14 Weeks old... Weaning too soon?

[Broodypants]

Early weaning threads always interest me, I feel very strongly that babies should not be weaned until much closer to six months unless medically necessary.

I simply do not accept comments such as mum's know best when it comes to weaning, can any of us see into our babies bodies to determine whether their tiny immature little digestive systems are ready? How on earth can we say we know best.

Guidelines are there for a reason, they are well researched and advice is given against a wide range of evidence collected for a number of years, yet so many people still choose to ignore this because so and so weaned their baby at nine/ten/twelve weeks and he or she is fine.

Someone mentioned that weaning is a personal choice, yes it is and unfortunately many children who have been weaned from a very early age will have to bear the consequences of their mothers choices for the rest of their lives.

Why take the risk? It's just not worth it, in my opinion.

 

[pinklightbulb]

I agree that mother doesn't always know best. If that was the case, I wouldn't know a baby who was weaned at 8 weeks and is now 3 times the size she should be at 14 months. She is well over the 98th percentile for weight, but only at 98th for height. It makes me sick. That kid will be lucky to never have problems when she is older given the damage that has already been done. It's unreal how anyone could think 8 weeks is OK for mashed vegies, apple pie and ice cream, gravy.... it seriously does my head in. And the worst thing is, this girl's next kid is going to get the same because 'she knows her baby and if it is hungry milk isn't always enough.' Yes-- that might be so-- but at 8 fricking weeks old?! Sorry, doesn't wash with me. Don't be so lazy and give more milk if that baby is still hungry, don't give food at 8 weeks. For God's sake.
Sorry, rant over. But this has been pissing me off for soooooo long now and especially since the next kid (on the way) will be getting the same. Sigh.

 

[c.m.c]

i am so proud that i havent weaned my baby yet and i plan to wait to 6 months! everybody i seem to know or am related to seem to wean at 4 months at the latest !!!!!!!! one person actually said to me ' dont listen to the HV what does she know!!!!!!!!!'

i am so fed up with people telling me that milk is making my baby fat and 'blowing her up' and she should be on a spoon feed to get her weight down!!!!!!

i KNOW i am doing the right thing as i have researched literature to back up my decision to wait to 6 months but sometimes i could scream at people who tell me to wean early... my aunt told me at 6 weeks that my baby 'needed a spoon' because she was so big.... i would love to see the size of her if i did wean early!!!!! its very hard to try and explain this to them as when i start to explain they stop listening and tell me theyre sick of my 'rants'

the problem is for years and years people weaned earlier and its a hard cycle to break when mums tell their children when to wean their children-----

 

[c.m.c]

I agree that mother doesn't always know best. If that was the case, I wouldn't know a baby who was weaned at 8 weeks and is now 3 times the size she should be at 14 months. She is well over the 98th percentile for weight, but only at 98th for height. It makes me sick. That kid will be lucky to never have problems when she is older given the damage that has already been done. It's unreal how anyone could think 8 weeks is OK for mashed vegies, apple pie and ice cream, gravy.... it seriously does my head in. And the worst thing is, this girl's next kid is going to get the same because 'she knows her baby and if it is hungry milk isn't always enough.' Yes-- that might be so-- but at 8 fricking weeks old?! Sorry, doesn't wash with me. Don't be so lazy and give more milk if that baby is still hungry, don't give food at 8 weeks. For God's sake.
Sorry, rant over. But this has been pissing me off for soooooo long now and especially since the next kid (on the way) will be getting the same. Sigh.

i totally agree- my SIL gave baby rice in her kids last bottle at night from 6 weeks- to get her to sleep all night--- just get up in the middle of the night and feed the child and dont be so lazy!!!

 

[Miss_Bump]

i am so proud that i havent weaned my baby yet and i plan to wait to 6 months! everybody i seem to know or am related to seem to wean at 4 months at the latest !!!!!!!! one person actually said to me ' dont listen to the HV what does she know!!!!!!!!!'

i am so fed up with people telling me that milk is making my baby fat and 'blowing her up' and she should be on a spoon feed to get her weight down!!!!!!

i KNOW i am doing the right thing as i have researched literature to back up my decision to wait to 6 months but sometimes i could scream at people who tell me to wean early... my aunt told me at 6 weeks that my baby 'needed a spoon' because she was so big.... i would love to see the size of her if i did wean early!!!!! its very hard to try and explain this to them as when i start to explain they stop listening and tell me theyre sick of my 'rants'

the problem is for years and years people weaned earlier and its a hard cycle to break when mums tell their children when to wean their children-----

Good for you for waiting

So many people think that a big baby needs more than just milk and this is just so untrue! Same goes for a small baby.

I think a lot of people who have weaned early havnt fully researched the problems it can cause later on in life.

 

[lozzy21]

i am so proud that i havent weaned my baby yet and i plan to wait to 6 months! everybody i seem to know or am related to seem to wean at 4 months at the latest !!!!!!!! one person actually said to me ' dont listen to the HV what does she know!!!!!!!!!'

i am so fed up with people telling me that milk is making my baby fat and 'blowing her up' and she should be on a spoon feed to get her weight down!!!!!!
i KNOW i am doing the right thing as i have researched literature to back up my decision to wait to 6 months but sometimes i could scream at people who tell me to wean early... my aunt told me at 6 weeks that my baby 'needed a spoon' because she was so big.... i would love to see the size of her if i did wean early!!!!! its very hard to try and explain this to them as when i start to explain they stop listening and tell me theyre sick of my 'rants'

the problem is for years and years people weaned earlier and its a hard cycle to break when mums tell their children when to wean their children-----

You stick to your guns hun there talking crap, we started weaning 2 weeks ago and shes jumped from the 50th to the 70th centile.

 

[Fabby]

What kind of problems can it cause by weaning early? Digestive problems? xx

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

What kind of problems can it cause by weaning early? Digestive problems? xx

yeah and then it "could" cause allergies, heart problems obesity and a few other problems, I have weaned Ellie very early due to medical reasons x

 

[Miss_Bump]

What kind of problems can it cause by weaning early? Digestive problems? xx

https://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

I think that there is ALOT of info out there for weaning but very little on weaning a prem which is such hard work would be nice if the people putting together all the info realised that there are prem babies in the world too xx

 

[bumbleberry]

I think that there is ALOT of info out there for weaning but very little on weaning a prem which is such hard work would be nice if the people putting together all the info realised that there are prem babies in the world too xx

They do, a simple search will find you plenty of information on the subject.

However the OP in this thread was not asking regarding advice for a prem baby which I'm sorry to say you keep coming back to and telling us this as previous posters have already stated

I'm sure those who have prem babies are fully aware that it is slightly different and I'm sure they all get the correct medical advice from professionals.

 

[c.m.c]

What kind of problems can it cause by weaning early? Digestive problems? xx

the one that scares me is that it has been linked to inflammatory bowel problems- google 'chrons disease' or 'ulcerative colitis' and its not nice- i have seen young (age 18) people who have had most of their small bowel removed due to IBD- i know not everyone who has IBD was weaned early- just like not everyone with lung cancer smokes ------ and i know millions of people- including myself as a baby have been weaned early and had no problems i am not willing to take the risk on my LO.

weaning age really is a melting pot for a lot of opinions, but IBD is my main concern-

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

I think that there is ALOT of info out there for weaning but very little on weaning a prem which is such hard work would be nice if the people putting together all the info realised that there are prem babies in the world too xx

They do, a simple search will find you plenty of information on the subject.

However the OP in this thread was not asking regarding advice for a prem baby which I'm sorry to say you keep coming back to and telling us this as previous posters have already stated

I'm sure those who have prem babies are fully aware that it is slightly different and I'm sure they all get the correct medical advice from professionals.

well al just not post anymore then, if I seem to bore you all, but I do have a baby too you know and care for her, and I did answer the question on what the problems can be!!!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I don't think anyone was saying you were boring, it's just that this is a thread from someone who is considering weaning early under 'normal' circumstances, and your situation with your LO is not strictly relevant, as you have special circumstances that the OP doesn't have. So just because it might be best for your LO to have food early it doesn't mean it is for the OP's baby.

 

[aliss]

I don't think anyone was saying you were boring, it's just that this is a thread from someone who is considering weaning early under 'normal' circumstances, and your situation with your LO is not strictly relevant, as you have special circumstances that the OP doesn't have. So just because it might be best for your LO to have food early it doesn't mean it is for the OP's baby.

^This, and I'm not sure why people need to keep going in circles with you over this, do you not understand that a full-term baby's weaning needs are not the same as your preemie? Why intentionally bring it up and possibly confuse mothers of full-term non-medical need babies?

Mine was 1 week late and 9lb 3oz but with severe reflux - yes, I started him on fruit puree early at around 16 weeks on medical advice purely for reflux but I don't go ahead and offer that to mothers with non-reflux babies. My situation, like yours, is not typical. His acid reflux pain and your daughter's lack of nutrient development in the womb is a problem which the risk is more than the small risk of future IBS etc. so we introduce solids a little earlier. OP's baby and other full-term babies do not have acid reflux pains or lack nutrient development from prematurity therefore the risks of early weaning are simply not worth it.

 

[jojo_b]

As someone with IBS, even if I thought my baby was "ready" for weaning earlier than 6 months, I'd still hold off - I wouldn't wish IBS or other similar conditions on my worst enemy, never mind my little baba. I wouldn't ignore medical advice under any other circumstances, so why ignore medical advice on weaning? It's all well and good to say that guidelines used to be different, but we used to think the Earth was flat. Things change as research gets more sophisticated!

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

I did answer the question that was originally asked though did I not

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

I don't think anyone was saying you were boring, it's just that this is a thread from someone who is considering weaning early under 'normal' circumstances, and your situation with your LO is not strictly relevant, as you have special circumstances that the OP doesn't have. So just because it might be best for your LO to have food early it doesn't mean it is for the OP's baby.

^This, and I'm not sure why people need to keep going in circles with you over this, do you not understand that a full-term baby's weaning needs are not the same as your preemie? Why intentionally bring it up and possibly confuse mothers of full-term non-medical need babies?

Mine was 1 week late and 9lb 3oz but with severe reflux - yes, I started him on fruit puree early at around 16 weeks on medical advice purely for reflux but I don't go ahead and offer that to mothers with non-reflux babies. My situation, like yours, is not typical. His acid reflux pain and your daughter's lack of nutrient development in the womb is a problem which the risk is more than the small risk of future IBS etc. so we introduce solids a little earlier. OP's baby and other full-term babies do not have acid reflux pains or lack nutrient development from prematurity therefore the risks of early weaning are simply not worth it.

I do bring it up but its in no way intentional sometimes a question asked I answer with my own experiance, other people come across and answer some things i ask about weaning like BLW or weaning after 6 month, when they know I TW and started Ellie well before 6 month and thats because that is there experiance not because they want to intentionally confuse me???

 

[Natsku]

As someone with IBS, even if I thought my baby was "ready" for weaning earlier than 6 months, I'd still hold off - I wouldn't wish IBS or other similar conditions on my worst enemy, never mind my little baba. I wouldn't ignore medical advice under any other circumstances, so why ignore medical advice on weaning? It's all well and good to say that guidelines used to be different, but we used to think the Earth was flat. Things change as research gets more sophisticated!

I don't see why anyone would risk increasing the chances of their child getting digestive issues by weaning early unless they have to for medical reasons.
I have coeliac disease and I definitely wouldn't wish that on my child (I was weaned at 4 months) and my brother just had surgery to remove part of his bowel because of ulcerative colitis (and almost missed the birth of his second child because of it)

the Earth IS flat though

 

[kmac625]

I think most people who wean before 6 months, whether on the doctor's advice or not, don't give any wheat/gluten products before 6 months. At least I know I didn't, nor did anyone else I know personally who has weaned early. Also, I'm not saying that early weaning didn't cause your celiac's disease, but the one person I know with it wasn't weaned until 5.5 months, and had no wheat until 8 months (I know this because I had him ask his mother when I was starting weaning).