Any advice on weaning a 5 month old? (specific reasons for this)

[CucumberNova]

Hi,
So I know the advice is wait until they are 6 months old, but with the consent of the health visitors we are starting to wean our DD at five months. There are specific reasons for this, she's always been difficult to feed and we are trialling a cows milk allergy formula to treat her awful reflux and discomfort. It's possible she just doesn't like milk too much and refuses some milk feeds during the day. As she was still screaming hungry, we started her on basic baby rice made with formula (with a bit of fruit puree as she wouldn't eat the baby rice on its own) and the health visitor on Tuesday said we can start introducing vegetable purees.
I wanted to do BLW but because she's not 6 months yet, I'm sticking to purees at the moment.
I just wanted some advice though because I'm not sure how to manage her milk feeds now and how much solids she should have, as all the guidance I have is for a 6 month old. If she has some solids for lunch does she need all her bottles? She has never drank as much as the tin suggests for her age. She happily has some lunch but now I'm wondering when do I start including a second meal?
For some background, she was combi BF/bottle fed until 4 months until she refused BF. Also, she seems ready for solids as she can sit in her high chair holding her head very well, opens her mouth for spoons, sometimes takes the spoon and tries to feed herself, and generally gets really excited when she sees it coming (which is just so cute).
Anyway, any advice is appreciated, thank you

There are purées that are marketed from 4m. Ella's kitchen etc.

I have given both DC things to 'try' from 4/5m, but they would never finish the whole meal as they just don't know what to do with it (don't understand how to swallow) and get confused. I have no advice other than make sure you're using a chair that will sit DC up straight. So if you're using a high chair, get one of those pillows on Amazon that prop them up, or use one of those snug sit up chairs (from mamas and papas for example) so that they're completely upright to reduce risk of choking.

And just be prepared that DC won't get much nutrition / suppress hunger for a couple months yet.

My 2nd child had reflux and threw up after most feeds. I chose to slowly wean them from 5mths. I offered baby rice & baby porridge at b.fast.
I think I offered vegetable purees as they approached 6mths.
It was chilled. I also continued giving milk in a bottle after they'd had the chance to try the food.
There's only 4 wks between five and six months so I wouldn't stress about it. That was my girl-math about it anyway!

I realise this may sound sparky but it's not intended as such:

If the doctors and HV are aware and supportive, what is their recommendation in answer to your questions? Or what resources have they suggested you use to answer your questions?

@CucumberNova not here to advise you but just wanted to give you my experience - as I have seen some posters criticising you for weaning your baby. My eldest was 4 months old when I started weaning him (the advice at the time was 6 months old) but he had reflux and started waking up in the night hungry. He was breastfed and would have a whole bottle every 4 hours at that time. Except at night as he would sleep for 8hrs. Then he started waking up and my mum (who is a paediatric nurse) suggested he might be hungry so I weaned him. He would have his bottle for breakfast, then I would offer him baby rice (made with milk) and the another bottle every 4 hours until about midnight and then he would settle until the morning. Then when he reached 6 months I started still offering the bottle first at dinner but offer the baby rice after - if he wasn’t hungry he wouldn’t eat but soon he started to want more food. And at 6 months you can start introducing more variety puree veg, puree fruit. Trust your instincts.
He’s now 12 and thriving btw!

OP should not be taking any weaning advice from health visitors. They are NOT qualified to give weaning advice.

Same with a regular doctor - not qualified to give weaning advice.

But able to refer to people more qualified than a mumsnet poster might be!

Obviously not.

I’m surprised they haven’t given you omeprazole if the reflux is that bad. Purée can can just come back up like milk. It’s so watery.
It would be cows milk protein allergy not lactose intolerance at this age. I’d go back to GP and ask for omeprazole in your position.

I’m surprised they haven’t given you omeprazole if the reflux is that bad. Purée can can just come back up like milk. It’s so watery.

It would be cows milk protein allergy not lactose intolerance at this age. I’d go back to GP and ask for omeprazole in your position.

@CucumberNova I woukd have a read of this article on CMPA from Allergy UK and as above, ask for omprazole to be prescribed.

When I went to the GP about CMPA I printed out the article from Allergy UK and took it with me.

To answer your question on bottles, I'd still keep offering all of her bottles at this stage, babies don't usually start to drop bottle till they've been on solids a while