Weaning at 4 months

[stressheaderic]

Would anyone here like to admit to it?

I have one DD, 18 weeks old (4mo + 1 wk). On the lower end of the weight scale at just 11lb 8oz, but following the 2nd centile steadily. Have been bombarded with the 'wait til 6 months' brigade for weeks now.

But - she's hungry. She's been downing her 8oz bottles in minutes, grabbing at our food, waking up unsettled in the night. So, this morning, I gave her some baby rice. And she wolfed down the whole bowlful, swallowed each little mouthful really well, filled her nappy, and then relaxed into the deepest, longest sleep she's had for ages.

I went with my instinct, and I was right. I thought I'd feel bad about it but I don't.
Did anyone else offer food 'early'? And how did you get on?

"As long as you are happy with your decision who cares!"

Well your child might if your their gut is damaged, or they end up with a load of allergies. Has this not occurred to you? Or are the scientists and WHO just making it up for fun?

I would like to point out that I have not stated that I have started weaning early btw. That is irrelevant to the point that I am making. I am saying that as women we should attack each other less and have more compassion.
I do think that the WHO guidelines encompass the world population and have to include a lowest common denominator (just like those weird maximum B GCSE papers). I also think that all mums seem to become pseudo scientists very quickly with little training when talking about baby feeding!

""There is ... a concern that any baby's digestive system is not mature enough until about six months and that having solids before then can harm organs like the kidneys. Weaning any earlier than four months is certainly not advised in any situation" From here

That applies to babies no matter where you live!

'I also think that all mums seem to become pseudo scientists very quickly with little training when talking about baby feeding!

But it's the early weaners who are being the pseudo scientists - the res of us are just following the guidelines produces by real scientists!

DH was weaned at 6 weeks.

On peanut butter and pilchards.

DH's mother was given crap advice and had to care for a baby who was skinny and sickly until he was about 3 years old.

I was weaned at 3/4 months and was also permanently ill until the age of 5 or 6.

DD was given her first solids at 5 1/2 months. Sometimes she eats, sometimes she doesn't. I am quite relaxed about the whole business. I hate Annabel Karmel and her prescriptive approach to something which should be far more organic.

Instinct, you see, coupled with evidence-based knowledge and a bit of anecdote.

Well, I was weaned at 8 weeks and have a stomach of iron and none of the allergies etc associated with early weaning. On my evidence based knowledge and anecdote could have weaned dd at 8 weeks too using that logic. Anecdotal evidence if pooh-poohed down when it contradicts the most recent research should also be dismissed when used to support it.

Seeker - I am not differentiating between early weaners and guideline followers. I am talking about all of us. Your consistent misunderstanding of this basic point keeps proving my other point - that we all seem out to criticise one another the whole time. Even if you wait till six months to wean but do purees not the 'fashionable' and 'modern' blw then you will still have critics. And I think that's pathetic. Pathetic enough to warrant beginning a sentence with and.

I've just come back to this thread to read the arguments. I started weaning at around 6 months. My DS is now 9 months and the difference in his ability to manage food is incredible. I didn't really get into three meals a day until the last couple of weeks and I don't think I've missed any window of opportunity.

One of my friends weaned her baby at 17 weeks and now at 9 months her DS has lost a lot of weight (now dropped off the chart) because she's got terrible advice from her HV (wean early to encourage weight gain and stop night feeds at 6 months). I pick him up and can feel his ribs

However, I will not say anything as her reaction will probably be something like those on this thread.

FWIW I was weaned, nearly 30 years ago, at 7 months because it didn't cross my mum's mind that I might want/need solids until my aunt mentioned it! The only allergy I have is hayfever. And I like all kinds of food

"Your consistent misunderstanding of this basic point keeps proving my other point - that we all seem out to criticise one another the whole time."

Eh? Don't understand!

Beginning a sentence with and is fine if you're using it as a rhetorical flourish. Don't be cowed by primary school grammar rules!

Hi all, I am struggling with a decision my paediatrician made to get my son to start weaning at 13 weeks... He has gone from 98th to 25th centile and is not putting any weight on. We have been moved to Soya milk due to a potential intolerance to cows milk, but still no weight gain.

I went to the HV today and sat crying while she sat there and told me I could be damaging my baby's bowl to wean so young...

But he seems so much happier with some simple rice/porridge with sweet-pot or apple. And he has put some weight on this week...

Anyone else been given advice to wean their baby so young? I just need to know I am not the only one and that I am doing the right thing, after all it did come as advice from a paediatrician....

sianelizabeth why did your paediatrician advise you to wean to early?

You should listen to your HV IMO.

I'm sorry, it must be very difficult to get such conflicting advice.

sian if there's a cows milk allergy there could be a soya allergy too. You should ask your GP/paed to prescribe hypoallergenic formula (I think it's called neocate?). It tastes a bit grim but you can get the baby used to it by gradually switching. TBH fruits aren't going to help your DS put on weight as they're just sugar, surely?

sian my daughter is on neocate for suspected cow's milk intolerance. It worked very well for her - see my earlier post - she also had bad reflux and is on meds for that too - she was screaming when feeding and various other things (combination of the pain from the acid/reflux and the milk allergy.) We tried other formula first - cow and gate pepti and pepti junior which are broken down further Medium Chain Polymers I think - that is essentially what a cow's milk intolerance is - inability to process the proteins (even though they have been partially broken down already in formula). Anyway Necoate has long chain polymers and is completely amino acid based and broken down. The NHS are sometimes reluctant to prescribe neocate straight away and like you to try the other ones first as Necocate costs £35 a tin - 400g only - so it eats into the drug budget rather! But definitely raise this with the Dr - they should get you trying the different formulas asap if the soya isn't working... Hope that helps

Sorry NEOCATE not necoate!

If you're breastfeeding, go for it. If you're FF then best wait till 6 months to wean.

sunangel88 surely if FF (and even if BF), just don't introduce any wheat or gluten until at least 6 months....?

Apparently not according to recent research (plus many UK mums stop BF at 6 months due to having to go back to work)... and there's ongoing research to try to make completely sure before the guidelines change....

All goes to show that current guidelines are still not the optimum advice. Have also read an article on how some formula during first two weeks of a baby's life can reduce risk of cow protein intolerance early exposure theory).