for this reason alone but did so in the end for other reasons.

Ah Munz - you bring back memories of when my DS was 13 weeks. My Mum saying - "but I weaned you at six weeks and you're fine"! Me saying "but the research says six months and that's what I want to do and is what I tell other parents too" (I am a HV). Her looking at me as if I'd crawled off a different planet and saying - "The theory is all very well but...
he's hungry
he's watching you eat
your milk isn't enough for him any more
he wants some of that(fish and chips)!
you HVs change your minds every five minutes - your sister was weaned at 2 weeks!!!! and she's fine - you were weaned at six"

Bless.

Just do what I did - smile sweetly and say you're thinking about it.

Weaning at 6 months is not new advice - the WHO have been saying if for over 10 years. Lots of countries have had 6 monthss for some time now, we're late.
It's not about how large or hungry the baby is. It's about when the stomach lining is able to deal with food.

just remind them that a lot of damage that can be caused by early weaning doesnt happen show until adulthood.

2 weeks - so far (we've been here 2 weeks) i've had:

Pops giving him a bit of nanna on his lips (not major but not something i'd have done/let him do if I was there.

nanna giving him ice cream on his lips

and great nan saying why don't u give him some of your choccy cheesecake and cream - erm cos it's cows milk for one, too sweet for another and we're gonna get the veg/fruit sorted frist!

in work yesterday with mum one lady said I weaned at 6 weeks - my eldest was on 3 meals a day by 10 weeks but baby was big at 9lb! lol.

gonna stick to my guns here, i'd like to be as close to 6 months as poss I think but we're still early so we'll see! lol.

I dunno....where does the idea come from that '6 mths' is newish advice?

It's been 6 mths for several years worldwide, and in the UK for three years.....but it was officially '4-6 months' before then, which is really not all that different. It had been '4-6 months' for ages and ages - the COMA report of 1994 simply confirmed what was already reckoned to be good practice.

WHO'S advice seems to have taken ages to penetrate the system (and still some way to go!). Every mum i know ended up weaning at around the 4-5 mth mark (and this was only last year!) because they were still convinced their babies needed food at that point. ds managed fine through to six months, actually a little beyond, think it was more like 28 weeks. He's now eating massive amounts of food but still likes his milk!

i weaned mine at 4 months
all are still alive

My boy is just over 5 months and I get that from everybody all the time. Everyone in my babygruop weaned their babies at 4 months. I don't understand what the hurry is. If the recommended age is 6 months then I don't see the problem in waiting.

do whats best for you and joey hun

I wened becky at 5 months, but as i said on msn, at 6 months she was 20lbs and milk just want enough, she now scoffs 3 large meals a day and 4 bottles at not quite 8 months and will eat finger foods with a bit of help.

13.5 weeks is too young hun x

It's not that long since the advice changed, DS was weaned at 3 months and now has allergies (although he did pre weaning too) and this was classed by HV as an aceptable early wean as advised was 4 months, ds1 is six. Can't remember ds2, but ds3 six months and I know the WHO, as s omeone said, wanted it changed ages before it was.

Personally, I'd hang on as longa s possible. If he's grwoing and feeding well, then delay. If there's no allergy histories you're not as at risk in your family when YOU (not your MIL) are ready to wean.

I can kinda feel sympathy for your Mum- I remember doing child development GCSe it was an exam question that you weaned at 4 months, so people DO think they have the genuine knowledge which is understandable.

Interesting about cereals introduction btw; perhaps we all need to go back and read the stuff on knowing when your baby is ready as opposed to 'at X days old do a b , and at X + 3 days do C etc...' knowing your own child is so important

ahy i'll be thinking about it after 5 months ish but def not b4, he's fine with just my milk - greedy bugger just takes more if he's hungrier, and putting on 10oz p/w roughly. (in our family it's not uncommon for the baby to put on 1lb p/w b/f until 6 months then only about 1lb per 6 weeks there after).

also I want to look into it properly, what he can/can't have etc.

(I also have IBS - not sure if there's a link?) pop's tried the cows milk yesterday - lol, poor love, both mum and I said nononono def not for that intergestion probs wiht that one! lol.