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Weaning

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

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Original poster

Don't want to feel pressured when weaning due to going back to work - should I start DS on solids soon??

22 replies

TwinkleInSantasEye · 02/12/2006 23:31

Hi all. My DS is 18 weeks. I'll be going back to work full time in January when he's about 5 1/2 months. I really want to be the one to introduce him to his first solids and I also want to be able to wean him very gradually. Would it really do any harm to start introducing some very small amounts of solids quite soon? I would see it more as a chance for him to experiment rather than it replacing milk in any way. Also he's a very sicky baby and the doctor suggested some solids may help with this. Would be interested to hear others opinions/experiences.

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tinkersbelles · 02/12/2006 23:51

My DD is 20 wks on monday. I also go back to work in January and also want to be the one to start her on solids... (I also have a dream that she'll be able to have some mushed christmas dinner, although that may be rather optimitstic).
Anyway, we decided to give her a bit of baby rice this morning, just to see how she reacted. She wolfed it down so this afternoon, we tried her with a bit of pureed apple. Here was me thinking she'd have maybe a teaspoon of it, but no, she had half a small bowl full (and then milk afterwards as well) !! Carrot tomorrow maybe ??
Fingers crossed for you that it goes as well for you as it seems to be for us.

HunkerTheInternetPhenomenon · 02/12/2006 23:54

No, it's too early.

You won't be out at work 24/7 - just give her food when you're with her for the first few weeks when she's 6mo.

You're rushing her onto food she doesn't need for suspect reasons otherwise, IMO.

Good luck with it!

HunkerTheInternetPhenomenon · 02/12/2006 23:55

Er...give him food

Sorry.

MerryChristmasfromQV · 02/12/2006 23:56

Well, there is no reason to rush into giving them solids. You can still "be the first" if that is really so important to you, but, simply do it at weekends or for whatever meals you are there for.

Milk is the most important thing for babies in their first year so there is no rush to get them on to 3 meals a day anyway - you can just give them a little bit of food as and when you are there.

After a few weeks you can get whoever is looking after them to try little bits as well for you.

I think, bearing in mind the reasons given for introducing solids post 6 months, your reasons for early weaning are a little spurious.

Wait, take time, and enjoy it, but dont rush it - its not a race.

edam · 02/12/2006 23:58

Good idea from Hunker about feeding her when you are around. Seriously, there are reasons for the six month guideline.

edam · 02/12/2006 23:59

him, sorry, was looking at Hunker's post!

Original poster

TwinkleInSantasEye · 03/12/2006 00:00

Thanks for your responses. Hunker - what do you think about what the doctor said about the sickness thing? Would solids help at all?? Also, I've read that they should be on quite a wide range of solids by 7 months ish. I'm quite worried that if I leave it to 6 months and he doesn't take to it, I could get quite stressed out by the whole thing. BTW, if he didn't take to solids yet I wouldn't push it - just want to give him chance to experiment with some tiny amounts if he wants to.

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Original poster

TwinkleInSantasEye · 03/12/2006 00:03

Sorry edam and QV - x posts! I'm honestly not trying to rush him onto solids if he's not ready. It was the doctor's advice regarding his excessive possetting that's really got me considering it.

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MerryChristmasfromQV · 03/12/2006 00:04

Milk is the primary food source - or should be.

Dont worry - you wont cause any detriment by holding off and doing it at both your own pace.

My DS point blank refused any solids pre 7.5 months, and didnt really start eating solids regularly until he was just over 12 months old. (He was my second btw).

Original poster

TwinkleInSantasEye · 03/12/2006 00:05

Sorry, second afterthought! Thanks tinkersbelles - hope it keeps going well for you.

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HunkerTheInternetPhenomenon · 03/12/2006 00:10

DS1 was v sicky - weaned him when he was 6mo and the sick just smelt worse. So I think that your doctor is talking arse, I'm afraid.

He stopped being sick when he was about 8mo - but he wasn't really eating much till he was 9mo, so I don't think it had any bearing on it.

Seriously though - what hours are you working? Will you be full time? Please don't feel you have to stick to strict food times for him - just give him some bits to play with when you are with him. Honestly it's as easy as that - I really don't like the early stages of weaning and always stress that I'm getting it wrong, then I remember that I'm Very Laidback about these things and it all goes swimmingly from there

I weaned DS2 very slowly - he had a mixture of homemade spoonfed stuff, a couple of jars, but mainly fingerfood - and now he refuses a spoon and feeds himself pretty much anything that's put in front of him (with the exception of brocolli, which is apparently Not Food). He's 10.5m now.

Have you seen Aitch's baby led weaning blog?

edam · 03/12/2006 00:12

I'd like to know what evidence your doc has for that advice - bet it's just a guess. When docs or HVs are asked for advice about babies and they don't really have an answer, they always seem to fall back on messing around with feeding - I suppose it's one thing you can actually change.

I don't see why a possety baby would suddenly develop better digestion when his gut suddenly has to deal with solids as well as liquids! Particularly if weaned early ie before anyone knows the walls of his gut have closed and become able to deal with solid food. If his gut is still open, weaning could cause problems, rather than solve them.

FWIW, ds was quite a possetty baby and weaning didn't make any difference.

mears · 03/12/2006 00:13

How often will you be working?

I started DD on solids after returning to work part-time. She was 6 months when we started. I gave ger her fist foods. In 2 weeks she was on 3 meals a day!

Don't rush him. Stockpile milk in the freezer before you go back.

fluffyanimal · 03/12/2006 14:26

I am not so distrustful of doctors - I would give it a go, but I would wait until 20 weeks and only give tiny amounts of v simple food.

I'm no medic but maybe the rationale behind weaning helping reflux babies is that the solid food encourages development of the digestive tract muscles. On balance I would trust the doc to know that the benefits would outweigh the risks of allergies etc.

DizzyBinterWonderland · 03/12/2006 14:39

i actually wouldn't necessarily trust the doctor. having seen on here how much duff information is given by medical professionals, i would read a lot more around the subject, ask more people and then decide for myself.

HunkerTheInternetPhenomenon · 03/12/2006 14:43

No, I wouldn't trust the doctor either - they know bobbins about this sort of thing in the main.

As I said, DS1 was a VERY sicky baby (projectile, copious and after every feed for months) and all giving him solid food did was make the sick smell worse (and I did wait till 6m with him).

TinselgalacticWalrus · 03/12/2006 15:31

agree with the sicky baby thing. DS1 had terrible reflux, and threw up everything that he ate/drank for the first 10 months. My doctor told me to give up bfing and wean at 4 months, but I just ignored him becuse he's an arse.

Agree that it doesn't stop them from vomming, it just makes the vom smell worse, and makes it harder for you to get vom stains out of clothes/furniture. I think the only thing that truly stops them from being sick so often is when they are upright more. This was certainly true of DS1.

whensantagotstuckupAITCHimney · 03/12/2006 15:41

the one very sicky baby i knew was started early on food on the advice of the GP and all that happened was that his puke was more difficult to clean and he became really cross at mealtimes because his mum was very stressed out. he's only just started eating purees with any gumption at about 11 months, and his mum had to work Very Hard not to get stressed about it - and i'm not altogether sure she managed it.
that's why i'm so glad to be doing the old BLW, with the delightful mantra 'until they're one, it's just for fun'.
i agree with hunker et al about just giving him food while you're there, it's all play for the first while anyway so you don't need to worry about nutrition-y things really (no turkey twizzlers, obv) cos the milk will take care of that.

Original poster

TwinkleInSantasEye · 03/12/2006 22:12

Mears - unfortunately I have to go back full time which I'm not at all happy about, but needs must. Would love to stockpile milk but unfortunately I'm only partly bf him and I can't get enough when expressing to make the effort worthwhile. Think I will have to go completely onto formula when I go back, as I'm sure my milk will probably reduce a lot, which is another reason why I'm just not happy about the whole thing. I think I'm possibly quite keen to start him on some healthy first foods to make up for probably having to give up bf (best not to over-analyse that one I think!).
Thanks for all your input people. Interesting to hear that solids haven't helped other people's sicky babies. I think I will play it by ear - he is giving me signs that he might be ready to try some new things soon, but I take all your points that I musn't rush him. I'm also well aware of the dangers of him reducing his milk intake too soon.

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Original poster

TwinkleInSantasEye · 03/12/2006 22:17

Sorry, by full time I mean 5 days a week - 37 hour week, plus I will probably have to do some overtime (but bare minimum I hope).

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HunkerTheInternetPhenomenon · 03/12/2006 22:18

TwinkleInSantasEye, you may well be able to keep bfeeding partially if you want to - and by all means start him on healthy foods - but better to wait all the same.

Just see how it goes and don't fret too much about it now.

What do you mean by showing you signs he's ready for more? He's bound to be interested in what you're eating - because you're doing something. He probably watches you intently when you're reading a book, but no need to crack out the phonics just yet

Original poster

TwinkleInSantasEye · 03/12/2006 22:25

Yeah, take your point Hunker. As I think about it more I am convincing myself to wait a bit longer I think.

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