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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

Gosh but it's hard to wait the full 26 weeks to wean

27 replies

MissTea4Me · 28/05/2007 09:33

when everyone's telling you dd is feeding more often/putting everything in reach in her mouth/watching you eat with interest because she's hungry. Had a two-pronged attack from dm and dmil last night which culminated in dm poking a bit of those tried and tested baby foods, pizza sauce and white wine and summer fruit terrine into her when I wasn't looking. Only two weeks to go until the 6 month mark; not sure I'll resist til then.

OP posts:
sarahlou1uk · 28/05/2007 09:39

You know your baby. You do what you think is right and don't let anyone else influence you. TBH, ds (first born) didn't have any 'food' until 6 months (which was recommended 4 yrs ago). When dd arrived last year, I was more relaxed and she had baby rice from 18 weeks as I felt she was ready for it as her feeding had changed. Neither are ill or have health worries. Talking to my MIL, if I believed everything she said I'd be a basket case, my dh was weaned at 8 weeks on pie crust!! Oh, I forgot, and he was 12 weeks and she had him potty trained!!!!!!

SydneyB · 28/05/2007 09:40

MissTea, I hear you. Ok, this is weird. I waited til exactly 6 months and before this week, DD had been feeding more and waking up earlier and earlier etc for quite a few weeks. Ignored everyone who said, she's hungry, WEAN WEAN! Ignored NCT group all weaning at 4 months or so. Started weaning when I should and DD now sleeping through and napping better. And gobbling down anything I give her. Ate a whole banana this am... Coincidence, right?? I can't bear that they might all have been right all along...

shonaspurtle · 28/05/2007 09:48

I waited until 6 months to wean. It's going really well but ds has started waking at 5am for a feed after previously being happy to wait until 7 or later. Coincidence right??

Seriously, everything I've read on here (don't know anyone who waited in RL so can't make any comparisons there really) pretty much shows that it makes bog all difference to sleep and ds still puts everything in his mouth even though he's being "satisfied" by solids as well as plenty of milk.

Only 2 more weeks (if you're happy waiting) until you can get dd to flick carrots and lentils in dmil's eye.

Malaleche · 28/05/2007 09:48

It's not hard, it's an investment in their health for their whole life - what's the hurry? Relax...

IntergalacticWalrus · 28/05/2007 09:58

The sleeping thing is a bit of a misnomer tbh.

DS1 slept through at 11 months

DS2 slept through at 6 weeks

Both were weaned at 6 months.

If your baby is hungry before 6 months, offer more milk. Th8ink about it-which is more calorific-Nice rich creamy milk or some carrot puree?

Believe me, once you start, you'll wished you'd never bothered. I hated weaning, it was a fag [lazy]

SydneyB · 28/05/2007 10:00

Shona, thanks for voice of reason! V. annoying that Mother now convinced she was right all along... STILL v. glad I waited til 6 months so yes, as Malaleche says, hang in there MissT. For one thing, its a sodding hassle having to think about preparing food now!

Original poster
MissTea4Me · 28/05/2007 10:15

Thanks all-- like shona, I don't know one single person in RL who waited; somehow I don't think that "But mum, loads of my lovely, lovely friends on the internet waited until 6 months," is quite going to convince. Still, dd seems pretty content at the moment so I think I'm going to try and stick it out. Especially since I'm thinking of trying the BLW thing [ducks]; you can imagine the enthusiasm that is met with by dm/dmil...

OP posts:
shonaspurtle · 28/05/2007 10:42

MissTea thats a great reason to wait in itself! It was ds's christening yesterday and I felt unreasonably proud when he held and ate a half apricot and a chunk of bread at lunch when he'd only been on solids for a week.

Much less hassle when they're developmentally ready to feed themselves.

Aitch · 28/05/2007 12:18

just remind them that if DH was weaned on a pie crust then DMiL was an early pioneer of BLW, anyway...

hana · 28/05/2007 12:22

I found it easier actually as I didn't have to faff around with bibs, facecloths to clean up the mess and sorting out any food for her. much easier to breastfeed here whenever and whereever we were - I waited till she was closer to 7 months actaully as I dreaded it! ( have 2 older ones too - first one weaned at 5 month,s recommendations then were between 4 and 6, and second was 6 months to the day)
not long now to go.....

midnightexpress · 31/05/2007 08:43

Also, say goodbye to nice bf nappies once she starts solids. Good enough reason to keep with the programme,imo.

lailasmum · 03/06/2007 16:35

Do it when its right for the baby they are all a little different. My daughter was 4 months my best friends son was 5 1/2 months. Its different with each baby.

Aitch · 03/06/2007 20:34

so does the baby arrange for a hand-engraved invitation to wean to be sent to the mother when he is ready or does she just have to guess?

Indith · 03/06/2007 20:51

I'm finding it hard...my 20 week old (ish, maybe...lost track of weeks now) keeps fighting me for my food!

bless him

Keep telling him to be a good boy and wait another 6 weeks

Does it count as BLW if he dunks his hand in my yoghurt and stuffs it in his mouth

Actually my MIL was blathering on about him being hungry today. And about how I would have to spoon feed him some things (been trying to explain I was going to BLW). Grrrrrrrrrr

Still at least nobody can tell me he will sleep better if I wean. Sleep is something he is actually getting the hang of.

Original poster
MissTea4Me · 03/06/2007 23:37

I didn't make it. OK, it's only one week off the 6 month mark now, so I don't feel too badly that I caved and allowed DH to offer her a whole banana this morning. Don't think this is quite correct BLW technique but I guess at least he didn't mash it. Much banana on DH and DD and I don't think very much ingested at all.

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Dogsby · 03/06/2007 23:37

oh god give her some food hten

Otter · 03/06/2007 23:42

its all tosh anyway - if he wants it - do the natural thing - give it to him.

whatever happened to instinct!

Dogsby · 03/06/2007 23:42

god yes

flibbertyjibbet · 04/06/2007 00:02

I got DS1 to 25 weeks before it was very very obvious that he needed more than milk. DS2 a bigger baby I thought would be ready sooner but 6 months arrived and he was pushing even the sloppiest purees out of his mouth and only wanted milk, then another 10 days on and suddenly that FEED ME switch was flicked. I thought the guideline was 6 months or as near as you can get. After all not all pregnancies are exactly the same length, not all babies cut teeth or start to walk at exactly the same time, so some of them are ready for solids a little earlier than others. So if you are only two weeks off and you genuinely feel she is hungry then try a bit of food. If in doubt check with your HV?
I had hard hard battles with the inlaws over the 6 month rule - my SIL (and all inlaws looking on approvingly) dipping dummy in apple sauce when child was 12 weeks old, and feeding full jars of baby food first course and a pudding one, by 15 weeks!! But its only one little phase of your baby's life so don't worry, as soon as the 6 months is up and baby is scoffing to her hearts content, mil will find other things to make you feel inadequate about!

flibbertyjibbet · 04/06/2007 00:04

Oh I just read you are doing BLW. I didnt' do that, my excuse being that we have underfloor heating in the kitchen and everything gets baked on before you can get the mop out!

Aitch · 04/06/2007 00:16

there;s not really a 'correct' BLW technique, tbh. if the baby seemed to be having fun then that's the thing, really. it also doesn't matter what if anything was eaten, although i warn you now that if you see what look like revolting black worms in the baby's nappy tomorrow then that's banana. don't panic.

Original poster
MissTea4Me · 04/06/2007 00:20

You're right, it's such a small phase in the grand scheme of things I guess I'm being a bit PFB. I don't think dd is hungry yet but everyone else seems to. And kitchen underfloor heating, baked-on food or no; ours is freeeeeezing in the winter.

OP posts:
Original poster
MissTea4Me · 04/06/2007 00:21

Cool. Might try to engineer DH changing that one.

OP posts:
lailasmum · 04/06/2007 09:57

Surely people know their baby's habits well enough by the time they are 4-6 months to know when its time to wean? If they seem really hungry and love the sight of you eating and maybe are not sleeping as well as before then its a good sign that they could be on their way to needing something vaguely solid. Its not like you are going to kill them if you do it too early. Realistically all that will happen is that they will spit/dribble out the microsopic bit of mush you are offering if they are not ready for it. If they eat it with gusto then they are probably ready as long as they are over 4 months.

Aitch · 04/06/2007 10:48

parp

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