14 Weeks old... Weaning too soon?

[kmac625]

14 weeks does seem a little young to me. I was advised to start weaning shortly after 4 months (almost 19 weeks) due to Clara's slow weight gain and a drop in the centiles. Her pediatrician had first had me pumping and giving her a top up bottle of ebm daily starting at 3 months to see if that helped first. Around 14 weeks they go through a big growth spurt and that's probably why your lo is extra hungry lately. All said though, you aren't killing him and likely he won't suffer any consequences from early weaning, but I'd keep it to just rice cereal for now, and definitely no wheat until 6 months.

 

[lozzy21]

Thank you all x
just one last question. Why does it say on all baby food and drinks 4-6 months. Why doesnt it from 6 months onwards. This does confuse me a lot. Why isnt WHO doing something about this potentially false and medically harmful advise. I cannot go to my HV as she doesnt really have a clue aboy my son. Shes just their to weigj him.
May i just add everyone is entitled to there own opinon and can share theyre past experience with there little ones. X

Because if people do wean early they need to know what's sutable. Babys under 6 months arnt supposed to have glutan so if it just said 6+ how would you know?

 

[jenkinskay]

What do you mean how would i know.

 

[louise1302]

the guidelines are 17 weeks (4 months) to 26 weeks (6 months) they advise waiting until the full 6 monthsd but say 17 weeks at the earliest hence the food manufacturers labelling their food from the earliest possible age it can be used from to get you buying it sooner
noone has said food between 4 and 6 months is unsafe just unadvisable iyswim

 

[lozzy21]

What do you mean how would i know.

How would you know there were sutable from 4 months if it dident have it on the pack

 

[Poppy7]

I waited until my LO was 6 months until I weaned him and am so glad that I did. IMO, unless it's upon medical advice, 14 weeks is too young. The guidelines used to say 4 months but that has changed now.

My Mum weaned me at 4 months (so slightly older than your LO) and I suffer from terrible IBS.

Milk contains far more calories than any other food you can buy for babies. So, if you are filling your baby up on solids it will not be as beneficial as milk. Your baby, your choice

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

if waiting to 6 month did you wean at 24 weeks or 26 weeks?

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Personally, 26 weeks.

 

[Poppy7]

Personally, 26 weeks.

Same here.

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

yeah I know I weaned Ellie early but my friend was saying she was waiting til 6 month, 24 weeks but I said no 6 month is 26 weeks she just couldnt understand lol

 

[Poppy7]

yeah I know I weaned Ellie early but my friend was saying she was waiting til 6 month, 24 weeks but I said no 6 month is 26 weeks she just couldnt understand lol

People always get confused by the week/month conversion!

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

lol yeah I know as Ellie is 25 weeks so my MIL was like thats her over 6 month I was like no next Sat she is she couldnt get it haha x

 

[Miss_Bump]

Personally 14 weeks is way too young

I'd recommend anyone 6 months - what's the rush?

 

[weezyweu]

I have 3 children the youngest just coming up to 6 months, you knwo your baby and what they want. my son hated milk, he wouldn't drink it and was losing weight the hv advised putting him on baby rice he was 12 weeks old (that was 11years ago)

My youngest has been left the longest at 17 weeks I started weaning, he has done great his weight gain has levelled out, he has no longer suffered with his reflux and he is a happier baby.

Mums know what there baby wants, I have 2 friends who both waited until 6 months to wean. 1 has a now 10 month old who wont eat anything will still only have milk or mashed potato. She has offered food at every meal etc but he wont have it. He weighs nearly 30IB!!! The second one son is now 2, again a very fussy eater, he will eat crisps, choc and chips. She has a daughter who is 6 and at that time weaning was 4 months she eats anything.

They are both certain the waiting til 6 months caused the eating problems and neither would do it again.

But as I said we all know our babies and what is best for them

 

[Fabby]

I have 3 children the youngest just coming up to 6 months, you knwo your baby and what they want. my son hated milk, he wouldn't drink it and was losing weight the hv advised putting him on baby rice he was 12 weeks old (that was 11years ago)

My youngest has been left the longest at 17 weeks I started weaning, he has done great his weight gain has levelled out, he has no longer suffered with his reflux and he is a happier baby.

Mums know what there baby wants, I have 2 friends who both waited until 6 months to wean. 1 has a now 10 month old who wont eat anything will still only have milk or mashed potato. She has offered food at every meal etc but he wont have it. He weighs nearly 30IB!!! The second one son is now 2, again a very fussy eater, he will eat crisps, choc and chips. She has a daughter who is 6 and at that time weaning was 4 months she eats anything.

They are both certain the waiting til 6 months caused the eating problems and neither would do it again.

But as I said we all know our babies and what is best for them

I kind of agree with this when going off experience of friends babies x

 

[summer rain]

No offence but babies will only go for mashed potato, chocolate, chips, crisps etc if that is what they have been offered when weaning; if they haven't tried these things; they won't prefer them. That says more about your friends offering innappropriate foods than the age of weaning.

I've had the opposite experience my eldest was weaned at just short of 17 weeks, when he was a baby he was less fussy and would eat anything going but as a toddler he became more and more fussy; and as an older child he is extremely fussy; he picks at his food ALL the time, refuses to eat a lot of things and seems to get full really quickly. Its embarassing taking him anywhere because he usually won't touch the food. On the other hand my two middle sons; who simply were not interested in solids until past 6 months (second eldest had a few jars here and there at about five months but wouldn't finish them and just didn't like them) are both very adventurous eaters, will eat any type of vegetable or fruit (except Courgette for some strange reason!), and they are bottomless pits, they will gladly have second or even third helpings of whats on offer. My MIL loves my second youngest especially for that as he will eat anything she has cooked and ask for more. xx

 

[lozzy21]

Its what you wean baby on that causes problems not when you wean.

If babys are weaned only on jars they are more likely to be fussy eaters when older (Now thats not my opinion thats based on stats that my health visitor has) since jars have a much blander flavour than what there supposed to be made of. They also have the same proccessed texture no matter what you have. I went on a weaning course and we were given a jar of carrot and potato and some home cooked pureed carrot and potato and the jar tasted nothing like the real thing.

A friends two children were weaned in different ways and have different attitudes to food. One was meaned at 4 months on baby rice and jars and is the fussiest child even with food. Her youngest was weaned at 6 months with home made food and will eat everything in sight.

 

[weezyweu]

Kind of agree with the above. All 3 of my children have been weaned on our food and not jars at all. The 2 eldest eat everything Lo does at the minute but too early to tell.

As for my friends offering the wrong weaning foods I dont class potato as wrong. As for the 2 year old she has given him there food from 6 months as she did with her daughter from 4 months, I have been there on numerous occasions when he has spat food out from being 7 8 mnths old that he wouldnt eat. He now gets what he will eat. he has seen specialists etc and he just want eat it.

As i said before though I really do think it depends on the children. As we are they are all different.

i dont think allergies are caused by early weaning both my two where weaned earl and both are very healthy no allergies or anything at all.

 

[jenkinskay]

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.

 

[lozzy21]

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.

Then why start a thread about weaning at 14 weeks when you dont want people to disagree with you when your going against medical advice?