Has anyone waited longer than six months?

[mistermagpie]

DD is six months on Saturday. She's formula fed but not a big eater, she has only finished a 5oz bottle a handful of times and I've never even made her more than that because she wouldn't eat it before it went 'off', if you know what I mean.

She's quite small, only just out of 0-3 clothes, but healthy and seems 'normal'. The thing is, she can't sit up by herself and doesn't seem interested in our food or anything. She could pick stuff up and put it in her mouth though, because she does that with toys.

I'm just not sure she seems 'ready'? She couldn't sit in a high chair I don't think. Should I still start with weaning? Or wait a couple of weeks?

This is my third baby by the way, so you'd think I'd know what I was doing! The others are 3 and 4 so still quite recent but they were very different at six months from the way she is.

Could you sit with her on your knee and offer bits of food at the table for her to hold and play with/maybe put in her mouth

I would start with banana baby porridge and pureed fruit and veg. Thats what I did with mine and she loved it! She was small too.

I wouldn't worry too much tbh, my DS was 10 months before his swallow reflux kicked in, he was 7 weeks premmy and didn't sit up by himself until 12 months, walked at 20 months. He lived on banana, avocados and babyfood packets for ages! He's absolutely brilliant with everything now aged 4!

I think that's a good idea, maybe have her on my knee. My middle son was totally different, he was such a bruiser and was on three meals a day within a few weeks so I knew instantly he was ready for solids.

I've got some baby porridge in so might start with a few spoons of that and see. She just seems so little still!

Depending how little you mean my 6 month old was still on my 13pounds, but I started to try and wean. We had 2 weeks of learning and trying easy purée flavours, then she started demolishing everything in sight. She loves food, loves the process of being in the high chair, watching what I'm making. She's nearly 10 months now, fully self feeds, there's nothing she won't eat and has gone from 2nd to 25th centile in growth.

I really didn't think she was ready but she proved me wrong.

Well she's 14lb (ish, I had to weigh her by weighing myself and then again holding her!) so not that small I suppose. Just compared to her brothers at that age I guess.

I really hope she's like yours, my eldest was a terrible eater until recently and he's nearly 5!

I'd let her decide, try some fruit purées and see. Mine wasn't a fan of the porridge at first but after a few weeks decided she liked it. She loved sweet potato and apple together, and cauliflower cheese.

Good luck :)

I would go with your instincts- it's not going to matter if you give them a couple of weeks to sit up better - which I think it's pretty vital especially with 3 - you want to be able to plonk baby in a chair with some bits to nibble on / make a mess with. Equally if you do some puree on your knee now its unlikely to hurt them - as you know already, you will probably end up in the same place in a couple of months whatever speed you go at.

It's fine to wait - doesn't sound like she is ready. I think it's easy to feel a lot of pressure to start solids (I did) but if she isn't sitting up etc it's best to wait.

Not by choice, but my 2nd child decided no solids till 10 months.

You’re meant to wait until they can sit up for baby led weaning so just wait until she is a bit older and seems interested in food. The interest is still not exactly a sign for readiness- more like the stage before being ready. There isn’t a huge rush- she will be getting vitamins etc in the milk. Mine have weaned between 5 months and 8 months between the four of them. All baby led weaning to some degree as I was too lazy for spoons.

You can get support cushions for high chairs. No harm in giving it a go. I wouldnt hold off too much later than 6 months

If she isn’t sitting up or interested in food I would weight.

Yeah it's the sitting up bit I'm worried about, I'd rather do BLW because I barely get to sit and eat my own dinner as it is without having to spoon feed someone too!

It just seems most people are desperate to start weaning so I'm a weirdo for being a bit hesitant.

My eldest really barely ate anything at all before he was one, he just wasn't interested. Now he's nearly 5 and I can count on one hand the amount of times he's told me he's hungry. But he's healthy and the right weight so I know that what they eat (or don't) when they are tiny doesn't make that much difference.

You're not a weirdo you're doing what's right for your child. Not sitting up is a choking risk. Why rush? :)

There's more harm doing too early than too late at this stage. Give it a few weeks and she might start showing signs.

None of my children really ate anything significant before 9-10 months. I did BLW by default with the first two as they just wouldn't entertain the idea of purees, and with the third I did it deliberately. I breastfed and don't really know what you would expect in terms of milk volume for formula, but I would think that as long as you continue to offer milk on demand you won't go too far wrong. I would probably start making solids available to her, in a sitting position - sitting supported is ok - but don't get too worried if she doesn't take too much as yet.