14 Weeks old... Weaning too soon?

[Miss_Bump]

At the end of the day you asked for advice which you have been given.

Just because it wasn't what you wanted to hear doesn't mean anyone is being horrible.

What did you want people to say? Yeah great wean at 14 months there will be no ill effects....

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Re: iron stores - they don't 'run out' at 6 months. 6 months is the age they begin to deplete. They're fine on milk only for a lot longer than that and there is NO need to swap to follow on milk.

 

[aliss]

People need to understand what correlation, causation, large scale studies, etc. actually mean. I'm sorry, but mother doesn't always know best. The amount of women on this web site who seem to think that "if this happened to so and so, then it must be true or not true" or have never heard of a growth spurt is shocking. A baby screaming for solids at barely 3 months? A baby has no concept at that age.

 

[fluffyblue]

I have 3 children aged18, 10 and 4 months. The first two were weaned at 3 months and are two of the healthiest children i know. They eat anything my daughter even eats things like venison etc when we go to nice restuarants.

Guidelines are great but mums know there kids. Im a full time working mum and i dont have time to sit and let ollie make a complete mess everywhere with blw he will be TW and then BLW when he can eat properly. He has already had porridge and pureed veg fruit etc and he loves it.

I have had loafs of q's about weening early but havent dared post them because of the backlash. My son is perfectly healthy and happy has his milk and loves his food.

I go back to work in 6 weeks and want ollie eating well and happy for my minder since ive started weaning i have a new baby much more content.

Please dont judge me as a parent they are my children and my choices as you have your children and your choices x

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

I have 3 children aged18, 10 and 4 months. The first two were weaned at 3 months and are two of the healthiest children i know. They eat anything my daughter even eats things like venison etc when we go to nice restuarants.

Guidelines are great but mums know there kids. Im a full time working mum and i dont have time to sit and let ollie make a complete mess everywhere with blw he will be TW and then BLW when he can eat properly. He has already had porridge and pureed veg fruit etc and he loves it.

I have had loafs of q's about weening early but havent dared post them because of the backlash. My son is perfectly healthy and happy has his milk and loves his food.

I go back to work in 6 weeks and want ollie eating well and happy for my minder since ive started weaning i have a new baby much more content.

Please dont judge me as a parent they are my children and my choices as you have your children and your choices x

I know where you are coming from I have been slated LOADS about early weaning xx

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

Re: iron stores - they don't 'run out' at 6 months. 6 months is the age they begin to deplete. They're fine on milk only for a lot longer than that and there is NO need to swap to follow on milk.

Ellie got bloods done at 20 weeks and her iron levels were virtually none so she had a blood transfusion, the doctors cant tell me whether it was cause they do get lower round 6 month, she was prem or us one of they things x

 

[iceylou]

i started both mine at 4mths. in ireland it was 6mths now its been reduced back to 4mths. the booklet i got off my hv was crazy, and she also commented on what i gave her last month. it wasnt enough etc etc. i got the impression from her that nicole should be eating 3 course meals.

 

[NuKe]

I do think OP, to come on here and ask for advice and then accuse people of being "snotty" and "nasty old cows" for giving you advice is a bit rude. You asked for advice, people simply gave you the information and their opinions! You should have titled this thread "help me justify weaning at 14 weeks". The government guidelines state 6 months. That's it. If people want to wean before that, they are advised to wait until 17 weeks at the earliest. Weaning before that is NOT advised unless for medical reasons. It's not advised for a reason. That's the bottom line. Normally I just ignore threads like this because it's all been said before but I find you responses very rude and felt compelled to post. I weaned my daughter at 5.5 months as she WAS ready. IMO, a 14 week old baby cannot be ready.

Oh and the reason they sell baby rice is to get babies used to a different texture!!

 

[misspeach24]

The reason they advise 6 months (and before you say it Claire this is the guideline for full time babies; not prem) is because of research showing that there is an increased risk of allergies and coeliacs if foods are given before 6 months, many people have got away with giving solids before 6 months but there is no harm in waiting; and at least you'd know that any allergies or health problems were not caused by early weaning. Just because loads of people online; friends and family etc wean early doesn't mean its the correct thing to do. It hasn't been advised to wean before 17 weeks since the early 1990s. Also weight is nothing to do with needing to be weaned onto solids; 16lbs at 14 weeks is not all that massive; and there are babies who are 20+ lbs at your LOs age who are only weaned at 6 months. Waiting to wean will do your LO no harm but weaning early could well do.

Again, there is even newer research that states that babies can get iron deficiency if not weaned early enough, and research that also resulted in babies having no allergies having been weaned earlier. It was an article in the scotsman i think i read a few months back.
I think a mum knows her baby best and every baby is different, and should be treated as an individual.

 

[tristansmum]

The reason they advise 6 months (and before you say it Claire this is the guideline for full time babies; not prem) is because of research showing that there is an increased risk of allergies and coeliacs if foods are given before 6 months, many people have got away with giving solids before 6 months but there is no harm in waiting; and at least you'd know that any allergies or health problems were not caused by early weaning. Just because loads of people online; friends and family etc wean early doesn't mean its the correct thing to do. It hasn't been advised to wean before 17 weeks since the early 1990s. Also weight is nothing to do with needing to be weaned onto solids; 16lbs at 14 weeks is not all that massive; and there are babies who are 20+ lbs at your LOs age who are only weaned at 6 months. Waiting to wean will do your LO no harm but weaning early could well do.

Again, there is even newer research that states that babies can get iron deficiency if not weaned early enough, and research that also resulted in babies having no allergies having been weaned earlier. It was an article in the scotsman i think i read a few months back.
I think a mum knows her baby best and every baby is different, and should be treated as an individual.

I know! They change their minds so much its no wonder we are all confused. I also read something about giving gluten before 6 months as this may help to reduce allergies in the future. Also read that its important to get baby eating lots of different foods and textures at 6 months... how do you do that if you only just started at 6 months. As you said all babies are different and so long as you are sensible i think you should do as your instincts guide you.

 

[Vici]

People need to understand what correlation, causation, large scale studies, etc. actually mean. I'm sorry, but mother doesn't always know best. The amount of women on this web site who seem to think that "if this happened to so and so, then it must be true or not true" or have never heard of a growth spurt is shocking. A baby screaming for solids at barely 3 months? A baby has no concept at that age.

Spot on - a baby can't cry for food cos it doesn't even know what food is!!

 

[summer rain]

The reason they advise 6 months (and before you say it Claire this is the guideline for full time babies; not prem) is because of research showing that there is an increased risk of allergies and coeliacs if foods are given before 6 months, many people have got away with giving solids before 6 months but there is no harm in waiting; and at least you'd know that any allergies or health problems were not caused by early weaning. Just because loads of people online; friends and family etc wean early doesn't mean its the correct thing to do. It hasn't been advised to wean before 17 weeks since the early 1990s. Also weight is nothing to do with needing to be weaned onto solids; 16lbs at 14 weeks is not all that massive; and there are babies who are 20+ lbs at your LOs age who are only weaned at 6 months. Waiting to wean will do your LO no harm but weaning early could well do.

Again, there is even newer research that states that babies can get iron deficiency if not weaned early enough, and research that also resulted in babies having no allergies having been weaned earlier. It was an article in the scotsman i think i read a few months back.
I think a mum knows her baby best and every baby is different, and should be treated as an individual.

That article has now been discredited and both the UK government and WHO have not changed their guidelines from 6 months. The research paper you're talking about is just a new interpretation of some old studies, not based on any new ones. Other research based on the same studies has come to the conclusion about waiting until 6 months. Also three out of the four authors of the paper work for baby food companies, so they have vested interests. This article explains why this paper is flawed.

https://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2011/01/starting-solids-facts-behind-todays.html

I know the coeliac UK society strongly advise against gluten before six months because the evidence that early weaning, particularly regarding gluten, is a major contributing cause to coeliacs; is very strong.

https://www.coeliac.org.uk/gluten-free-diet-lifestyle/family-and-friends/babies-and-weaning

 

[anna matronic]

Re: iron stores - they don't 'run out' at 6 months. 6 months is the age they begin to deplete. They're fine on milk only for a lot longer than that and there is NO need to swap to follow on milk.

Ellie got bloods done at 20 weeks and her iron levels were virtually none so she had a blood transfusion, the doctors cant tell me whether it was cause they do get lower round 6 month, she was prem or us one of they things x

Iron stores deplete earlier in prem babies obviously because they had less time on the womb to build them up. So a baby born 3 months early could have depleting iron by 3 months iyswim, but I don't think it is an exact science x

https://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/heart/ida.html#

Prematurity and low birth weight are other factors that put an infant at risk for IDA. Before birth, full-term, normal-weight babies have developed iron stores that can last them 4 to 6 months. Because preemies don't spend as much time in the uterus getting nutrients from the mother's diet, their iron stores are not as great and are often depleted in just 2 months.

 

[pinklightbulb]

Personally I know someone who weaned their baby at 8 weeks and that made me sick to MY stomach. I am not talking baby rice either, I am talking mashed vegies, desserts.... just no. Hon, I would wait until 17 weeks for baby rice, let alone anything else, I really would. Their little insides are just not ready for 'proper' food at 14 weeks.

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

Re: iron stores - they don't 'run out' at 6 months. 6 months is the age they begin to deplete. They're fine on milk only for a lot longer than that and there is NO need to swap to follow on milk.

Ellie got bloods done at 20 weeks and her iron levels were virtually none so she had a blood transfusion, the doctors cant tell me whether it was cause they do get lower round 6 month, she was prem or us one of they things x

Iron stores deplete earlier in prem babies obviously because they had less time on the womb to build them up. So a baby born 3 months early could have depleting iron by 3 months iyswim, but I don't think it is an exact science x

https://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/heart/ida.html#

Prematurity and low birth weight are other factors that put an infant at risk for IDA. Before birth, full-term, normal-weight babies have developed iron stores that can last them 4 to 6 months. Because preemies don't spend as much time in the uterus getting nutrients from the mother's diet, their iron stores are not as great and are often depleted in just 2 months.

yeah I know how it works in a prem but when Ellie was checked for iron at birth buy bloods she had the same amount a full term baby would have so thats why they arent def putting Ellies low iron down to being prem, when we went to the blood clinic there was a girl there and her baby was 2 weeks late and her baby also had low iron levels xx

 

[fluffyblue]

If we were to believe all the studies our kids would never develop now its that formula fed babies are needy for goodnes sakes !

All three of mine were FF and the eldest two are very independant, Ollie is just a baby. At the end of the day im not a dietician nor a scientist im a mum doing best for my kids my way and they are happy and healthy so you can keep guidelines etc - no offemce to anyone xxxx

 

[lozzy21]

Babys arnt clones of each other, they all have different health needs. We dont know why adults have low iron, it just happens, just like adults

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

Babys arnt clones of each other, they all have different health needs. We dont know why adults have low iron, it just happens, just like adults

yeah this is totally true, they are doing tests on Ellies blood now as they think that her white blood cells are attacking her red bloods cells xx

 

[v2007]

14 weeks

Even i think that is too early, when i had my daughter in 1999. the guidelines were 16 weeks and it has been increased since.

He has no clue what food even is, and last time read Hungry baby milk is just thicker to keep them full for longer not more calories.

His little system wont be able to cope with all that milk combined with porridge

Not read all the replies but have you spoke to your HV and if so what did she say?

V xxx

 

[v2007]

I have carried on weaning my son as he is enjoying the baby rice, I think PERSONALLY everyone has there own reason, and I know for a fact he will not last till 6 months. Also there is no rush, no wanting to force my son into something he doesnt want to do. But purely I dont want my son to feel starving or ill and the fact HE is wanting to be wean not out of my own selfish needs.... Sorry ladies but some of you are coming across this way.

The why start a thread with a ?? in the title