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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

So ready at 5months

39 replies

Haze86 · 22/01/2015 13:51

I've started giving my 5month old some rusks and puréed fruits to get her started...anyone else started early?

OP posts:
Artandco · 22/01/2015 13:54

No. Why would you? There's guidelines for a reason

Showy · 22/01/2015 13:58

What do you mean by ready?

The signs of being ready are sitting up, no tongue thrust reflex and able to accurately pick up food, put it in their mouths, chew and swallow. Most children do this around 26 weeks, some slightly before, some afterwards as with most things. If they are able to eat solids, they will demonstrate it using these signs. Important thing is being led by your baby and responding to their cues.

Schoolaroundthecorner · 22/01/2015 13:59

Come on Artandco that wasn't helpful. I weaned DS at 20 weeks on the advice of the health visitor. He was formula fed, not by choice in case someone jumps on that too Hmm. Didn't start with rusks though OP but with puréed fruit etc. rusks might be a bit heavy at the start?

Artandco · 22/01/2015 14:04

School - of course it's helpful. My grandmother drive around Europe with her children in the boot, doesn't mean she doesn't agree with car seats now. Things change.

The current guidelines are 6 months due to babies gut not being fully ready. Their digestive system is porous until around 6 months on average. Feeding a 20 week old who hasn't had their stomach checked to see if it's still porous is potentially dangerous. Hence my answer to op that no, I would wait

Schoolaroundthecorner · 22/01/2015 14:10

Does anyone actually have a baby's gut checked to see if its porous? I have never heard of that but as the OP has already started feeding her baby I don't think your advice was terribly helpful.

tak1ngchances · 22/01/2015 14:11

The guidelines have actually just changed to 4-6 months

Showy · 22/01/2015 14:13

Can you provide a link to this change?

suboptimal · 22/01/2015 14:14

Fine op, do what you like! I can't see 3 or 4 weeks making much difference...

Showy · 22/01/2015 14:14

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/solid-foods-weaning.aspx

NHS guidelines have always been sensible, non-prescriptive and helpful.

FatimaLovesBread · 22/01/2015 14:16

Where is this guideline change tak1ng?

Artandco · 22/01/2015 14:17

School - those that are recommended to wean at very early age by doctor on medical ground yes. Everyone else waits

Schoolaroundthecorner · 22/01/2015 14:18

I should probably be clear that it was almost 4 years ago I weaned DS and it was in Ireland where the advice given then (and possibly now) may be different to the UK. It's also different where I am now (neither UK or Ireland).

suboptimal · 22/01/2015 14:20

It's 4 to 6 months here. I doubt our government is intentionally putting babies at risk. I'm not in the third world.

Schoolaroundthecorner · 22/01/2015 14:21

Really Art? Everyone in the UK waits until 26 weeks or else has their baby's gut checked? Unlikely I think but I don't live there so ......

OP there is great advice on the website linked by Showy. Worth following in terms of food type, amounts, what to avoid etc.

dementedpixie · 22/01/2015 14:24

have you tasted how sweet rusks are? (I did and then never used them again - you are as well giving a chocolate biscuit than give them rusks). Most also contain gluten which is supposed to be avoided until 6 months regardless of when weaning starts.

Simple fruits and veg and baby rice for thickening up watery purees are good to start with.

babygiraffe86 · 22/01/2015 14:33

my friends baby is 16 weeks and he gets a baby porridge before bed, she has been bf and he is so hungry - milk is not filling him. oh and hv says not a problem, in the same way people go through puberty at different ages - no 2 babys are the same and some will be weaned, will teeth, will crawl, will walk before others!!

dementedpixie · 22/01/2015 14:39

16 weeks is under the minimum age advised for weaning so I have more of an issue with weaning at 16 weeks than I would with weaning at 5 months

1lov3comp5 · 22/01/2015 14:43

Here in Ireland they say no earlier than 17 weeks, we don't have a nation of children with ruined guts...it's fine OP

HaveTeaWillSurvive · 22/01/2015 14:46

This is one of those things I don't understand. It can't hurt to wait until 6 months but could possibly hurt to start before they're ready - so why doesn't everyone wait? Genuinely curious - not meaning to be goady...

Showy · 22/01/2015 14:49

Babygiraffe, your friend has received poor advice. 17 weeks is the minimum age and milk will do the opposite of not filling a baby. It is the most easily digested, calorific and balanced complete diet you can give. Porridge will just fill a baby with a less nutritious, lower calorie substance which is harder to digest. Plus, being hungry is not a sign of weaning readiness. A hungry baby needs calories. From milk. What a shame your friend was let down with this advice.

Original poster
Haze86 · 22/01/2015 15:04

Well she is only 3 weeks away from being 6months so I doubt that will make a difference.. The food says from 4 months and I fed my son at 4months which he is now 8 and perfectly healthy.its a couple of spoonfuls of fruit and a quarter of a rusks which I think is perfectly fine as she can sit up on her own too..

OP posts:
GotToBeInItToWinIt · 22/01/2015 15:08

My MIL weaned my DH at 6 weeks ShockShockShock. She said he was hungry and wanted lots of milk... I replied 'why didn't you give him more milk then'? She also weaned SIL at 8 weeks. Both have IBS and are overweight. Obviously there's no way of attributing these things and it may be completely unrelated but I waited until 6 months just in case!

Showy · 22/01/2015 15:10

The food says from 4 months because they can squeeze an extra 2 months of profit that way and there is no legislation to stop them.

If you are confident that you are doing the right thing and your baby is ready, then great. Rusks are not a good first food at all though. You should eat them instead. I'd say you are obliged actually.

Showy · 22/01/2015 15:11

I do like the "I weaned because he was hungry" line for tiny babies. Begs the question rather.

TheNewStatesman · 23/01/2015 00:54

What a ridiculous non-argument of a thread.

And "It can't hurt to wait till 6 months" isn't necessarily true. The data shows fairly consistently that a minority of exclusively breastfed babies are already slightly iron deficient by six months, which might be considered to constitute an argument for not waiting too long to start food. Some authorities have also suggested starting solids earlier may reduce the risk of allergies developing.

See here, for example:
online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/bfm.2007.0002
www.espghan.med.up.pt/position_papers/con_28.pdf

None of this adds up to compelling evidence on either side. Given how non-conclusive the data is, the best advice in the mean time is to start at 4, 5, or 6 months depending on when feels like the right time.

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