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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

Should I start weaning yet?

222 replies

fairysnuff · 10/02/2007 18:59

DD has decided to start waking up at 5.30-7ish every morning for a feed. This is not norm for her. I was happy to go with it, thinking it wouldn't be for long, but it has been a while now (a week or so).
Is she ready to wean?
Should I start giving her some food between her last night feeds (second to last feed at 7ish and last at 8.30ish)
Most books say to give lunchtime feeds first, but she needs to get through the night, will a lunchtime feed help??
So confused by it all and totally feel that it is too early! She is just 20 weeks, 21 on Tuesday.
Help!

OP posts:
daisynut · 10/02/2007 19:12

it's up to you about teh weaning ealry, obv there are the who, who recommend 6 months (26 weeks) but I know form experience that J couldn't manage until then he was 22 weeks when we started properly. (the clincher was us moving house and him screaming pretty much 24/7 apart form when he was on my boob) anyhow, so from that POV it is up to you, I don't like to hear of them being weaned at 12/13 weeks etc but if you feel the time's right for you guyd then go ahead (i'm not one to talk on early weaning)

as for the time of day - we started with a lunhtime one, only because if there was any adverse reactions I thought it would be better during the day if that makes sence? not sure if it was right but it's how I did it. then a supper, and finally a brekkie.

what sorts of things are you thinking of giving?

daisynut · 10/02/2007 19:12

(before 26 weeks I mean)

DizzyBint · 10/02/2007 19:34

it sounds like a growth spurt to me. a lot of mums find themselves early weaning around 20 weeks because they don't know how to handle a growth spurt. if your baby is waking through hunger, give more milk.

remember, the idea of weaning isn't supposed to be to satisfy hunger. it's to introduce your baby to the idea of food, the textures, tastes etc. milk is still supposed to be their main food for the first year.

Gracie14 · 11/02/2007 11:29

Hi,

You shouldn't wean before 18 weeks,but anytime after that if they are showing signs is fine. All babies are different and many won't wait until 6 months as they will be hungry.

Is she showing any other signs?

lulumama · 11/02/2007 11:40

milk should be the only source of nourishment for the first 6 months,and the main source for the first year i, weaning is about tastes of foods, not filling up the baby,

often at this stage there is a growth spurt, and the WHO does say weaning should not begin before 26 weeks, milk will be so much more filling than a taste or two of food at this stage

re other signs: babies tend to watch most things they see, not just eating .

the idea behind weaning later is that it is more likely that the gut is ready for food, and weaning earlier can possibly lead to food allergy and intolerances.....

best to wait as long as you can IMO

Gracie14 · 11/02/2007 11:54

You are right lulamama about the WHO saying 6 mnths but that doesn't account for every baby, as they are all different.

You should also be taking into account;
Weight gain

If they still seem hungry after a milk feed, and you have tried increasing for a few days.

If they start waking earlier, or wake in the night having previously slept through.

Although it could also be teething, so looking out for red cheeks, dribbling, putting their fists in their mouth.

lulumama · 11/02/2007 11:56

agree gracie, that teething around this age often unsettles babies..and probably accounts for waking in the night and needing soothing

i found those teething powders were marvellous!

Gracie14 · 11/02/2007 12:07

Your right bout the teething powders much better than bongela and gels which can be sucked off

hunkermunker · 11/02/2007 12:10

Gracie, those aren't signs a baby needs weaning, I'm afraid.

aviatrixxx · 11/02/2007 12:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
fairysnuff · 11/02/2007 15:52

Growth Spurt!! Of Course!!
I was warned that this may happen, too.
And now that I think about it going from 12.6 to 13.8 is quite a jump in a fortnight, don't you think?
I really don't think she is ready to wean, she has no interest at all in what goes in my mouth, that is what I am, ultimately, waiting for.
2.30 this morning though Not good! But straight back to sleep after the feed, so I really can't complain.
Someone said today that they thought they could see a tooth, so I guess it could be that too. Though she doesn't seem in pain with it, so I hadn't considered it yet

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 11/02/2007 15:58

Even if she's showing interest in what you're eating, that's not a sign.

After all, at the moment, the way she sates her hunger is with milk. She doesn't know that the stuff you're putting in your mouth fills you up - she's never tried it.

She'll be showing interest in people driving, but it's not a sign you need to apply for her provisional licence

Stick with the milk for now - she sounds like she's doing really well on it.

Original poster
fairysnuff · 11/02/2007 23:24

O bleedin eck how do you know then, when she is ready?!

OP posts:
AitchTwoOh · 11/02/2007 23:42

wait til six months, put a bit of broccoli in front of them and see if they eat it. honest, that's how.

colditz · 11/02/2007 23:51

Gracie I am really sorry but you have been misinformed. The 6 month weaning guidelines account for every baby unless you have paediatric advice to the contrary - Health Visitor does not count.

Being 'big' makes no differance
Being 'hungry'
Being 'too thin'
Or 'too fat'
Or 'big head'
Or 'small head'
Or 'not a third world baby'
Or 'anything after 20 weeks' (that's just a pile of crap, I cannot believe HV's get away with spouting this.)

Do it if you want. I am certainly not going to try to stop you but be aware that the earlier you wean before 6 months, the greater the risk of allergies, eczema, and asthma.

3LoveHeartsAndNoMore · 12/02/2007 00:02

the reason WHY weaning is not adviced before 6 month is, that they simply are not ready to digest food before that.And they may are more likely to develope allergies and all that.
It's funny really that the weigh gain issue is often continoued to be mentioned, seeing that a milkfeed actually has MORE calories then the average solid feed....!It really would not make sense at all to fill a Baby with low calorie food, which in effect will then lead to even less high calorific food being taken in...

christywhisty · 12/02/2007 11:46

NO the reason the weaning advice is actually 4 to 6 months. The WHO actually aim the 6 months at 3rd world countries where nutritian is poor and there is a lack of good quality water.

ec.europa.eu/food/consultations/idace_3_en.pdf

WeaselMum · 12/02/2007 11:49

why does the UK dept of Health follow WHO's recommendations then Christywhisty? Do you know?

(couldn't get on to the website you listed, sorry)

3LoveHeartsAndNoMore · 12/02/2007 11:54

christy...can't open the link.

MrsBadger · 12/02/2007 11:57

Christywhisty, you do know that the document you linked to was produced by commercial baby food manufacturers and not by healthcare scientists, don't you?

I'd trust the WHO, who don't have any financial interest in infant nutrition, only a medical and scientific one, over the people who make money from selling us jarred food and baby rice any day.

MrsBadger · 12/02/2007 11:58

oh, and Christywhisty's link is here

3LoveHeartsAndNoMore · 12/02/2007 11:58

mrs badger, any possibility you could try to link to the document?
I tried searching on that site, but couldn't find anything that way neither.
BUt interesting that it is a Babyfood producer...does explain a lot!

3LoveHeartsAndNoMore · 12/02/2007 11:59

lol...x-posted with ya

DizzyBint · 12/02/2007 12:07

just read that link...what a load of old rubbish! god help them if more and more people go with blw and don't buy any more of their 4-6 month 'weaning foods'.

christywhisty · 12/02/2007 12:10

Apologies what I have written doesn't make sense.

The advice is actually still 4 to 6 months. The WHO recommendation of 6 months was based on third world countries to prevent gaesteritis (sp), because of poor quality water and lack of nutritional food.

I was told the signs to look out for are

doubling birthweight

taking an interest in food when parents are eating.

able to support head

after sleeping through waking again