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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:
3LoveHeartsAndNoMore · 12/02/2007 20:22

hm...I wonder maybe if those of us who feel the new guidelines are important and valid, that maybe we just look at it different...i.e. those "signs" that Baby is ready, we have learned aren't really signs, etc...!
Or maybe we are just horrible creatures that are depriving our children of their legal right of solid food....gasp....I mena, come on, why are people soooo keen to get their Kids on "real food".....surely they have sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many years to explore those...I mean, if all goes well and your child lives to an old age, surely 6 month is like NOTHING!

welliemum · 12/02/2007 20:22

hmmm.... Groundhog Day....

Eventually, 6 months will become the norm and we will hear people saying, "my instinct told me he was ready at 6 months".

It's not instinct, it's cultural conditioning. Why would instinct dictate that you give lower calorie nutrition to a hungry baby? Because that's what solid food is.

3LoveHeartsAndNoMore · 12/02/2007 20:23

vvv....here is the C-H-O-C-L-A-T-E...or would you perfer some red wine by now....am in the sharing mood

Coriander73 · 12/02/2007 20:23

9 months??

Well, people I know that were weaned from 4 months are fine...no allergies, no problems, nothing. My DD is fine, just fine as are her contemporaries bar one (that one was weaned at 11 weeks...!) Anyhow, why do people get so het up about it? Do what suits you & let others get on with what suits them...

3LoveHeartsAndNoMore · 12/02/2007 20:24

welli that was what I tried to say, and you did that just so much better and easier understandable

AitchTwoOh · 12/02/2007 20:24

vvv, it's the sour cherry bar... want some?

3LoveHeartsAndNoMore · 12/02/2007 20:26

[head and brickwall springs to mind emoticon]

VeniVidiVickiQV · 12/02/2007 20:27

Coriander, read the thread as to why its important not to give anectodal evidence as advice. Im guessing your DD hasnt reached adulthood yet either....? So, you dont actually know whether or not it has caused any long term effects, do you?

Although feel like im flogging a dead un. 3 - i dont drink normally but I think I might just have a glass...thank you.

3LoveHeartsAndNoMore · 12/02/2007 20:29

here you go~~~~~~~~~~~~vvv....

AitchTwoOh · 12/02/2007 20:30

ach, i suppose in the end it comes down to risk. you are taking less of a risk of allergies the longer you wait. so i waited... while to my mind you took an unecessary risk and i can't really get my head round that tbh. still, great that it worked out cos having a child with serious allergies is constant unyielding stress and worry that i'm sure you could live without.

AitchTwoOh · 12/02/2007 20:32

by the way. i was weaned v early and have IBS. if leaving my daughter's weaning til a bit later has in any way decreased her chances of IBS then it was time well spent.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 12/02/2007 20:32

ANY chocolate is fine by me, btw aitch....

AitchTwoOh · 12/02/2007 20:33

mmmm, LOVE those sour cherries...

Coriander73 · 12/02/2007 20:34

I was weaned at 4 months & am ab. fine...no problems at all...I'm now 34....yes if there is a history of allergies etc them hold out as long as you can but honestly, it sounds as though most of you would hang on for 9-12 months at this rate....

AitchTwoOh · 12/02/2007 20:36

oh i really, really would if the WHO changed the guidelines. promise. minimising risk of harm to my dd is really at the top of my maternal agenda.

AitchTwoOh · 12/02/2007 20:37

oh, and no history of allergies in our family. but my gut was probably banjaxed by baby rice and rusks, hence the IBS. can't say for definite, mind, but can't rule it out.

welliemum · 12/02/2007 20:37

I could easily have weaned dd1 at 8 or 9 months - it was only then that food actually satisfied her hunger rather than just being fun.

As I don't suppose she's a freak of nature, I guess there are lots of other children who would be the same.

Coriander73 · 12/02/2007 20:41

Good for you but I don't believe at any stage that I've maximised the risk to DD...or that I'm about to comnpromise DS.

mumofben · 12/02/2007 20:42

Just to be devil's advocate here, the book I've followed cites research from Surrey University that suggests it's not when you wean but what you wean onto that may have links to all the digestive problems, allergies etc. in later life. Obviously, the very minimum age should be 17 weeks because of gut immaturity, but anything between that and 26 weeks seems to be ok according to the research.

Remember that when babies were weaned early all those years ago, sugar filled rusks were given as the first weaning food. also people weren't warned against things like wheat, eggs, citrus fruits and nuts - foods which cause the most problems if introduced too early.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 12/02/2007 20:43

What would be wrong with that though Coriander?

There is absolutely no evidence that has EVER found that delaying weaning is harmful. Physically or developmentally.

There has been HOARDES of evidence which links early weaning with increased risk of allergies, eczma, asthma and digestive problems (often in later life).

My DS chose himself to wait until 8 months. (Well, it was more like 12 months really).

What is the rush? honestly - a baby will sleep through if they are going to sleep through. It has eff all to do with solid foods.

3LoveHeartsAndNoMore · 12/02/2007 20:44

so coriander why do you believe the guidelines were changed then?
I mean, do you think there is a hidden agenda?

welliemum · 12/02/2007 20:44

But coriander, how can you be sure that the WHO advice isn't relevant to your own children?

Genuine question.

3LoveHeartsAndNoMore · 12/02/2007 20:46

mumofben, which book is that, where is the research, i.e. link or anything...just out of interest!

VeniVidiVickiQV · 12/02/2007 20:46

mumofben - ive not seen that research - perhaps you could do a link. I go with the extensive research that WHO has had carried out.

But, I say again - no research has found that delaying weaning is detrimental, therefore, why not wait???

3LoveHeartsAndNoMore · 12/02/2007 20:48

On e has also to consider, that even though DoH were very aware of why and that WHO had changed their guidelines, but couldn't follow until AFTER the Maternity leave laws and all that had changed...so not much to do wiht them not believing in WHO, more like them not wanting to trod on some politicians toes, etc...