Can we knock this "My child was weaned at X weeks and is perfectly healthy" thing on the head? It's not a good argument.

[welliemum]

I've just been reading about early life influences on adult disease risk - for example, the way birth weight and early growth affect someone's risk of having heart disease decades later.

The experts in this field all seem to agree on one thing: that early nutrition and growth have a significant impact on health in later life. However, because this sort of thing is so hard to study, no-one really knows how it all works, what's good, what's bad, who's the most at risk.

Very frustrating for someone like me who isn't involved in the research but just wants to know what to do with my own children to give them the best start in life.

That's why I enjoy discussing this sort of thing on MN, trying to sort out the clear evidence from the myths. But we can't use our own young children as examples.

I weaned my 2 at a particular age (doesn't matter what). They're now 3 and nearly 2 and very healthy.

So can I congratulate myself because the weaning age I chose was obviously the right one? Absolutely not. I could have got it hideously wrong, and only the next 60 years or so will tell.

We have to take the long view on this sort of thing.

Rant over!

Being sent to Coventry was an exaggeration!

I agree regarding the guidelines being correct but unfortunately some people will ignore them and do what "they" feel is right and in RL there are few people I know who have left weaning their babies until 6 months.

fanny, you say "I am sure does them no harm"
but that is the problem
the experts are NOT sure it "does them no harm"
They think that there is evidence that, actually, even after 4 months it does 'do harm' to some babies

So it's then about do you gamble / do you play it safe?

Like any calculated risk, often people are lucky, but some are not.

When you say "summoned to hell" that implies the Weaning Hierarchy are (is?) already there.

What are you implying?

Hmm?

Anyone who has suffered with IBS wouldn't risk it would they? The pain as a 12 year old when stress at school set it off was unbearable. I missed well over 2 months of school between the ages of 12 and 16 with it, so waiting those extra two moths to wean seems like a no-brainer to me.

months

Oh dear. Now we are getting people who claim to feel persecuted because they weaned earlier than 6 mths - how ridiculous. Oops, no, they don't feel persecuted themselves because they are much too sensible....but they reckon others are 'summoned to hell' (?????) because of it.

This is a talk board. People talk, and discuss, and share opinion, and information, and challenge others to back up what they say, and debate.

Perhaps people who post here about 'weaning hell' are not aware of what a talk board actually does.

Ooops.. posted this under the worng thread initially - it was meant to go here

doh...

I've waited a while before posting on here... it's become a scary thread!

But still thought I'd add my tuppenceworth, and experiences, in the hope that they might help someone...

As has been well documented on other threads, my DD started to become a tricky feeder on the boob at about 3 months. BY the time we went to visit my in-laws in South Africa (she was 4 nd a bit months) her weight gain had started to plateau and I'd started to get a bit worried.

My father in law is a GP and suggested that her reluctance to BF was a sign she wanted different food. I instinctively thought this was rubbish (he'd been saying it since she was 3 months) and had every intention of leaving it much longer. However, eventually I caved in, with the thinking that a) if she wasn't ready she'd refuse and b) I might at least get some calories into her. I'm not blaming my FIL - it was my decision, but the added pressure didn't help me make the right one.

Anyway, she took to it straight away, grabbed the spoon, shoved it in her mouth etc. etc. I felt better about it and continued when we got home, albeit very gradually.

However things took a rapid turn for the worse thereafter. She started refusing the boob completely. Then she also refused the bottle. Then her solids. There was much screaming, kicking scratching at every feed time. My milk dried up and I had to give up BFing before I wanted to or was ready to, with much heartache. Tiktok may remember...

Things got steadily worse, until, at 5 1/2 months she was taking practically nothing and whatever she was taking was making her massively constipated. I stopped offering the solids and battled on with the bottle until I finally reached breaking point and took her to the GP. He prescribed gaviscon to try and help with the milk feeds, lactulose to help the constipation and told me to offer her as much milk as she'll have and then to "go for it" on the solids to try and get her weight back up and some nutrition, while we await a paediatric referral.

A few weeks on (she's now 6 1/2 months) and things have improved... she's now managing to drink about 25-30oz a day and doing well with her solids - having a good lunch and supper and managing to eat more on a daily basis. She's also put on 14oz in the last 2 weeks.

But she's still on the lactulose and gaviscon, and we're still waiting on the hospital referral.

Do I think the introduction of solids too early was entirely to blame for all this? Not necessarily, I think there may have been an underlying problem which caused the fussy feeding in the first place, but do I think it made things worse? Absolutely.

Do I wish I'd held my ground and waited 'til 6 months? With all my heart, yes.

We'll see what the paed says, but the jury's still out. The whole experience has taken it's toll on me, though, I've been so worried and anxious. I'm starting counselling for post-natal depression next week, again, probably an underlying issue, but certainly the last couple of months haven't helped.

If DD ever has a little brother or sister I'll certainly be waiting until 6 months at the earliest.

My thinking is now, "why the hell would you risk it?"... I just wouldn't wish the last couple of months on anyone.

HTH somebody who's wondering whether to take the plunge at 4 months. Just don't, IMO.

db
xx

Yikes, designerbaby, that sounds stressful.

You might well find, as lots of us have found, that weaning at 6 months is very laid-back and easy.

Good luck with the paed appointment. Do you think (in retrospect) that the underlying problem with DD's feeding was reflux?

Hmm Welliemum... don't know. She breastfed beautifully at the beginning - the first 3 months were so easy... I thought reflux was something babies had when they were very little and which got better over time rather than the other way around?

Having said that, the Gaviscon does seem to have made a difference - although possibly it's coincidental, haven't had the courage to leave it off and find out!

Who knows - I do really feel though that early weaning massively exacerbated the problem...

We'll find out, I guess, when (or if) this paed appt. finally comes through.

I just wanted to post this to counteract some of the "I weaned early and my LO is fine" posts... in case anyone was thinking their LO would be fine too because so many seem to be. To say, for the record, that I weaned early and it was a bloody nightmare, and I can only pray I've not done any lasting damage.

Hindsight is 20/20 and all that, I guess I'll know if there's a next time...

db
xx

I guess it's also possible the paed will say "I've no idea what the problem was but she's doing well now so it doesn't matter" or something equally unhelpful!

What a nightmare for you - sympathies. I'm glad things are better now - hopefully it'll all sort itself out from now on.