Weaning at 4 months

[Newandlearningmumma]

Hello, I have started weaning my 4.5 month old as he seemed ready. At the moment I am offering purees at one mealtime a day. He currently has between 5/6 feeds a day. Once he seems finished I then offer a bottle of formula.
At what point do I start offering purées at more than one mealtime? And when should be start eating more food and have less formula?

kind and helpful responses would be greatly appreciated ☺️

thank you!

The advice is to not wean until 6 months.

This is because baby's gut is not mature enough to handle solids and there's well documented proof of the issues that can be caused such as allergies and skin issues, IBS and crohns which you won't really know about until your child is an adult.

Nutritionally food before 1 is just for fun but you start working up from 6 months and their primary source of nutrition should be milk.

Unless it's been advised due to being medically indicated then your baby does not need food.

Are they able to sit upright for the entire time unsupported? So not on a high chair or bumbo etc? And can bring food to their mount with their own hands?

As someone with IBS from being weaned at 4 months as a child. Stop.

My health visitor advised that purées can be given from 4 months if baby seems ready.

I have only given them the completely smooth purées in the age appropriate sachets.

They can sit up straight in high chair and have excellent head control as well as being able to bring hand directly to mouth.

How did you find out that your IBS was caused by weaning at 4 months?

You'd be better off with more milk - more calories and nutrients than a heat treated over priced pouch.

Can they sit up unaided?as in not in a high chair or with support?

I wouldn't bother with packets, wait til 6 months and let them join in with what ever you're having.

Is your baby failing to thrive?

If no, then I would actually report your HV for failing to follow the unicef baby friendly accredited training.

Advising food before 6 months is scientifically backed by peer reviewed studies and evidence that it can cause significant gastro related issues later in life. Your HV sounds like they're not using trusted sources for their information and this could have an impact on you and your child.

It's your health visitors job to provide you enough information to make an informed choice about weaning but the information should be factual.

So again if your baby is not failing to thrive and it has not been medically indicated that it is necessary to swap the primary source of nutrition from milk to food then you do not need to and probably shouldn't offer solids in any capacity.

Just to be clear, I am not replacing the milk with purées, but offering them in addition.

I intend to make my own purées but started with pouches to see how baby coped and also see the consistency before making my own.

I just wouldn't bother. Not recommended and makes life harder before it needs to be anyway. What's the rush?

And ask the HV where they get their info from. Somewhere in the 90s is my bet, like some of them round here.

I'd find another health professional and explore 'hungry baby' milks rather than the purée- they are not good for baby regardless of what the packet says.

I bet if you Google NHS weaning advice it would contradict what your HV told you.

Don't rush your baby it's not a race.

Just to be clear, the primary source of nutrition is still milk.
And I would say that baby’s growth plateaued which is what the health visitor mentioned.

A baby isn’t ready at 4 months and don’t feed them pouches they are ultra processed

Food before 1 is just for fun. Really surprised about the HV suggested weaning as it's early these days although I weaned my baby at 16 weeks but that was a million years ago.

If growth plateaus then more milk is the answer, not solids. Solids generally have fewer calories than milk and take up space in baby's stomach that could be filled with more calorific milk, plus they don't take enough to make any difference to weight. And early introduction of solids can lead to gastric issues in later life, so is generally only advised for things like very severe reflux or other medical conditions.

Unfortunately HVs can be quite poor with advice. I always checked their advice against other sources like the NHS website etc. and found some of it was quite outdated.

I would 100 per cent wait until 6 months. What’s the rush.

What is the rush to wean babies 🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈

Does your child have any gastro problems from being weaned at 16 weeks?

My lo is 5 months and I only started letting her taste food just by dipping a dummy in it every now and then but I wouldn't proper start until she's able to sit upright with spoonfuls. My first sat unaided at around 8 months and again when he was 5 months I would occasionally dip his dummy but at 8 months is when I actually got him his high chair where I started to feed him starting by one meal and gradually building up by age 1.

There is absolutely no need for your baby to be on solids at this age and I'm shocked that your HV would have advised you to do that. You should have an increased your baby's milk intake rather than adding in solid food at this stage. Particularly if you're buying pre packaged purées

I continue to feed on demand and offer a bottle after any purées so baby continues to get as much milk as they want.

to be honest, I have found lots of the nhs advice conflicting!

As a first time mum who is learning and trying to do my best for my baby based on advice I have been given I find this response quite hurtful and not the least bit helpful.

I have always fed on demand for milk.
The sachets are only temporary while I get to grips with it. They are only having a few spoonfuls until they refuse and are then offered a full bottle

I was fanatical about waiting until 6 months with my first and he's now a terrible eater, took me ages to get him off boob we breastfed til he was over two, he's skinny now, prefers drinks over food.
With number two he was virtually swiping food off my plate he was ready before 6 months but he could sit up very early on and was crawling by 6 months.
If you've already introduced just stick with where you are at for now, no need to rush, do some reading from various resources and just listen to your own instincts you know your own baby.
The milk has got everything they need but a little taste here and there I don't think will hurt, I bet in a few years the research on gastro problems will do a complete u turn.
I remember spending hours on the Internet reading about weaning habits from around the world and some are early some are late.
In Sweden they give them some kind of porridgey kind of drink from very early on, apparently its a national institution.
African and Asian traditional societies also introduce some solids slowly earlier than our current NHS recommendations.
Just obviously don't let baby have any salt it's very dangous for babies, I'm sure you know this.

But what is the rush? Weaning isn't important until at least 6 months that's my point. Why can't people just wait 2 more months. Even at 6 months most babies won't even eat the food people try give them. I'm sure most babies would just prefer milk. At least keep a record of what you've fed so if there are any allergies you know what to. Their digestive system is so sensitive and under developed at this age, this is my point.