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Weaning

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

Original poster

is DS2 ready for weaning?

10 replies

fledtoscotland · 22/01/2009 21:29

am not sure where to post this so apologies if it should go in breast/formula feeding.

anyway DS2 is 22 weeks old and seems to have had the 4month growth spurt for about 6 weeks now. he is breastfed and now wants feeding pretty much every 2hrs whereas before the hideous growth spurt he was every 3-4hrs during the day and then feeding at 11pm and sleeping through til about 5am. he just seems hungry and feeding him is the only way to stop him being grumpy.

you would think i would know what to do as DS1 is only 17months old but they are so different.

Is this the time to start weaning him? he is sitting in his highchair when we have meals watching us and trying to grab anything within reach. have also noticed he is making chomping movements when we eat too so think this maybe an interest in food.

just looking for some advice as I know about the 26week "rule"

TIA

OP posts:
smellen · 22/01/2009 21:33

Exc. BF DS1 weaned at 21wks, and second at 23wks. Have a couple of BF mates whose babies weaned at 25 & 26wks, but many weaned slightly earlier. 26wks is the ideal I guess, but all babies are different and I wouldn't be beating myself up if I started weaning slightly earlier.

That said, I think others might advise supplementing with formula for another few weeks, or gritting your teeth and latching him on every 2 hrs (but god, that's hard work when you have to be up bright eyed and bushy tailed for your DS1!)

Good luck. Sounds like you've done a fab job of it so far - don't beat yourself up over it too much.

smellen · 22/01/2009 21:34

FWIW there are loads of threads on here about BLW (baby led weaning) and I definitely noticed the difference that even 2 weeks made between my two - DS1 took a while to learn to swallow, and DS2 was just so much more ready for it. Also, given all the work involved in weaning, I'd BF as long as you could.

CantSleepWontSleep · 22/01/2009 21:35

If he's asking for more milk then give him more milk, IMHO (and that of health organisations ).

Original poster
fledtoscotland · 22/01/2009 21:39

thanks - i have just been letting him feed as and when. he has the odd bottle of formula as DH wanted to help feed and it does enable me to get 4hrs uninterrupted internet time sleep

OP posts:
smellen · 22/01/2009 21:48

Well, in that case - if he'll take a bottle - you might as well keep him on milk for the time being. Think of all that time you'll not be wiping purees off the floor, chair, baby, your clothes, the ceiling etc....

surelyyoucantbeserious · 13/02/2009 10:26

I had the same situation and have added a couple of spoons of baby rice at 6pm feed. He is 20 weeks. DS is now back to sleeping through (hurrah).

I don't want to stop breast feeding and not keen to introduce much more in the way of solids for a while yet. Health visitor didn;t think there was a problem with just introducing a bit of rice to satisfy DS's curiosity re: mealtimes and fill him up before bed (yes I know rice isn't necessarilty more filling but he is having same amount of milk too). Prior to baby rice I gave one formula feed per day, the rest breast milk and I am carrying on with this. Seems to be working.

popsycal · 13/02/2009 10:28

ds3 is 22 weeks
i am uting it off as lomng as he will let me get sway with
how will i get the three of thrm out of the door by 8:30 when he is having breakfast too

MiniMarmite · 13/02/2009 19:17

Hi Fled,
I started weaning DS (my first) at 22 weeks because I felt strongly that he was ready - showing strong behavioural signs (my background is in biology so I'm very much in agreement with the research that recommends 6 months but equally a believer in the behavioural signs that our babies show).

He readily accepted foods and was able to eat immediately. Had he not done this then I think I would have waited a bit longer. I'm taking the whole thing very slowly - introducing foods very gradually and in very small portions (although he is having 3 meals a day now).

ChairmumMiaow · 13/02/2009 19:28

It doesn't sound like he's showing any of the proper signs of readiness to wean (well you haven't mentioned them) so I'd keep going with the milk.

DS is BLW and started having tiny amounts of fruit from 23 weeks, but he met the signs of readiness to wean. He could / had:

  • Sit unsupported (for short periods at least)
  • pick up and bring food to his mouth
  • lost his tongue thrust reflex (he wasn't pushing the food out of his mouth)

It didn't make any difference to his sleeping or feeding because of the amount of calories that were going into (or possible straight through) him. In retrospect it was all a bit of fun for him, and of no real nutritional value!

I'd hang on till your DS is showing a real interest in food and can sit etc - and even then you may find it takes some time for it to make any difference.

Hope this helps.

popsycal · 13/02/2009 20:08

miaow - that helps me. ds3 is 22+weeks and I don't think he is ready but as usual everyone else has an opinion and there is pressure.
He can't sit up, isn't arsed abotu food, could probably shove it in his mouth and still has the tongue reflex thing.

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