Is my baby ready for solids?

[sarah0109]

Hi
I have a 16 week old and not sure if i should start him on solids at 17 weeks. He is breast fed but he is eating constantly (every hour or less) every 2 hours through the night and has been like this for weeks now. He is on both breasts for most feeds and still crys for more somethimes. He watches me eating and and has also started grabbing my mouth whiloe im chewing. Is he ready to try solids? :)

No, he's highly likely not to be ready. All babies watch what you're doing when eating, it's just curiosity not hunger. Same with grabbing your mouth.

Can he sit up well (with support) without slumping forwards or sideways? Can he pick up objects and bring them to his mouth? He probably won't have lost his tongue thrust reflex either yet. If these things aren't true then he isn't ready for solids.

If you start weaning at 17 weeks, then you will only be able to offer fruit or veg purée, and baby rice. None of which will be more calorific or nutritious than breastmilk. If you're offering both breasts and he's still rooting then you can put him back onto the first breast again etc.

Thanks
Yes he can sit up very well with support and breifly by himself, everything he grabs finds his mouth if it fits in he sucks it.

No he's too young. Wait till 6 months. Putting things in his mouth is not a sign. I bet he plays with your car keys but you wouldn't let him drive.

Have you spoken to your HV?

I dont have a health visitor, i havent had one since he was about 5 weeks old

Babies usually go through a growth spurt around 4 months old where they do need extra milk, but it does not mean that they are ready for solids. Putting things in his mouth is just a way of learning about the world around him - it doesn't mean he's ready for food.

The advice is to wait until 6 months old and then offer a range of textures, not all pureed.

16 week is growth spurt age so yes feeding loads in completely normal.

I've never understood this urgency to give solids. At 16 weeks the solids will never replace the amount of calories he gets from milk therefore being hungry is solved by feeding more milk! You replace his milk with purees etc he'll be hungrier than on just milk.

Xpost lotta

What happened your health visitor?

NHS weaning guidelines

If you want to fill up a hungry baby, extra milk has more calories than anything else a 17 week old baby could have. Nothing is better than milk at this age.

You will have allocated HV whether you see her or not. She will be assigned to your baby until school when the School Nurse takes over.

Phone your GP surgery and make an appointment with the HV. Talk to her about weaning.

Thanks all
I had a health visitor but then i changed doctors and she did not cover that doctors but a new one was never assigned

She was assigned just never in touch with you. All babies in the UK have a HV whether you see them or not.

OP, you didn't mention if your ds has lost his tongue thrust reflex. If you brush something unfamiliar against his lips/tongue (not a bottle teat or your finger, but could use a sterilised spoon), does his tongue automatically come forward to push it out?

Until that reflex goes - and baby can sit upright and co-ordinate picking up food and bringing it to mouth - he's not ready for solids.

As a pp said, weaning is a right pain compared to milk feeding - don't rush into it!

Sorry, just realised how old this thread is... It popped up near the top of the list in the app, for some reason!