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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

Baby seems ready for food at 4 months

33 replies

Apfelbunny · 02/01/2017 19:07

Well, to be more accurate, the little monster has been interested in food since 2.5 months and lately at just over 3 months has a habit of lunging at food if anyone dares eat within sniffing distance!

I've read that so long as they can do a list of things then go for it. I've also read that before 6 months I shouldn't.

My intention was at 4 months to start introducing pureed fruit (fresh fruit that I do myself so I can gradually make it lumpier) and rusks (because I need an excuse to buy rusks, I love them)

The question is, if little one tries food but doesn't seem to like it, do I have to continue or is it OK to stop and try another time? (To me the obvious answer is to stop and try again later, but im a bit paranoid as the 3yr old waited til 6 months so it wasn't a problem and they were straight onto lumpy stuff)

Advice appreciated.

OP posts:
Poocatcherchampion · 02/01/2017 19:09

My advice is : don't do it.

newroundhere · 02/01/2017 19:16

Can your baby do the list of things recommended first? NHS website suggests the following signs that they're ready:

  1. They can stay in a sitting position and hold their head steady.
  1. They can co-ordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at the food, pick it up and put it in their mouth, all by themselves.
  1. They can swallow food. Babies who are not ready will push their food back out with their tongue, so they get more round their face than they do in their mouths

I would guess that if you try and your baby doesn't swallow the food they're not ready so you can stop and try again later.

Is there any particular reason you want to wean at 4 months? Maybe get some advice from your HV?

Original poster
Apfelbunny · 02/01/2017 19:17

Thanks. Any real reason why? I'm not planning on giving anything that a baby can be allergic to, literally just fruit.

OP posts:
NerrSnerr · 02/01/2017 19:20

They're interested in food because it's something different to look at, they don't need food at that age. The advice is to hold off weaning until 6 months unless medically directed. I don't know why you'd want to- it's a huge faff, especially as you'll probably be needing to sterilise the stuff if they're under 6 months.

Original poster
Apfelbunny · 02/01/2017 19:21

Sorry, you replied as I was replying to the first answer. Yes, my little monster can do all those listed with ease.

If testing the water with food won't do harm I can give it a go.

I'm planning on seeing the health visitor before I do anything to check they're gaining weight ok first.

OP posts:
pieceofpurplesky · 02/01/2017 19:21

My DS started picking up food and putting it in his mouth at about 12 weeks! He was formula fed as I didn't produce milk (even with my huge norks!)!
By 15 weeks he was having so much formula that the health visitor suggested baby rice. She said to try him with a tiny bit and see how he went - if he gagged to leave it. She said don't start with anything sweet or tasty. He wolfed it down and wanted more.
Please speak to your health visitor to ask her advice. This was one person's advice to me.
DS is fine by the way.

unicornpoopoop · 02/01/2017 19:23

I did at 4 months. Just simple purées. She's 8 months now and eats everything.

AnneOfCleavage · 02/01/2017 19:27

I know the guidelines say 6mths but my DD was waking up in the night at 16 wks after sleeping through from 5wks so I gave her one spoonful of baby rice with my breastmilk at tea time and it turned out she was hungry. No problems at all & she rapidly moved to purée fruit & veg. No issues at all as just a spoonful (an ice cube sized portion). Drs were fine as mentioned it when she had an eczema flare up but he said definitely not baby rice was the cause etc so to carry on. HV would have flipped as guidelines were 6mths.
You know your baby but just start with a spoonful & give water in a soppy cup/ bottle as solids can possibly bung up - not that I noticed.
Good luck Smile

Soubriquet · 02/01/2017 19:28

I started weaning Dd at 17 weeks

She had colic and my dh kept saying it would help.

I really wanted to wait until 6 months but he kept going on and on so in the end she had a bit of yoghurt.

And actually it did help. Her colic cleared up, she slept through the night and took to food like a duck to water.

But we were lucky she responded the way she did. She's 3 now and is still a good eater

It's easier to BLW as you don't have to purée anything but if you're that determined to do it, no one can stop you.

But at 4 months your baby needs purée not chunks of fruit.

I made up with it with my second born though. He didn't wean until 10 months

Original poster
Apfelbunny · 02/01/2017 19:28

Nothing sweet or tasty? Guess that rules out fruit and vegetables then!

I'm a little wary of advice from health visitor, with the 3yr old I had several different ones who all gave me different advice (which as a first time mum was confusing, I was told to put them to sleep on their back by one, front by another, one even said sleep on side to help reflux!)
I will ask though.

OP posts:
AnneOfCleavage · 02/01/2017 19:28

Ooops Sippy cup

Mrscog · 02/01/2017 19:29

I think the latest advice is absolutely not before 17 weeks, so as long as you wait until then if you feel they're showing signs of readiness there's no harm in trying.

Original poster
Apfelbunny · 02/01/2017 19:31

I intend to do blw. It was a lot of...fun...with our first...
I'm just aware I have to go down Puree Lane if I want to introduce anything at 4 months.

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 02/01/2017 19:31

Ella's kitchen sell simple fruit based purée in small pouches

Apples apples apples
Bananas bananas bananas
Peaches peaches peaches

They are ideal for for first food really. When she starts getting used to that, then you can go on the ones that are mango, pear and papaya and things like that

The simple one fruit only purée helps identify allergies

Baby rice is reccomended anymore. There's no nutritional value in it. Literally empty calories

Soubriquet · 02/01/2017 19:32

Baby rice is NOT reccomended anymore that should say

Sorry

Pluto30 · 02/01/2017 19:36

Start with vegetables rather than fruit. If the baby gets a taste for fruit before vegetables, they may reject the vegetables when you try to introduce them.

All of mine started eating purees at 4mo. If they can sit up and don't push the food back out with their tongue, they're fine.

Mine are now 7, 5.5 and 20mo and none of them have any allergies or intolerances and they eat just about anything given to them.

Original poster
Apfelbunny · 02/01/2017 19:37

Does staring intently at us at dinner time then grabbing my fork hand and pulling it towards an open mouth count as readiness?
Or how about lunging towards food and 'walking' (supported if course) towards food?
Ps. Don't flame me about the walking thing, this child is not content to be cuddled. This child pulls themselves up to a seating position and bum shuffles forwards til those little feet hit the floor - then I have a grinning maniac of a baby striding towards the 3yr old to join in with jumping on daddy!!

OP posts:
Liara · 02/01/2017 19:37

You don't have to go down puree lane at 4 months.

Ds1 was holding and eating whole bananas at that age. He was being given purees too (under advice from consultant paed for his very very severe reflux), but that was just because we had to get as much food as physically possible into him (he was borderline malnourished).

So long as you are not forcing anything he will do what he is capable of dealing with. I always thought having an interest in food, grabbing it and putting it in their mouths was enough, but dnephew would do all that and then sit with it in his mouth, without a clue as to what to do with it (and this was at 6 months)!

Just be prepared for him to potentially spit a lot of it out, I guess...

ElspethFlashman · 02/01/2017 19:40

Pretty sure recommended advice is to commence "over 17 weeks and under 26 weeks".

With my first I got confused and thought it had to begin at 6 months. I eventually cracked at 5.5 months and actually felt guilty about it cos I was two weeks "too early"! Blush

HeadElf · 02/01/2017 19:42

Anything before 6 months should only be fruit or vegetable purée.
Please please please don't give your young baby rusks, they are full of absolute crap.

Original poster
Apfelbunny · 02/01/2017 19:45

Thanks for the rusk advice. I'll still make dh buy them but I'll eat them myself until lo is older...

OP posts:
Spindelina · 02/01/2017 19:46

2. They can co-ordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at the food, pick it up and put it in their mouth, all by themselves.

If your baby can do all this, then why not BLW? You might want to be selective about what foods you give until 26 weeks (e.g. gluten, dairy etc), but there's no reason that any fruit or veg you would have puréed couldn't be given as finger food. In fact, that's what I'd do - if they're ready enough to eat the finger food, they're ready enough.

HeadElf · 02/01/2017 19:48

That seems a fair compromise, when my elderly family members bought my 2 month old twins rusks, I ate the lot Grin

Babytalkobsession · 02/01/2017 19:49

Food is 'just for fun until one'. They get more calories from milk than a few spoons of carrot! (for example). Sounds like your baby is curious so a few cooked veggies on his tray might be a good start, and helps include him in meal time. But he should be getting his main nutrition from milk.

Original poster
Apfelbunny · 02/01/2017 19:51

Good point about blw.

I hate blending food to mush anyway.

Shame soft fruits (other than bananas) aren't really in season just now, my first loved berries and grapes and melon etc.

Ok, I might be wrong on what's in season, I can only go by what I find in aldi

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