BLW and baby under 6 months

[PetitFilou1]

Ds2 (3 of 3) is 20 weeks and desperate for food. He has no tongue thrust reflex and can grab food and put it in his mouth (and has - several times) He can't sit up unsupported but neither could my other two children until much older (with dd it was 8 months). Will it really do much harm to start now?

and please...no one get the popcorn out .... he really does seem hungry.

He is much too young for any sort of solid food. If he's hungry give him more milk. You know that really, don't you!

No actually - I don't! He screamed this afternoon until I put him in the (so far unused) clip on highchair and let him at the food his sister was eating.

He is bf and I feed on demand as it is.

Why are you asking if you don't want to hear the sensible answer?

Do what you like but don't expect to get everyone's approval on here.

Well, according to the most up to date information, he is 6 weeks to young for solid food. The chances are he will be fine, but early weaning is linked to allergies and gut problems in some babies. And there is no way of knowing which babies are going to be affected. So why risk it?

did he swallow?

Yes he did swallow.

Ok yes I don't know why I posted this, I will ask to get it removed

i think it's a fair question
don't get it deleted, i am sure other people would like to know also

i let ds2 have food when he was 24 weeks because he could sit up a bit, could grasp food (was nicking off our plates), take it to his mouth, however did not really chew and not much swallowing

i think some theories go if they are physically developed enough to sit, grasp food, chew and swallow (NOT purees) then they are physically developed enough to have food

i would like to know if this is the case - op it is a good question

Why, because people didn't say "yes you're right, carry on?"

There's a big difference between 24 weeks and 20, though.

well the theory is that if the baby is able to do all those things and casn physically swallow the food then it is ok

however 20 weeks does seem very early.....if i was in your position i would be umming and ahhing as well

at 23/24 weeks ds was crazy for food but seemed decidly less interested a few weeks later when i let him have some

would you consider putting her in a highchair at the table at meal time with a spoon and cup of water for a week or two?

yes, seeker, but is it ok to give food at 24 wks? 23? 22? how do you decide? do we stick to the 6 month guidelines rigidly or are there developmental signs we can use to guide us? if the op#s baby can sit unaided, grasp, chew and swallow, can he have food? or not? it's a good topic for discussion

Thanks Franny
I knew people would disapprove but I didn't post to get blanket disapproval. Surely not every baby hits 6 months and becomes ready. Surely some are ready before and some after?

Ds2 can certainly chew and very effectively. I have seen him! He also took an (empty) cup to his mouth the other day and mimiced drinking from it.

I agree, Mariasinger - the point is that you can't tell by looking which ones are ready and which ones aren't, so why risk it for the sake of a couple of weeks?
I know it's sort of a ridiculous analogy, but lots of babies are really interested in cars, and can grab the wheel and hoot the horn and pretend to steer, but that doesn't mean they're ready for driving lessons!

oh but op

i do think that "he is desperate for food" just means "he wants to do what we are doing"
i don't believe he is hungry or will be harmed by waiting
how about giving eg raw carrot stick so he can suck and play but not actually ingest any?

This is an interesting one. In her book, Gil Rapley says if they can get food into their own mouths, chew and swallow then they are ready. However, she also says they should be able to sit 'with little or no support'. I should point out that she lists all the reasons why solids are not a good idea before six months.

My dd sat unsupported by 5 months and I think would have been able to get food into her mouth by herself. She was also looking at food longingly etc. However, I did wait until about 25 weeks and then she took to it like a duck to water. It certainly did her no harm to wait and may well have improved her long term health prospects, because, as someone else pointed out, I can't look inside her and see if her gut is sealed or not. So, what's the problem with waiting a few weeks?

DS1 was a BIG boy - over 10lbs at birth. I weaned him at 16 weeks, no allergies, no weight problems or anything else. He was fed in a bumbo and a bouncy chair. DS2 was ready at 18w. I didn't introduce meat until 6-7 months though. Both DC's eat a varied diet including things like olives, calves liver etc

i think as we are not sure, and the fallout from early weaning can ( i repeat CAN) last a lifetime, that i would wait

but i don't think you are wrong for asking

he isn't after food because he is hungry, though - he doesn't know food will fill him up
he wants to play - maybe you could let him? as suggested earlier, his own bowl, spoon, cup etc?

'mimicked' I meant

He can't sit unaided but he does have good head control - maybe he isn't quite ready yet but that is why I'm asking.

Well, you were lucky, dozymare - but that doesn't mean it's a good idea!

with respect problems caused by early weaning may not develop until later in life
no-one can really look at their children and say "it never hurt them"