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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

At what age did you start your baby on solids?? Not sure my lo will make it to 6 months!!

84 replies

zulubump · 29/01/2008 20:58

My dd is 18 weeks tomorrow. Just last week I was thinking how satisfied she seemed on breastmilk (sleeping well at night, putting on weight etc) and that it would be a while before she required solids. Then in last couple of days she has started waking at night for feeds again and generally seems ravenous. Am bit taken by surprise! I was in no rush to start solids, but I don't want her hungry and unhappy either.

I don't know anyone with a baby that has waited until the recommended six months? Is it realistic? Am curious what age people have introduced solids for their lo's and what they took to be the signs that they were ready?

OP posts:
ApuskiDusky · 29/01/2008 21:05

Ds is 20 weeks, and has just come out the other side of what I assume was an extended growth spurt - we've had 2 hourly BF feeds in the day and more night feeds, on and off over 10 days, before settling back into normality for the last week.

I've avoided my HV in the meantime, as I'm sure weaning would have been mentioned - have had this already from mother and MIL!

chankins · 29/01/2008 21:07

Sounds like my ds at that age - I did find it very hard getting to 6 mo, as he was reaching and grabbing for whatever we were eating, staring with huge eyes etc ! I just started letting him at 5 mo, have a little suck and chomp on things like apples and tomatoes and cucumber, so he couldnt actually bite r eat any, but was getting a taste. Plus this relieved his teeth. Which was probably more the problem, from 3 to 6 mo he woke more and more and more, hungry and ravenous like you say. Once his first two teeth came trhough he started sleeping better again, so startting solids may not guarentee she sleeps better or is more settled.My hv sid just try to get as close to 6 mo as possible. We gave tasters from 5 mo, and he started properly shoving food in about a week before 6 mo. He was huge and sitting up from 5 mo, so was able to sit i high chair and just get on with it.
IMO much nicer to get closer to 6 mo as they can then finger feed rather than puree and they love it ! mUch more fun !

LittleMissBliss · 29/01/2008 21:07

Hi was just talking to the childrens nurse today about weaning and she said 6 months is the latest that you should introduce solids. Most mothers start before this. She said to look out for signs like you have said lo start waking at night etc. She also said as long as you only keep it to a few food groups at the start anytime over 4 months is fine. (but to not introduce sweet food like fruit to prevent babies getting a sweet tooth)Hope that helps

ApuskiDusky · 29/01/2008 21:12

I said to myself I'd give it a couple of weeks to see if it was a growth spurt, and then review - and as I said above, it looks like it was. I'm glad I didn't assume it was a demand for solids, as I'd rather postpone as long as I can - allergies in the family.

welliemum · 29/01/2008 21:17

I've weaned at 6 months, twice. It's not difficult after you get through the 4 month growth spurt. And there are proven health benefits for this.

Here's what you need

StripeyMamaSpanx · 29/01/2008 21:17

Sorry but the childrens nurse sounds like a bit of a twit - she shouldn't be saying that as its contrary to NHS/WHO guidelines. It may be her personal opinion but if she was speaking in a professional capacity she had no business saying that.

I agree with other posters saying its a growth spurt - as babies get bigger they nedd more calories and the best way of getting them to a baby under 6 months is thorugh giving more milk.

Look for other signs of being ready - sitting unaided, head control, ability to get things from hand to mouth etc. They do stare at you eating, but dd used to stare through the window at her dad having a fag. They just find you and all you do fascinating.

Original poster
zulubump · 29/01/2008 21:19

Thanks for advice and info. I'll wait at least another week and see if things settle down. I'm reluctant to start yet since other than the hunger I'm not sure she's ready yet. For example she can't pick things up and get them into her mouth yet and she doesn't seem to show that much interest when we are eating. However she did spend quite a while chomping hard on my finger while I was writing my original post. But maybe that is to relieve teething pain?? No sign of teeth yet but can they feel discomfort before the teeth put in an appearance?

OP posts:
Karen999 · 29/01/2008 21:20

My HV told me 4 months!! In her professional capacity....tbh dd was needing it by 5 months so thats when I started weaning. I weaned dd1 at 4 months as these were the guidelines then....tbh I think you know your baby better than anyone so trust your instinct....x

fletchaaarr · 29/01/2008 21:21

LittleMissBliss - your childrens nurse could do with a refresher course, that is nothing like the current guidelines and she should not be giving that advice. My DD got to 6 months, it is not the latest you should start but the earliest (give or take a couple of weeks)

Zulu - It really really sounds like a growth spurt. And while it is easy for me to say (I am not the one being woken!) it won't last for ever so I would leave it for atleast a couple of weeks

Thing is at that age you don't know if their guts are ready for food and you could be setting yourself up for all sorts of problems.

Both of my DSs were weaned as per the guidelines at the time (3 and 4 months), and both have had exzma and one asthma. It may be nothing to do with their immature guts at the time they were weaned but I will never know that. Why would you risk it if you don't have to

ruddynorah · 29/01/2008 21:21

littlemissbliss the children's nurse is misinformed, as are many of them sadly. like a previous poster explained, it is perfectly possible to get to 6 months, it just depends on increasing milk feeds through the 4 month growth spurt and riding it out. some people are not willing to do this so give solids and say that sorted the night waking.

bozza · 29/01/2008 21:23

Well my 8mo nephew is on the 91st centile for weight despite being an average sized newborn and not weaned until 6 months.

fletchaaarr · 29/01/2008 21:24

Karen999 - I really wish I had the kind of instinct that could see my babies guts and see how developed they were - rather than instincts that said "the waking this frequently is rather inconvenient and this might help so I think s/he is ready"

Karen999 · 29/01/2008 21:24

DD1 was weaned at 4 months...hardly had a days illness in her life....drinks loads of water, loves veg and salad.....dd2 weaned at 5 months...has excema and lactose intolerance...tbh I think a lot of these things are inherited/genetic....me and my sister were weaned at 12 weeks!! Neither of us have had any allergies etc although both had apendix out at age 17!!

LittleMissBliss · 29/01/2008 21:25

She wasn't actually, she did mention that the guidline is 6 months but if your baby is overly hungry and breast milk doen't seem to satisfy, then you don't have to wait to 6 months. But not to introduce too many food types to avoid alergies etc. Not all mothers wait till 6 months exact, then ween. Its a personal choice and depends on your babies needs some mothers have huge babies who require more food. She didn't say start giving them a 3 course meals just a cube of blitzed veg.

She just stressed that all babies are different and some will ween earlier. Not to beat yourself up if you don't wait till 6 months exactly to ween.

fletchaaarr · 29/01/2008 21:26

Karen999 - I never said it caused it in every case but why oh why increase the risks when there is research out there to say 6 months is safe??

ruddynorah · 29/01/2008 21:26

how nice of her to mention it at all.

MaeWest · 29/01/2008 21:27

zulu - my DS was big (nearly 20lb at 6 months) and we made it to 6 months. He didn't even really start eating huge amounts to start with anyway. I know how it feels when you can't see anyone in 'real life' doing it, but they do exist

I found I had to avoid the bf support group between 4-6 months as there were so many comments from the HVs/community nursery nurse e.g. he's big = he needs food, he's waking up = he needs food. From what I'd read about the health benefits I felt that I wanted to hold off. And he's still a crap sleeper at 18 months and eats lots... so there you go

Karen999 · 29/01/2008 21:27

Fletchaar - I did not wean my baby early because she was waking....in fact she has slept through since 12 weeks (dream fed at 10pm till 7 months)and then 7-7 after that.

I weaned her because to me she was showing signs...all I am saying is that a mother I dont think it is wrong to trust your own instincts..

fletchaaarr · 29/01/2008 21:28

Huge babies don't require more food do they?

Surely more milk?

DH was 13 pounds when he was born, when should he have been weaned according to that rule?

Original poster
zulubump · 29/01/2008 21:28

As I said I don't know anyone that has waited until 6 months so it's interesting to hear from people that have. Also I didn't know there was a 4 month growth spurt. Most people have said their baby got really hungry around 4 months and they took that as a sign to start solids. But I guess if their baby wasn't ready they would reject the food rather than wolf it down??

OP posts:
Gitch · 29/01/2008 21:31

best sign of needing to be weaned comes round about 6 months when they start feeding themselves, imo.

fletchaaarr · 29/01/2008 21:31

Karen999 - I agree up to a point. But your instincts can't see what your babies gut is like. Instincts OK, but also can they sit up unaided, can they put things in their mouth themselves, etc

Interest in food and waking up at night is not enough.

My DD really liked being in the car and playing with the car stearing wheel when she was 4 months old, but I didn't go out and get her driving lessons

ruddynorah · 29/01/2008 21:31

if you were doing baby led weaning then yes they would reject the food until they were ready. no wolfing anything down for ages, until their body is ready. if you bypass this then yes they may well wolf it down. better they wolf their milk down though.

Gitch · 29/01/2008 21:33

at 4 mos they're pretty passive, tbh, it's no great indicator. and no, bigger babies don't need weaning earlier.

dd was fine waiting until 6 mos, btw.

fletchaaarr · 29/01/2008 21:34

Zulu - I know loads of people who waited until 6 months. It is soooooooooo much easier as you can do finger food (NO MUSH Hoorahhh).

I did this with DD and she eats so much better than earlier weaned friends babies, and eats a much larger variety

Look up BLW (Baby Led Weaning). It is fab