Early weaning

[mummytobe_93]

I'm not meaning to cause a debate about what is or isn't right but a friend on my Facebook is weaning her 11 week old son, to me that is just cruel! He still looks like a new born baby!
I really don't understand why people feel the need to wean so early and for people that want to before the recommended 6 months wouldn't you just wait until the old guidelines of 17 weeks?
I weaned my daughter just short of 6 months and I wish I could go back to the days when she wasn't on solids as it's a very messy process 😂

 

[sue_88]

This is my absolute bug bear, it seriously irritates me even though mostly I don't care what others do with their kids.

To me it verges on abuse because is it dangerous and can cause serious long term harm. I don't even agree with weaning at 17 weeks.

People are so dumb to the true signs of weaning readiness that they just go ahead when their baby is so not ready. It really narks me!!! I could rant all day.

 

[Rosie06]

This is my absolute bug bear, it seriously irritates me even though mostly I don't care what others do with their kids.

To me it verges on abuse because is it dangerous and can cause serious long term harm. I don't even agree with weaning at 17 weeks.

People are so dumb to the true signs of weaning readiness that they just go ahead when their baby is so not ready. It really narks me!!! I could rant all day.

17 weeks is the earlies they say, some babies need to be weaned eearly for various reasons and pediatricians will actually recommend weaning from 17 weeks and some babies are ready at 17 weeks

i dont agree with weaning before then especially 11 weeks thats ridiculously far to early there is just no need, as with all things to do with babies they are guidlines not rules each baby is different

 

[sue_88]

This is my absolute bug bear, it seriously irritates me even though mostly I don't care what others do with their kids.

To me it verges on abuse because is it dangerous and can cause serious long term harm. I don't even agree with weaning at 17 weeks.

People are so dumb to the true signs of weaning readiness that they just go ahead when their baby is so not ready. It really narks me!!! I could rant all day.

17 weeks is the earlies they say, some babies need to be weaned eearly for various reasons and pediatricians will actually recommend weaning from 17 weeks and some babies are ready at 17 weeks

i dont agree with weaning before then especially 11 weeks thats ridiculously far to early there is just no need, as with all things to do with babies they are guidlines not rules each baby is different

The only early weaning guideline I'd go by is for serious cases of reflux. That's the only credible reason.

I've got a food science and nutritional degree (including studying infant nutrition) and most doctors don't have the same depth of knowledge and often say to wean at 4months for no reason at all (particularly in the USA!). It's irresponsible IMO.

 

[claudinator]

Wouldn't you not be terrified?? Their poor stomachs. They usually do it to fill them up so they sleep longer. A woman in my Pilates class told me while I sat there with my jaw hanging.

 

[yeahuloveme]

my daughter will start her weaning at 4 months, she has cmpi and reflux and brings up alot of meals, she still feeds every 2 hours at 10 weeks and her health visitor dr and consultant have said we will look at weaning her before 6 months.

 

[tublet]

I know I was quite shocked, at how many people start so early. There are so many mixed messages though, I hate going into the supermarket and seeing 4+ months no wonder people get confused.

I've had totally conflicting advice from HV as well, one said I MUST not start before 24 weeks and another the same week said she MUST be eating food by 26 weeks, and if she wasn't swallowing she would end up sick from not having the right nutrients.

 

[Feathers]

With DD I weaned (on medical advice) at 4 months for severe reflux issues, but took it very very slowly in terms of what I gave. It did work for her reflux though so I don't regret it
DS helped himself to food at...just over 5 months. He was sat up at the table and reached out and took something and ate it. He's baby led weaned though so he goes at his own rate. I certainly wouldn't have spoon fed him until 6 months myself, but my Health Visitor did say they guidelines were changing to any time from 4-6 months for weaning.

 

[Kanichen34]

my daughter will start her weaning at 4 months, she has cmpi and reflux and brings up alot of meals, she still feeds every 2 hours at 10 weeks and her health visitor dr and consultant have said we will look at weaning her before 6 months.

My 9 month old still doesn't go more than 3 hours between feeds overnight and that's with eating 3 proper meals a day, plus snacks plus milk feeds. Some babies just need to feed lots.

 

[liz1985]

A girl on my fb was giving her 5 week old baby rusks. Lots of people commented but she wasn't bothered and lots of people actually commented back sticking up for her. I think in a lot of cases its ignorance, people just do it because they are in a rush to try new things with their lo, same as turning them forward in a car (people who do it super early, not a ff v erf debate). They dont actually research into why advice is what it is. Its sad but its life. Ive actually hidden a few people from my news feed in fb because the things they do with their children wind me up so much.

 

[mummytobe_93]

I agree with all your comments and especially with yours Liz I think people get impatient and just want to do everything now they don't want to wait!
A baby was called Noah George on one born every minute tonight like your sons

 

[liz1985]

I agree with all your comments and especially with yours Liz I think people get impatient and just want to do everything now they don't want to wait!
A baby was called Noah George on one born every minute tonight like your sons

Yeah my sister text me to tell me, good choice lol. I normally watch it but missed it tonight.

 

[MindUtopia]

I think people have to make the best decision about what's right for them and their families, but gosh, I do wish people wouldn't be in such a hurry for their babies to grow up. It only gets more complicated as they get older. Feeding solids is much more work than just being on milk! Though I really enjoyed the weaning process (we did BLW and it was great), life was so much easier before I had to plan shopping and meals around a baby and now toddler and before having to pack a days worth of snacks and things to go anywhere. It's hard work. I wish more people would just take time to enjoy their babies instead of always rushing onto the next thing.

 

[Pearls18]

Early weaning is almost always done for the parent unless medically advised (which is also far too often misadvise, my own doctor mentioned purees before 6 months when we were having some breastfeeding issues, shocking), impatience, excitement, thinking it'll lead to sleep. Usually with very little research and the lack of knowledge in the medical profession about infant feeding is DISGUSTING, the NHS is really letting down our babies in this area.

I believe things are in motion to stop packaging on baby food being allowed to say from 4 months.

Don't get me started on the "signs of weaning"!

 

[Pearls18]

Oh and I hate weaning, I just don't understand why people are in such a rush....it's soooooo messy arrrrrghh!!

 

[HKateH]

My SIL not only weaned at 12 weeks, but weaned off formula at the same time. So she was giving her 12 week old baby three meals a day and no bottles of milk. I'm not one to judge other people's parenting but...

 

[yeahuloveme]

can I just say even though my daughter will be having some foods at 17 weeks she will still be breast fed, as and when she wants. I am not doing it out of laziness I am doing it on the advice of drs as she has bad reflux among other things. also due to her being cmpi she will be having healthy food and not just cheap easy bulking food

 

[HBGirl]

I keep getting asked when I am going to start my 16 week old on solids. To be honest, it sounds like far too much effort. She is thriving on breastmilk and its easy. She seems SO little to me and force feeding just does not sit right with me.

We will blw when she wants to.

 

[liz1985]

My SIL not only weaned at 12 weeks, but weaned off formula at the same time. So she was giving her 12 week old baby three meals a day and no bottles of milk. I'm not one to judge other people's parenting but...

Someone I know did similar. Weaned about 14 weeks and by 6 months latest he only had a morning and evening bottle. In this instance he ended up developing severe dairy and gluton intolerance and had to go on a special formula at around 8 months as he was lossing too much weight.

 

[Cyan]

Now, I'm no expert. I am not a nutritionist and I do not advocate early weaning in any way, shape or form... I just found this a very interesting, thought provoking and seldom heard piece of literature. What are your opinions? An interesting article about introducing complimentary foods between 4-6. https://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2012/april/feeding-in-the-first-year-of-life/

The gist of it is that food allergies in children have increased in the last 20 years, and continue to do so despite the WHO guidelines changing in 2005.

There are proven benefits to EBF (chiefly fewer instances of gastro enteritis and ear infections) but the WHO study included developed and undeveloped nations; poor sanitation in third world countries when feeding a baby anything other than breastmilk will contribute to (and artificially skew for those of us lucky enough to live in the first world) these results.

More pertinent still is the emerging body of thought that the gut itself determines 'safe' and 'unsafe' (an allergy being the incorrect designation and hyper reaction to 'safe' foods), and the window of the highest success for the gut to determine correctly is between 4 and 6 months. With this as yet unproven new information in mind it begs the question - are we exacerbating the prevalence of life threatening/altering allergies in our quest to prevent them?

To reiterate - I'm no expert. I am not a nutritionist and I do not advocate early weaning in any way, shape or form... I just found this a very interesting, thought provoking and seldom heard piece of literature. What are your opinions?