When should I wean? Baby is 4months!

[MummyKSA]

Hello al!

I'm just looking for peoples advice/experiences if possible.

My youngest is 4 months old and I'm stuck on when I should start weaning. A few friends have said they started at 4 months with baby rice and baby porridge etc but with my eldest - who's now 6 years old, I didn't start her while she was 6 months.

My youngest is currently having 180ml milk every 3-4 hours (cow and gate stage 1) She finishes the whole bottle generally and seems to want more. She chews her fists loads - although I've heard this isn't a sign to start weaning.

I've just been in the supermarket and noticed some of the Heinz jars are from 4months!

Thanks in advance

I'd probably leave it another month maybe just as she's still quite young? But that's what I did anyway I started at 6 months as there stomachs are still how do they say small and adjusting and solids are probably to early at this stage. Everyone different though that's just my opinion! Some might tell you different. Personally I'd wait a bit longer !

Maybe just offer her some more milk as that's the most important thing she needs at this age

6 months. If she is finishing her bottles then she is hungry and you need to offer more milk.

The jars say 4 months as they can’t legally advertise for younger. Shops sell things to make money which is why they continue to sell products like cot bumpers which are dangerous for babies.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/solid-foods-weaning/

The NHS explains simply why it's best to wait till 6 months and the signs of readiness.

My DS could sit up from 4 months and had brilliant hand eye coordination but we still waited until 6 months because of the gut maturity.

At 6 months.

My little guy is 4 months ... he can do 300 ml in one go at times other times he is content with 150ml he also eats every 3 to 4 hours in the morning every 2 hours in the afternoon and will have one gap
Of about 6 hours between feeds ( night time ) so has one sometimes two feeds at night.

Does your baby wake up at night more as I found cluster feeding in the afternoon when he is hungrier works wonders for a better night.

I read on the nhs website that baby is not ready unless they can sit up unaided for a period of time, can put food into mouth and swallow food.

My little guy isn’t sitting up yet on his own with out me
Balancing him and is content between feeds so happy to Not wean ... and I feed on demand... so if hungry after one bottle I will make another ...

I do know that when I do feed him inwi start first meal in afternoon based on the fact he is Hungrier then ( I use a app
To track feeds and quantity so I can see patterns )

But every baby is at different development or different needs ... you could
Trial it if you believe it’s really needed that’s why it’s 4-6 months x x

6 months is the recommendation from the NHS.

Around 6 months is the NHS advice.

If your baby wants more milk, give them more milk. Milk has more calories and nutrition in it that some baby rice or porridge.

180ml is only 6oz. If they finish the bottles put more in them

6 months. I've done that for all 3, it's NHS advice

6 months, the fish chewing is more likely to be teething.

*fish, not fish

You wean when your baby is ready to. That could be 4months or it could be 8. Your baby isn't having that much milk. My dd would have 9oz and scream for more straight after. And that was hungry baby milk! We weaned at 4m and when I told the HV she said "good, she was ready for it".
This has good info on weaning:
https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/weaning/ready-or-not/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvPro5yi4QIVL7vtCh2yvwxpEAAYASACEgJpNNDBwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

There has been research that suggests there's no difference between 4 & 6 months as most of the guidelines from WHO are meant for developing countries.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12180052
www.newscientist.com/article/dn28366-should-babies-be-given-solids-earlier-to-prevent-food-allergies/

FIST..... sorry, sleeping baby on my typing arm 🤦🏻‍♀️

Solids have less calories and the 4months labelling is because the guidelines are different in other countries.

Do you know if she still has her tongue thrust reflex? If you put something on a baby's tongue (say Calpol), they are programmed to push it back out automatically.

180ml is not a lot really. (Not worryingly little but nothing to suggest that she's starving)