Tongue thrust reflex

[mummyandbaby]

When can I expect my DS to lose his tongue thrust reflex? Tried a couple of spoons of puree which he was very keen to have and was grabbing the spoon but his tongue was pushing forward and the puree running down his chin. He is 21 weeks.

around 26 weeks.

I think this is probably a sign that he might not be ready just yet.
He has to be able to move the food to the side of his mouth.
I'd be tempted to lay off for a couple of weeks and try again another time

OP, sorry to hijack but I have a silly question. How can you tell when your DC has lost this reflex? My DS (18 weeks) pushes his tongue out into his bottom lip like a monkey face (v. cute btw ), and I am wondering if this is him losing the reflex or because he is teething. I don't intend to start him on solids until 6 months or when I know for sure that he is ready so it would be useful if I knew how to tell if he's lost the reflex. Is there a way of testing it?

Thanks. First time mum in case you hadn't guessed.

I don't think there's any way to test. The guidelines at the moment state we should wait until 26 weeks to wean, any earlier than this, it is thought is connected to kidney problems and other medical issues.
I weaned ds1 a few weeks early, so I'm not saying wait til 26 weeks no natter what.
It is believed that the digestive system matures at the same rate as the rest of the body and there are a number of signs that will be apart for you to know your baby is ready.
One of the biggest signs is to be able to sit up unaided.
I would watch my ds when I'm eating and gauge him interest. If he is that interested in food, he will watch you and copy your movements. He needs to be able to move the food to the side of his mouth in order to swallow it, so I would be looking for this kind of activity, the tongue at the side of the mouth.

Thanks Littleboyblue. DS isn't showing many signs bar staring when we eat dinner and I will definitely wait until 6 months (despite the MiL's views on it . Thanks again.