How did you know it was time to wean 'early'? Would love to hear some stories, advice etc.

[Mepmep]

I am really keen to hear from anyone who started weaning at 20 weeks (i.e. earlier than the 6 month guideline)...

I see some really fantastic advice on MN so I'm hoping to run some thoughts past you all....

I planned to wean at 24-26 weeks as suggested for EBF babies, but I now realise this is more of a guideline than a 'your kid will be harmed if you wean earlier' kind of rule.

I noticed that my 20 week old DS seems to be hungrier more often. He's 8kg and in the 75th %tile. I'm trying to get him on a 'eat play sleep' pattern but his feeding is still all over the map, and he may feed two times during his wake time, sometimes every hour or 1.5 hours. I know BF consultants say that BFing should be enough, but is it? This kid seems hungry all the time.

He also cries at night 2-3 times and almost always takes a full feed on one breast (whilst actually asleep....he sleeps 7pm-7am though, apart from this crying he doesn't actually wake up as such). For naps and bedtime, he self settles to sleep. Developmentally he still can't turn over (from back to front) though he's been trying for about 5-6 weeks. He manages about a minute of tummy time before he collapses!

Does anyone know whether this may be linked to hunger/not enough calories?

HV said we can start weaning with a few teaspoons a day now, and its better than waiting till 6 months since by that time you can't be as gradual apparently.

DS can't sit on his own though (HV said that's ok, as long as his head doesn't flop whilst in his bouncy chair).

Does anyone have any experiences with non-sitting DCs and weaning...?

I also want to stop breasfeeding soon and give him expressed milk in a cup until he is 12 months (primarily as I'm going back to work) but I believe this will be another post altogether!

Tell me your weaning stories..if you weaned 'early', how did you know it was time?

We started too early with ds1, it was such hard work and I wondered why everyone was so keen on it! Then with my others I waited until they were sitting and swallowing properly and it was SO much easier. For dd that was around 5 1/2 months (prob 25 weeksish) and DS2 a little earlier as he sat up v early.

If he's not even rolling or doing tummy time it doesn't sound like he's all that ready, tbh. Are you feeding both breasts every time? Is he getting distracted and maybe taking in less? When you first start food it actually drops calories for a little bit, as the veg or baby rice will be lower calorie than milk, so it is unlikely to fill his tummy. It does sound like the 4 month growth spurt, with any luck he'll come out the other side a lot happier and maybe physically more ready?

DS1 was belly crawling everywhere by 20 weeks and going bonkers when we had food, sticking his hands in it, wanting some. He was also losing weight hand over fist because he was so active. So yes, we started to wean him shortly after that point. We did it the one food at a time way, though, as he was so young and there's allergies in the family. It was also 10 years ago, so it wasn't officially "early" yet.

I think your HV sounds a bit rubbish tbh.

The best way to wean is to have the baby sitting up and able to bring food to their own mouth. This is regardless of ig you do blw or puree and finger food.

The are circumstances when early weaning is better. Bad reflux or if your baby has cleft palate for example. But for the vast majority of cases it won't help.

I'm weaning a 7 month old atm (dc3 so have done it before):and it is time consuming as you have both milk and solids to fit in. I really wouldn't recommend starting early.

He wasn't sitting, btw - due to head lag, he wasn't able to sit independently until about the same time as he could stand against the furniture, around 7 months. We just sat him in his swing, where he was able to sit fairly upright without flopping.

I also had fewer qualms about the 21 weeks I started him on foods at because he was born very well baked, at 42+2. He could have been born at 38 weeks and be past 24 weeks already, so I figured that, given all the signs he was showing, he was pretty much physiologically ready.

In your case though, it does sound like you may need to try to up your supply. Maybe start pumping now on top of feeding him or burp him and briefly latch him onto the opposite breast if he's used to only feeding from one side at a time.

Hm...yes, you are probably right Custard - it doesn't look like he's there yet developmentally...

Gosh, is he really late to turn over then? He does have plenty of opportunity to practice (on the playmat/playtime in the cot) and makes some attempts at turning over (he can turn to the side) and gets really frustrated when he doesn't....should I do something to encourage him? I just don't want to rush him if he's not there yet himself.

Thanks littleducks...I'm just a bit worried because if he doesn't start sitting up till he's 8 months old or so...eeek! I won't be able to BF as i'm going back at work when he will be around 7 months and I really can't face the whole pumping at work/leaky boobs thing (we have pumping facilities but I also have 2 hour meetings back to back regularly; 90% day spent around other people etc, I do presentations most of the day...nightmare..). I thought that if you wean, you BF a lot less at some point?

Ouryve - how did you find your DS was swallowing etc if he didn't sit up on his own?

This is a really nice nhs guide about weaning (imo):

www.nhs.uk/start4life/documents/pdfs/introducing_solid_foods.pdf

Give it until 6 months and then see if her arms more ready. I understand your concerns about going back took work but I don't think that of is likely tbh

Sorry that was an autocorrect fail.

He seems

At 7 months milk is still the main food. So he will prob need milk while you are working (aiming you work traditional type hours).

So while you will feed less once he is established on solids I think of is unlikely to be massively reduced by 7 months.

Oh no, wrote a long message and lost it! Basically I went back around the same time with dd and ds2, both breastfed, and neither would have been okay without milk for a few more months. For both I kept bfing in morning, evening and at night, with dd I expressed after the morning and evening feeds, with ds2 I couldn't make the time with 2 others running around so he had 1-2 bottles of formula during the day. Dd was nearly 11 months before she was eating enough for me to drop the midday milk and have some extra yoghurt or dairy instead.

Something that might help is that you can keep frozen milk for up to 3 months, so if you do extra pumping after feeds now it will have the double benefit of boosting your supply and giving you some extra stash for later. Kellymom has good tips on expressing and storage.

Our physio for both DCS told me that unless your baby builds their muscles up they won't roll/sit up when others do.

They need plenty of tummy time, and I had to build it up in lots of little and often sessions. They are mostly grizzling out of frustration and you have to persevere and resist urge to pick them up.

My DC2 weaned at 4.5 months he couldn't roll or sit unaided, but he had torticolis (hence why he couldnt). He would grab at my food.

When he could keep himself upright in a highchair I tried him with some baby rice and he sucked it off the spoon. We moved on to fruit/veg puree, he loved it. Before weaning he was BF like crazy almost hourly for weeks. I thought it was a growth spurt but he was ready.

DC1 had cows milk intolerance. Was advised to wean at 5 months. She wasn't ready, constantly pushing it back out with her tongue and being fussy.

I told myself if DC2 did the same we'd wait until 6 months. But he never did.

With both DC even now, I make sure not to over feed, I don't force them. Some days they eat loads and others hardly anything. Both have good healthy weights.

My advice is watch for clues from baby. If they seem to be eyeing your sandwich up longingly and desperately trying to grab at food, give it a try. But don't make them eat if they don't want to.

Also meant to add that mine took ages to roll, and that sit up on their own means STAY sitting, not that they need to get up there unaided (though it's best if they can, all babies have their own timelines).

It is worth checking out lucky's link as there is a lot of misinformation on boards about interest in food being a sign of readiness, when it is actually not very related (otherwise my toilet-loving 12 month old would be ready to toilet train! ) - it's all about the physical markers of sitting, swallowing and grabbing. Good luck!

Thanks Custard. Thanks all. I've now been looking at DS's physical 'signs' and gave him banana chunks, empty sippy cups and weaning spoons to 'play' with, all which has convinced me that we are not quite there yet. He squashes the banana chunks and hurls the sippy cups across the room