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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

5-month old ds not that interested in food

46 replies

naturopath · 10/01/2010 21:10

Started weaning ds about 3 weeks ago. Before I get loads of people telling me it's too early, I have been advised to do so on medical grounds by a general paediatrician, a paediatric gastroenterologist, a sleep specialist, the gp and the hv.

So fine - I start weaning him on baby rice and pear.. thing is, he's just not particularly interested.

His brother was similar - was advised the same - to wean at 4 months, but after a few days he just wasn't interested and only started to eat at 8 months.

Both totally breastfed.

So, what should I do - persevere with the solids? Keep trying once every few days, or every day? Or just stop and try again in a few weeks?

(he wakes up a lot and everyone has told me to "up the solids")

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 10/01/2010 21:11

he isn't interested because he isn't ready. follow his cues and you;'ll be fine

Habbibu · 10/01/2010 21:13

How is his brother? If he's ok, my (non-professional) opinion would be to hold off - maybe that's just how you grow them! Sleep is so variable in babies of this age anyway - dd slept like a lamb right up to weaning...

roxy12 · 10/01/2010 21:15

hi!

i am getting rude comments on here about weaning my baby at 3 months! i got told it was ok to do so aswell as he was a hungry baby!

anyway i gave him rusks mashed with his own milk and he loved it, he was so much happier!

he took to that in the mornings so then i gave him a yogurt in the afternoon.
left it that for a while and then i started him on dinners and he loved them, i gave him the jars as he wouldnt eat my own food that i made for him!

just keep trying a litte bit everyday and see how he goes!

he will get used to it, it is because it is different.

good luck

roxy12 · 10/01/2010 21:18

i will get told i am wrong but i have a large family with lots of baby's and it never has done any harm!

my baby is fine!

paisleyleaf · 10/01/2010 21:24

If you've been advised on medical grounds then I guess you should ask the health professionals about persevering or holding off.

Original poster
naturopath · 10/01/2010 21:24

Habbibu - I like the "maybe that's just how you grow them" observation.. I'm beginning to think so as they are becoming more and more similar in sleep / feeding etc. respects.

ds1 is fine - both have/had reflux and milk and soya protein intolerances. ds1 has allergies - haven't had ds2 tested so don't know about him yet. Both v bad sleepers.

Ds1, after his initial excitement about food, went off it after a week and never ever wanted purees at all - at 8 months just went straight onto pretty much adult food. Even now, at 2 1/2, won't have anything pureed. Around 8 months started eating loads - still has a pretty big appetite a lot of the time. And although has become quite picky in the last few months, until then would eat most fruits, vegetables, lentils, quinoa etc.. basically had a v good balanced diet (apart from allergens).

With ds1 had a lot of people telling me that I MUST persevere with offering solids every day, but tbh, I instinctually felt that if he wasn't interested I should just give it a rest for a couple of weeks.. then try again and same thing. No point giving them a complex about food if they're not interested. Surely they would start eating when their body tells them it's ready.. (as indeed happened with ds1).. on the other hand, every single medical / health professional is telling me that I really should be cracking on with the solids..

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 10/01/2010 21:24

it's good your baby is fine roxy, but many many many poeople have studied this, and studies DO show that overall babies who are weaned early do suffer from more health complaints.

you may know lots of babies who are "fine" (really, nothing ever wrong with them at all??), but statistics show that weaning at around 6 months is best.

OP I would suggest your baby wakes lots because he is a baby, not because he needs solids.

Original poster
naturopath · 10/01/2010 21:26

Good point paisley - think the lack of sleep is causing me to miss the obvious!

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 10/01/2010 21:27

i think you're right... they know when they're ready and the'll give you signs, just like your first baby did.

can I ask why everyone is suggesting you wean?

roxy12 · 10/01/2010 21:30

thisisyesterday i understand what you are saying but i am just explaining to people what i do with my son!

i am getting really rude comments back and that is just nasty.

i dont need to hear rude comments. i am just explaining to people whay i do as a mum!

i agree with alot of people, what they are saying, especially as teething is a mixed sign to wether they are ready for solids or wether they have teeth coming through.

I understand that. but i just dont need people being rude to me. i am not on here for that!

LibrasBiscuitsOfFortune · 10/01/2010 21:31

I think if you have had professional medical advice to start weaning you need to go back and say look he doesn't want to be weaned just yet and see what they say. What reason did they give to wean?

Original poster
naturopath · 10/01/2010 21:33

well, yes and no thisisyesterday - i don't think he's waking because he needs solids - because solids didn't help ds1 sleep any better. On the other hand, babies do need to sleep - it's important for their development - and he does seem quite distressed when he wakes - I don;t think it's entirely normal..

Roxy - interestingly, I think there have been some studies (not sure which/where, but I have discussed with consultant gastroenterologist) which point out that babies weaned earlier and/or in different sorts of communities (eg travellers) will have different health issues - ie, neither necessarily better off but "community A" will have allergies, ulcers, crohns disease, whereas "community B" will have more diarrohea (sp??) etc.. (in my v unscientific way of putting things!)

Also, there is currently a medical study looking into the effects of weaning at 3 months (I was asked to be on it but decided not to as too risky imo)

OP posts:
amialoneinthisone · 10/01/2010 21:40

Roxy, I'm not going to comment on you choosing to wean at 6 months, but weaning onto rusks is really not advisable. If you feel you must do it that early then vegetables or baby rice is safer.

Naturopath - since when should you take a sleep specialists advice on weaning?!

amialoneinthisone · 10/01/2010 21:41

Sorry, at three months.

Original poster
naturopath · 10/01/2010 21:43

Roxy, to follow on from my last post, I actually was adamant with ds1 that he wouldn't have any solids until 6 months. Under pressure from doctors, I started weaning at 4 1/2 months. As I said, as it happens, he didn't want to eat until 8 months anyway, so that solved that dilemma.
HAving discussed this issue extensively (including with many doctors), I agree with you that I think a lot of people are being v unfair and judging you according only to their knowledge of WHO guidelines etc. Those were drawn up with developing countries in mind, where conditions are far less hygienic and where it would be far more dangerous for v small babies to be ingesting anything other than breastmilk. Also, babies are different. Some may be ready to be weaned (slowly!) at 3 months, some at 8 months. Another concern is that some (less educated?) parents may offer their babies food that is unsuitable at such a young age (eg. chocolate, cola, peanuts.. whatever).. therefore by waiting until 6 months, any potential damage done would be less than the damage done by such food at 3 months for example.

Personally, I would err on the side of caution and wait the full 6 months. But that should not entitle me or anyone else to be nasty to you for giving rusks to your 3 month old, mixed with milk, as generations of your family have done to no ill effect.

OP posts:
roxy12 · 10/01/2010 21:44

i got told by health visitors to start him off on rusks!!!!

well whatever anyone thinks of me starting on rusks then that is fine! he was ok on rusks.

are poeple concerned that i am a bad parent or are people just being rude because they want to?

thisisyesterday · 10/01/2010 21:45

roxy, no-one has been rude to you, just pointed out that overall, babies weaned early have more problems.

roxy12 · 10/01/2010 21:47

thankyou naturopath. that has been very helpfull. this is some-one that can respect where i am coming from.

i really apreciate your comment.

Habbibu · 10/01/2010 21:47

naturopath, the WHO guidelines/developing countries thing is a myth - one that many HVs believe, but a myth nonetheless. There's pretty good research evidence that before 17 weeks is not good across the board - between 4 and 6 I think it is a bit more debatable, but that makes 6 a better rule of thumb.

amialoneinthisone · 10/01/2010 21:48

People are concerned that your health visitors have given you advice that can mean your baby develops health issues in later life.

No one thinks you are a bad parent. I think your health visitors are barking.

thisisyesterday · 10/01/2010 21:49

if you go to the WHO website you should be able to find links to the research that led them to the current guidelines.

it is not only based on children in 3rd world countries.
the issue is that small babies guts are not properly sealed. this is the same for babies the world over. now, the rate at which their gut develops varies, as with anything. by around 5-5.5 months (iirc!) some babies guts are able to cope with solids. but some aren't.
by 6 months virtually all are.
hence the 6 month guideline.

the guidelines also state that if weaning takes place earlier than 6 months it should never be any earlier than 17 weeks.
I would seriously question any health care professional who recommended weaning earlier than this, not least bnecause they ought to be following who guidelines.

roxy12 · 10/01/2010 21:49

i have commented on some-one elses weaining thread and some poeple on there have been very nasty.

i apreciate all your comments.

i just feel that i have been slated for giving my son rusks with milk at 3 months. but hey.

i am happy my son is happy.

Original poster
naturopath · 10/01/2010 21:50

amialone - I didn't mean that I would wean a 4 month old on the advice of a sleep specialist - I was just adding that to my list! I meant that I was acting on the advice of paediatricians.

Weirdly enough, no-one has ever given me a real reason for early weaning - I think it's a combination of their reflux and bad sleeping (ie, maybe he'll sleep better if his tummy has more bulk in it.. and maybe the reflux would bother him less if there were solids in his system??) I'm not really sure - I have asked the question but never really got a straight answer. I think they all just know what I said above about WHO guidelines, and that ds2 is a good weight, developing well, seems ready etc. and that food may just somehow make him happier?

As I said, didn't actually work at all for ds1,, but maybe it will for ds2? hence my confusion.

OP posts:
amialoneinthisone · 10/01/2010 21:50

quick link to some weaning advice

FairyMum · 10/01/2010 21:52

Why have you been adviced by so many to wean early?