What age did everyone start weaning?

[Cjo99]

My DD is 16 weeks old & from she was 14 weeks I have been giving her a few little spoonfuls of puréed pouches of fruit etc (picture included) 2 friends of mines have said they started weaning around the same time as me but others have said I'll upset her tummy. She seems fine & enjoys it. Just looking some stories from other people? (by a 'few spoonfuls' I literally mean 5 or 6 very small spoonfuls)

@00100001 I'm actually not too sure I haven't timed it, a good while though. My HV was surprised at how advanced she was lol when I'm holding her hands she can stand up for a couple of minutes also! I've got a strong little girl on my hands

@Cjo99 thank you! X

I can't decide if OP is a troll or not? We weaned dd at 6 months, following the guidelines. It's not really a matter of opinion. There are several really important reasons, which pp have already outlined, not to wean any earlier than this. My dh has suffered from a lifetime of IBS which we think may be as a result of being weaned far too early.

Other people smoke around a baby. Other people drink alcohol to excess when pregnant. Some people feed their kids solids at 14 weeks old. Some people smack their baby. Some people allow their baby to cry for hours without trying to console them.

Others do it.. Must be OK then 👍👍

Op, y s you do have a strong little baby.

Doesn't mean she should be having solids.

I started introducing small amounts of different allergens at 4 months, due to long allergy history in family, but not proper food weaning until maybe a week or two before 6 months.

guess it's all down to what you feel is right...😂😂

Not really. Looking after a baby is not always down to feelz. evidence (not anecdotes) guides policy. Policy should guide practice unless of course a medical professional makes an intervention otherwise. The very tired argument of the guidance being different X decades ago is peculiar - of course guidance changes. Guidance changes as science develops, as societies change, as humans evolve. Surely guidance and science are not expected to remain static over time? Either way - it genuinely is not okay to feed a 14 week old baby solids unless a significant medical intervention is occurring under the supervision of a professional. The fact that Sheila-down-the-road did the same and her baby is now a strapping 25 year old does not change this. Neither is this a matter of lolz and mum-knows-her-bubba-best or emoticons splashed everywhere.

@00100001 They are literally so different

I have some suspicions about this thread now.

5 and a half months, when he started showing interest in mine and dhs food, around last Christmas.

DD, can't remember, think she was about 5 months too.

Nope actually OP is genuine - and now I am genuinely stunned.

@Cjo99 Troll

4month old standing for a long amount of time. Of course she does.

@Namesgonenow 'Sheila down the road' didn't recommend it, my HV did. Jesus, some people are so rude like

Thank you to everyone who was actually nice with their advice, I appreciate it! I'm going to try making my own puréed food in a couple of weeks, for the meantime I will let her have different tastes every other day along with the same amount of milk she is used to.

Was nice reading some people's stories of weaning & how different everyone's opinions are...thanks guys

Well presumably your baby is a human baby, yes? In which case, yes they're all slightly different, but weaning before 17 weeks at the absolute earliest has been shown time and time again by robust scientific studies to be harmful.
Please link to these studies, if it is harmful why were they letting babies wean at 3 months in recent studies.

@sauvignonblancplz Whilst holding my hands she stands for a few minutes, yes? She's early but it's not unheard of

@bruffin Exactly, they wouldn't try it on babies if it were harmful.

Look at all of us, 20/30/40 years ago most babies were weaned at around 16 weeks. Maybe earlier?

5 and a half months. Give small spoons of puree, porridge, yoghurt then when around 6 months start giving finger food

Just for reference, she stood like this for around 3/4 minutes. She just wants to walk already! (Slow down please!!)

@Cjo99
You said she stood unaided for a good amount of time
I don’t believe you but hey ho.

Ready meals for a babies first foods is not ideal at all and you should think about starting her on fresh , homemade food.
If you feed her off pouches it generally wouldn’t be a faff so I don’t think you understand where the others are coming from on this thread, which is a shame.

Look at all of us, 20/30/40 years ago most babies were weaned at around 16 weeks. Maybe earlier?

Yes, and many people have digestive problems and allergies. It’s probably linked. So they changed the guidance. Four months old is too young for purées.

@sauvignonblancplz no. I said she can SIT unaided for a good amount of time & that she can STAND whilst holding my hands for a few minutes.

@sauvignonblancplz yes as I said on up the thread, I'm going to start making my ownJust allowing her to get a few tastes every other day.

What's different? You're putting your baby at potential risk. You're not following official guidance based on tears and years if research.

Year ago they weaned early, and you don't know anyone harmed by it.
But years ago, parent A would leave their baby to cry ... But their baby was fine.

Years ago parents smoked whilst pregnant ... But their baby was fine.

So it's okay? It's okay for you to go against advice... because your baby's fine..

Advice changes. And it changes for a reason.

🤷‍♂️

My baby would "stand" like that whilst being held too.... Means fuck all

Dd (aged 14) and ds (age 12) were both weaned at 4 months. Baby rice, then on to purées, then mashed and finger foods. They both eat really well now and we have no food issues.
Dd2 (aged 9) was weaned at 6 months. We mainly did baby led weaning with her. She is the fussiest eater and it’s a nightmare feeding her.
Our health visitor actively encouraged weaning at 4 months for the first two. By the time I had dd2, social media and forums were more of a thing which is why I left it later. I do wonder if I’d weaned her like the other two, she might eat better now?