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Weaning

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

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Original poster

Is my baby ready? Advice please!!!

81 replies

pops79 · 30/04/2007 20:35

My little boy is 19 weeks old. Over the past few days he has started waking more frequently in the night...drooling like a maniac....crying (hard) at the end of bottles, demanding more frequent feeds and greedily eying up everyone else's food at the table.

I've already increased all of his feeds (he's on formula) but it doesn't seem to have made any difference...infact it seems to be getting worse!

I'm reading that I shouldn't start introducing other food until 6 months but I'm thinking that he might be ready now. Any advice or comments would be really welcome!

OP posts:

wildwoman · 30/04/2007 20:36

It could just be a growth spurt pops

rabbleraiser · 30/04/2007 20:38

pops, he's ready now!!!! Forget what 'they' say. Boys in particular tend to wean earlier. There are no scientific guidelines that need to be applied because every child is different. You're correctly sensing that the time is right, so give him a biscuit/rusk/banana, and start having fun!!!

I had to wean mine at four months/nearly five months.

lulumama · 30/04/2007 20:38

sound like teething ( drooling ) and a growth spurt, which will settle

a spoon or mush or baby rice will not fill him the way milk can

also, if he has not lost his tongue thrust reflex, it will be hard to get food into him

i;d perservere with lots of milk and increase the amount offered per feed and leave weaning for another few weeks if you can

rabbleraiser · 30/04/2007 20:43

Stand by what I said. Listen to your instincts.
He'll remain on formula for ages yet (months and months), but give him something else if he's eying other peoples' food.

That's the signal. When it comes to food, he's the boss. If you want a fractious baby, ignore this advice

liquidclocks · 30/04/2007 20:45

Pops - it's quite normal for babies to have times when they need more milk than others. My DS2 is 7 months and at about 4-5 months suddenly went from 6oz feeds to 9oz feeds. He kept it up for a few weeks and then dropped back down to 7-8oz each feed. It wasn't a sign that he was reedy to wean, he was having a grwth spurt and cutting some teeth.

FWIW, I don't think the people at WHO sit around all dya saying 'now how can we make life more difficult for people this week?' - these guidelines are around for a reason and there's research to back them up. Waiting until six months is safer for your baby so if that means more milk in the short term so be it.

Original poster

pops79 · 30/04/2007 20:51

Thanks for the speedy responses! I'll keep up with the increased feeds for another week or so and see how he progresses...but my gut instinct is that he is ready for something else..

One more thing....how can i tell if the tongue thrust reflux has disappeared? Should I try it with a spoon?

Sorry guys...I really don't have a clue!

OP posts:

JodieG1 · 30/04/2007 20:57

You shouldn't really wean until 6 months (26 weeks) so 19 weeks is too early. Don't risk increased allergies, bowl disorders etc imho. My ds2 is 15 weeks and weighed 17lb 4 today and he isn't on solids yet. Also remember that there are far more calories in milk so giving him food will only fill his stomach but leave him hungrier and sooner. It's not about instinct it's about research and science, mother's instinct isn't always right imho. We know there's no harm in waiting but could cause problems if you don't so there's no question there for me.

wildwoman · 30/04/2007 20:57

Its the sucking motion they use, the tongue pushes forward, therefore if they haven't lost that reflex when you start weaning they push all the food out of thier mouth. It takes a while for them too learn how to get solid food to the back of thier mouths. I think that's roughly it but I'm sure other people can explain it better. or correct me if I'm wrong )

JodieG1 · 30/04/2007 20:58

Oh and by baby has been watching me eat for weeks, doesn't mean a thing.

JodieG1 · 30/04/2007 20:59

Look here some very good info

liquidclocks · 30/04/2007 21:04

pops - look here

Tongue thrust reflex is no.2 on the list of 6 reasons to wait - the other points are of interest too, particularly the one that explains increased dribble around 4 months.

wildwoman · 30/04/2007 21:05

That's what I meant honest!

NotQuiteCockney · 30/04/2007 21:08

I am thoroughly at the 'if the baby watches you eat, he's ready for solids' argument. My four-month-old used to watch me reading a book, but I didn't start him on phonics then!

rabbleraiser · 30/04/2007 21:10

Jodie, I've been around probably a few more years than you, and people who make a living out of making pronouncements about the right time to feed, etc, etc, probably 1/ don't have kids or 2/ farm them out to a nanny anyway, 'cos they're too busy making pronouncements. My take on the World Health Organization is exactly that. WHO????

Mother does know best.

What kind of a world do we inhabit when we take their word over ours?

JodieG1 · 30/04/2007 21:19

Well I'm a stay at home mum and I have 3 kids What has how long you've been here have any relevance to what you know about babies digestive systems and weaning guidlines?

Mother doesn't know best in every situation, you might like to think that but it's simply untrue. Carry on deluding yourself if you so wish but don't expect everyone else to believe it.

wildwoman · 30/04/2007 21:20

And dont imply that the op isn't in touch with her baby if she doesn't wean on your say so.

rabbleraiser · 30/04/2007 21:20

OK, Jodie.

JodieG1 · 30/04/2007 21:20

Oh and no nanny here either

rabbleraiser · 30/04/2007 21:25

And wildwoman, I implied no such thing.

I personally believe the Pop's ds is ready for weaning. I personally believe that Pops thinks so too. If you wish to speak on her behalf, that's your prerogative.

NotQuiteCockney · 30/04/2007 21:26

Yes, mothers always know best. That's why some of them hit their babies.

(No, I'm not saying early weaning is the same as hitting your kid. I'm just saying 'mothers know best' is rubbish.)

rabbleraiser · 30/04/2007 21:29

NotQuite.

For Fucks Sake.

I weaned my child (in conjunction with formula milk for over a year) at five months, and you imply that I'm a childbeater????

JodieG1 · 30/04/2007 21:30

I think though that sometimes people think weaning is the answer to hunger when it's not and then once weaning has started they don't go back to just milk. In a lot of cases it's a growth spurt so baby needs more milk. I just don't see weaning as the panacea that some seem to.

NotQuiteCockney · 30/04/2007 21:30

I said, explicitly, that early weaning isn't the same as hitting children. I just mentioned the fact that some mothers hit their babies as an argument against the 'mothers know best' tripe that always gets wheeled out on this subject.

oranges · 30/04/2007 21:34

Has this thing kicked off yet? Pops79, the latest research suggests there is no harm at all in waiting till 6 months to wean, and quite a lot of risks in weaning early. So the rest is up to you.

rabbleraiser · 30/04/2007 21:35

Very well, Notquite. One woman's tripe is another woman's caviar.

But if mother doesn't know best .. then just who the hell does?

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