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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

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:
leosmummy · 08/07/2005 18:06

was considering weaning at 4mths. bought all equipment ready - reciepe book, rice, steamer etc.. after reading this going to wait as long as i can hopefully to 6mths. didn't realise rice etc less calories than milk.
i think we do things early out of lack of other things to do 4 our baby - crave new experiences/things to do? maybe?

hercules · 08/07/2005 18:07

There's a thread in the archives{i'll look for it} with lots of peoples experiences of weaning at 6 months.

hercules · 08/07/2005 18:10

\link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1364&threadid=25591\here]

hercules · 08/07/2005 18:10

here

leosmummy · 08/07/2005 18:11

have pmsl at this but you have been helpful. just want the best for ds..

beansprout · 08/07/2005 18:16

Hercules - just wanted to say I always appreciate/admire how you pass on this information, even when people are not particularly interested. Ds didn't start solids until nearly 7months. We had a horrendous growth spurt at 4 months, feeding constantly, he was fascinated by our food and I could easily have assumed he "wanted" food but thanks to people like you I knew he didn't need it yet. He took brilliantly to solids once he was ready and we haven't looked back. My mum constantly tells me how amazed she is at how well he eats (and of course, she was one of the 4-month generation but she can really see the difference between a baby who is ready and one who was not).

leosmummy · 08/07/2005 18:16

still ok to wait till 6mths even though bottle feeding? mostly worried abt obesity and diabetise (spelling bad sorry). they are saying this generation will die before thier parents.. how fightening

beansprout · 08/07/2005 18:18

Yes, Leosmummy, ok to wait. It is about their digestive systems being ready.

leosmummy · 08/07/2005 18:18

i agree with bs. well done

hercules · 08/07/2005 18:19

thanks beansprout

I believe the advice goes for bottle feeding as well as breastfeeding.

hercules · 08/07/2005 18:19

I do get a bit carried away though

leosmummy · 08/07/2005 18:21

sister was only saying this week to put rice in bottles and wheetabix.. just make hole bigger on teat!!! drives me mad - just smile..
every1 always wants me to put ds on 'hungrey milk' as well. ds dads friend even gave us some!

leosmummy · 08/07/2005 18:21

wouldn't worry.

NotQuiteCockney · 08/07/2005 18:36

My mom pushes the "cereal in the bottle" thing, too. It used to be normal, it used to be recommended. Everyone does the best they know how.

(And I don't know when I was weaned ... I was bottlefed, and my sister was given solids at two days. I have excema, asthma, an antibiotic allergy, and hayfever. None of them severe, at least.)

Leosmummy, I think you're totally right about people giving solids at four months because they don't have enough to do with their babies. Babies are a bit boring (in my opinion), particularly before six months.

beansprout · 08/07/2005 18:40

Fair point NQC and LM and hey, it's exciting when they move onto solids after all the months of endless breast (or bottle) feeding. But that is not the reason to do it.

LIZS · 08/07/2005 18:43

btw cereal in bottle is still "normal" in Switzerland, and I think elsewhere in Europe , even flavoured ones. I don't think the packets suggest it is "suitable" for any earlier than 4 months and you buy variable flow teats to use on fastest setting. Personally didn't feel the need to use it but obviously others must, possibly through ignorance of the guidelines

HappyMumof2 · 08/07/2005 18:59

Message withdrawn

starlover · 08/07/2005 19:06

my mum said that they used to put a rusk in the bottle and feed it before bed to make baby go longer!

my brother always had this and is fine... not that i am advocating it... just saying that doing it doesn't mean that yuo WILL suffer in the end

LIZS · 08/07/2005 19:15

There might be "cerelac" but there are also lots of different ones by Nestle, Milupa etc. In German it is called "brei" but you can also mix it much firmer to feed from a spoon like baby rice and baby cereals in UK.

HappyMumof2 · 08/07/2005 19:20

Message withdrawn

hercules · 08/07/2005 19:25

Blimey, Hmo2- you've joined the clique!

HappyMumof2 · 08/07/2005 19:27

Message withdrawn

NotQuiteCockney · 08/07/2005 19:37

The cereal in bottles thing is particularly depressing because recent research shows that babies can't digest starches at all before 4 months. Their pancreas just isn't up to it. So the cereal just makes them feel full, without actually providing any nutrition.

Giving baby rice at this point is also not going to result in them getting any calories from it, either.

Original poster
thymes2 · 08/07/2005 19:38

Maybe the 6 month message isn't getting through to Mums as all the first baby food on the shelves has a little 'from 4 months onwards' plaque on it.
I got a little DVD on weaning from Heinz and in it they had obliterated the age advice on each product.

OP posts:
beansprout · 08/07/2005 19:41

That's a really big factor I think Thymes2. When you look around all the shops you would think babies start on food at 4 months ("stage one"). Advice from the WHO and everyone else is not nearly as visible.

Trouble is, there is less profit for certain companies if we all started weaning at 6 months. End of story.