Should I start weaning yet?

[fairysnuff]

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!

Where are you getting your information from Christywhisty?

I'm afraid some of the things you're saying are not up to date, and are not in line with either the World Health Organization (who look at data from all over the world, not just in developing countries) or the current UK government guidelines.

dizzybint, lol...actually, if you start weaning at 6 month, theoretically you can do it without ever buying Babyfood...now that would be terrible for the makers of it, lol....if mohters just buy normal porridge and cereal and cook all their own food...a whole industry would be going down the drain....

christy, a Baby should, ideally, be able to sit up , not just have headcontrol by the time you start weaning.

taking interest in adult food, is sooooooooo not a sign...Baby's are naturally nosy, lol...
and as for the waking....I have never found that giving solids helped with sleeping, tbh.

Do what you want when you want. My baby is 20 weeks. He has spoonfuls now and then of mass produced baby food, and so far hasn't sprouted 3 heads or developed a fear of peanuts...He also has homemade stuff, and is perfectly content on the days he doesn't have any solids.

It's not rocket science, it's not going to cause the end of civilisation if you give your baby a bit of whatever (bar any medical contraindications) now and then. People need to stop making such a meal of it!!!

I know but I can't find the relevant doucmant that actually backs it up, but you haven't proven anything even.

Why is it rubbish it makes perfect sense to me going on my children. They would no way have managed 6 months. The recommendation then was 4 months.

The following link which is the new health guide lines actually say 4 months and exclude allergy inducing foods from 6 months and year depending on the foods.

www.medscape.com/viewarticle/541952

christy, can't get into medscape, as I am not a member, so, can't see the article you linked, too Saying that, isn't medscape american? I could be wrong about that.

IThe problem ius every body looks at the headlines and never actuqally bothers to do the research!!!!!!!!!!

Thge guidelines I mention were 2006 which are exactly the same as when my children were babies ie avoid allergy inducing foods until 6 months.
My children were weaned at around the 4 months son has allergies to nuts, but he wasn't given nuts until well after a year. Daughter has no allegies at all.

Allergic foods such as egg, wheat and milk were all avoided as was the advice then and now.

Thge advise re interest and holding head up etc are all readily available on the internet.

christy- great if it makes sense to you. it doesn't to me. what makes sense to me is to wait until a baby can feed herself, but then i'm all for blw and it's worked really well for me and my baby.

when dd 'showed an interest' in what dh and i were eating i took it as just that, that she was interested in what we were eating, the same as she's interested in a newspaper if i'm reading one, or what i'm typing if i'm on the computer, it doesn't mean she needs to have some food.

Christy, you have been misinformed, I'm afraid.

Doubling birthweight - how is that a sign that the gut is mature enough to cope with food? Some babies would be ready at 10 weeks, others at closer to a year if that was the case.

As for six months being for developing countries - no, it's what the WORLD Health Organisation say. Not the "Developing" WHO.

"The UK Department of Health recommends that the majority of children should not be given solids before 4 months and cow's milk before 1 year and that the first weaning foods should be nonwheat cereals and pureed fruits and vegetables."

This is a quote from it to actually get into the article you need to google
"weaning 4 months medscape"

christy, bit presumptious to say people who believe in weaning at 6 month didn't do their research, my ys is now 2 1/2 and my ms is 4 years old and even back then for a bf Baby the advice (even though loads of HV's had problems to give it and know about it) was to wean at 6+ month....!And believe me I did my research, because I had to "prove" to the idiots of hp's I was dealing with at the time, that indeed I hadn't gotten it all wrong and was, gasp, neglecting my child by depriving him food until he was 6 month.
Admittedly, the hv I had when ys was lil was fabulous and knowledgable and gave the correct advice. So, there are good ones.
Allergies are not just a problem when you give allergens to early, it is basically a matter that early introduction of anything before the gut is ready is likely to damage it and increase the likelyhood of allergies.
But, tbh, seeing as this is not necessarily something I now have to deal with, no, I wouldn't be able to link you to any of the sites that I had my advice from.

Why is it me that has been misinformed, when nobody else has bveen able to prove anything.
Prove that what I have said is wrong

this is also from the article that you mean then:
"During the first 6 months of life, exclusive breast-feeding is recommended, with exclusion of cow's milk formulas and any supplemental foods. Exclusive breast-feeding protects against the onset of allergic symptoms extending far beyond the period of breast-feeding."

and yeah, it's american, btw

It's amazing we're all still here...Our parents had no access to all this info, and we all ended up ok. Wars rage in the world, and people get their knickers in a knot over squished up veg....

abm advice on solids

christy- you need to read the whole article from medscape, not just pick out small extracts. read their numbered list for starters. it's really quite clear.

chillout- where do you get your information from? is everyone ok? does anyone have coelic disease, IBS or allergies from early weaning?

Baby talk advice

Baby centre on weaning

Just jumping into the conversation to reiterate that the WHO, and UK government advice is to wait until 6 months - the UK govt has the caveat that if you MUST wean early to definitetly wait until 4 months.

I have researched it, and my husband is a GP so I have easy access to medical info rather than simply doing google searches (can't always trust what's on the internet!). The 6 month guideline has nothing to do with being in the 3rd world - it's to do with the maturity of the digestive system and other aspects of physical development. Of course every baby is different, some probably are ready (ie developmentally) for solids earlier - but as you can't see inside your child's gut why take the risk?

Finally, back to fairysnuff's original question - I'm with Aitch: wait till 6 months, give your dd the opportunity to pick up and eat suitable foods and enjoy the fun!

another site stating the best age is 6 month

If you can actually PROVE that those illness come from early weaning I will happily stand corrected. I meant the human race in general hasn't died out - some poor girl asks for a bit of advice on weaning and is made to feel there are 'wrong' ways of doing it. Have the confidence to go with your own instinct I say.

Health visiot website...weaning at 6 month

chillout, no one actually made the op feel bad...I think it's the blatantly wrong statement of another poster on this thread that gets the reaction!