early weaning?

[enchantmentandlove]

Hi everyone, I was please hoping for some advice regarding early weaning.

Dd is 4 months and has been showing a keen interest in food for weeks. When you eat near her she opens her mouth and sticks her tongue out, often making noises. I sometimes let her have a smell of my food, but she has now started grabbing it and putting it towards her mouth (often licking fruit, and winging if I take it away so have stopped doing this!).

She has very good head control, can sit with support and has lost the tongue reflex. I feel she is showing lots of signs for weaning.

But of course I know you should wait until 6 months, so I was wondering what to do. My health visitor isn't visiting again until 6 months she said (I last saw her at 8 weeks), so I can't ask her. She gave me a number for weaning which I called and they said they do weaning groups now. I called but it isn't until a month away and I have to call nearer the date to try and book a slot, but I don't drive so unsure if I could even get there as dh will be working on that date and I don't know if I can wait that long. I live in a village where there are no baby clinics to ask for advice.

If I start weaning I would home-make fruit/vegetable purees, but I don't want to do something to dd's detriment.

What do you think it is best to do? Thank you

I was determined to wait until six months with DD (like I had done with DS) but at five months she grabbed food off my plate and fed herself.

I would say that just because they are putting food in their mouth doesn't mean they are ready - they put everything in their mouth.

I wouldn't do purees at so young an age - I'd be led entirely by the baby. I couldn't stop mine from eating but I never put food into her mouth for her - I just stopped preventing access to it and let her manage it herself.

I started weaning ds at 5 monthson hv recommendations because he was dropping milk feeds and weight was plateau. He could sit independently and showing other signs of readiness. Where do you go for baby to be weighed if no clinic? If you want to speak to hv have you got a number?

Thanks for your reply, I have just been really unsure of what to do. We can't even eat around her now without her getting upset and opening her mouth.

Unfortunately we can't get her weighed, it's an issue that I've been told many people have where I live.

Sorry I missed your second question - the hv won't give out her number for you to call, you just have to wait for her to call you.

I would wait till nearer to 6 months. It's really not long in the grand scheme of things. Plus at 6 months you can give a much wider range of foods than just fruit/veg purée.

World health organisation have reviewed research into the impact on warning in health, mostly of this research was conducted in developed countries. The reader has strongly suggests that you should not wean until 6 months as babies digestive systems are not developed and you risk doing long term harm by weaning early.

My lo carefully watches me dry my hair and drink wines and wants to do these things herself. Copying behaviour does not wean they are ready to do it.

I would not wean at 4 months unless advised by a pediatrian.

Thank you everyone