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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:

NotQuiteCockney · 30/04/2007 21:36

Well, maybe the best solution is a mix of medical advice, and both parents' ideas?

JodieG1 · 30/04/2007 21:37

I think doing some research and having opinions based on that is what's best, not just relying on some sort of "instinct" which isn't based on anything. As it stands, as has been said by me and Oranges already, weaning early can cause problems but leaving it until 6 months doesn't. Doesn't seem like there's anything much to consider really when you see the options.

rabbleraiser · 30/04/2007 21:42

My idea was to wean my son at six months.

The reality was that he wanted solids a little earlier than that.

My point about being older (patronizing though that might have sounded) is that every five years, all the advice turns on its head. It wasn't that long ago (the 1980s) that parents were advised to lay their babies on their stomachs to go to sleep. Now, it's a leading source of cot death.

My instinct was always that laying a baby on it stomach would lead to respiratory problems. In that context, my instincts would have been correct. In that context, mother knew best.

And I stand by what I said. There are some buggers out there and there always have been. But imo, no one who posts on MN is a bad mum. And we do know best.

Malaleche · 30/04/2007 21:46

i started introducing DD2 to baby rice and baby rice with apple, pear, pumpkin etc at 6 mo (26 weeks) it was a whole month before she actually appeared to swallow anything, she spat out, raspberried all over the walls etc etc and i was getting desperate! Now shes 7 1/2 mo and she had 3 meals today (as well as the usual 5 or 6 bfeeds). What im saying is that you may think they are showing signs of being ready when they arent really. both mine became manic dribblers well before 6 mo, dont know what that was all about but dont think it meant they were ready for solids. what's the harm in waiting till 6 months? It wont harm them to wait but it might to start too early...

JodieG1 · 30/04/2007 21:52

I don't agree that mother knows best. I always take government advice with a pinch of salt and do my own research anyway as they have agendas that may well differ to mine. They advised weaning at 4 months while the maternity leave was sorted afaik and only recently changed that as they changed the length of maternity leave.

I do believe in instinct but it has to be taken in the context of scientific advice and what is best for the baby.

rabbleraiser · 30/04/2007 21:55

OK, there's obviously some PC advice going on out there at the moment, but I weaned my son at five months (with milk, blah, blah, blah) and he didn't spit any of it out.

He swallowed it and savoured it because HE WAS READY FOR IT.

If your six month old spat it out, he/she wasn't.

We're talking individuals here. God forbid that they should be the target of the WHO or any other talking shop on how best to 'do things.'

The boxing gloves are out, incidentally.

Should anyone wish to take me on, I've had a bad day on MN today, so do your worst.

But before you start, I've got a 2 1/2 year old who's never had a cold, an illness, a fever, or a cough. He doesn't know what Calpol because I've never bought it.

AND HE WAS WEANED AT FIVE MONTHS.

Fucking Shocking Behaviour!!

Bethbe · 30/04/2007 21:58

Rabble, - Pops LO may be ready to be weaned, but it seems your advice is based on very little evidence from her, and your own experience with your own children. I don't think either supports a good case for weaning!

Pops, - it's REALLY difficult to know when weaning should begin and the evidence-based advice suggests that it won't harm your LO if you wait. There are lots of reasons why behaviour changes at this age!

You obviously want to do what is best for your LO which is why you are asking the question here. I did the same and came to the conclusion that my LO was ready to be weaned early BUT I'm not suggesting that this is evidence that your LO is ready, - just that I chose to based on MY reasearch about MY little individual.

If you feel that there is any way that you can wait, please do, - perhaps taking a couple of days at a time to ensure that any behaviour is just a phase!

Good luck!

JodieG1 · 30/04/2007 21:59

I certainly can't be arsed argueing right now but I will say that just because your 2 and a half year old doesn't show any illnessess/symptoms of illnesses now doesn't mean that they won't. Things like ibs might not show up until adulthood and can be down to early weaning, you'll never know. I think that's the worst part, the never knowing if you caused that or not.

rabbleraiser · 30/04/2007 22:01

Bethbe, how does it seem that my experience doesn't matter?

rabbleraiser · 30/04/2007 22:04

OK girls, you wean your kid at six months and I'll wean mine at five.

You're all better mothers than me.

JodieG1 · 30/04/2007 22:05

Noone's talking about better mother's, I'm sure we all want what's best for our children.

Bethbe · 30/04/2007 22:06

Rabble, I weaned at 5 months, and I believe I did the right thing for my LO. That's MY experience, but it doesn't follow that because I did it POPs should!

rabbleraiser · 30/04/2007 22:10

Thanks for that, and goodnight.

pops, leave him hungry. The Gestapo say it's six months, so six months it is.

............ but a Farleys Rusk wouldn't go amiss come the morning.

Malaleche · 30/04/2007 22:15

My mum weaned me completely from the breast at 4 mo based on advice at the time and her self-professed lack of confidence/experience, i have had quite a lot of food allergies and other food related problems which started when i was in my late 20's - my siblings were not weaned early and none of them have - could be a coincidence, we'll never know...
I dont agree with some of the WHOs advice on other things and i take all gov advice with a large pinch of salt but i still think 19 weeks is too early to wean...

rabbleraiser · 30/04/2007 22:16

And Bethbe, I don't recall in my original post that I ordered the OP to do any such thing. I gave her my advice. I thought that's what MN was for. When I said 'forget what "they" say, I was referring to the talking heads in the international community, not munsnetters.

I was an earlier poster, trying to give positive advice. Later posters trying to diss me made little reference to the OP.

Like I say, crap mum, going to bed.

Goodnight.

Malaleche · 30/04/2007 22:18

no-ones saying leave your baby hungry - by all means give him more milk if you think he needs it, quite frankly i dont see the difference between formula and giving solids from birth anyway but thats just me

LadyTophamHatt · 30/04/2007 22:21

f*ck me....never in my life as an MNer have a seen a weaning thread kick off so much so quickly.

berolina · 30/04/2007 22:23

rabbleraiser, please do not chuck about terms such as 'Gestapo' in this type of context.

rabbleraiser · 30/04/2007 22:25

And why the hell not, Beryl?

berolina · 30/04/2007 22:26

Beryl?!?

Because the Gestapo is, IMO, not something to compare people who advocate weaning at 6 months with flippantly.

tiktok · 30/04/2007 22:26

rabble, why so cross?

I have never heard that boys tend to wean earlier - have you got any evidence for this, or is it based on your instinct?

Other posters have shared the current guidelines, rather than be dogmatic, and I am amazed you can be so sure of the needs of a stranger's child that you are certain that the baby will actually go hungry if not weaned now - on the basis of a four and a half line post!

Your instincts must be fabulous!

Malaleche · 30/04/2007 22:27

Lady - it only takes one mner in a pissy mood doesn't it?!

rabbleraiser · 30/04/2007 22:30

Oh, goodnight all.

I sense a dogfight because I weaned my son one month earlier than yours. Don't seem to have anyone on my side, don't frankly give a shit, and like I've repeatedly said, crap mum.

Lectures on the Nazis? My name's Rebecca for good reason. Work it out.

berolina · 30/04/2007 22:38

I did not lecture you. I was merely intimating that some people find it offensive.

Nobody has said you are a crap mum.

Bethbe · 30/04/2007 22:40

Rabble, - As I said, - I began weaning at 5 months. I don't think anyone is criticisng you for that, - just making sure that POPs makes the right decision based on her LO, not yours!

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