Anyone else weaning at 14 wks?

[sleepfinder]

My DS has been taking milk only during daytime hours since week 9 - and recently he has been guzzling so much I think that he's going to explode with so much fluid.

So going on the advice of my mother, I tried a little mashed banana after his morning bottle and he absolutely shrieked with joy. After a few days of this, he is now opening his mouth to accept the spoon and swiping at the spoon with his fist (he's not getting it yet though).

No adverse effects poop wise, sleep wise, mood wise etc. Sleeping well through the nights, napping normally and not guzzling huge quantities of milk before bed.

Anyone else on a similar route?

Oh, brilliant Lockets! That's fab!

If you were doing the harm that solid food can do to the insides of a baby to their outside...well, I'll leave it there, I think.

When DS3 was about 5 1/2 months I cracked and gave him some mashed banana mixed with EBM. Next day, we're all sitting in Stansted Airport and the realisation that he's just done a massive liquid poo out of the side of his nappy all over himself and me coincided with the realisation that I'd accidentally checked in the bag with his change of clothes in it...

So I'm with harpsi on this. Bananas are scum.

right, someone commented that at 8 weeks a baby can't hold their heads up, i merely said that that isn't always the case, re-inforcing the idea that every child develops at different reates. and i didn't just tell sleepy to go ahead and ignore all of the advice given, i said she should do the relevant research and speak to her hv. i stand by the way that i am raising my child, as i keep saying i would never presume to criticise other peoples methods, listen-yes and discuss-yes, but i don't think i am a better or worse mother than a woman who feeds her child organic vegetables or breastfed their child or uses blankets at night. i am saying that there are plenty of people who are walking around now, perfectly healthy who were weaned early, i was trying to avoid this line of argument there is no iron proof that all digestive problems are from weaning. there seem to be more dcs suffering from intolerances now, maybe this is linked. the arrogance in your argument is breathtaking, i am happy with my childs progress and if dh and i do have another i will wean as i feel is needed. ds was 9lb2 (i'm 5"2) and was on sma white from 2 weeks, it got to the point where he could not take any more milk, should i have allowed him to go hungry?

oh so this thread didn't die when i went to bed last night then...

is the aadvark hunker? hello hunker

and if ds had shown any change in poo's, feeding habits etc i would have stopped in a heartbeat. and lo and behold he was more satisfied, happier, slept better. i am not condoning early weaning but i think that some of the responses on this thread have been over-zealous

Bananas are full of starch.

Hello DB It would seem that you can take the Hunker out of the name, but you can't take the Hunker out of the posting style

And to counter the "big strong baby needs food" argument - both my DSs have been hugely strong and hefty at birth - big head circs, jumped up through the centiles to begin with, both could hold their heads up and lift them if they were on their fronts from birth - and neither needed food before at least six months.

they are prob not the best thing to start weaning with

it's soluble starch, which researchers at univ liverpool are using in a study to try and alleviate the symptoms of crohns disease (I think they're using plantains cos they contain even more starch)

lissie, it isn't about "iron proof" evidence of causation - it is about the fact that a baby's gut remains "open" until sometime between four and six months. have you read the link hunker/aardvark posted earlier (the kellymom one)? that explains the reasoning behind delaying solids very clearly.
the research is overwhelming

You are condoning early weaning, MLM!

I still don't think that a bit of baby rice could have made that much of a miraculous difference.

Who knows - maybe he'd have settled anyway. FWIW, both mine have had massively hungry phases inthe run up to 6m, neither slept particularly well - I didn't think "oh, I'll bung 'em full of baby rice" I thought "fuck me, this motherhood malarkey's hard work!" and had less sleep and fed them more milk as a result. I do think the insistence on piling food into unready babies simply so you get a bit more shuteye is wrong, wrong, wrong.

I'm not sure what birthweight has to do with it -
DD was 9lb 13oz and wasnt weaned on to solids until 26 weeks. She was fully breastfed - growth spurts just meant i fed her more often.

No-one suggested that all digestive disorders stemmed from early weaning.

I do wonder how many of those who weaned early took folic acid before and during pregnancy.....

can I just say (I probably shouldn't, but I am going to):
the ~"usual suspects" on this thread are not over zealous about early weaning because they are smug and holier than thou and ubermothers or whatever else has been implied.
I care a lot about this subject because I have a crappy family history of allergies including a frankly PITA banana allergy of my own (and on my husband's side of the family, food intolerance related eczema.
and hunker and VVQV have a bit too much experience of food allergies too.
we bang on about it because we care about food allergies. not because we are insecure mothers lording it or whatever.
I don't know about moondog though, I think she's just an interfering old bat

and surely milk for 6 months just makes life easier too

good lord yes! LOADS of allergies!

Plus my mother has IBS and diverticular disease, her mother died of bowel cancer (interestingly enough - she was a premature twin, who was weaned very early to 'build her up'), and DP's mother also has IBS and diverticular disease.

I take no chances.

And yes - feeding milk - WITH MY BREASTS is far easier than anything else. Not even a spoon to wash up....

my entire maternal family suffers asthma and eczema. i did not wean early coz i wanted more sleep, it was coz noah couldnt physically take more milk. re the weight thing, that was merely a response and vvvqv, what are you implying re folic acid?

Did you take it?

and no, i didn't bf, not thru choice but coz i was too ill post cs.

of course i did, from the day we ttc til a week after my 12 week scan. and tbh i'm offended that you feel that you have the moral high ground and have made the assumption that i am so irresponsible

Why did you take the folic acid?

Im stated about b/feeding simply because often - when babies have growth spurts that its necessary to top them up with formula. I wasnt suggesting that I am better because I b/fed - far from it - simply that b/feeding - and not knowing how much DD was getting - was enough.

people think that its necessary to top up with formula

that shouldve said....

i took the folic acid to reduce the risks of spina bifida etc, i know where you are going with this, during my pg i stuck rigidly to the rules and took the mw's word as gospel despite my instincts screaming otherwise. i had a horrendous last few months, labour, delivery and post cs infection. so from now on i trust my own instincts WITH the relevant information and advice under my arm. we are ttc and i am taking folic acid again but i will make my decision on weaning as and when i feel it's necessary

Merrielissiemass - you might not like it - but in my eyes you are being irresponsible in supporting early weaning.