Delayed weaning if baby is not sitting up

[HannahXlouise]

Hello my baby is 7M but not sitting up for more than a few seconds, otherwise he has hit all his other milestones early and he is on the 90th percentile for height. He shows an interest in food and is exclusively breastfed. My health visitor said I should only decrease feedings when he is 1, but I’m getting lots of pressure from my partners family to constantly prop him up with blankets stuffed in a highchair, which I’m very uncomfortable with as he screams as if he’s in pain when I do this. I’m not keen on the bumbo seats either!
has anyone else delayed starting solids until the 8 months mark? I plan to do baby led weaning and I was also told by my heath visitor that he doesn’t need calories from food until he is 1.
I’m finding it hard also dealing with the older generation shall we say, as the guidance is completely different now even from 5-10 years ago!

I had some either very small or very slim, to the point they could slide out if a standard highchair leg, we got a washable blow up insert, was comfy and made highchair safe. One couldn’t sit up for 18 months due to physical disability but they were fine in the highchair with the insert. Even if not actually eating, it was good to have them ‘sit’ as part of the family for meals.

At 7 months I would probably be trying to at least try to get him to start on some solid food. I would look a bit harder for a sensible solution to help him sit or can he not try bits whilst sitting on a lap? I’d be wary of waiting too long to at least have a go with food.

I did some early weaning with my youngest in a bouncer chair as she couldn’t sit up and was little, so propping her up in a highchair involved so many blankets etc it seemed ridiculous. With my subsequent two I used a bumbo seat. They are great and come with a little tray you can put stuff on for them to try/play with. They definitely say that food is fun until 1, as in they don’t need loads of it calorifically compared to their milk, but many do begin to eat a lot of solids quite quickly and those first 6 months are also very important for them experiencing new foods and textures. So I wouldn’t delay the whole exercise until they are older. The highchair is obviously a no go if they scream, but they can gum a cucumber baton, sip yoghurt, gum a finger of toast etc. in a bouncer chair.

Sitting unaided is a 9 month milestone isn’t it? A lot of babies are not sitting that well at 6-7 months old, it isn’t a milestone that needs to be hit before weaning so long as they can stay sat up in the highchair with decent head control but it’s fine to prop them up if needed and only some styles of highchairs may work at the beginning e.g. neither of mine could manage a restaurant one until at least 9 months unless padded with coats and blankets but the Ikea one with the blow up cushion was fine.

The iron stores that they’re born with run out around 6 months so you do need to move onto food at this age (you may want to discuss if they need a supplement with the HV). And ‘food before 1 is just for fun’ is total nonsense. Whilst the majority of their nutrition still comes from milk by 1 they’re supposed to be on 3 meals and 2 snacks a day and it’s obviously a process to get there, one that does take time, hence why you’d normally do it over 6 months. Also, solids plays an important role in developing speech because chewing strengthens the same mouth muscles that they will use to talk, and again the weaning process that gets from a few licks of mush to properly chewing stuff takes time. So I don’t think I’d want to delay any further. Obviously you don’t want him screaming uncomfortable in the highchair but sat on your lap, in the bouncer if yours can go fairly upright, the pushchair seat, could reconsider the bumbo (they’re fine if not used excessively) - all of those would be fine to try a finger of toast or a carrot baton or whatever you want to start with.

If you're planning to do BLW then just sit him on your lap with a piece of food to hold in his hand. I wouldn't delay starting weaning, but you may well find it's a while before he eats a meaningful amount of food (hence the HV saying don't drop feeds quite yet). I think the phrase we got was "food is for fun intil they are 1". It's meant to be a positive experience aorund exploring tastes and textures of food, if the high chair is stressful just leave it for now.

I’m finding it hard also dealing with the older generation shall we say, as the guidance is completely different now even from 5-10 years ago!

I think that's fairly standard and it will keep happening (walking, potty training, leaning to read etc). You (and baby's father) are the experts on your baby and you get to decide how you do things. Just thank the older generation for their 'advice' which is presumably kindly meant, and then do what you feel is best. No drama.

I wouldn't delay weaning. You can get highchair inserts to help keep them more upright or sit on your knee.

After six months, your baby needs more iron than breastmilk/first formula can provide, and needs to be introduced to allergens. Sitting in the high chair will give your LO practice at sitting up and using those muscles.

If he’s interested and he has good head control I would start him on solids.

Yes, he should be getting the nutrients he needs from formula for the moment but he stills need to be introduced to different tastes and textures and begin to develop the oral dexterity to chew and swallow or it can can issues further down the line.
There have also been studies that show that early introduction to certain allergens (egg and nuts iirc) can help prevent them developing an allergy to them

Holding him on you or partners lap as pp suggested should work well

Also health visitors only get very basic training on weaning and ime all give somewhat different advice. It may be worth seeking further advice

I was told by the paedetrician not to delay weaning. Sitting up without assistance is not something any babies do at 6 months anyway, i think you have misinterpreted the guidance on that. I'd start baby right away as it takes a while to move through the purees then to more real food etc etc. It takes a while for them to actually eat. And by 1, a lot of the calories should be from food.