Early weaning and obesity?

[kirsty x]

so if the new recommended weaning age is 6 months, how come on the packet of baby rice it says from 4 months ? hmm im confused lol

 

[alice&bump]

i think they're thinking of moving it back down, cos not many babies make it to 6 months (MW told me that a few do make it, but most dont). tbh they cant make up their minds what to do!!

 

[mamalove]

I don't see how it can cause obesity. Just take a look at our past generations,obesity wasn't a problem then.and weaning was introduced REALLY early.
It's more to do with WHAT food you give your children. Two months wont make a difference to be honest.

 

[LaDY]

I think its a difficult one. I had the awful experience of seeing someone from my OH's family pretty much force feeding a 3 and a half month old...it was awful. He didn't even want the food yet they kept giving him it...when i saw him after a few months bless him he was pretty much the size of a 1year old! ...so sweet bless him...but i felt so mad at their parents!!...he clearly wasnt ready and i personally felt they were feeding him too frequently.

After seeing that i sometimes think its just knowing when your LO is ready and using common sense on the type of food and quantity...when they are ready they are ready right?! it makes you wonder though...xx

 

[sparkswillfly]

so if the new recommended weaning age is 6 months, how come on the packet of baby rice it says from 4 months ? hmm im confused lol

because the government never changed the law to say that companies cant advertise food from 4 months when the new recommendation came in. Obviously companies are still going to put from 4 months on the packaging because it helps them sell more.

 

[techi_girly]

My mum weaned me when I was 9 weeks old as I was such a hungry baby. I was a slim size 8 before having Oliver and have no allergies or illnesses, I have suffered with IBS but this didnt start until my early 20's which I think is due not eating properly in my early 20's. I personnally think every person is different....please dont think I am advising to wean as early as my mum weaned me, I'm just stating that she did.

Oliver is 17 weeks on Tuesday, I know they say that you can wean from 17 weeks (well the baby food industry anyway) but I'm going to wait until he is ready for weaning rather than setting a date/time.

 

[Katiex]

We have just started weaning jacob this week, he is 4 month and early from what the hv says but he is ready for it. we would have held off weaning until 6m if he wasnt ready, but he is loving his baby rice and even tries to take the spoon out of our hands and feed himself. I guess we personally dont know if it has an effect on jacob until he is older, however he was ready for moving onto baby rice.
x

 

[Demeter]

Isn't the link with obesity to do with the eating habits that spoon-feeding instils? And early weaning requires purees as babies can't feed themselves before about 6 months.

It's funny isn't it that we say that "spoon-feeding" is bad, as in an adult who is spoon-fed is having something forced upon them, unable to think for themselves etc. And yet, to literally spoon feed our babies before they need anything other than milk is ok?

I don't get why anyone would feed their child anything other than milk before the point that modern science has found to be ideal People seem very happy to ignore the research or say that it doesn't apply to their child, but science tends toward a state of increased knowledge and international NGOs base their recommendations on credible research. Unicef and the WHO are not thinking about changing the recommendation of 6 months, they will go by whatever the research suggests. The reason so few babies "make it" to 6 months, as far as I can see, is because many parents get impatient.

 

[FierceAngel]

Isn't the link with obesity to do with the eating habits that spoon-feeding instils? And early weaning requires purees as babies can't feed themselves before about 6 months.

It's funny isn't it that we say that "spoon-feeding" is bad, as in an adult who is spoon-fed is having something forced upon them, unable to think for themselves etc. And yet, to literally spoon feed our babies before they need anything other than milk is ok?

I don't get why anyone would feed their child anything other than milk before the point that modern science has found to be ideal People seem very happy to ignore the research or say that it doesn't apply to their child, but science tends toward a state of increased knowledge and international NGOs base their recommendations on credible research. Unicef and the WHO are not thinking about changing the recommendation of 6 months, they will go by whatever the research suggests. The reason so few babies "make it" to 6 months, as far as I can see, is because many parents get impatient.

sorry but i find your post insulting i did not wean my child because i got impatient thank you very much! my daughter was starting to lose weight so was OBVIOUSLY not getting what she needed from 32-40ozs of milk a day!

it is not mine or my daughters fault tht she is starting to bum shuffle and therefor obv using more energy..

i do not force feed my daughter as some one mentioned earlier she actually feeds herself alot (all bit it messy)

the goverment reccomendation is a guideline its not for everyone..

im not looking to argue however i do not appreciate my parenting skills being judged as wrong.. if your child is happy and satisfied till 6 months then brill i wish luisa still was but she isnt..

 

[Demeter]

sorry but i find your post insulting i did not wean my child because i got impatient thank you very much! my daughter was starting to lose weight so was OBVIOUSLY not getting what she needed from 32-40ozs of milk a day!

it is not mine or my daughters fault tht she is starting to bum shuffle and therefor obv using more energy..

i do not force feed my daughter as some one mentioned earlier she actually feeds herself alot (all bit it messy)

the goverment reccomendation is a guideline its not for everyone..

im not looking to argue however i do not appreciate my parenting skills being judged as wrong.. if your child is happy and satisfied till 6 months then brill i wish luisa still was but she isnt..

And where exactly did anyone, including me, judge your parenting skills as wrong? It sounds to me like you had a genuine reason to wean (weight loss!)

 

[FierceAngel]

its more from the other early weaning thread were it was mentioned tht early weaners seem to think we have exceptions

 

[FierceAngel]

Isn't the link with obesity to do with the eating habits that spoon-feeding instils? And early weaning requires purees as babies can't feed themselves before about 6 months.

It's funny isn't it that we say that "spoon-feeding" is bad, as in an adult who is spoon-fed is having something forced upon them, unable to think for themselves etc. And yet, to literally spoon feed our babies before they need anything other than milk is ok?

I don't get why anyone would feed their child anything other than milk before the point that modern science has found to be ideal People seem very happy to ignore the research or say that it doesn't apply to their child, but science tends toward a state of increased knowledge and international NGOs base their recommendations on credible research. Unicef and the WHO are not thinking about changing the recommendation of 6 months, they will go by whatever the research suggests. The reason so few babies "make it" to 6 months, as far as I can see, is because many parents get impatient.

oh and this post the high lighted part in particular...

 

[ramblinhaggis]

I don't get why anyone would feed their child anything other than milk before the point that modern science has found to be ideal

Ah modern science, its clearly factual, based on extensive research....its a load of averages thats all it is and your baby is NOT an average. Just because a bunch of statistics says oooh the average baby weaned before 6 months MAY have problems later in life, doesnt mean you should presume you have an average baby. There are very obvious signs that some babies need more, such as failing to put on adequate weight, becoming very unhappy soon after feeds, needing fed constantly...but for the sake of modern science you would see a parent patiently waiting for 6 months and baby being miserable would you? What a totally judgemental post...i really hope you dont class your baby as average, as by following 'modern science' thats exactly what you are doing.

As for weaning, anyone with a baby should know you cannot FORCE a baby to eat (not unless you want to choke them to death). Weaning only goes well if your baby wants to be spoon fed, if not they will spit it all out, reflex or not, be miserable and have bad reactions. I doubt any mums here forced food down their babies throats, that weaned earlier than the 6 month mark.

Honestly after 3 kids and one to come, I find it so exasperating all these bleating mothers whom recite 'rules and regulations' to anyone that will listen. Follow your motherly instincts ladies, listen to the guidelines but dont take them as gospel.

 

[Demeter]

As for weaning, anyone with a baby should know you cannot FORCE a baby to eat (not unless you want to choke them to death). Weaning only goes well if your baby wants to be spoon fed, if not they will spit it all out, reflex or not, be miserable and have bad reactions. I doubt any mums here forced food down their babies throats, that weaned earlier than the 6 month mark.

I have witnessed more than one parent strapping their baby into a car seat or bouncer and shoving spoonful after spoonful of gunk into the baby's mouth through crying and protest! I have seen parents telling their child they must clear their plate, regardless of whether they are hungry or not. I have seen parents trying to trick their child into accepting a spoon by playing at being an aeroplane or train.

So yes, parents can at least try to force feed their children. But I'm sure you would never do that.

 

[ramblinhaggis]

In the case of forcing into the mouth, thats not early weaning thats simply abuse, a baby could choke to death like that.

With regard to children clearing their plates at meal times, unless you are the parent and know the child, you dont have the right to judge if its wrong or not. Some children are terrible eaters, they have to be practically starving to eat a meal. Chances are most parents know fine well their child can eat more than what they have, they just dont want to...but they are happy enough to then still eat pudding. So its a simple case of saying if you have room for pudding, you have room to eat whats on your plate, if not get down from the table. After being given the options, it would then be wrong to force the child to sit there until its ate anyways.

My parents used to do that with me, i would sit at the table and gab gab gab until everyone had finished and my own food was cold. I would then be expected to eat it. Thank god they were as firm with me as they were...i was a very underweight child for years.

Finally even if a baby does accept a spoon because of a plane or train, it still doesnt mean they HAVE to eat whats in their mouths, if they were that upset by it, even a young baby would begin to cry and fuss.

Clearly there are very different methods of parenting out there, with the girls i spoon fed, with mason he prefers to finger feed...its a case of adapting to the child, not necessarily those pesky guidelines.

 

[FierceAngel]

As for weaning, anyone with a baby should know you cannot FORCE a baby to eat (not unless you want to choke them to death). Weaning only goes well if your baby wants to be spoon fed, if not they will spit it all out, reflex or not, be miserable and have bad reactions. I doubt any mums here forced food down their babies throats, that weaned earlier than the 6 month mark.

I have witnessed more than one parent strapping their baby into a car seat or bouncer and shoving spoonful after spoonful of gunk into the baby's mouth through crying and protest! I have seen parents telling their child they must clear their plate, regardless of whether they are hungry or not. I have seen parents trying to trick their child into accepting a spoon by playing at being an aeroplane or train.

So yes, parents can at least try to force feed their children. But I'm sure you would never do that.

with respect please do not use experiences tht you have seen to judge others...

early weaning/spoon feeding doesnt equal force feeding

i went to give luisa her baby rice at 2 as normal and she didnt want it (she didnt open her mouth or seem intrested) so i threw it away and she just had it half hour ago...

 

[ramblinhaggis]

I think we all just want to do whats best for our babies, so if they can wait till 6 months then i cant see many parents not waiting...and if they cant, i cant see many parents waiting anyway if their baby has become very unhappy, sleeping less and less and not thriving weight wise.

 

[Tiff]

I don't think early weaning has anything to do with obesity. Claire is huge, off the percentile chart for her weight and I waited until a week before she was 6 months or so before I started giving her purees. She took Rice Cereal maaaybe a week or two before that.

From what my doctor told me (when I was worried about her being off the charts) is that the weight of a baby means nothing in terms to their future weight as adults. It's when they hit the 2 year mark that it becomes cause for concern, if they are still 'overweight'.

I've also seen parents on here who have weaned early (3 months or so) and their babes are so tiny and adorable.