Can't get my head around this weaning business...

[nothingventured]

Help please, can't get this weaning thing straight in my head at all!

Just about to start DD weaning, she is nearly 6 months. She is on the Gina Ford routine (I know, I know...) and its working perfectly for us. She sleeps well and is a very 'contented little baby' as it were.

So the time is here to start weaning her and I have bought the GF weaning book, but am now v confused.

If anyone else has used the GF weaning guide any advice would be useful. This is what I'm confused about:

1. Its says at 6months to start on the tier method - give half the milk feed at the 11am, then give most the solid, then alternate between milk and solids until meal finished - I may be a newbie but even I can spot that this seems a real faff - how do you do it???

1. It says I would need to cut back on the 11am milk feed to ensure interest in solids and if this feed isn't cut down she may become resistant to solids. I'm breastfeeding, so do I just take the boob away before she's done? How do I know how much is enough?

Love GF but am v confused, and am terrified that after working to get her sleeping well we will mess it up somehow and she'll start waking hungry in the night. I really don't want to return to my sleep deprived days!!

Any advice from GF'ers would be great, TIA.

Im doing the GF and my sons now 81/2 months and have been weaning since he was 6 months......so

I gave half the milk at 11am then ALL his solids and if he wanted the rest of the milk afterwards then fine but sometimes he didnt so he actually cut back on the 11am feed this way himself. Just give him enough milk so he not really hungry(I guess your have to judge this but it doesnt matter if hes full as its more to taste diffent foods at this stage anyway)

Sometimes even now my DS will still have the 11am feed it but depends on his mood but more often than not he only have water around this time now.

Regarding your point about your LO suddenly waking in the night, I doubt this will happen. Your LO will only be tasting foods for fun at first (sometimes not having any)so will still be drinking all his milk. He'll only drop his milk a bit when hes eating more which wont be for a little while anyway. So its important to follow you LOs lead, your daughter will know how much she needs and your find she proberly follows the routine on her own.

totally forgot to add that my DS also wasnt so hungry around the 11am feed once he was having breakfast and would then quite happily have his food at 11am before drinking half his milk feed.

Thanks, thats really useful Pink.

'I gave half the milk at 11am then ALL his solids and if he wanted the rest of the milk afterwards then fine but sometimes he didnt so he actually cut back on the 11am feed this way himself'