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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:
chankins · 29/01/2008 21:34

Zulu - I am the only person in my group of friends and family who has waited til 6 mo, and I didn't with the first two, I weaned at 4 mo, because that was the guidelines then. However, I have learnt a lot more this time around, and as eczema and asthma are in my family, (all my 3 have eczema).I wanted to try with ds to do everything according to latest guidelines to try to make things easier if possible. I had the instinct he was hungry and would happly have eaten purees at 4 mo, etc, but now I am s glad I waited longer. It was the teeth disturbing him. And once they can sit unaided, and pick food up themselves, then you truly know they are ready for it ! weaning third time around has been so much more pleasurable and easy than it was with the first two.
However, he does have mild eczema, but if I had weaned earlier it may have been worse.

ruddynorah · 29/01/2008 21:34

i could tell you about MY enormous child. but i won't.

fletchaaarr · 29/01/2008 21:36

Oi bitch Gitch, my daughter wasn't that passive at 4 months

She was no way ready for solids though

And her weaning did start at 24/5 weeks when she grabbed a potato off my plate and ate it

Jennster · 29/01/2008 21:37

DD 24 weeks because she blw herself, but she is a dot. DS is more than 26...27? 28? Not sure and is mahoosive (dd's weight at 12 months), but really not interested in food. He's not sitting independently and will swipe food and put it in his mouth when sitting on my lap, but not really eating yet.

It is possible.

Original poster
zulubump · 29/01/2008 21:42

Wow thanks for loads of replies and advice. All food for thought . Am determined to wait it out a bit longer now, but might stock up on the baby rice in case I get desperate!!

OP posts:
Gitch · 29/01/2008 21:42

stop the presses, "Fletch's DD In Not Passive Shocker!"

i can't say i'm surprised... knowing her mother.

Gitch · 29/01/2008 21:42

just stock up on milk, zulu.

Jennster · 29/01/2008 21:43

How about tasting the baby rice zulu, and deciding if you would like to eat it yourself? How about only offering tasty stuff you would eat yourself?

Karen999 · 29/01/2008 21:49

Zulu... I started weaning both my dd's on baby rice. It's not very nice but mixed in with a little fruit puree is quite nice...(I tried it!) With dd2 she got to about 7 months and then I switched to blw....now she eats roast dinners!!

LittleMissBliss · 29/01/2008 21:55

Oooh I like the sound of baby lead weening.

Jennster · 29/01/2008 22:01

Just read your earlier post LMB. Have you tasted formula or breast milk? REALLY sweet so that red herring is a load of bollards too.

Jojay · 29/01/2008 22:02

Zulu, IMO, you need to think about it logically.

Q. Why is your baby hungry?

A. Because she hasn't consumed enough nutirents and calories to fulfill her needs.

Q. What has more nutrients and calories, milk or a bit of carrot / apple / baby rice?

A. Milk!!!

We fill up on fruit and veg when we are trying to lose weight because they are bulky but low calorie. We cut back on full fat dairy products bacause they are calorie dense.

Milk supplies all the nutrients and calories a baby needs, in a form that she can digest.

Some babies that start solids too early can gain weight more slowly because they are filling up on low calorie food and so cut back on the high calorie milk.

I would think really carefully about introducing solids yet.

And yes, I waited till 6 months with my DS

Gitch · 29/01/2008 22:02

it is good, really. i have a wee bit of a website on it at www.babyledweaning.com if you are looking for more info. (i really must change my name back. )

LittleMissBliss · 29/01/2008 22:05

She also did metion that breastmilk has more sugar in than cows milk and formula (just a little fact she threw into the convosation) Which i already knew from a talk from another health profesional on teathing and lookng after babies teath.
And No i do not drink my own breast milk. I rather enjoy cows milk thankyou very much

Jennster · 29/01/2008 22:06

Durr just realise who you are Gitch - I still can't log in by the way

Jennster · 29/01/2008 22:07

Yeah but you've spilled it all over your hands? No? Probably just me. It's REALLY sticky.

AitchTwoOh · 29/01/2008 22:10

really? email me again, will you? aitch at baby etcetcetc...

i was covered in BM while i was feeding, it tasted lovely, like milky caramel.

LittleMissBliss · 29/01/2008 22:12

Look guys she was just trying to be helful she was not imposing her own personal views. She was just trying to put me at ease my baby isn't even 3 months old yet (I like to forward plan). I have no intention of weening anytime soon. But if he was really hungry at five and a half months i wouldn't think NO must wait two more weeks.
Oh and the sweet tooth thing was because a baby is more likely to only want to eat sweeter foods if they've tried it and refuse veg(bland). IYSWIM...

Jennster · 29/01/2008 22:12

Can't say I liked it I have to say.

I made dh lick it off the counter when I spilled it after an hour of pain staking expressing. I was in tears and very hormonal and he said if it made me feel better then he would

Thanks Aitch will do

LittleMissBliss · 29/01/2008 22:14

I'm not in her fan club or anything
like I said i like the idea of BLW.

LittleMissBliss · 29/01/2008 22:14

I'm not in her fan club or anything
like I said i like the idea of BLW.

Habbibu · 29/01/2008 22:14

Glitch, I have no idea what you are talking about. My darling princess is as light as a feather and eats like a bird. I worry that one day she will simply float up into the sky...

VVVQV · 29/01/2008 22:15

LMB - obviously cows milk and formula is still very lacking in its ability to be "closer than ever to breastmilk"

Zulu - you can wait. Of course you can. It's easy really. Just dont do it

fletchaaarr · 29/01/2008 22:15

LMB - Oh I wouldn't stress (personally) about a couple of weeks either way as long as the other signs are there, indipendent sitting and able to feed themselves etc.

A couple of MONTHS though....

Karen999 · 29/01/2008 22:16

LMB...tbh I am not sure about the 'sweet' thing. My dd started off with fruit/veg puree and liked them equally. I think perhaps it may have more to do with consistency. Fruit (when pureed) can be runnier, thus making it easier to swallow. I did pureed with both dd's and with dd2 switched to blw.

I stand by what I said earlier and that is to trust your own instincts......and the advice I was given by my HV was to start weaning at 4 months!!

You are right to be asking questions...gleem as much info as you can and then at least when you make a decision you can be satisfied that you have looked into it and can be confident in the choice that you make.