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!

HV shouldn’t be giving his advice. Both the NHS and WHO says weaning should only happen after 6 months. In the UK only Paediatrician and paediatriac deititians should be suggesting early weaning.

I wouldn’t be listening to the advice of a medical proffessional who is acting outside of their remit and giving non standard advice when doing so.

In Germany, the advice is generally to start weaning at 4 months. I queried this with our children’s doctor, who is a paediatric gastroenterologist, and she confirmed that the WHO etc. advice to wean at 6 months is aimed at developing countries because of water safety. There is loads of advice on weaning from 4 months in German. You could use google Tesoro get the info if you don’t speak the language. Here’s an example: https://www.kindergesundheit-info.de/themen/ernaehrung/0-12-monate/beikosteinfuehrung/ and here is a helpful diagram: https://www.breirezept.de/artikel_beikostplan.html

Advice is always culture specific. Germans are known to be healthier than Brits 🤷‍♀️

Sorry - that diagram reflects the older advice to wean from 6 months. This one has been updated:
https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/sites/default/files/inline-images/Stilltabelle.png

I would change to give purées after milk so they are not too full to take milk, if their growth has plateaued they need more milk really- filling up on purées is not going to help.

What you could also do is mix formula into purée so they get extra milk that way (still feeding after a bottle of milk).

Hungry baby milks are actually not recommended for babies struggling to put weight on because they make them fuller so they take less milk overall.

I wouldn't increase solid feeds until they are closer to 6 months, then start offering two meals a day.

I wasn't born in the UK so read what NHS etc recommend but don't necessarily follow it to the letter so I am not against starting at 4.5-5m. I read somewhere when DD was a baby that the best window to introduce new flavours is 4-7m. I would give puree on its own between two feeds once a day. Then at 6 months onwards I would do porridge in the morning and then puree in the afternoon between feeds.

Just to summarize - in Germany it is advised to introduce lunch first (veg, then veg with potatoes a few weeks later, then a few weeks later veg, potatoes and meat/fish). Then from 6 months grains + milk at bedtime. And after a few weeks fruit + grains in the afternoon. My 6 month baby definitely needs the fruit already. You should not give milk with the fruit meal as this will inhibit iron absorption.

My paediatrition said no negative effects had been observed from this regime. She didn’t insist I needed to do it if I didn’t want to (I mentioned that the UK advice is very different) but said that it would help my baby accept a wide range of food and could help prevent allergies.

Please re-consider those pouches, they are very high in sugar because they have fruit added to make them sweeter, and you'll just be getting baby used to sweet flavours. Most of them are ultra processed to. Wait til 6 months and then give actual food, cut up small or mashed up, and start with bitter flavours like green veg.

@Icedblondeoatlatte
Which sachets are ultra processed?

Lots

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59f75004f09ca48694070f3b/t/6481134fdf3b065bf460fe05/1686180705852/FSNUPF+Reportt_Digital+for+web%2C+June+2023.pdf

No they didn’t….that’s bollocks 🙄

In addition many of the pouches contain sweet fruits even in the savoury products and all are uht which isn't ideal.

Never understand the rush. Weaning imo is the worst part of having a baby..

Our health visitors do the weaning guidance at approximately 4 months because a lot do start then, they do recommend 6 months but are clear you absolutely should not start before 4 months but if you do start before 6 months stick to purees.

@Newandlearningmumma just boil something like sweet potato or butternut squash up and just mash it, mix it with some of the baby's milk till its a soft consistency then try a few spoons after milk.

My child was swiping and biting food before 4 months, yes I held back before weaning but it was before 6 months. I'm also aware of the research that allergies actually exploded when weaning was pushed back to later. I do not regret my choices.

Our paediatric allergist advised giving allergens as solid food from 4 months. Our baby had a high likelihood of developing allergies and it's better to get them in the digestive system early. Also not in the UK. Presumably they think the gut is able to handle it.

@drunken tbf though isn't that mainly the snacks etc? The actual Ella's pouches aren't too awful... I don't give them to mi r much but think they're just fruit/veg

@drunken not saying they're ideal but the pouches OP using unlikely to be UPF

apologies just checked and the Morrisons fruit pouch has concentrated lemon juice in it so it is!!