So ready at 5months

[Haze86]

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

I tried to wait till 6 months but failed, he kept staring at me eating, which was offputting and then he stole my toast I tried to breeze over toastgate, but ds had a taste of butter and solids he was hooked, he now gets the odd spoonfull of purees, or baby rice pudding. He still eyes up my toast though the thief!

The NHS advice that is routinely given to parents by HV and the like is "around 6 months" and never before 17 weeks. That isn't a hard and fast "26 weeks and not a day before". The OPs 5 months and 1 week is surely in the "around 6 months" category.

I would have thought that part of the reason for 6 months being emphasised rather than "anytime from 4 months" is that people always seem to start before the suggested age. So if 4 months was the age mentioned all the time, some people would start weaning at 3 months or even earlier, which is potentially problematic. If 6 months is the age most mentioned then people weaning at under 4 months becomes less likely. Could be completely wrong though as this is just my musing on this!

OP if you baby is showing signs and is taking to it well then I wouldn't worry!

4-6 months (6 months ideally) is a guideline not the law! No to baby's are the same, they don't wake up at 6 months old all exactly the same!

I would maybe not bother with rusks and

Whoops posted to soon

Not bother with rusks and stick to baby rice fruit and veg to start with

My older 3 dc along with all my nieces/nephews (all now in there twenties) and there all fine no issues or weight problems

Have Tea my DS1 grabbed toast from my plate at 5 months, put it in his mouth and ate it. We did BLW with him from then.

DS3 (now 5 1/2 months) did similar - but we did put things in front of him during our meals from about 5 months. He was 2 weeks overdue though. First in was the 'fluffy' bit of a broccoli floret. He ate it (as evidenced by his nappy later) with great relish. He loves food, but I agree, I am happier knowing I waited until he could do it himself. I do spoon goop into him now and then though, now he has started.

Just musing here but my DS was two weeks overdue and weighed 9lbs 6oz. He was huge. I was having a weaning discussion with my mum and she was of the opinion that a strict wait till x weeks approach doesn't suit all babies due to various factors including gestational age at birth (should wait longer with earlier born babies etc). It was something I hadn't considered before. If I'd waited until 26 weeks with DS he technically could have been considered 28 weeks old. I've never seen this mentioned as a factor anywhere, is it completely irrelevant though, does anyone know if there is any research which takes this into account?

I don't know of any research about overdue babies and weaning readiness. Babies are considered full term from 38 to 42 weeks so I suppose their age would be calculated from their birth date, not any kind of "corrected" age. Don't know about babies more than 42 weeks overdue - there can't be too many of those surely?

I suppose I'm just wondering out loud about the sense of such strict guidelines (although others have posted that they aren't always advised as so strict) when babies can be considered full term from 38 weeks. If sticking strictly to guidelines one baby born at 38 weeks and one at 42 like mine would actually have a four week difference in weaning age in a sense if their mothers waited until 26 weeks. But perhaps gestational age at birth is irrelevant, I don't know.

The advice is not strict though, it's "around 6 months" and never before 17 weeks. So a couple of weeks before or after 26 weeks is expected. The guideline is often (mis)interpreted as exactly 26 weeks and not a day sooner.

If you go by the signs of readiness then you can't go far wrong (can sit up in a high chair without slumping, no tongue thrust reflex, can grab food and bring it to the mouth). Very very few 17 week old babies will show all of those signs. Obviously this assumes a healthy full term baby with no issues such as reflux or failure to thrive.

Oh I agree Culture, some of the earlier posters were quite strict about it, to the point of admonishing those who would wean earlier, so it prompted me to think more about it. I agree with the signs of readiness and waiting until 17 weeks at an absolute minimum.

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.
I started weaning my daughter at exactly 4 months (18+ years ago) and she was ready according to these guidelines.
I do have to wonder how you know they can pick up food, put it in their mouths, chew and swallow if you've never given them food.

Well, sitting up is straightforward to check for, as is being able to pick things up and bring to their mouths. As for having lost the tongue thrust reflex and being able to swallow solids, that's one of the reasons why the recommendation to wait till around 6 months is sensible. The vast majority of babies at around 6 months will be able to do so.

As Showy says size of baby is relevant.
My dd is small and ever so slightly drifts down the percentiles, while always gaining some weight and grin v strong.
I've been told not to wean early even if she's eager, as the veg only early weaning foods could slow growth to too slow. Once her gut can handle more fats and protein weaning is more likely to boost growth not slow it.
She looks and grasps at things to put in her mouth but this is baby sensory development - not always a sign she can eat non milk foods yet.

My DS is 24 weeks on Tuesday and I'm starting to think about solids. I want to wait until around 26 weeks/6 months which will fall in the same week so meh. I've waited this long mainly because I personally can't be arsed with puréeing things and agree with PP in the sense that I do not want to replace calorific fatty milk with vegetable purees too early and 'fill him' with less calorific food. However, babies are not robots and I doubt that 1 or 2 weeks prior to 6 months is 'bad' for introducing solids. The idea that the day they turn 26 weeks is the day they can cope and not before is ridiculous. Every baby is different. I wouldn't give a rusk to a 3 month old but I would give some mashed food to a 5 month + old. I basically feel that DS could handle food from now, but I'll wait for another couple of weeks mainly because I want to include dairy and meat from the start and 6 months is advised for that. My SiL gave her daughter purée from 18 weeks and she's fine, it's not what I want to do but it has been fine.