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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Did anyone wean before 4 months?

448 replies

thymes2 · 07/07/2005 16:59

Hello! This is my first post.
My baby is 14 weeks old and mainly breastfed. Because she seems to struggle to get full I give her at least one bottle of formula per day (usually at night time so she'll sleep for a longer time. She seems very interested in our meals and I'm thinking of weaning her early. I'd like to hear about peoples experiences of weaning before the recommended 6 months and any advice.

OP posts:
oops · 07/07/2005 20:49

Message withdrawn

hunkermunker · 07/07/2005 20:51

Oops, well said, and totally agreed with here.

Thank goodness your circumstances are such that you weren't up there - makes you think, doesn't it?

oops · 07/07/2005 20:59

Message withdrawn

hunkermunker · 07/07/2005 21:02

Yes, I wondered when I posted "thank goodness" - felt strange saying that about redundancy, but compared with the alternatives - doesn't bear thinking about

thymes2 · 07/07/2005 21:24

Well I guess I opened a can of worms. Sorry.
I am brand new and not a troll. I posted a question and then went off for a bit.
I feel sad that people think I was considering the weaning for an easy life. I just didn't like the thought of my baby always feeling hungry when there is money for food in my pocket.
As an aside I am a member of another unrelated forum and a day doen't go by without someone mentioning the c word (clique) there. I feel at home here already.

OP posts:
aloha · 07/07/2005 21:26

Cannot believe that anyone would happily put their baby's life at risk just to get more sleep. It beggars belief.

spidermama · 07/07/2005 21:34

Hello again thymes. Thought you'd done a runner hehehe. The lid seems to be back on that particular can of worms so we can all peep back out again.

thymes2 · 07/07/2005 21:34

Aloha, are you referring to me?

OP posts:
spidermama · 07/07/2005 21:35

Ooops! I spoke too soon. DUCK!

QueenEagle · 07/07/2005 21:37

thymes2 - how about doing an intro on members' profiles?

thymes2 · 07/07/2005 21:42

Where do I go to do that?

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 07/07/2005 21:44

thyme2, welcome to Mumsnet. This subject has set off a few fights before, but never one as lively as this one! You're just lucky.

I'm sure aloha is talking about the suggestion, earlier on the thread, that babies should be put to sleep on their stomachs, so they sleep better. Not about weaning.

I weaned my DS1 at 16 weeks, as I was pushed to by my HV. It was hard work. I pureed food, I pushed it in. It took at least a few weeks before he got the knack of it, and I was pureeing food for months. (I don't know if early weaning has done him any harm.)

I weaned my DS2 at nearly 6 months. I tried pureed food, and he wasn't interested. He went straight to bits of our food. I now give him anything I'm eating, as long as it's not overly salty, spicy or sweet. He eats well, and it's a lot less work.

thymes2 · 07/07/2005 21:47

Thanks for the welcome
I'm not sure I feel lucky
I'd happily introduce myself if I could find the appropriate section.

OP posts:
marthamoo · 07/07/2005 21:58

Phew, that took some reading. A couple of people on this thread are quite, quite mad. I do not need peer-reviewed research to reach this conclusion.

micha26 · 08/07/2005 00:28

So much for the research and statistics: 20% of SIDS victims are kids of smokers or mothers who were smoking before or during pregnangcy.

Recent studies from Germany show that especially the DTP immunisation can cause or dramatically increase the risk for SIDS.

There is a lot of criticism reaching the WHO and national health organisations daily regarding their current immunisation recommendations.

In Guinea the number of deaths doubled after introducing quadruple jabs on recommendation of the WHO.

What was the name again of this old bastard, the paediatrician who served as an expert witness and brought so many women into trouble by saying: One case of SIDS in a family is a drama, two cases are suspicious and three cases are murder.

He was long time said to be one of the most respected paediatricians in Britain. His statistics were pretty simple: The probability of one case of SIDS in a family would be 1:8,000. Postulating a complete independence of each single case he came to the conclusion that the probability of 2 SIDS cases in a family would be 1:64,000,000. Fundamentally flawed as we see today, as 2 cases suggest a genetical disposition in the family and in turn a much higher risk based on the fact that there has been already an incident in a family.

I'm very happy for you guys if you feel comfortable with your peer-reviewed research (what if all of those peers are idiots?). But I don't and that is why I read also the controversial sites on the internet, being driven by people who are just as qualified researchers as the ones working for the national organisations.

For me, it is like with many things in life: If you get conflicting argumentation, which is equally well researched and comes to virtually opposite conclusions, then it might still be the best option to go with your gut feeling.

The "clique" thing is still on: This is not about exchanging opinions, this is a forum for people to reassure each other how good citizens they are, because the follow all the recommendations of so many institutes and organisations. Because you are so fearful, you need this reasurrance, just in case when anything goes wrong, you can try to lie to yourself that you did the best you could do. But bear in mind, that despite that you can still fail, and no matter what you do, or tried to follow: if your baby dies, you will feel guilty for the rest of your life. The WHO will not help you in this case.

If you are sure about what you are doing, you don't need this reassurance. I know, that I'm doing the right thing and I'm absolutely comfortable with anyone to disagree, no matter how many you are or how opinionated you are. It will not cause me one single sleepless night.

And yes - sleep is very important, even if you want to deny it. If you sleep well, you have much better moods, you will be more active and spread more happiness and your baby will feel that and react accordingly. Evenly important is the sleep for the baby itself. It is good for their development and will make them feel better as well.

I can tell the difference when I see our son, smiling all day, especially next to kids who are miserable all day, last but not least because of their miserable mothers, who didn't sleep properly for weeks and months and are not able to even fake a two second smile. But at least they did everything right. If there kids are not happy doesn't really matter, does it?

As many times you have an option to be one of the sheep following blindly or steer your life on your own. I prefer option 2) I don't disrespect people for choosing option 1), but I would rather they not try to indoctrinate others just to make themselves feel better.

hunkermunker · 08/07/2005 00:38

So you didn't find anything to support weaning early then?

micha26 · 08/07/2005 00:40

To be more specific: I didn't look for something to support early weaning. As I said before, I'm not looking for research and statistics supporting me, I'm confident enough to know that I'm doing the right thing

hunkermunker · 08/07/2005 00:42

Think it would be a waste of time looking.

Glad you're confident in your decision. I'm confident in mine. But you're the one dishing out insults to those who wait longer to wean. Interesting... Defensive, much?!

micha26 · 08/07/2005 00:44

Yes, it would be a waste of time. Not because, there wouldn't be a chance to find something, but because I don't need community support to make me feel better.

Defensive? Yes, I think you are, but I don't mind

hunkermunker · 08/07/2005 00:47

LOL! Yes, I'm very defensive! Totally prickly! Very unapproachable and unfriendly and always slag people off for their choices.

Glad to have "met" you - you're one of life's real charmers!

Norash · 08/07/2005 00:48

When should I start weaning?

You're the best judge of when it's time to wean, and you don't have to set a deadline unless you and your child are ready to do so. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that mothers breastfeed their babies for at least a year. Despite what friends, relatives, or even strangers may say, there is no right or wrong time to wean. If you feel it's the right time, then it is.

From the site below.

here

hunkermunker · 08/07/2005 00:49

They sell Y-cut teats in America so tiny babies can have baby rice in their bottles...

micha26 · 08/07/2005 00:53

No need to waste money on Y-teats. A bigger hole in the usual teat does as well. Works as designed . He's lovin'it

hunkermunker · 08/07/2005 00:55

Micha26, are you and Norash acquainted perchance?!

micha26 · 08/07/2005 00:59

But he is really good with the spoon as well. Less messy than most kids at 6 months. Good boy