weaning 1 week before 6 months - is this ok?

[fizzledrizzle]

I keep hearing about the 6 month rule -

1. Does it really matter in the scheme of things if I start solids one week before the 6 month mark?

2. Also any idea about when breastfeeds will drop - I am still feeding 8-10 times a day??

I am getting very tired with regards to how often I bf and my baby keeps trying to grab my food - so I don't want to hold out anymore. I am going to try BLW.

nappyaddict fwiw my baby took a bite of the banana and then chewed it and then eventually swallowed it. Same with the mushy carrots - which were in stick like shapes but disintegrated.

As to size - I don't know whether it is a factor but my baby was just over 8 kg about 4 weeks ago?

Question - what are the best iron rich foods to feed a baby?

Was it a whole banana then rather than banana chunks?

Ah just seen your baby is 25 weeks which is a bit different to the 20-22 weeks that these babies were.

I broke off the banana and the bit was about the length of my middle finger - my baby grabbed it and took off a bite.

The slushy remaining part was mashed and I put this on the spoon.

TBH nappyaddict i can't remember if he did it from the start. he did play with it more than anything at first, but probably because he didn't have a clue what it was, but i know he was properly breaking off chunks of banana, carrot, pear etc. way before 26 weeks - definitely competent at this by 24 i'd say. we celebrated 26 weeks with his first roast dinner and he managed to break off bits of roast beef and yorkshire pudding and chew and swallow quite happily, so he had clearly worked out how to break off bits of food long before then if he could do it with chewier food quite happily at 26 weeks.

as i said, he was an early developer on the sitting front - proper ramrod straight back, no support from hands etc. from 21 weeks, and no sign of tongue thrust reflex being present etc. so i think he was slightly ahead of normal curve. maybe 22 weeks was a little early but we probably weren't far wrong (a week or maybe two out at most, certainly don't think we were 4 weeks too soon).

FWIW, I'm pg with DC2 and fully intend to go to 26 weeks, but will see how DC2 is developing. had no intention of weaning DS sooner, but i knew what to look for and it seemed like he might be ready. that was part of the deciding reason to go BLW - felt if i did puree at 22 weeks then i wouldn't know if he was really ready, but BLW was much more about him being physically capable.

i don't recommend weaning earlier to friends, but if they ask my experience i tell them about DS, and do tell them to e.g. not do it if tongue thrust still there, child not able to sit unaided etc. i make it clear that i owuldn't have weaned then if he couldn't do these things.

Going through a similar experience to what megonthemoon described. DS not 6months until 8th May & I also had intended to stick to 26wks, but he decided otherwise!

He had all the other indicators: stitting balance, bringing things to his mouth easily, lost tongue thrust & was so grabby at mealtimes that I've been giving him bits for about a week or two. Just veg & fruit - holding off on dairy, meat and gluten-y foods until past the 26wks mark. He makes proper chewing movements and stuff has definately been going down.

Sounds like your lo is also wanting to set the pace too - if the signs are there and you feel comfortable with it I'd say give it a go.

Not noticed any diff in bfing yet. Or sleeping. Hope something changes when other foods are introduced!

I laid out banana, avocado, pear as well as some avocado on strips of pita bread. I didn't think my baby was actually hungry but he stuffed it in, chewing and swallowing. I'm a bit shocked by how much he has eaten.

He slobbered on the pita bread and chewed it.

Squeals of delight.

A week makes no difference - if the tongue thrust reflex is gone and the gag reflex has moved to the back of the mouth - which happens AROUND 6 months - then baby can have solids.

Also, although it's allergies that are considered in the above-linked papers, the main reason for waiting till six months is that those reflexes are an indication that the baby's gut can't actually digest solids yet. With early weaning you can spend a lot of time and effort spooning in baby rice and puree without it making any actual difference to the feeding of baby - it just comes out the other end undigested.

read the above paper properly- the gut is ready by 4 months.

"The available data suggest that both renal
function and gastrointestinal function are sufficiently
mature to metabolise nutrients from complementary
foods by the age of 4 months (12). With respect to
gastrointestinal function, it is known that exposure
to solids and the transition from a high-fat to a
high-carbohydrate diet is associated with hormonal
responses (eg, insulin, adrenal hormones) that result
in adaptation of digestive functions to the nature of the
ingested foods, by increasing the maturation rate of
some enzymatic functions and/or activities (13,14).
Thus, to a large degree gastrointestinal maturation is
driven by the foods ingested."

oh all this stuff is so ridiculous - the most important thing about the six month rule is not to give gluten and stuff like that - rice is allergy wise pretty inert as are most basic vegs - stay away from citrus and peppers etc but honeslty, who do we know has an allergy to carrot or apples from being weaned to early?

I speak as a mummy of two coeliac children who were both breastfed for over a year each, didn't have gluten until way over 6 months although the guidline then was 4 months) - these guidelines are lowest common denominator rules, made for people who don't have the common sense to work it out for themselves.

The six month rule is all very good as long as mummy and baby are happy - if it is a little ealier, the sky is not going to fall in - surely this is just common sense and everyone seems so weighed down with 'good' advice.

if you read the links above the introduction of gluton(and other allergens) too late is just as bad as too early

Bruffin - You may well be right but the evidence is nothing like as clearcut as you suggest. About the only thing that paediatric immunolgists agree on is that no one yet knows when is the right time to wean.

Hence the EAT study and the like - very much in its infancy and certainly a long way from proving that early weaning prevents allergies. Gideon Lack and co would never claim to know that early weaning was preventative - that is what the study is for.

There are plenty of other large scale studies suggesting the opposite - others that are inconclusive and others where the methodology is slightly flawed.

A literally 'suck it and see' approach is all anyone can recommend at the moment.

I've read that link that bruffin has posted and there is some interesting stuff about gluten in Sweden. They raised it to six months, coeliac cases rose dramatically, they brought it back down to four months, coeliac cases dropped again. They advise gluten not before 3 months but not after 7 months.

Not the expert, just interesting reading.

If the baby can sit up completely straight, no tongue thrust and can pick up food and shove it in, go for it.

My DS has had a bit of steak sucked it and chucked it but was going mmm mmm mmm and all the iron is in the juices anyway, so very good for him. That was a day over 6 months.

Bruffin's REVIEW (not study, review) also talks about the importance of protein in early diet, from meat, and the impact on haemoglobin levels. It is very interesting reading anyway.