When did you/will you wean and why?

[Pyjamaramadrama]

I'm just wondering, not many people seem to wait until 6 months.

I waited with ds1 until 6 months, despite loads of pressure. He was absolutely fine with his milk.

Ds2 is 20 weeks, I'm going to wait until at least 24 weeks just because again he's fine, and weaning can be a faff.

But he is quite interested in us eating, I've got a feeling he's going to take well to food, I kind of feel a bit guilty when we are all eating as his mouth starts going. He is also almost sitting up, and he has much better hand to mouth coordination than ds1 did at this age.

I'll still wait but I wonder whether this is the point when people decide they're ready.

[Lilipot15]

Thanks Snossidge, I suspect that is in the leaflet my HV gave me which is yet to be read.
I am not holding my breath for any improvement in sleeping once I wean as I seem to have well and truly set up a feed to sleep association

[Pyjamaramadrama]

What I do find strange but I dare to ask. Is my mums generation often swear that their babies were starving at 8 weeks and that they slept through once they had some food.

Was it the perception then? Is it because we tend to feed more on demand now?

[BeenAndGone]

DS was 6 months when I started. He stopped sleeping through soon after, no idea if if was related or not.

[ingenvillvetavardukoptdintroja]

Started at 6 months because I am lazy....
He didn't swallow anything for the first few weeks, just tasted, gagged and puked! He is now happily eating away at just past 7 months.
Honestly the first 4 months were so intense it was nice to not have to worry about it for a bit

[BertieBotts]

DS was actually 21 weeks. That's pretty much suicide to admit on MN

He was BLW. He was sitting (with support - he didn't sit alone until 9 months old) and he was literally going insane every time I ate something and was clawing his way up me trying to grab it. This sounds astonishing but I have diary entries of the time, which prove I'm not misremembering the time frame. He was a baby who was just very determined to move and he did a lot of pulling himself around before he was actually mobile. He absolutely got the food to his mouth himself, I never ever put items of food in his hand or hold them to his mouth. I did not spoon feed until well after 6 months. It was the height of the BLW "craze" - I even bought the book! And so I stuck to the theory to the letter. Which, BTW, says that you can do BLW "from birth" because if you put a boiled carrot in front of a newborn, clearly they don't have the capacity to eat it, in the sense that they don't even have the physical capability to get it to their mouths. So the theory doesn't specify an age for starting, it just recommends that you follow guidelines set by research, which is no earlier than 17 weeks and as close to 26 as possible. But his first food was buttered toast. So I did introduce gluten before 6 months, which is supposed to be a no-no. However, one theory says that if their external development is there in terms of sitting with support, being able to get things to their own mouth and swallow, (which initially, they don't always do) then it follows that it's likely the internal development is in line, because it doesn't make much sense otherwise. I realise that something sounding logical isn't the same as it being true, but in the absence of evidence either way, the face of the vehementness of this baby, the fact he was over 17 weeks and the fact that millions of other parents wean early for much more spurious reasons led me to go for it.

I really liked Analytical Armadillo's article about the biggest myths surrounding weaning. It mirrored my thoughts and it's backed up (where possible) by research which is nice. It came long after I'd done the weaning thing but is was nice to read anyway!
www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2013/09/13-baby-led-weaning-myths.html

I know that people say "Oh they watch you drive, and use knives and you don't let them do those things!" but there is a difference between a baby passively watching you with interest - which most of them do, most of the time, and yes, they have absolutely no comprehension that you putting things in your mouth equates to eating, tasting, or satiating hunger. Why would they know that? They've never done it. But when they are actively exploring food by reaching out for it, holding it, licking it, smelling it, it seems silly - you let them explore all kinds of things when they are in that stage, it seems ridiculous to totally avoid all food as though it might be some kind of poison. You can let them have a bit to explore when they are interested and leave it when they are not, it's not like as soon as you start you're on a train to 3 meals a day and you can't get off it.

The one thing which is really important is that you must ensure they are sitting upright and not slouched backwards. If they can't sit for the duration of a meal then it's not a good idea to start because of choking hazards. Also if you're putting items in their mouth or hands, you're introducing items which they can't naturally pick up which might mean that you're introducing choking hazards. An example was given of the pincer grip development - it would be a spectacularly bad idea to feed a 6 month old a spoonful of sweetcorn kernels or peas, but to let a 9 or 10 month old pick up individual peas or bits of sweetcorn is okay because they are controlling it themselves.

(Bonus: While I was looking for the AA article I found this which I also liked. It repeats a number of points but might add more info on some others.)
www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2011/02/starting-solids-can-babies-be-ready.html

[ChoudeBruxelles]

16 weeks. Early but ds was bloody massive (20lbs at 20 weeks) and was completely ready as he was bloody hungry.

[Pyjamaramadrama]

Very interesting points Bertie.

To be honest I'm kind of looking forward to weaning with ds because he moans and whinges through every meal we have so giving him a bit of food to play with might give him something to think about.

[BertieBotts]

And my opinion (and what I will do again) is that if baby is interested before 6 months I would do the strict BLW approach as in no spoons, no holding, no passing, after 6 months I would be happier using a spoon, but I definitely wouldn't use one to get more in early, because I think if they start early it should be more of an exploring thing, and it just becomes illogical to restrict food rather than it being beneficial to introduce it, if that makes sense.

Doing a mix is fine but that is what I would do :)

[BertieBotts]

Looking forward to weaning = also MN suicide

Didn't you know, you're not allowed to look forward to it as it means you're forcing your child to grow up too fast (Because looking forward to OBVIOUSLY means you're going to start at 3 weeks because you just can't wait )

[BertieBotts]

Am rereading Armadillo articles now - just brilliant. :)

[ShowOfBloodyStumps]

When they were ready so 26 and 27 weeks respectively.

Both were well over 20lbs. Weight is irrelevant.

[museumum]

5.5 months because I wanted to wait till 6 but ds was starting short nursery days at 6mo and refused a bottle so we started him on porridge with bm two weeks before nursery started. Apart from that he was 90% blw.

[ChoudeBruxelles]

Oh well done showoffbloodystumps. I found weight was relevant. Ds was drinking so much milk he was vomiting it up and was then hungry again. Hv and gp agreed we should wean if that makes my horrendous parenting any better

[Pyjamaramadrama]

I thought that article was brilliant Bertie.

I'm looking forward to it because I'm more confident this time, and I've heard of blw. Im definitely not looking for reasons to start early so no one shoot me.

[ShowOfBloodyStumps]

I didn't say anything about horrendous parenting and I wasn't attacking you personally. People use these threads for advice so it's important to give out correct information.

Your ds might have been drinking so much he was vomiting but that's a separate issue to him being over 20lbs. Research tells us that weight is irrelevant where weaning readiness is concerned. Obviously, this is in a healthy baby. There are cases where weaning may be necessitated because of medical issues which link to weight gain but weight is NOT a sign that a baby is ready to wean.

Please don't take offence, none was meant at all.

[FannyTheChampionOfTheWorld]

6 months for both of mine. Eldest was completely uninterested until about 9 months, second was interested but unable to get any more than gnat sized portions down until about 9 months. Mine don't seem to take to weaning very early, both had negligible amounts but in different ways for the first 3 months. Both formula fed on demand so I don't know if that makes a difference.

[amysmummy12345]

Ebf and six months here give or take a few days... Did blw, first foods were banana and broccoli...