Dd2 isn't bothered about bf - I have to take the initiative! So how am I supposed to know when she wants to wean onto solids?

[hotmama]

DD2 is 23 weeks this week and is exclusively bf. I think I have lost confidence in seeing 'feeding cues'. It seems that I always have to take the initiative with bf as dd2 doesn't show the traditional cues.

She is finger/thumb/toe sucker anyway - so unless she wants to feed all the time (which she doesn't) - then this isn't much use as a cue.

Sometimes she sleeps through the night and sometimes she doesn't - no sign there then!

She's interested in what is going on in the world - but aren't they all at this age it doesn't mean she is desperate for a banana does it?

I started to wean dd1(ff) at 24 weeks along the traditional puree etc way am thinking of doing more of a blw way with dd2 - but when?

Help and/or advice please.

TIA

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There seems to be more people around now!

DS2 is 26wo tomorrow - showing no sign he's ready for food. I'm going to wait till it's not as hot to give him any food - and then just give him bits of veg and fruit, bit of toast, that sort of thing.

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Ah come on - I know there are loads of you around - I really could do with some advice.

Hotmama - I would wait till 26 weeks and reassess the situation then. Once I hit 26 weeks I just started offering pureed carrot. I didn't wait for any specific cues - I just decided I was starting solids at 26 weeks and did.

I had planned to get to 6 months and if I had, would then have just gone for it. However ds started waking twice so we started at 5 months. So, if I were in your situation I would wait till 6 months then offer. Maybe she'll love food and really take to it.

Have you or anyone else been told that they're bringing the guidelines back to 4 months as the tastebuds are more active at that age? My hv is getting in a fluster.

Bramblina, think you've said that before on here? What has your HV said? It doesn't sound likely (or sensible given the wealth of obvious and logical stuff about leaving it till six months).

Yes hunker I did, and IIRC no one commented. She said just what I've said, and another girl added that there has been research that shows the tastebuds are more effective and if we leave it to 6 months the los will miss the best opportunity, or words to that effect. I didn't take an awful lot of notice as, 1- ds is way past that stage and I will do the same next time as I'm confident I did the right thing for my lo, 2- I thought if it were "the new advice/guidelines" that someone on MN would be talking about it- but they're not! So maybe it's just us up in the north, going mad...
I'll get more info next time I see her and maybe start a new post to see what the general consencus is.

It sounds like she's talking about the "weaning window" which is arse and some study done on one baby or something that was later shown to be bollocks.

Or she might have new info. But it seems unlikely.

'weaning window' is not what i called it but my shit hot scientist friend who researched it for his baby. Said for baby to accept a wider range of tastes 6 months was considered too late.

I also heard that hv's were soon to change advice in uk back to four/five months

Added solids to my ds diet last week -- no spitting just chilled and definitely 'feels'right.

My shit hot scientist friend is in the States but be warned - his wife is a Mumsnetter....

where are you Bramblina?

yes...i try really hard with my abbies to err on the savoury side

Ds3 was the one i tried hardest with and it really paid off- eats falafels and all sorts and will 'try' anything.

it is odd but i am such a sweet tooth!!

This is utter shite, IMO.

Babies were NEVER weaned at 4m decades ago - more like nine months to a year.

I reckon there are baby food manufacturers out there with a lot of money to lose if more and more people leave weaning till babies can eat a wider range of food from the word go - "special baby food" won't be as necessary because the gut's ready for lots more foods at 6m than it is at 4m. Do you know why? Because they're not meant to have bloody food at 4mo!

how do you know all this Hunca?

It's true btw EVERYTHING she says is true !!!

Babies gnawed on raw meat on the bone ......

Yeah!! I was going to say -men dragged their wives by the hair - some change is good

or not

OK, pay masses to baby food manufacturers who have your baby's best interests at heart with their jars of egg custard with egg, gluten, sugar and cow's milk in, suitable from 4m.

No skin off my nose

"men dragged their wives by the hair"? Is that your synoptic vision of life in a pre-capitalist society?

I always wondered what people did before telly was invented. Now I know - they dragged each other about by the hair.

What a surreal thread

Wasn't just the men!