4 months and rusks??

[cazzo85]

Hi my lb is 4 1/2 months I think he needs to start on somethin more than bottles, I have found rusks that say 4-6 months and up, has anyone else tried rusks earlier than 6 months?? And any tips?? Thank you

There is good evidence that weaning before 17 weeks can be harmful to health. Between 4 and 6 months the evidence is less clear. In countries where hygiene is an issue, there is no doubt that exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months is the safest thing to do but in many developed countries the guidance is now 4-6 months, taking into account the emerging research that suggests earlier weaning may reduce allergies in the future. You shouldn't wean early because your baby is hungry, milk contains more calories than any of the foods suitable for early weaning. If you decide after reading all the available evidence (which I don't think many people do) that you feel you want to wean your baby before 6 months then take some proper advice and give appropriate foods such as veg and fruit purées, baby rice etc, not sugar laden shit.

Art- please provide strong evidence from RCT's to suggest weaning before 6 months causes gastro problems?
For many years prior to change people weaned at 4 months and ild like to see how this has effected children which would now be adults of 30, 40 + ?- thank you

I know this isn't scientific evidence but I was weaned at 4 months (I'm 30) and have suffered with ibs since I was little. I also now suffer with GERD (basically really bad reflux) where your stomach acid starts eating away your wind pipe, which can make breathing difficult. I can't prove any correlation but it has always made me wonder.

Sorry I gave 15 weeks as a sum from top of my head whilst trying to do other things, after checking LOs memory box it was more like 18-19 weeks which is just before 4 n half months. My apologies !

One of the reasons we now wean at 6 months rather than 4 months is that we have seen evidence in adults walking around today that weaning them early was not ideal. We now know that a baby's digestive system is not mature enough to cope with anything other than milk, except in very exceptional circumstances where a medical professional has advised it. Guidelines keep changing BECAUSE WE KNOW MORE THAN WE DID. Ffs.

One of the reasons that the guidelines were changed from 4 to 6 months is that people always try to do things early. So when the guidelines were 4 months, people weaned at 3, now they are 6, many wean at 5 which is probably a reasonable compromise.

Good point Welsh, hadn't considered that.

'They'll never learn'
Is really patronising and serves no purpose other than mAking yourself feel better

The advice is confusing. It might be better to blame outdated mainstream advice (off all sorts of ppl Inc professionals) plus packaging advice on manufactured baby food, rather than blaming or trying to ridicule a new, young mum

The advice isn't confusing in the slightest. People want to choose not to follow it, so they come up with excuses.

owl the advice from the NHS is not confusing. Why someone would believe packaging on a sugary biscuit over the NHS is beyond me.

And you don't know the OP is young. Given her username ends in 85 she may well be 30-ish.

My ds weaned at just over 4 months due to reflux makeing is laryngomalacia worce and tbh it was horrible I had to give him veg only and I was putting it in his mouth to be spat back out he's 6 months now and he's only started swallowing his food . Part of me think 6 months is to early but that's just me. If you have your heart set on it speak to your hv first cos at the end of the day weaning is a pain. Good luck

30 ish is young isn't it? :o
I do understand what you are saying but I still think families (even hv) put pressure on young mum's to wean early (and young mum used to mean a young mum as in your children were young btw. I'm 38 if that makes a difference)

books.google.es/books?id=ZX30AQAAQBAJ&pg=PR76&lpg=PR76&dq=weaning+at+15+weeks+study&source=bl&ots=54FMLjp0nJ&sig=tQJJEzmNdp0FRIPsaqiB_9t-SA4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjwyfLghr_OAhVB7xQKHQYHCsU4ChDoAQgiMAM#v=onepage&q=weaning%20at%2015%20weeks%20study&f=false

This is an book of evidence based study on early nutrition. It all points out that before 4 months weaning is a definite no no. Between 4-6 months there was effects on some aspects of health

Fuzzyowl... "only in a tiny handful of cases, which are all due to allergies or reflux"-- I suspect prematurity, failure to thrive / faltering growth, and other serious type things are sometimes also considered reasons by the professionals to bring in solids early, although not sure if it would be as early as before 17 weeks. But of course this would all be in babies being seen regularly by specialists with specific concerns over their health and decisions not taken lightly (or single handedly).

Not sure who commented but re the evidence-- I think there are 2 rct plus one observational study that informed the who change in recommendation for duration of exclusive bf to 6 months.

Interestingly there is very little data at all to inform recommendations on weaning age in formula fed babies and it's really just an applying across of the evidence from studies in ebf babies. Big hole in the evidence base in my opinion

Thank you workingmummy
thank u so much u r the only one that hasn't been opinionated and rude my baby suffers from silent reflux also which is another reason I think might help
All I wanted was some advice as I am a first time mum, and that's what I thought mums net was for!!!! How wrong was I!! It seems a place for other mothers to bash and ridicule others for asking a simple question where it should be a safe place to do so!
Oh and I apologise so much for using lb obviously on here this is a HUGE error but as I am not on here often I did not know the correct way!!!!!

I wasn't opinionated and rude!

Cazz - I don't think people have been rude or opinionated

I think they have said the concerns with feeding baby so young, and given links to websites as to why it's not suitable

Reflux can still occur after weaning

Reflux is showing your baby has. Delicate digestive system already

Mine had reflux, extra acid and allergies but a dietician changed her formula and never even discussed weaning early s it can cause problems

It's up to you at the end of the day

60 posters are advising not to but it's advice. 1 poster is strongly for it.

Good luck with whatever your choice but see a doctor at least before you take such a huge step

I do laugh when people say ' mum knows best' . No they don't! It's just said to support practices that research does not support.
Rusks are awful

You need to discuss this with your HV or GP. 4.5 months is too young for the vast majority of babies to start solids. People are not saying this to be awkward.

"Mum knows best" - no she doesn't, unless she's a PhD level qualified paediatrician who has specialised in infant nutrition. I am not arrogant enough to think I know better than lots of very clever people with dozens of years of research behind them. It''s just something people say to justify their own decisions. It's right up there with "never did me any harm" in scientifically illiterate thinking.

OP thinks people are being opinionated as they are giving opinions which are different to hers.

I didn't have an opinion which is why I came on here to ask for ADVICE not to be bashed for even considering giving my baby anything other than a bottle!

Kilmuir, sorry but thats BS. Ask any paediatrician and they would agree no1 knows their child better than their mum and is used in medical field all the time for gathering medical complaints/history. You cannot blanket sweep one thing for every single child, each one is different and has different needs. In general terms, Mums do know best its also known as mothers intuition!

OP you were not remotely bashed. Working was bashed for offered very poor advice which she well knows does not remotely meet current guidance. The problem with advice like that is that as you have just clearly demonstrated, a mum will come on and be influenced by it in spite of the best health guidance out there for their little one making it dangerous advice. That is why she got a bashing.

Actually I have read and looked at all the advice given the nhs website and so on and have decided to carry on as long as we can with just bottles so the advice by SOME Is good, it is the way that people on here put their opinions across that, as someone who doesn't use here very often and as a first time mum, feels that I am being bashed and that some people are rude with the way they put their opinion. I certainly do not feel I am being bashed because they don't agree with my opinion as I came on here FOR advice which I am following and grateful for!!