Told to wean at 4 months

[Cookalia]

We've been told to start weaning our DD at 4 months by a consultant in the hospital and by our HV.

She's exclusively BF and we've been told to start with baby rice or baby porridge mixed with breastmilk. Has anyone else been told to do this? Any tips/hints etc?

I was told to wean at 5 months (although she was 4 months adjusted) and it was a right faff. It gave her a bellyache cause she wasn’t ready and her sleep went haywire for a while.

My only advice would be is to go slow, just a couple of spoonfuls a day at a time of your choice (I done an hour after a milk feed).

Is she ready though? Can she hold her head up well? Sit supported?

Are you weaning due to reflux? I did and it didn’t help my DD unfortunately.

Thanks @Vicky1989x yes to holding head and sitting when supportive.

Not due to reflux, she's small and never gained the minimum of 110g a week but has always gained and is hitting everything else developmental wise, is happy etc so they dont know why she isnt gaining (not a supply or feeding issue) so it is a case of try the weaning and seeing if it helps

@Cookalia

Thanks *@Vicky1989x* yes to holding head and sitting when supportive.

Not due to reflux, she's small and never gained the minimum of 110g a week but has always gained and is hitting everything else developmental wise, is happy etc so they dont know why she isnt gaining (not a supply or feeding issue) so it is a case of try the weaning and seeing if it helps

I would do some research first. Dig about a bit and avoid any research paid for by formula/food companies. I don't think I would in your situation. X

Is she staying on the centile line or dropping down lines? If the latter, then that's a concern, but if the former then she is growing at the right rate. I myself was always on the 2nd percentile as a child and I have had battles with some HCPs because DS is on a much higher centile for height than weight....and so they are insistent that he needs to put on weight. But actually he has tracked the same centiles for 14 years, he's just tall and skinny, exactly as he was when he was born!

I did actually start to wean DS at around 5 months (the advice was changing at that point) but it was literally a spoonful of baby rice and otherwise stuck with breastfeeding. I also thought that baby rice was now not recommended as nutritionally poor?

It’s a tough one because anything you feed the DC at that age will more than likely be less calorific than your milk. I’m certainly no doctor but that’s the info when I read about when to wean.

If she is following her curve I would ignore she is just small. If she is dropping centiles i'd try it. Let her get her hands in it. Experience the texture and she will put her foodie hands in her mouth.

I would follow the advice of the health professionals.

Agree with pp, baby rice is horrible nutritionally deficient stuff. If she is following her curve I'd carry on as you are.

If it's weight gain I would ask if high calorie formula is an option, then you can start solids at 6 months which is recommended. The high calorie formula will need to be prescribed.

Weaned early at 4 months due to reflux but I started with veg instead off any baby rice or porridge x

@user1493494961

I would follow the advice of the health professionals.

I'd almost always agree with this but I find the advice OP has been given by her doctors very strange.

Until 1 a baby's main source of nutrition is milk. Even when you start weaning, as PP's have said, it's tiny amounts, and is more about tastes, familiarisation with texture & developmental - socialisation, engaging around food, gripping a spoon.

If a baby is not growing when feeding successfully, I'd need a lot more detail before just accepting I needed to wean. At 4 mo, they'll only be able for tiny amounts. The usual food tried eg puréed veg or fruit will give them almost nothing, nutritionally.

When a baby reaches 1, they're a lot more mobile, and have reached a stage, where calorifically, they'll benefit from appropriate amounts of carbs, proteins etc.

OP, can you give us any more info on what your medical team have said? I'm sure they didn't just say 'wean' & that's it, as a 4 mo would need a carefully planned diet, especially if growth / weight was an issue.

@waitingforsun

If it's weight gain I would ask if high calorie formula is an option, then you can start solids at 6 months which is recommended. The high calorie formula will need to be prescribed.

I was thinking about this too.

@mamaof2girls

Weaned early at 4 months due to reflux but I started with veg instead off any baby rice or porridge x

What did you replace the milk component with? Veg would not in any way compensate for milk.

@BathTangle
She started at 25th (after week 2) and is now just above the 2nd. Her last 3 weighs have hovered around the 2nd percentile line so the graph looks okay but she is dropping within the percentile- so going from 2.58 to 2.48. They said that is not necessarily a problem because it is never going to be straight but within the context of it all they want to try and stabilise it more.

This is so surprising to me as breast or formula milk has the most nutrients! How do you feel in your gut about this? You can always ask for other opinions. Good luck!

My now 7 year old was 2 months premature and at 8 weeks I was told by his consultant to start weaning. Consultants words were not every baby can manage in just milk until 6 months some need solids alot sooner depend on the baby

@Cookalia

What have they said to wean her onto?

Milk is the most nutritionally dense food, so I can't imagine how they feel early weaning will help?

at 8 weeks I was told by his consultant to start weaning.

This is awful to read. I don't want to doubt you - but a doctor said this? 😱

No, not every baby manages to 6 months. But there's a massive difference between 8 weeks & 26 weeks.

This is so surprising to me as breast or formula milk has the most nutrients!

This. An infant will take in far more calories from milk. Adding veg/rice or other solids will often reduce their calorie intake as they fill up on bulky solids and take in less milk.

My first had slow weight gain, dropped from above the 25th centile at birth to the o.4th-she didn’t track that line but dipped below and above it, so over time it was clear she was on the line, iyswim..

I was always given advice on increasing breastmilk intake. Also told that if she was otherwise well it was nothing to worry about as long as she was gaining, however small a gain.

My second had reflux and I was told to wean at 4m by the gp. I smiled, nodded and weaned at 5 months when I felt she was ready. It made no bugger difference to her reflux.

I would follow the advice of the professionals over the Internet.
For what it's worth when my eldest was born advice was 4 months and take it slowly. Baby rice with breast milk then slowly add in small amounts of vegetables /fruit. Avoid gluten till 6 months.
With dt I had to start at 5 months and similarly built up slower than you would do if starting at 6 months.
Just take it slowly and get advice from the professionals involved if needed.

@waitingforsun
I asked about it, but they think because her weight hasn't dropped below the 2nd percentile and looking at her holistically that weaning is the best option. If that helps and she sticks around the 2nd then great. If she drops below they can look at prescription formula but mixing it with food instead of as a bottle because the BF is going so well they dont want to do anything that jeopardises that.

@EarringsandLipstick
They said a few teaspoons of baby porridge or rice (HV was a bigger fan of the porridge) twice a day at first - one in the morning one at tea time. Mixing it with ebm and if we didn't have enough ebm use ready made formula.

It was a ice cube a day so she didn't drop any milk feeds or anything! But it defo did help settle her sickness that's for sure. I have 2 kids and my second I didn't wean until 6 months as she didn't need it early both are perfectly healthy and great with food and trying new things! X

@Clockingon and @user1493494961
We are going to follow their advice - well the parts that make sense anyway. I.E they have been telling us to constantly offer her ebm top ups after a feed but she never wants them because she is full. But originally they thought that was the answer but now they have realised that it isn't. I was more looking to see if anyone else has been in the same or similar situation and what they did /outcomes.

@Laytwir024
My gut says I have a small baby who has taken a while to find her percentile but that she has a small appetite (the HV agrees with this part) and is the baby equivalent of 'could eat 5 chocolate bars and put on an oz vs look at 1 and put on a pound'.
I physically can not put more milk into her and she's doing well. I was long and thin as a child and my DH was a skin and bones until he was a teenager.
But they have given us a month to try this (which they wouldn't do if they weren't thinking maybe she has found her groove) and if she drops below at least we are back with a doctor having tried what they have suggested.

My cousin was told to wean her twins early and to give the smaller one extra fat like really buttery toast etc. Made no difference she is still tiny 18 months on.