Can anyone tell me if the HV is correct about this?

[electra]

Dd3 is 6.5 months old. I haven't started weaning her yet because she is nowhere near sitting yet and I wanted to leave it until she is. She is putting on weight fine.

Today, the HV said I need to start weaning asap because if I don't, she will 'get stuck on milk' and will be reluctant to try food.

Is this right? And if it is does that mean I will have to do the spoon lark again? I wanted to do BLW this time.

Any advice? TIA

No she isn't right. I am assuming that you are not going to leave much longer anyway. Mine were all sitting by about 8.5 months which is late. I have heard of babies taking very little food indeed, as not interested, at 12 months and being fine as they gradually became more interested.

DD started blw around 7 months. Was months before her solid intake was anything other than a few mouthfuls. She's 2.5. She won't eat tomatoes or chillis. Otherwise, eats anything and everything, never any problems at all.

Thanks everyone, I suppose I am not sure how to tell when she is truly ready to start. I have read quite a lot that would suggest there is a link with motor skills and since she is a bit behind I thought I would wait a little longer.

I started weaning dd2 at 5 months because the guidelines then were different but I do think it was a waste of time - she didn't really want to eat much until around her 1st birthday as you say....

Load of rubbish - how can a few weeks more of milk feeds put her off food for ever!

HV talking tosh.

Most dc don't eat enough to keep a sparrow alive in the first few months of solids anyway and milk should be her primary source of nutrition for the first 12months.

Yes I thought that MNP - I am glad I checked on here!

There is a window for introducing lumps and learning to chew though. If you leave it too long you can end up with problems.

why are you waiting till she can sit up ? saying that ds2 sat up quite early.
But are you not planning to put her in a high chair ?

And start the blw ?
Bet she'll love it.
Has she shown any interest in food, as yet ?
I had the other problem of not being able to get enough food in their mouths. Both of mine ate mush, very very quickly progressing to our meals, not cut up at all. All spoon fed.
And I started finger foods on day 1 aswell. They both eat everything. And huge huge amounts of it !!

maybe your hv is talking from the 'old school'.
I mean if she's not pro blw. then it is true that lots of puree babies struggle with lumps.
mine never did, but I know plenty that have.

Thanks for replies - Oblomov, yes I was going to put her in a high chair. The reason I'm concerned about her sitting up is that I heard it's not safe to do BLW until the baby can sit reasonably well - is that right or not? She isn't showing any interest in my food, yet - no. To be honest I know very little about BLW at all - could you or anyone else be kind enough to point me in the direction of a good publication that will help?

She is a very small child and still only weighs 14lbs (not sure if that makes any difference!) but is going steadily up the 2nd centile line.

So, it's ok to wait unless I was going to do the spoon/puree route?

Hi Electra - I started BLW with my DS at 24 weeks. He's now 28 weeks and is only able to sit up unsupported for a few seconds. I was planning to wait until he could sit up well, but as he's also got slow weight-gain issues we decided there was more benefit to getting him started. He mostly eats in his (practically upright, table-height) pushchair, where he is almost sitting up, but can rest his weight. I recently started trying him in his highchair, and need to wodge him in quite firmly with a booster/ towels etc. I think the idea is that gagging is more likely if not sitting upright, just the same as you or I would find it a little more difficult to swallow if tilted backwards. What about other signs of readiness e.g loss of tongue-thrust, signs of beginnings of pincer grip?

Of course, your HV could be right - if you don't wean soon that will be it, nothing but milk until she's 18

My DS is 4 days younger than your dd, and a little over 12lb! I think maybe they are slower to sit up as they must have less muscle than bigger babies!

Its ok to start BLW if they can sit up with a little support - you don't need to wait until she can sit totally unaided.

this book is the bible of BLW if you're looking for a book. Or come and join us on this threadfor lots of BLW chat!