official advice?

[ruth1104]

my 15 week ds has never slept well and is currently going through a phase of feeding every hour. Today my dh (went to the appointment while i had a nap ) was told by my health visitor to just start weaning him in 2 weeks, when hes 17. This advice seems a little bonkers to me and ive no intention of following it, especially as ds has a cows milk allergy and i understand breastfeeding for as long as possible and not introducing solids til 6 months might help protect him from other allergies. But is this the official 'health visitor' line?! what were you told?

*in 2 weeks when hes 17 weeks! sleep deprivation kicking in!

The NHS advice (which the HV should be based on) is to wait till around 6 months and definitely not before 17 weeks. So what she said is not absolutely contrary to that advice. I can't see how weaning at 17 weeks is going to be helpful though.

I wonder whether HVs, when faced with sleep deprived parents, feel the need to offer something as a possible solution rather than having to say that there's not much that can be done about it.

I didn't see a HV after 2 weeks old so didn't get any advice on weaning! I just went on the NHS 6 month advice. Although she could sit up unaided before 6 months I didn't think she particularly showed any further signs of being ready, and although she was an awful sleeper I didn't think a few mouthfuls of carrot would make a massive difference!

I think 17 weeks is given as the absolute earliest weaning should happen, it seems to be quite an old fashioned view to me.