To want to wean DD earlier than 6 months due to reflux/spit up?

[Tjsmumma]

I know this is a sensitive topic but, i want to know, if you weaned earlier due to spit up/reflux and what you gave first, when, why please.

My DD is nearly 4 months, recently she is spitting up a lot more, like nearly after every feed.

She's EBF and seems like she's so hungry she's taking more in that she needs due to this and then just spitting it up again so i really think she is ready for more than just my milk.

She shows all the signs for readiness, looks at food, put things in her mouth, sits really well with support, over double her birth weight, grabs out for anything we eat and doesn't have the tongue thrust.

I know other DM who have weaned way earlier and their babies are fine and really enjoy it and showed the same signs.

I know i should contact HV but, i cant gwt through at the moment, ive left multiple messages to no reply.

i have looked into every option, researched a lot and i know its advised from 6 months but, a lot of people i know have from 3/4 months and all the pouches etc say from 4

I'm just confused and know they advise weaning early if reflux is an issue, she goes very squirmy and irritable and then spits up but, isnt crying or upset but often makes her cough then struggle to breath for a second or so after

She is also very advanced and meeting milestones for 6 month mark already at not even quite 4 months. She is 4 months on the 19th so pretty close and i do not want to wean onto purees until at least next week when she turns 4 months, even then i want to wait a few weeks longer

There's evidence of some benefits to weaning between 4-6 months in terms of allergy prevention but AFAIK the absolute minimum recommended age to start is 17 weeks. We were in a similar situation and started solids when DC1 was 5 months (under Paed guidance). He was showing signs of readiness too.

We started with the little Ella's Kitchen pouches and baby porridge. I used a silicone ice cube tray and decanted ice cube size portions of the pouches which I then froze. We started off with one ice cube sized portion then increased. I also gave him wee bits of soft finger foods like banana to munch. I started with lunch and giving solids before the milk, then we added in tea, again, before milk and went from there.

We never had any issues, wee one enjoyed it, we never forced him to eat or finish anything and it was more experimentation to start with. He loved his grub and still does!

@SerBrienneOfHouseTarth yes, i read that too! Ideally i want to wait til at least 20 weeks/5 months so meet in the middle. I have another thread and they are all stating is an awful idea to wean before that, but, i know around 8 other mums who are weaning 3 month old and 4 month olds with no medical advise to.

Id definitely still be giving normal supply of milk but wondered if a spoonful or two here and there would benefit her a bit more and help keep milk down/satisfy her hunger more!

Weaning can be a heated topic! I think what you're suggesting is entirely reasonable and worth a try based on your observations of readiness. If LO doesn't get on with it you can wait a bit longer and try again xx

My son had reflux and it got a lot worse when I started weaning at 6 months. I would say at about 8 months it started to calm down.

It will only make a difference to the colour of the vomit! Until they can reliably sit up there is no benefit to weaning. Even then it returns when they crawl. Dd's only really improved when she walked.

So long as you wait until after 17 weeks, it is up to you. There's evidence of long term harm caused to babies by weaning before 17 weeks, which is why the minimum officially recommended weaning age has been 4 months for decades, but no evidence of harm from weaning between 4-6 months.
There's actually some evidence of benefits from weaning between 4-6 months in terms of allergies.
You often find people come on these threads advocating delayed weaning until after 6 months which is just as risky as weaning before 4 months imo.

@SerBrienneOfHouseTarth yes.. It seems to be! I thimk you have commented on my AIBU post! Thank you!

@MsChatterbox thank you! Im just tryinf to get a gauge of what other DM's have done!

@LIZS thank you :)

@carystoppins yes ive read lots either way, lots of people are veru against trying anything bar milk before 6 months, but, surely they wouldn't be able to advertise it from 4 if it was indeed harmful, surely? I dont want to introduce (i think wean is wrong word completely now!) now at 16 weeks, ive seen other introduce at 11 weeks. Think ill start introducing around 5 months if she hadn't improved, meet in the middle! Thank you