Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

DS nicked DH's sandwich - should I still wait for weaning?

29 replies

Swizzler · 03/03/2007 10:13

DS is 20 weeks old and on the large side (91st percentile). Was planning to wait another 6 weeks or so before starting him on food and was keen to try BLW (less work for me ). But this morning he tore a fistful of bread from DH's sandwich and started gumming on it - is he trying to tell me something?

I know about the WHO recommendations, but will a few weeks make any difference?

OP posts:

Nockney · 03/03/2007 10:15

He may well not be actually swallowing any of the bread, just gumming and spitting it out (I bet he chews on lots of toys, too?).

Is he sitting up on his own?

I don't think offering little bits of BLW style food would do any harm - I'd stick to slightly less allergenic stuff, like batons of carrot or pear, just to be safe, while you're doing it early.

NotanOtter · 03/03/2007 10:16

no get on with it!

ThisFrogIsGonnaWhoopYouAss · 03/03/2007 10:16

My DS2 did that when I was considering weaning too.....although it was DH's beer he grabbed, so I decided to ignore that sign!!

Sorry - sure someone sensible who knows about BLW will be along soon!! but if he's not showing any other signs, and isn't crying between mealtimes then maybe hold on a bit longer.

colditz · 03/03/2007 10:17

Well, he is at the age where anything within reach will be going into his mouth. So maybe you shouldn't take it as a sign that he is ready for food? On the other hand, if you are baby led weaning, you will presumably be keeping him away from things like bread until he is 6 months old anyway?

Nobody knows whether a few weeks make any difference, that's the problem really.

Original poster

Swizzler · 03/03/2007 10:20

It's also hard to tell from feeding/sleeping patterns as he's always fed often (now every 3 hrs during the day) and wakes every 2 hours at night (yawn)

OP posts:

Original poster

Swizzler · 03/03/2007 10:20

So should I try him on a bit of broccoli?

OP posts:

AitchTwoOh · 03/03/2007 12:31

if you're utterly desperate to, yes. and from what i've read hundreds of mums say on here the sleeping thing is a red herring. otoh, you are going to be cleaning up food crud for the coming months and years, so i'd postpone that inevitable for as long as possible... [lazy]

gothicmama · 03/03/2007 12:34

the who guidlines also include developing countries, so long as your dc is sitting up adn showing an interst I would try non -allegic type foods with him sush as veg sticks you canplan tastes of food before starting the reduction of milk elements of weaning

AitchTwoOh · 03/03/2007 13:18

what has the inclusion or otherwise of developing countries got to do with a child's leaky gut?

reetpetite · 03/03/2007 13:25

as with every guideline there are flaws in the research. babies are different, and it sounds to me that hes trying to tell you something. as long as you take it slowly you should be ok.

edam · 03/03/2007 14:04

What flaws would those be, reetpetite, exactly?

The developing countries issue is a lie trotted out by crap HVs who haven't bothered to open a book since they qualified. The guidelines apply to all children, including those in developed countries.

They are there because a baby's digestive system is NOT designed to cope with solids. They have an 'open' gut so they can get as much nutrition as possible from milk. The gut 'closes' when they are ready for solids. You can be sure the gut has closed by six months. If you wean earlier, the gut may still be open ie allowing large particles of solid food to pass straight through the cell walls, instead of being digested. Hence higher risk of food allergies, amongst other things.

If only bloody HVs bothered to read the guidelines and explain how they work to parents, then maybe the same old misunderstandings and myths wouldn't be repeated endlessly.

CAMy · 03/03/2007 14:18

I would be giving veg, fruit, etc in your case swizzler. I would have been exhausted if my children had still been waking every 2 hours at 20 weeks.

belgo · 03/03/2007 14:21

I'm not really sure that grabbing a sandwich and putting it into his mouth indicates his need for weaning. After all, he probably puts all manner of things into his mouth.

AngharadGoldenhand · 03/03/2007 14:31

Wait.

Why take a risk?

FrannyandZooey · 03/03/2007 14:34

How will fruit and veg help a baby with night waking? Milk is far more calorific than anything else your baby could be having at the moment, so weaning could just as well make him more hungry.

colditz · 03/03/2007 14:37

Oh no, not again....

FrannyandZooey · 03/03/2007 14:45

Did you mean my post, colditz? I'm not sure what you're "oh no not again" refers to.

colditz · 03/03/2007 14:51

No F&Z not you. But I always get drawn into these, that's what I meant.

These weaning threads have stages.

1 - shall I wean my not 6 month old baby?

2 - someone mentions guidelines

3 - someone argues guidelines wrong

4 - it's explained why they are not wrong

5 - "It didn't hurt me/my kids/my dog"

6 - "we don't know that for sure"

7 - "who are the WHO to tell us anyway, insinct big baby rabble rabble blah"

There. I've done it for us. Now we can all go and have a cup af tea.

thunk · 03/03/2007 14:54

colditz, the dress you are wearing in your profile looks like it has Shaun the Sheep right where your belly is.

hunkermunker · 03/03/2007 14:56

LOL Colditz! Perfect summary!

colditz · 03/03/2007 15:00

Shaun the Sheep PMSL

had an 'interesting' week end Thunk?

thunk · 03/03/2007 15:05

i saw shaun on cbeebies this AM. he is coming to cbeebies you know.

FrannyandZooey · 03/03/2007 15:06

Colditz can we cut and paste that and just replace the entire weaning section with it?

thunk · 03/03/2007 15:07

good idea f&z.

colditz · 03/03/2007 15:16

Yes. to be read by everyone who will nevertheless do as they please anyway, quite rightly as long as they are in full possession of the facts.

Flip

1 2