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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

It's not rocket science - "it may cause harm to wean early, it does no harm to leave it till 6m" - WHY do people still want to shovel baby rice in at 12 weeks (or earlier)?

799 replies

hunkermunker · 07/04/2007 22:50

I have come up with some ideas as to why people wean early:

they have competitive baby syndrome and are annoyed someone else's baby rolled first, so they want to get theirs onto steak and chips via baby rice and one fruit or veg a week for months

Well, an idea. Any more?

OP posts:
nallyschocolateorange · 08/04/2007 22:33

3easter said that formula is as bad as food, because its artificial and made from cow's milk, therefore perfect for their digestive systems, but not for human digestive systems. someone else said something about 'would not even feed it to their cat'.... is it actually ok or not?

Original poster
hunkermunker · 08/04/2007 22:33

Cam, I only remember seeing your "make women feel like shit for not speaking to their abusive mothers" posts - am I missing that I hound you all over MN somehow? [baffled]

OP posts:
AitchTwoOh · 08/04/2007 22:33

while i think that you are making an excellent point, soph, i do think that it's possible to try to do our best on both the nutritional and emotional fronts, is it not?

CAM · 08/04/2007 22:33

That is so true sophable

Heathcliffscathy · 08/04/2007 22:33

oh sorry, look, welshboris spoiling for a fight, i'll let you all get on with it then.

FrannyandZooey · 08/04/2007 22:34

Oh good lord I am so sorry sophable

I was really trying to bring some humour to this thread as it has got so heavy but obviously was being hamfisted about it

I am so sorry it missed the mark

and I thought your post was very thought provoking indeed

CAM · 08/04/2007 22:34

I didn't say you were hounding me hunker your mate wb did

FrannyandZooey · 08/04/2007 22:36

Sophable what your post made me think about was that it is much much harder to get the emotional stuff right

it is so insidious and subtle and so much going on under the surface that we don't realise we are doing

I think the nutritional thing CAN be quite straightforward (on paper, at least), and I am sure we are all keen to tick a few boxes in the good mummy stakes

so sorry again about my crass joke making you feel shit

3easterbunniesandnomore · 08/04/2007 22:36

but nally, surely I didn't tell you anyhting new, though, did I?
This is what I said:

"Also, to those that ask what's wrong with Formula...well..where does one start? And I have given formula and at the time that was my choice, and with ms at that time it was even a fully informed choice (well...o.k...I would have preferred him not to bite me every single breastfeed about 13 times a day and for a month straight, but that is a different animal altogether..., I meant, I gave Formula dispite knowing all I do about it, lol)...Formula is an artifical food, generally based on cowsmilk, which is meant to feed calfs, that have several stomachs more then us humans...and that is just for starters...!
Not making a judgement, just stating a fact."

Original poster
hunkermunker · 08/04/2007 22:37

[alternate universe]

Cam, you said it was the other way round - what did you mean then?

OP posts:
CAM · 08/04/2007 22:38

I meant the insults

Heathcliffscathy · 08/04/2007 22:39

NO FRANNY NO!!!!

I meant it when I said thank goodness i saw your wink.....that's the point at which i started laughing....but i felt what i did before then and i thought it was worth posting how i felt before I scrolled down....

NO APOLOGIES NEEDED!!!!!

crikey sometimes conversations are so much easier than mumsnet....body language and facial expression needed!

AitchTwoOh · 08/04/2007 22:39

i think 3easter's post rather misinterpreted what little research there is, tbh. have a look at wellie's posts, they are interesting in this area. it looks like formula is better than food before 6 months, although i'd readily concede that's exptrapolated from another piece of reserach. and tinkerbell's cat comment was just insulting, as i pointed out to her. she rather avoided my question as to whether she would have fed her cat formula if it had been starving, i noticed.

try not to worry, you're not daft. we all know that our BM is the best thing for our babies, but equally formula is the Next Best Thing that we have if BM isn't an option.

nallyschocolateorange · 08/04/2007 22:40

3easter - of course i don't want to be oblivious. i want to know and learn new stuff and i appreciate what you have told me. that doesn't mean i can't feel guilty about it though eh? what i am saying is that, as dd2 is still a baby, is there anything i can do now to rectify the damage that may have already been done and to stop any further damage? i don't fancy the idea of sticking all of this crap into her several times a day, but she still needs feeding, so i can't take it away from her.

the thread is about using the knowledge you have now to change future behaviour. isn't that right? i know i can't change what is done, but can i change what is future?

i am offended that you even think i am trying to stick my head in the sand.

AitchTwoOh · 08/04/2007 22:41

x-posted 3easter, wasn't talking about that post. thought you'd posted something esle earlier.

3easterbunniesandnomore · 08/04/2007 22:42

I didn't actually mean iit in the way Formula against early Solid introduction at all...someone further down simply ask "What is wrong with Formula", and the repl;y was to that...I absolutley think that, if it is a matter of Formula over Solids...Formula is the answer, but if it iis a matter of Breastmilk over Formula, it will always be Breastmilk (as in the nutritional value, now...)....and that is jsut a simple fact, not a judgement...

3easterbunniesandnomore · 08/04/2007 22:43

lol x-posted again...lol

AitchTwoOh · 08/04/2007 22:43

righto. that's what i think too, 3easter.

nallyschocolateorange · 08/04/2007 22:44

i must be pre-menstrual

FrannyandZooey · 08/04/2007 22:44

yes but yes but sophable
you were not meant to have the three seconds of discomfort before you saw the wink

AitchTwoOh · 08/04/2007 22:44

nally. do you have a mooncup? franny's selling them out of the back of her van at the mo.

welliemum · 08/04/2007 22:45

Nally, formula is good stuff. Breast milk is first prize, but formula really is good stuff, life saving for some.

Not good for my dd1 who had a few top-ups (against my will) and immediately developed cows-milk-allergic eczema. I'm still cross about that.

ie, there are some babies that it's not good for, and the problem is that you don't know beforehand who they are.

It's a bit like wearing a seatbelt. I put my seatbelt on every time I get behind the wheel because I know that's the better option.

I could drive for 40 years and never have an accident, in which case that seatbelt will have done absolutely nothing whatsoever for me. Complete waste of time.

Exclusive breastfeeding (with current knowledge) is a bit like wearing a seatbelt. You can be reasonably sure it's going to protect someone - but you don't know if that someone is you (and probably, will never know).

FrannyandZooey · 08/04/2007 22:46

Nally it is a very emotive subject

you come across as a very concerned mother and it is great that you gave dd a great start by breastfeeding her

AitchTwoOh · 08/04/2007 22:46

oh wellie, you are clever. you really have a knack for an allusion, you do. thank god you're here.

FrannyandZooey · 08/04/2007 22:47

Nally has just ordered one actually Aitch

and as if I would have a van

it's a rickshaw cum bicycle