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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

I'm SO excited to start weaning, am I naive?

26 replies

TheRookieMum · 17/03/2023 10:40

We're starting weaning this weekend following Annabel Karmel's Weaning Made Simple book.

My EBF very nearly 6mo DS is a terrible sleeper, and I've come to accept that. But is there even half a chance that solids will help...? Or am I getting my hopes up just to fall hard, again? I'm not expecting an overnight change, but maybe some improvement within a month...?

I'd also love to know what pitfalls you've had, what do you wish you'd known when starting out, did you have to do you have any hints & tips?

TIA

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slamfightbrightlight · 17/03/2023 10:44

I hate to tell ya that weaning didn’t help our terrible sleeper as most nutrition still comes from milk until they’re 1 - but I hope you’ll get lucky! We did BLW with both and loved it, a very stress free weaning experience. Prepare for the change in nappies from EBF poos which are so much more pleasant in comparison to what comes next 😬

Original poster
TheRookieMum · 17/03/2023 10:49

@slamfightbrightlight, damn.

He's so stubbornly against a bottle so I'm thinking of going straight down the middle line between BLW and spoon fed to see what works for him, to get food in from the get go & so he can still play with food in its safe but normal form... but at least you say stress free which is lovely to hear! Thanks :)

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Persipan · 17/03/2023 10:50

My child was so horrified by the idea that I was suggesting there might be a source of nutrition other than boobs that he refused to sleep in his cot at all from pretty much the moment we began weaning (in order to stay within boob vicinity at all times, I assume!) and didn't get meaningfully on board with eating much of anything until two months into the process. (And even then it was melty puffs and pouches, and not the variety of lovingly-prepared morsels and textures I'd been offering up to that point). They're all different, though, so just enjoy it and embrace whatever it ends up looking like for you!

rattlemehearties · 17/03/2023 10:51

Weaning onto solids ruined our brilliant sleeper's sleep for a few weeks while her body adjusted to digestion.

But food is fun, it's nice to have them joining in at the table.

TheInterceptor · 17/03/2023 10:52

My child had an allergic reaction to egg and we were advised to stop weaning until he'd had testing for all the common allergens. So back to the milk it was!

MrsBunnyEars · 17/03/2023 10:56

I really enjoyed weaning! By luck DD is a great eater and watching her discover things was lovely. She did create mess, but I went with the ‘she eats what I eat’ approach (and I enjoy cooking) so it was no extra fuss.

Did nothing for her shit sleep though I’m afraid.

Original poster
TheRookieMum · 17/03/2023 10:58

@Persipan, that gave me a laugh! However, 2 months in, I'm sure you weren't laughing.

Meh, my DS hates his next to me cot anyway, so nothing new there unfortunately.

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Original poster
TheRookieMum · 17/03/2023 11:00

rattlemehearties · 17/03/2023 10:51

Weaning onto solids ruined our brilliant sleeper's sleep for a few weeks while her body adjusted to digestion.

But food is fun, it's nice to have them joining in at the table.

Ouch! Hence me just going straight in for a mix of BLW and spoon fed to get his tummy used to non milk foods. Even if only minuscule amounts.

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Original poster
TheRookieMum · 17/03/2023 11:02

TheInterceptor · 17/03/2023 10:52

My child had an allergic reaction to egg and we were advised to stop weaning until he'd had testing for all the common allergens. So back to the milk it was!

Were you introducing 1 new food a day to help identify allergens? Does your family have allergies or was that completely unexpected?

We have no allergies in family either side, so very hopeful of avoiding this. I've also been eating lots of allergens while pregnant and breastfeeding, within the guidelines so fingers crossed.

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kezzieliza · 17/03/2023 11:03

Unfortunately it didn't make any difference to my bad sleepers. Just remember not to stress about it - mine were very different, my first was a very reluctant eater, I started with blw and then tried spoon feeding but he was not interested in either until about 10 months. My dd on the other hand was snatching my food so we started baby led at 5.5 months.

GemGemGemGemGemGem · 17/03/2023 11:05

I was excited to wean my first, not the second or third 😆 extra mess, extra work, stinkier poos, no improvement at all on sleep plus allergies and eczema for one of them!

Original poster
TheRookieMum · 17/03/2023 11:08

@kezzieliza, oh, I'm hopeful he's more like your good eater as he's been trying to snatch food since he hit 5 months.

Not enjoying the general consensus that food doesn't help sleep... but as I said, I've accepted that his pattern is neither what I want, nor good for me, but it appears to be doing him fine so we continue as we are.

Introducing food still sounds fun!

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Original poster
TheRookieMum · 17/03/2023 11:10

@GemGemGemGemGemGem, excema?? Which food caused that?

Not come across that, off to Google.

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Original poster
TheRookieMum · 17/03/2023 11:11

*eczema

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Crikeyalmighty · 17/03/2023 11:11

I bottle fed and he was on solids at around 4 months so it's a different situation- but I did find he slept better and cried less once on solids!! Only problem was I got addicted to farleys rusks

GemGemGemGemGemGem · 17/03/2023 11:13

Dairy and egg in his case. Food allergy is a leading cause of eczema. He’d never tried formula before so had never been exposed to either food group. Obviously most children do not have food allergies or eczema. But it was just one of the reasons weaning wasn’t a ‘golden ticket’ for me, I am sure you’ll be fine!

Original poster
TheRookieMum · 17/03/2023 11:19

@GemGemGemGemGemGem, I see, thank you, hopefully ok here.

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Original poster
TheRookieMum · 17/03/2023 11:19

@Crikeyalmighty, ha, are they really that good???

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TheLurpackYears · 17/03/2023 11:24

There seems to be a big growth spurt around 6 months which disrupts sleep for some, weaning, or quaking wrong can get the blame. Neither of mine slept better for solid food, both by although the first had some bottles and dropped those at 7 months but carried on by. I child has always adored solid foods, one seems to barely eat at 6.

Magentax · 17/03/2023 11:32

I loved weaning mine! Was such a relief that DH could feed him for a change. We did all just bits and bobs from our plate and sticks of fruit and veg and it went really well. I honestly found the whole thing really good fun. Watching him gum at mango sticks with a surprised look.

I had such a shit first year in loads of ways (health issues, sleep etc) but the weaning was great.

rattlemehearties · 17/03/2023 11:46

TheRookieMum · 17/03/2023 11:00

Ouch! Hence me just going straight in for a mix of BLW and spoon fed to get his tummy used to non milk foods. Even if only minuscule amounts.

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Yeah we did only BLW so not much food at first. It's exhausting because you need to keep up milk feeds too remember.

Original poster
TheRookieMum · 17/03/2023 12:02

rattlemehearties · 17/03/2023 11:46

Yeah we did only BLW so not much food at first. It's exhausting because you need to keep up milk feeds too remember.

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I doubt he'll let me forget! He feeds almost hourly round the clock at the moment so I just look forward to when he's able to skip 1 or 2 milk feeds in a 24 hour period. Preferably of the overnight feeds, if I could have my way!!

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TheInterceptor · 17/03/2023 17:23

TheRookieMum · 17/03/2023 11:02

Were you introducing 1 new food a day to help identify allergens? Does your family have allergies or was that completely unexpected?

We have no allergies in family either side, so very hopeful of avoiding this. I've also been eating lots of allergens while pregnant and breastfeeding, within the guidelines so fingers crossed.

Show quote history

No family history at all, so it was quite a shock. Eventually we ended up sitting in the waiting room of the Children's A&E giving him tastes of all the common food allergies in case he reacted!

WombatBombat · 17/03/2023 17:27

I genuinely loved weaning and DS is such a fantastic eater at 2.

He refused to let us feed him so BLW worked really well. At first you don’t think they are taking anything in & then you start to see the consistency of their nappies change!

Work through bitter tastes and allergens first. But it is a lot of fun and really worth it when you can pop out for lunch and they just eat whatever you eat!

Original poster
TheRookieMum · 18/03/2023 09:25

Magentax · 17/03/2023 11:32

I loved weaning mine! Was such a relief that DH could feed him for a change. We did all just bits and bobs from our plate and sticks of fruit and veg and it went really well. I honestly found the whole thing really good fun. Watching him gum at mango sticks with a surprised look.

I had such a shit first year in loads of ways (health issues, sleep etc) but the weaning was great.

That's a good point. I'm so excited about feeding, a bit of a foodie myself, love to cook and so used to feeding being solely my role that I'd forgotten this means DP can (finally) help with a feed! D'oh!

I'm so glad to hear that in amongst a shit year that weaning was fun for you. I'll have my camera ready for his wee facial expressions!

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