I know it's too early but...

[DetentionGrrrl]

My 16wk old is watching intently when we eat, getting annoyed, reaching out and trying to sit up in his bouncer when we do. Do i just stick this out until he's 6mths, even though he's getting very annoyed?

The official line these days is 6 months isn't it.

But he's your baby and I reckon you can have a hand in the decision.

At 16 weeks mine had had mashed up banana, both of mine did actually for similar reasons to yours plus the fact that milk alone did not seem to be enough for them (particulay my son).

All the things your baby is doing are normal for this age - it doesn't mean he is hungry or needs solids. He probably likes to watch you doing all sorts of things, and likes to hold things you are holding. He might like to hit the keyboard when you are on the computer - he's not telling you he's ready to start emailing his mates!

If he is feeling 'left out' how about giving him a plastic spoon to play with ?

As much as i'm looking forward to weaning him, I'll try the spoon thing and see how he goes.

my ds3 is now 20 weeks, and has been eating solids scince 15 weeks,
and the same with my other 2 , (back then that was right age)
my hv didnt see a problem with it when i explained that he was hungry and not settleing beetween feeds,i dont think there is anyway he could have wated for 6 mounths on just milk alone,
im prity sure as long as the baby food is 1st stage 4-6 mounths and gulten free there isnt a problem,
but i agree with emmatom go by your baby,u know him and his needs better than a book dose,

i'm not sure the 'you know your baby' thing really works if you're a first-timer... most of the time i don't have a clue what's going on with DD, to be honest. my mum was forever telling me that my baby was 'starving' because she was watching us eat all the time but we managed fine until 6 months. by the way, my dd wouldn't tolerate her bouncer past 4 months as she always wanted to sit up. we had to prop her up on the floor with a v-cushion so that she could play with her toys, or leave her on her tummy so that she could roll around.

ds was the same at 4 months, in the end we put him in a high chair at the table (padded it) and gave him a spoon. it kept him quiet till old enough to self wean at about 23 1/2 weeks (grabbed my banana and had a bite)

The thing is that if they are hungry fruit and veg and baby rice have far less calories than breast milk or formula so it not really going to fill them up much. (Fruit and veg are what you can eat more of when dieting). I did the early weaning thing with my first on advice of hv and he was eating tons very quickly but it made no difference to his weight gain or sleeping.

My son did sit ups in his bouncy chair from about 3 months. He was strenthening his stomach muscles (baby abs!)

lol at baby abs, not been able to leave ds in his since about 4 month, tries to turnover, use the toy bar to do pullups, who needs a bay gym when they have bouncy chairs.
Have you tried a ring to sit him in? ds has been sitting up since about 20 weeks, but lost his balance if somthing caught his eye, it worked wonders untill he started climbing out.