Is my 4mo ready for weaning?

[soph28]

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)

I think I would too.
DD is now nearly 11, guidelines then were around 3-4 months old.... and she was ready then. She was sleeping thro the night and all of a sudden wasn't! She was hungry, introduced her to solids and she was fine, after a couple of days ..back to sleeping thro

They are all different but listen to your baby and use your intelligence, not what your told to do.

I'd agree with going with your instincts.

I can understand why they moved the guidelines from 4 to 6 months - if the line is drawn at 4 months then not all babies are ready but if you draw it at 6 months then they all should be. It's just playing safe and not taking into account your ability to judge your own child.

My DS is 4.5 months, was showing all the same signs as your LO. I started weaning a week ago and he's never been happier.

It makes a difference if they are prem, but not late.
If they are prem their organs may not be developed enough yet.

WRT instinct, all instinct can tell you is that your baby is hungry, it can't tell you that your baby is ready for the chnage between milk and solid food.

DS2 is a bit older than your DD, soph.
He is 23 weeks, but he isn't ready, he puts everything in his mouth, he protests if we take it away from him, he won't BF if anything is going on around him. Because he is at that stage developmentally, it's not actually to do with food.

They are more active and more interested in things so unless starving, they'll feed as a last resort. Everything seems much more interesting to them than lying still feeding!

Also, this is the oral stage of development, where they explore things using their mouth. Anything and everything you give them will get put in their mouth because it's how they explore the it. With texture, taste, temperature etc all worked out by their mouth. It's just coincidence that they do it with food.

You say she still sucks it at the moment so that in itself says she isn't yet ready, or she would most likely chew, rather than suck. If she was ready she would be physically able to eat unaided, i.e. sit up, pick it up, put it to her mouth and then chew and swallow, whih is why BLW is suggested. That way you could still give her bits of food, but allow her to go at her own pace and you can be pretty certain that she won't be eating early.

Apart from that, with all the risks involved why would you want to rush into something that she may not be ready for? Especially when you say you can't be bothered!lol.

I'd stick to what you know will satisfy her, and keep her as risk-free as possible, which, IMO is BLW. So, fine, give her pieces of food to play with when you're eating, but don't feel the need to feed spoons of mush into her where she can't make the decision herself.

HTH

(Tis VS btw)

I agree totally with MissMarple!

After reading everything I could get hold of about BLW I let my DD have food to play with from just over 5 months. I gave only the things with the least risk of allergy, so fruit, vegetables and the occasional naked rice cake. She loved it, but didn't actually swallow anything until 24 or 25 weeks.

The amounts increased from the equivalent of half a teaspoon or so at 24/5 weeks to the equivalent of maybe 3 or 4 teaspoons worth at 28 weeks (ish). After that the amount she ate increased exponentially. At 10 months she's eating like a trooper!

I didn't allow her any bread or milk products until she was 26 weeks.

But, when all is said and done, offering any food at all (whatever the method) before 26 weeks is taking a risk.

MMT, you said "If she was ready she would be physically able to eat unaided, i.e. sit up, pick it up, put it to her mouth and then chew and swallow" That isn't true. I think one point we can all agree on is that by 6 months babies need more than milk alone, but there are plenty who can't do these things for themselves by 6 months.

Soph, I think you've answered your own question by saying you can't be bothered! But if you do feel you should, why don't you do exactly what the FSA guidelines say (rather than what a lot of people think they say), which is

"If you want to introduce solid foods before six months, make sure you check with your health visitor or GP first. And don?t give any solid foods to your baby before he or she is four months old (17 weeks)."

I don't agree that all babies need feeding at six months. If there is no form of SN then a baby will be able to eat when ready.

Where is your research? The FSA is clear that "At this age [6 months] babies need more than milk alone."

Oh, I should have said that she was chewing the whole time, but before 28ish weeks she mostly just moved the food around her mouth until it came out again.

Why not just stick with what you're doing -- let her have chunks of food to suck on to keep her happy, but don't do anything about "weaning" her? That works from a laziness point of view and should avoid any health risks from early weaning.

The guidelines changed to 26 weeks in 2001/2002, I'm almost entirely sure (and I'm absolutely positive that they were 26 weeks when DS was born, and he's 3.8), so were actually 26 weeks for your other DC as well -- presumably your HVs were just a bit more crap at informing people then.

"If you want to introduce solid foods before six months, make sure you check with your health visitor or GP first. And don?t give any solid foods to your baby before he or she is four months old (17 weeks)." Absolutely BuggiedOut.

I did speak to our equivalent of an HV (am not in the UK so not really like an HV at all really) she was clued up on BLW and agreed that letting her play with food in this way was fine. She was against spoon feeding anything at all before six months.

As I have repeatedly said, offering any kind of food (whatever the method) before six months is a risk.

Where is that AllBuggiedOut?
On this page from the FSA all they say is to begin introducing solid foods at around 6 months.

The suggestion is that at around 6 months babies will start to need iron from elsewhere, as their own supplies are thought to run out. This doesn't mean they have to eat food.

You're right I don't really want to, it's so much easier BF.

TBH I think what is bugging me is that I don't feel it's as clear cut as 6mo is fine and that's that. If you can't tell when a babies digestive system changes, then how can anyone tell when any baby is ready. There is such a HUGE discrepancy in all areas of development, surely between 4-6 months is just the average age of when this change happens but for some babies it could be earlier and others much later, therefore one would have to look at other 'signs' that a baby is ready? At 6mo dd1 could not hold anything, could not bring anything to her mouth, could not sit unaided, had no interest in food, was completely unaware that other people were eating etc. She pyhsically could not hold and eat anything herself till almost a year old and she could not eat ANYTHING till 8mo. So when you have the reverse of his- a baby who is capable and interested earlier should you not also go with that?

I am just throwing this out there cos I am interested in your opinions now- it seems quite mixed!

I think I will just continue to let her experiment with food in a BLW context and see what happens.

BTW- my dd1 is now 2.2yrs and is just like any other child her age despite her slow start!

MissMarple, 'tis there, just above where it says "why wait until six months". Just for "idiot proofing" IMO.

You're absolutely right, Soph (you too DeJaVous, thanks for that), it's not clear cut and never can be for exactly the reasons you explain. People are different. Because we can't know whether a baby's gut is ready before 6 months, there is some risk involved in starting earlier, and all we can do is look at the evidence, and our own children, and make the best decision for them. If it were more clear cut than that, we wouldn't have the vague guidelines that we do, and there would be stricter controls in place (like the seatbelts that were referred to earlier). There is an argument that says that we take calculated risks for our children all the time, and maybe this is just another of those.

no. personally I think even six months is early!

I think people follow the guidelines and some don't. I did with both of mine, but DD1 was desperate for food far earlier than DD2 and the guidelines were 16 weeks for DD1. DD2 was nearly 7 months when she was properly ready for weaning.

I have to say, if you do, don't be asking people on here, quite rightfully they feel that to wean early could be dangerous to your child's health. You have to follow your own instincts, it is not something a stranger can decide for you. The majority of babies are probably fine but you could be the unlucky one, my mum was with my brother, he has Crohn's Disease so personally, I would wait as long as possible.

good post pgwithnumber3

Thanks messageinabottle. I personally too would leave it as long as possible. A baby can survive quite a long time on milk alone. It is definitely as I mentioned, something that is up to you to decide. The majority of my friends who have had babies in the past year or so ALL weaned by 4.5/5 months, I was the only one to wait and I put this down to my doing research on the matter. I never poke my nose in and tell them they are doing the wrong thing though, they have to decide what is right for their child and ultimately, they will do it anyway. They all didn't have any idea that the guidelines had changed, even their Health Visitors advised them that it was okay to wean at 4.5 months. Very contradictory advice is given I feel. No wonder people feel confused over it.

Crohn's disease is one of the problems which can arise from early weaning, believe you me, after seeing what my little brother went through as a 13 year old (he nearly died), I would hang off if you could soph28. Your decision though.

Thanks everyone- all very useful info! Just wondering what research there is to suggest that things like Crohn's disease are directly linked to age of weaning? Are there any figures for children who have been weaned after 6mo compared to those before?

As the research stands (I may be wrong) is that the pockets in the gut do not close over until around the age of 6 months, any food given before six months can find its way into the pockets of the gut and rot. Over time this can cause problems such as Crohn's. This is one of the reasons why the guidelines have been moved to 6 months. Also (I think) there is more risk of allergies etc. Someone with more idea will tell you more but this is what I have found out from Doctors who treat my brother. I am not an expert though soph28 - just had experience with my brother.

IIRC I think you need welliemum for proper research info. You could try searching for old advice she's given.

soph28, you do what YOU feel is right for you. No-one is saying that your child will be struck down by some awful illness if you wean them early BUT it is a chance you take. You have a right though to do what you feel is best. The same goes for the formula feeding -v- breast feeding argument. Most people know that breast is best but some choose to formula feed. Your decision. I am only strict with the guidelines because of experiences with an illness which could have been the result of early weaning but who will ever know if my brother getting Crohn's was from weaning too early. Good luck, it is hard enough dealing with 3 children!

me personally, i'd try to hold off for a bit longer. in my mind i have the (ludicrously arbitrary) figure of 5 months as being reasonable to let them have a shot on some steamed carrot if they're capable of grabbing it off me. ach, but maybe i'd give them a teether to chew on... hard to know, isn't it? certainly it makes sense to me that if they can do it, they're ready, iykwim, but then maybe i'd be cautious. who knows?

OP:

Three yrs ago the weaning guidelines in the UK was already 6 months though maybe most people didn't yet know about it. Not that it looks like they know it now, anyway.

Your DD1 probably didn't wean till she was 8 months old because she is wheat intolerant.

It is not because she weaned later she is intolerant iyswim.

My dd1 is dairy and very egg allergic. she didn't wean till she was 13 months old. her body was probably telling her to wait.

at the same time, foxy, i know kids with egg allergies who wolfed down an omelette before being blue-lit to the hosp. it doesn't always follow (i know you weren't saying it does, but am just reiterating) that kids will avoid allergens. hence the sense in avoiding gluten until that 6 mos mark at least.