weaning age help

[shazzaronnie]

my dd is nearly four months old and i would like advice on how baby food jars state 4 months over but hv say 6 please help i have a v.hungry baby?

Baby food jars say from 4 months because the advice used to be between 4 and 6 months - so they chose the lowest age to get the most revenue. Because it was 4 - 6 months, most people weaned at 4 months, sometimes before.

World Health Organisation advice now is 6 months, although most HVs haven't picked up on this - yours is more clued up than most. The 6 months advice is because that's the age when babies guts are mature enough for solid food, and because of the risk of food allergies when weaned too early.

If your baby is hungry, give more milk. Milk should still be the major source of calories until 12 months, it actually contains more calories than first foods, so will satisfy your baby far better. Hang on in there for as long as you can.

Unfortunately the baby food manufacturers are out to make money, whereas unusually it sounds like your HV is spot on and has read the World Health Organisation guidelines.

I found that dd seemed to be really hungry for a fortnight or so at about 4 months. She had a few nights where she wanted a feed, where previously she had slept through. She went back to normal soon afterwards and she started solids at 6 months.

Babies stomachs are physically not ready for anything other than milk before 6 months. My understanding is that this is based on scientific research so it's far more than just a nice suggestion.

It's really hard when the shops say one thing but medical advice says another, but it will benefit your baby hugely to wait.

It might seem like there's no choice, but you'll get loads of support on here from other mums who followed the guidelines and introduced solids at 6 months and reaped the rewards.

hth

i have upped dd milk amount but won't eat a full bottle straight of she has to have it in 50mls at a time cos if it goes to cold she won't eat it? i give just sma should i offer water sometimes?

sOunds like you've got a real snacker there

If she's really hungry I think she'd be gobbling down a whole bottle and looking for more straight away. She might just be changing the way she feeds rather than actually being more hungry?

Water won't hurt, but it won't fill her up either.

There's every chance that it's just a growth spurt so (hopefully!) temporary. If you have to split the feeds so she has smaller feeds but more of them, then go with that. You may find that it settles down again in a few days, or it could just be that she's a grazer and prefers to feed little and often. Just try going with it and see how she goes.

bobsmum - she is a real snacker and its hard work cos u can never do anything, but after she had a bottle she got her fits straight in her mouth again??
wigwagbam- dd has been like this for a while now just don't know what to do its getting me down?

It may be useful to know that in some european countries the guidelines for weaning gomuhc more on weight etc than age. I think this is more sensible as babies can vary so much, at 4 months my baby was only 11lb, my friends baby was 11lb when born!

The swedish(I htink) guidelines are weaning can start when:

All of these criteria should be met
Baby is AT LEAST 16 weeks old
Baby has doubled birth weight
Baby weighs over 14lb
Baby can hold head up unsupported by you

other signs
Baby drinks 35oz+ milk a day
Baby is hungry in between usual feeds
Baby finishes a full (8oz) bottle or drains both breasts and still is hungry
Baby starts waking more frequently
Baby shows interest in food - grabs for your food
Baby can swallow food

They recomend that babies who need more than 40oz of milk a day probably need weaning, thats the usual amount of milk for a baby weighing 15-17lb.

However I wouldn't start with jars, I'd start wiht baby rice and then introduce pear and sweet potato.

The WHO guidelines are based on the best advice for the WHOLE world, so they recomend the extended BFing and 6months+ patrially because in non developed and hotter countries (which have the majoriy of the worlds population in them) its really important to make sure baby stuff is sterile, with water supplies being bad the easiest way to do that is through extended breastfeeding

however you don't live in a third world country and if you feel that your baby needs weaning before 6 months then talk to your health visitor. Hopefully the stuff i posted will give you some ideas of the types of things which you can look out for.

(I weaned at 51/2 months and DS is now 18 mo with no apparant ill effects!)

The fist in the mouth and the grabbing for food are developmental milestones, they don't show that the gut is mature enough to process solid food. If I had put a tennis ball on my plate, dd would have grabbed it and put it in her mouth - doesn't necessarily mean she was ready for food

THose guidelines look like they're from one of MN's most favourite reading material

weight has nothing to do with it - readiness for solids depends on the maturity of the baby's gut.

The WHO recommendations are for the whole world, not just develoing countries.

Shazzaronnie, babies just like putting their fists in their mouths - they are exploring, not necessarily hungry.

If she was that hungry, she'd finish the bottle wouldn't she?

eah i guess so but it so hard to know what she does want whehther it be food or not,when out she put her fits in her mouth and i think people look at me thinkin i don't feed her. so i don't go out mush with her?

shazze she might like to be out and about
and dont be worried about other people, its your wee family.
have you any books on baby foods?

Putting her fists in her mouth is about having discovered she can put her fists in her mouth and liking being able to do it, not about being hungry. If she was hungry she would be finishing her bottles.

Don't worry about what other people are thinking; they probably don't even register that she's sucking her fists. And if they do they won't be thinking she does it because you neglect her.

They (ie 6 months) have been Department of Health (UK) guidelines for more than three years now, but manufacturers will not change until they are forced to do so by law.

You can down load a copy of the guidance from the Department of Health website.

thanks everyone hermykne : no i don't have any do u think i should get some?

you might something in your llocal ibrary about diet/guideline and whats best for baby at that stage plus some really cost saving recipes . anabel karmel is a fav but there are lots of others