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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

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Original poster

Is my 4mo ready for weaning?

61 replies

soph28 · 23/09/2008 21:47

She is my 3rd and I can't really be bothered. BF is going really well and was hoping to wait till 6mo BUT...she won't BF if there is any food around/we are eating- she cries and tries to reach for the food. If it is within reach she grabs it- she can grab and hold bits of bread, vegetables, biscuits and take them to her mouth and suck them. If I take it away from her she screams. She has grabbed dd1's spouty cup and drank water from it.

Her head control is brilliant and she can roll both ways. She can sit and support herself with her hands for a minute or so.

Should I wait or just go with it?

(she is 4.5 months)

OP posts:

LynetteScavo · 23/09/2008 21:49

Personally, I would (and did)

LynetteScavo · 23/09/2008 21:50

Let her have the food, that is.

thisisyesterday · 23/09/2008 21:53

I would wait. there is no reason why you shouldn't sit her up at the table with you though
give her a cup of EBM. and a spoon to play with

DeJaVous · 23/09/2008 21:54

Tough one. I can see where you are coming from, but THB I wouldn't just to be on the safe side. The current guidelines are to wait until six months and there are god reasons for them.

Obviously all babies develop at different rates, so some will have matured enough slightly before 6 months and some slightly after. 4 1/2 months is still a long time before.

DeJaVous · 23/09/2008 21:56

Agree with thisisyesterday, she probably just wants to feel involved so that should help.

LynetteScavo · 23/09/2008 22:12

I agree she wants to be involved - and involved with the eating!! I remember DS2 desperatl;y clinging on to a plate with all his might so he could have some brocoli.

I'd hold off the gluten (biscuits and bread), but I think you should go with your gut instinct on this one.

DeJaVous · 23/09/2008 22:28

Lynette are you qualified to advise someone to wean early? There are risks. FSA advice is six months.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 23/09/2008 22:37

That was to the OP btw

Original poster

soph28 · 23/09/2008 22:41

I think it's a bit much to give people a hard time for weaning early when the guidelines were 4 months a few years ago. My ds (3) was weaned at 4mo cos that's what the guidelines were at that time. My dd1 (2) didn't eat till 8mo because she wasn't ready. My dd1 is dairy intolerant whereas ds has no allergies.

Every baby is different.

OP posts:

VeniVidiVickiQV · 23/09/2008 22:46

Well indeed.

Which makes me wonder why you are asking a bunch of strangers who dont know your baby as to whether you should make such a choice, which is flying in the face of research that has studied thousands of babies.

All we can really do is state the facts as we know them - it's not advised to wean before 6 months because of the health risks. This is based on newer information than was around a few years ago.

Will those risks involve your child in particular? Who can say? I'd certainly not gamble on it, but, I make my own choices.

DeJaVous · 23/09/2008 22:47

Every baby is different, I totally agree. I mean, they don't all decide it's time to roll at 8am on the day they turn 14 weeks do they?

It must be weird to have the guidelines change on you half way through having children. All I can say is that there are good reasons for the changes.

THB only you can make this decision. It would be worth having a chat with your GP first, if you do decide to start early.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 23/09/2008 22:47

Well indeed.

All we can really do is state the facts as we know them - it's not advised to wean before 6 months because of the health risks. This is based on newer information than was around a few years ago.

Will those risks involve your child in particular? Who can say? I'd certainly not gamble on it, but, I make my own choices.

DeJaVous · 23/09/2008 22:54

I certainly wasn't wanting to give you a hard time, I don't think anyone has TBH.

You asked if we though she was ready after all.

Original poster

soph28 · 23/09/2008 22:56

VVVQV- sorry I was meaning don't give Lynette a hard time on my behalf. I guess I was just wondering how many people manage to wait to 6mo with a baby like dd2. It wasn't an issue with my other 2 as ds was ready at 4mo and guidelines co-incided, where as dd1 was different in EVERY way- she developed REALLY REALLY slowly- didn't roll till over a year, sat up at 8-9 mths, walked at 20mths, talked at 21mths and didn't eat a thing till she was 8 months- she couldn't hold anything and bring it to her mouth till she was 10 months. It just makes me think that it's not so clear cut and what other people think. I will still make my own decision in the end (smile)

OP posts:

Original poster

soph28 · 23/09/2008 22:59

that should say- and was interested in what other people think.

OP posts:

VictorianSqualor · 23/09/2008 23:01

Soph, no.
Please read the post-natal thread about this, or at least read this

There really is nothing that suggests not waiting until 26weeks will in anyway benefit your child, yet starting weaning before can harm them.

seeker · 23/09/2008 23:01

How would you feel about someone who didn't put their child in a proper car seat because the guidelines about children in cars were different a few years ago?

thisisyesterday · 23/09/2008 23:03

Soph, actually can I contradict that? my ds1 is 3.5 and guidelines were def 6 months then.

they have been for a long time. just a lot of health professionals seem to think otherwise

VeniVidiVickiQV · 23/09/2008 23:07

Absolutely Soph. All babies are different.

But guidelines are just that - a guide. An average. Some may be ready earlier, some may not. It is generally believed that 6 months is the earliest starting point without risk. So that's would you should tell a complete stranger.

And, without the ability to look into a baby's gut to see if it is mature enough, we gotta go with what we do know, dont we?

thisisyesterday · 23/09/2008 23:12

interestingly I was on a thread on another site and we came up with a lot of research which did suggest that once past the 5 month point it all gets a bit sktchier,.
basically some babies ebing ready and some not. but pretty much ALL babies are ready by 6 months which is why that is set as the guideline.

interestingly Gill Rapley said something along the lines of a baby of 4 months being sat up and given access to food is highly unlikely to actually eat anything, even if managing to get it to their moouth and chew on it.

but that is folloiwng the basic tenets of BLW. ie, giving access to foods but not offering it to baby. not mashing or pureeing etc etc etc.

it also seems likely that the internal workings and digestion develop in tandem with the external. ie the ability to pick up a piece of food, bite a bit off, chew it and swallow it. so once a baby is able to do that BY THEMSELVES they are ok to actually eat

Original poster

soph28 · 23/09/2008 23:12

seeker- that's not exactly the same because going in a car seat has nothing to do with babies developing at different rates, also being in a car seat is not a guideline. However, I know that the guidelines for weaing are there for good reasons- thanks VS, that was useful reading too. I really just want to know how hard it gets to wait with a child who is a quick developer and wants food! I had hoped she would be oblivious to wanting what we are eating but she isn't, and she already knows that if I give her a piece of pear it's not the same as what we're having.

OP posts:

Original poster

soph28 · 23/09/2008 23:20

thisisyesterday- that's interesting! I was certainly advised to wean at 17wks as were everyone I knew with babies of a similar age.
Also I do want to do BLW- I read before bit about if they were able to pick food up and eat it then they were probably ready- which is why my dd1 wasn't ready till 8mo and dd2 seems like she's nearly there already!

So does it make a difference if a baby was premature or late then?

OP posts:

thisisyesterday · 23/09/2008 23:37

no, because they'll still develop at a pace that is right for them

themildmannneredjanitor · 23/09/2008 23:40

i would yes.

she sounds ready to me.

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