Breastfeeding and trying out baby rice at 4 and a half weeks

[lovelylula]

My little girl is just over 18 weeks, I am still breast feeding her but last week I decided to try her on some baby rice.....she seems to like it and gets quite excited now when she spots the spoon and small dish however today I started to feel very guilty as I am not following the '6 month breast is best rule'....just wondered how others had felt and would like any tips...felt awful today as now worried that i have done the wrong thing by introducing the rice too early

I think the guidance is now between 4 and 6 months. If she's swallowing the food and enjoying it, I think she's ready, regardless of the guidance. Others are very strict about waiting until six months, so you might not get much reassurance on here! Both of mine were weaned before six months (my son was eating meat and fish at five months as he was eating a cereal bowl full of mashed carrot) and they are both fine.

Your post says four and half weeks - I did wait til six months as dd wasn't ready but other friends didn't and most of their Los were keen on eating like yours.

TBH it seems mad to me to have such an arbitrary age thing so 5 months 30 days no real food and 6 months suddenly OK...babies will develop at different rates and be ready for food at different points. You know your baby best. I'd take it real slow and keep b/f. FWIW my 8 month DD2 still gets most of her cals from breastmilk.

And agree with wondring- It depends on child - dd weaned later then her step siblings.

Thanks everyone for the reassurance, its a worrying time being a new mom (its seems I am worrying more and more lately as I was fairly laid back in those early weeks!!)....I guess I will continue with the rice and let my little one tell me where next....thanks once again xx

I would wait til 6 months, 4 and a half months is still too early to need solids.

I am just starting solids with my 17 week old ds. All 3 of mine started this early because they were not gaining weight at the required rate and and I did not want to give a bottle. Various health care professionals have OK'd it with me and with my son I have discussed it with the Paediatric dietitian at Southampton general hospital (he was born with a congenital heart disorder and so we still have access to the hospital professionals). My son has been taking a high calorie food suppliment for the last 3 weeks and he loves it so much that this is why I want to give him more - he has plently of weight to gain and as long as I only give baby rice and pureed fruit and veg it will be fine. It makes me cross when people insist on 6 months as it is not always possible to do this. If I let any of my children fall below the centile lines then I would be guilty of neglecting their needs. So for me it was only a choice between early weaning and the bottle. Please do not let anyone make you feel guilty!

Am glad it's not 4.5 weeks all the same .

Thanks everyone, especially beanymum, after much deliberation I have decided to stick to breast milk for the time being, my little one was sick after taking some rice made up with formula milk on Friday (up until then she has never been a sicky baby?!)....checked with my HV today too and she said no harm will have been done, oh well you live and learn....next problem I have is teething!! oh the joys, thanks x

i don;t think there is anything wrong with weaning early under medical/ peadiatric advice

but most normal , full term healthy babies can go to around 6 months without anyhting other than milk

Agree with Lulumama, for a normal healthy baby, the guidelines say around 6 months.

Beanymum, why would you be neglecting your children by letting them fall below "their" centile lines?

beanymum, i'm interested in why you are so reluctant to give a bottle and yet happy to give solid food. what's the thinking behind that??

When my daughter was a baby the guidlines said 4 months, (she's 8 now)
Does any one know why they changed it to 6 months?

There are lots of reasons it changed and it changed from 4-6 months to around 6 months in 2003 mainly as knowledge increases. Most babies guts will be ready for solids somewhere in that time frame but you cannot know where in that spectrum your baby will fall so as a baby can survive happily and healthily on milk for 6 months and a lot longer in fact, it makes sense to wait that long to be on the safe side.

Another problem is that when people see 4-6 months they rationalise that it's okay to wean at 3.5 months because they're nearly there and it's probably fine, when it fact it's probably not at all. With a 6 month guideline, people are rationalising themselves into a better timeframe iyswim.