5m old, ready to wean?

[AmberM223]

My baby is 5m tomorrow, i wanted to wait and was in no rush at all to wean early (second baby, first weaned at 4m)
He has never been one for milk really, he’s formula fed. but in the last few weeks it’s just ridiculous, he takes around 3/4oz every 4/5ish hours, And even this is a struggle!! He only comfortably takes around 2oz before he starts to refuse it. He’s a very happy, content baby no wind/reflux issues. He just doesn’t seem interested in milk at all, he feeds about 2am and then doesn’t want anything till around 9amish when he will take 3oz - i just find it so odd?? he is gaining weight, albeit very slowly.
Would it be the worst thing to start just giving him some porridge in a morning maybe? I would start very small, and if he wasn’t interested would just forget it for a few weeks but just thinking if he would prefer eating to milk?

The signs of readiness are having lost the tongue thrust reflex, can sit up unaided, can pinch items and bring to their mouth.
If he has all those, still best to stick with the researched guidelines. Having gut issues as an adult is crap.

Nope, they need milk until there one as their main source of nutrients. Giving them food instead will more than likely turn them off there milk even more. Not to mention further gut issues from weaning too early. Yeah people ‘back in the day weaned at 3-4m) but we were in the present and newer research shows it’s better to start after 6 months

Just want to clarify i don’t mean to replace his milk at all, i would always still offer him his bottles as i do now, but just thought to see if he preferred food. After 2oz it’s such a struggle, he’s screaming and crying pushing the bottle away. Even tried feeding ‘little and often’ he just point blank spits it out if i try give him milk less than 4/5 hours apart! I find it so strange. Docs are not interested as he has no reflux/ gas issues, perfect skin and poo’s totally normal!

My baby was the same! Have you considered upping the teat size. This solved the issue for us. I wouldn’t wean early just on that basis.

Baby porridge is lacking nutrients. It’s grain based filler.

But it will replace his milk as it will take up space in his tummy with low calorie mush

Just wait

there is no rush

Wait a couple of weeks at least, 5 months is too early.

He's gaining weight and drinking milk.

Any baby food you give him will just fill up his tummy and contain fewer calories. Baby porridge may as well be cardboard, there's nothing useful in it.

Just wait a month.

Yes it would. The reason is the gut lining. It won't be ready and gut is still maturing at 4 months. The gut lining is more prone to irritation. Irritation to the gut is farer reaching than we even know yet, but leaky gut, poorer sleep, irritability.

Why would you risk that?

I know it's tempting. My first weaned around 7 months. I waited for her to start taking food. She was a total milk monster.

Second began taking food at 4 months and seemed to really want solids. I did start them at around 6 months because I felt pressure from her.

She wasn't truly interested and would just make a mess.

She didn't eat proper meals until around age 1, just like my first.

There just isn't a rush. Why would we risk them being more ill or uncomfortable?

Weaning early causes intestinal issues in later life. There is a reason why we are told not to wean before six months. Don’t set your baby up for a lifetime of gut issues; they’re not fun!

Thanks everyone, I’m going to give it 2 more weeks and start to wean, he was 5m last wednesday. He’s now only drinking about 2oz per bottle every 5 or more hours, which i just find ridiculous. Tried changing bottles, teats, feeding with distraction, feeding in a dark quiet room - nothing! I just don’t get it but it doesn’t feel enough for him and it’s just getting worse every single week! As i say because he has nothing else ‘wrong’ GP / health visitor arnt bothered so don’t feel like i can do much more!

Any chance he is teething early? My DD had her first tooth around then. I was told that the sucking motion brings blood flow to their gums making it painful to feed.

Any chance he is teething early? My DD had her first tooth around then. I was told that the sucking motion brings blood flow to their gums making it painful to feed.

@TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams i thought this but no signs of teeth!? i mean he is dribbling everywhere and chewing what he can! but his gums just look the same!

Dribble & chewing = Teething

My advice, calpol. Cold teether and you can try a sippy cup or a lidded cup with a spout as it’s not sucking. I was very precious about giving my pfb medicine and we messed about with teething powders and all kinds of woo crap. If it looks like it’s hurting, that’s because it is. As my GP gently pointed out, if you had toothache for weeks on end you’d have a paracetamol .

Sure - can’t stand it when people say ‘absolutely not wait til six months’. Bull. Guidelines are just that - they are not the law and they also change over time.
Both my babies were around 10lbs at birth and both started real food around 4 months. Not baby porridge but actual food like sweet potato, bananas and vegetables. That wasn’t their main source, as you say milk was still their main source of nutrients.
I breastfed my DD for a year but she still had food from 4 months. At 20 and 22 my kids are fit, healthy, always loved vegetables, always ate a wide variety of food and slept well when babies.