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Weaning

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

Original poster

Going to start weaning 4mth old this week..........................

221 replies

Flumpybumpy · 08/01/2007 09:50

Spoke to my HV as DS is feeding very well with formula. He is putting on weight well and very happy. Sleeps through etc etc....
He is taking a real interest in food and started waking for night feeds etc classic signs that they want more.
My friend is horrified that I am not waiting until he is 6mths, like the guidelines say.
Told HV, she said that weaning is not recommneded until the baby is 6mths however, I am his Mum and she is only there to offer advice, I should do whatever I feel is right for my baby and seek her advice if I need help.
I weaned DD at 4mths with no problems at all, and have to say I find this 'you mustn't do this / that' attitude a bit much.
I know they are only going by new guidelines etc... but my HV does have apoint, all babies are different and only their Mothers know them well to enough to make informed decisions. Maybe we all need to trust our instincts more and use the 'professionals' for support and advice rather than a rulebook.
FB x
P.S. not too sure about BLW though

OP posts:
VVVwhatever · 08/01/2007 19:14

I wouldnt consider vigorously ensuring that people understand the considered risks of early weaning as an "attitude", per say.

I have IBS too, as did my mother (who also has diverticular disease), as did my Nan, who finally died of bowel cancer. All weaned "early" for numerous reasons. My nan because she was a twin and born early (her twin died), and she was so weak they wanted to "feed her up".

I'm not sure anecdotal stuff is to be listened to - it can be quite scary, afterall.

AitchTwoOhOhSeven · 08/01/2007 19:56

very true, nothercules, my IBS only asserted itself when i was in my twenties. it was so sore i cried for my mum . it's not fatal but i wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Mojomummy · 08/01/2007 21:06

Are you aware babies digestive systems aren't properly developed & by early weaning you are potentially storing up all kinds of future health problems ?

It's all very well saying, well I weaned/she weaned/they weaned at 12/13/16 weeks & they're ok. This is the future health of your children here & unless you are a qualified professional, I suggest you don't know your baby best.

My DD2 is coming up to 25 weeks. She is exclusively breastfed &, bless her, desperately chomping her little jaws when we are eating our teeth. Yes, she might be ready, however, I would never forgive myself if she developed an allergy/intolerance, so we are holding out for the next 10 days.

It's not a competiton, there are no prizes for weaning early & of course it doesn't mean one's baby is advanced.

Rant over - I just wish the hv's gave proper direction...

fortyplus · 08/01/2007 21:08

So you are a qualified Health Professional, presumably?

yellowrose · 08/01/2007 21:09

mojo - did you mean "eating your food" not "teeth" ? - gosh you must have a terrible diet in your family

yellowrose · 08/01/2007 21:13

I agree with you mojo - except I think you are being a bit tough.

I am not a qualified health prof. (thank goodness !) but can rave about the benefits of excl. bf until the cows come home (excuse pun) but surely they can only advise and support (well the good ones any way), they can't force the matter, can they ?

fortyplus · 08/01/2007 21:18

No... but they spout whatever is the latest advice from Government, which may have a hidden agenda - eg the comment re: date being moved to 6 months because when it was 4 months loads of mums were starting at 8 weeks.
Never forget that 'Health professionals' (and several of my friends are Nurses, MW, HV, GP & Consultant Oncologist) are used to dealing with people with no common sense whatsoever on a daily basis.
So much of the general advice that is bandied about is crap designed for the lowest common denominator.
I bf both mine till 7 months but I know loads of perfectly healthy people (myself included) who were bottle fed.

yellowrose · 08/01/2007 21:27

Oh but fortyplus, the hidden agenda isn't to get mums to bf more.

I am quiet cynical and think that the hidden agenda has to do with the power of the people who make baby food and or formula. It is in THEIR interest to get us to wean babies early (whatever early means).

The Dept. of Health has still NOT managed (despite being lobbied) to get these companies to change their labels to "from 6 months" which is in direct contradiction to what the Govt. is supposedly aiming for. In many European countries it is now banned to put "from 4 months" on baby food.

fortyplus · 08/01/2007 21:35

But there are still so many Mums who don't bf at all because of lifestyle choices - or who can't bf for various reasons.
I don't think they should be made to feel guilty about it even tho - as I've said - I was committed to bf my own 2.
You won't believe this, but... I had written all over my notes that I was going to bf ds1. I had a large blood loss and when I woke up 12 hours after the birth a MW had given him a bottle of formula because 'it seemed a shame to wake you' It took me ages to get bf established - ds1 lost nearly 2lb and was admitted to hospital at 10 days old.

yellowrose · 08/01/2007 21:50

Fortyplus - I am sorry to hear your story - it sounds very familiar. It is a fact that a lot of health profs. are pig ignorant and totally lack compassion when it comes to childbirth and child feeding. Which begs the question, why are they doing the job in the first place ?

fortyplus · 08/01/2007 21:54

It does make you wonder... My ds1 has asthma, whereas ds2 doesn't. I've often wondered whether it could have anything to do with that one bottle of formula... (I know that just one has proven to be enough to set off type 1 Diabetes)

nothercules · 08/01/2007 21:55

No, I'm not. I am yet to meet one who knows more than I do about breastfeeding and my head hv at my large gp practise had never even heard of not weaning until 6 months. I had to point it out to her and she was the one who was meant to give uptodate advice to the gp.

I dont agree with withholding facts incase it makes people feel guilty.

nothercules · 08/01/2007 21:59

In my ignorance I let the staff give ds formula in the hospital as they said my milk wasnt enough for him. We have lots of allergies in my family and I will never know for sure if that formula contributed to the allergies he has now.

When I had dd the professionals also wanted me to give her formula as she was hungry. The midwife walked away from me muttering at me when I refused the formula they wanted to push down her throat. I told them she had no need of it and my milk was sufficient. Sadly all the other mums on my ward were mixed or bottle feeding as I guess they were given the same crap advice.

Please dont ever think that health professionals know it all.

Twinklemegan · 09/01/2007 00:39

My first thought on reading this thread title was - oh god, that'll provoke a response! I just wanted to add an anecdote and generally join in the chatter about a topic that interests me really. I started weaning my DS very very gradually at 19 weeks, on medical advice, in the hope that a little bit of solid food might help reduce his sickiness, which I think it has. He's now 23 weeks and he's still only on 2 cubes of root veg puree, or fruit puree and baby rice, a day. I'm going to up this to 3 cubes tomorrow as he's polishing it off every time. I wouldn't actually say that doing puree is at all a PITA - it takes about half an hour to prepare a whole batch for the freezer (but maybe that's because I'm an enthuasiastic first time mum!).

I think it's an interesting point about the baby showing its readiness by an eagerness and ability to feed itself. DS has been grabbing the spoon, putting it in his mouth and licking off the contents since the word go, so I'm hoping that means his gut is ready for the tiny amounts I'm giving him. I've been too scared to give finger foods as yet but I love the idea of putting a plate of suitable things near him and seeing what happens. I've a feeling he'll be pretty enthusiastic.

I would say if you are going to start weaning your DS soon then make sure you do it really slowly and stick to very basic non-allergenic foods. Give his milk feed first and continue to do this until he's six months. I think part of the problems with early weaning might be caused by enthusiastic mums getting carried away and increasing quantities and types of food much too quickly.

dunscared · 09/01/2007 08:42

Initially thought the thread was very positive but now has become a bit of a bunfight. Think FB wanted to hear from people who were going through what she is not made to feel more guilty.
As for the constant slagging of health professionals, it's boring. Yes there are bad ones as in every walk of life but you can't tar all with the same brush.
I'm a consultant anaesthetist and don't profess to be an expert in BF or weaning however I am an "expert" in guidelines and how they change with time. On Intensive Care we are treating patients according to the latest guidelines then some new research appears showing we are actually harming more patients than we help so we change things on a set date when the new guidelines have had time to be printed and distributed!! Then a few years later it turns out the "new" guidelines were no better or even worse and we change again. The problem is that we are all different and all react in different ways so guidelines are exactly that - for guidance.
My son at 20 weeks is now getting roughly 1 teaspoon of friut/veg/babyrice twice a day (on top of his usual BF's) and loving it. I feel my son is ready and I know him best, my HV thinks he's ready and she's seen him regularly seen birth agrees. What I and I think FB don't want is to be told that we are storing up years of pain and suffering for our child by someone who wouldn't recognise me if they passed me in the street! Rant over sorry for the length of it but I feel much better and now off to clean bathroom before son wakes again!

yellowrose · 09/01/2007 09:18

Dunscared - much as I agree with what you say about "mummy knows best" and "not ALL health profs. are crap", I also agree with what a couple posters here have said.

I don't think people like me or others come on to these thread to start a fight nor to make anyone fell guilty. But I have to agree with what others have said re. guilt. I don't agree with witholding facts, whether scientific ones or others. That to me would be the equivalent of not printing "smoking can seriously damage your health" on packets of cigarettes.

Please, I don't want to get attacked for comparing smoking to weaning, I am just making a comment re. health issues and the fact that risks need to be highlighted by health profs and the Govt. In fact I don't think this Govt. does enough to highlight certain health risks.

Also, I honestly don't think any mum or dad should feel guilty about anything. If they accept that their choices are the RIGHT ones, why then feel guilty about them ?

NotQuiteCockney · 09/01/2007 10:31

Hmmm, I've had a bit of a dig, and haven't found anything on chillis damaging the digestive tract of anyone, child or adult. Granted, I can't seem to find anything very convincing on it, it's all a bit 'alternative', but apparently the incidence of ulcers etc isn't any higher in chilli-eating cultures than in bland-food cultures.

hunkermunker · 09/01/2007 10:34

Why are you feeling guilty if you are so confident you're doing the right thing?

Original poster
Flumpybumpy · 09/01/2007 10:46

Greensleeves - I know I don't need to put FBx at the end, I just do out of habit.

Flapped wrists for FB

FB x (oops sorry )

OP posts:
Original poster
Flumpybumpy · 09/01/2007 10:46

Flapped or slapped - brain transplant for FlumpyBumpy please!!!!!!

OP posts:
kiskidee · 09/01/2007 10:48

sometimes when i see thread titles like this one, i wonder if it is just a windup before i read the OP.

lol.

dunscared · 09/01/2007 11:04

hunkermonker I don't feel guilty but resent others trying to scare me or make out I'm endangering my child. I haven't offered up advice to others as I'm in no position to do so as don't have all the information about individual cases. I've only said what I'm doing and why and therefore offering support to FB that I'm doing the same as her, which is what i think she was after.

dunscared · 09/01/2007 11:04

hunkermonker I don't feel guilty but resent others trying to scare me or make out I'm endangering my child. I haven't offered up advice to others as I'm in no position to do so as don't have all the information about individual cases. I've only said what I'm doing and why and therefore offering support to FB that I'm doing the same as her, which is what i think she was after.

Original poster
Flumpybumpy · 09/01/2007 11:06

dunscared - yes it was!

I am not critising anyone else's decisions etc.... I already said that the 'do as you are told' attitude is whats really bugs me.

FB x(oops, there I go again )

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 09/01/2007 11:06

But it can't just be left like that, not on a googleable thread on a leading parenting website, because there are children who've been harmed by early weaning and it is advisable to wait.

We have to give evidence-based best advice on here where possible, I believe.