FB 'friend' weaning 11 week old!

[emmamc28]

it would be interesting to know how many of those who are on the 'early weaning is bad' band wagon, if told by a medical professional to wean slightly earlier than recomended for whatever reason would do so and if so why and what would your reasons be? just out of interest?


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I believe we have all said that there's a difference if you are advised to start for medical purposes as opposed to just starting for the hell of it. I was advised to start weaning at just after 18 weeks because of slow weight gain and in retrospect I wish I had waited as it made no difference. She did take to it well (had lost her tongue thrust, was sitting up on her own, etc) but had I realized it wouldn't help her gain faster I would have waited until six months as I wanted to do blw.

sorry but i dont really see the differnece personally. if the doctor advises to wean early how does that make it different to weaning early of your own accord. the baby is still the same age, has the same digestive system and is at the same stage of maturity so personally i dont think its different at all. i do agree that 11 weeks is somewhat early to be weaned but who is to say that this woman has not been advised by the doctor to start weaning, noone knows the situation includeing myself




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First off, I never said I was against early weaning (17 weeks +), I have a problem with EXTRA early weaning. I just said that personally I wish I had waited longer and not weaned at 18 weeks. I don't care if other people wean at four months. In response to why is it any different though (for extra early weaning), a doctor has the medical knowledge to be able to properly weigh the risks/benefits of weaning earlier than 17 weeks whereas as the rest of us don't. At three months when Clara's slow weight gain became very apparent (she dropped from the 90th percentile at birth to the 50th) I was advised to pump several times a day and feed her a top up bottle of ebm to help her gain more for the month to see if that did the trick. It didn't which is why we were told to start weaning her. It didn't make a difference either. It turns out, she is just a tall, thin baby (currently 85th percentile length, 50th for weight) with no fat rolls on her.

hun i am not attacking so please dont think i am! i am just expressing my opinion on the subject. i think at this stage of the thread it is very clear we all have a strong opinion on the subject and as in many subjects not everyone agrees. i completely repect how are going about bringing up your child as i am of everyone else on this forum as i now being a mum is the hardest job in the world and we dont always get things right. this is why this forum is here surely for people to get advice from others who have been thru these stages already not to slag people off for making a choice that we may not all agree with. please dont take my word the wrong way i am not the sort of person to start a fight albeit a fight of words lol even after 3 children i dont now it all none of us do


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[minkymoo]

Just wanted to throw a couple of things in here:

1) It is not true that just because a baby appears to 'like' something that it is 'good for them'. I am quite sure if I gave Niamh a Mars bar that she would happily suck on it/eat it but I do know that it is not good for her. Hell, it's not good for me, given the pregnancy-related cellulite!

2) Just because a baby watches you eat does not mean that they are hungry or ready for weaning. Your baby will watch you brush your hair, brush your teeth, mop the floor etc with just as much interest....just sayin'....

My LO is 18 weeks and still doesn't STTN (she is BF if this matters?), she must be hungry since she still feeds every 1.5 hrs (she's 98th centile if this matters?) but I am in no rush to wean her because a) she doesn't really need it yet, she gets enough nutrients from milk and a bowl of porridge/potato etc are just empty calories for now b) I am in no hurry to create more work for myself just yet LOL.

My sister is a GP and I have discussed this with her since I know she will have her neice's best interest at heart regardless of whatever guideline she is told to encourage her patients to follow. Her 3 girls were all raised in the 4 month guideline era and yes, they're fine, and yes, so am I (most 70's babies were weaned 'early') BUT her advice to me has been to just try 'tastes' with Niamh until at least 5 months i.e. touch foods to her lips so that she can try them out and perhaps not end up a fussy eater. To date I have touched her lips with apple, banana and potato which she licks at simply for the taste. She certainly doesn't scream the house down if I don't give her more/a spoonful etc.

Anyway, I'm waffling again as usual! This is just my opinion but as others have said, unless on medical advice I personally don't believe that babies 'need' food any sooner than about 5 months, if not longer. It is a shame that so many mums are keen to rush their babies into eating so early (11 weeks) as well as many other significant milestones. I want my baby to be a baby for as long as possible (although I can't wait for her to crawl )

 

[jojo_b]

Whoa...what happened?! ^^^

Anyways. I weaned Fin a week before he turned 6 months and would thoroughly recommend everyone waits til as late as possible. Not for any medical reason - just so you can spend as much time as possible enjoying your clean house...ours now has spag bol, fruit, cream cheese, toast, lasagne and god knows what else mouldering in every nook and cranny. The cat thinks we've set her up a treasure hunt after every Finley-feeding time

 

[Kimmer]

I don't get why people still wean stupidly early like this!

My LO has awful reflux and I was advised to wean at 12 weeks, I didn't. They actually told me to try weaning before any other attempts to help her.
I waited until 6 months and did BLW.

A friend of mine recently weaned her daughter at 10 weeks. She started on Rusks for breakfast, Beef casserole for lunch and Lasagne for dinner. Yep, three meals a day from the first day. This baby was hospitalised after 3 days with an awful rash, wouldn't wake up, terribly constipated, dehydrated etc.. She's now gluten intolerant at 6 months.

She wouldn't take advice either and look what happened. What I'm saying is, even though 'her mum did it with her and she's okay', doesn't mean every baby will be. If people are willing to risk their childs future health just so they can wean early on no medical grounds at all... well that's just very sad.

 

[CarlyP]

I'm sorry this thread has got heated, wasn't my intention.

How come doctors etc advise reflux babies to wean early? Like @kimmer's post she was advised at 12 weeks, is there not the same risks involved as my 'friend' at 11 weeks? Sorry I've never experianced reflux so unsure x

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I'm sorry this thread has got heated, wasn't my intention.

How come doctors etc advise reflux babies to wean early? Like @kimmer's post she was advised at 12 weeks, is there not the same risks involved as my 'friend' at 11 weeks? Sorry I've never experianced reflux so unsure x

Yes there are the same risks with early weaning reflux babies. I guess it sometimes helps reflux babies who are struggling to keep much milk down, as solids sometimes stay down better. Definitely not a blanket recommendation that reflux equals wean early, I know someone with a reflux baby who was told def not to wean early.

 

[Farie]

Regarding the early weaning for reflux (just incase anyone interested)

Generally even for reflux it's not advised before 16 weeks but advice differs from country to country (here you're far more likely to be offered meds or thickener to help the puking - and if it's pain free puking probably be told to real your neck in and just put up and shut up as it's just a laundry issue :haha)

In Canada I know starting plain rice from 14 weeks is quite usual in reflux cases, but there is a real distinction between 'weaning' and a couple of baby spoonfuls of rice before or after a bottle to weight the milk and stop the refluxing.
In the UK AR formulas are all the rage

If the puking is creating additional issues such as aspiration into the lungs, low weight gain, bottle aversions etc then 'some' Dr's may advise weaning a little earlier. In extreme cases from 12 weeks.
This is because the possibility of gastric issues is outweighed by the more pressing immediate heath issues, and usually under paediatric dietician guidelines and still avoiding certain foodstuffs.

In many cases weaning early does nothing for reflux, which is why many paediatricians (mine included) don't advocate it. However, where oral aversions and weight is an issue it will often be discussed. For my girl weaning hasnt helped the reflux at all, medication controls the pain and small amounts of food from 5 months (on and off as she wasn't really ready) have helped her oral issues.

For more info on early weaning pm stardust, her Macy was weaned at about 12/14 weeks I think, due to some of the issues raised above.
Anyway, just wanted to offer that info for anyone wondering about early weaning and reflux

 

[Jo]

Girls I am closing this for the moment, just until I get a chance to reveiw it, I am really not impressed with the last couple of pages.

It may be a few hours as I am on my way to work x

 

[polo_princess]

Ugh,always the same people giving the same nasty sarcy responces.

I dont understand, why after the thread had been quiet for almost 12 hours, that you felt the need to come to the thread and throw that comment in?

It wasnt constructive and adds nothing to the thread other than to stir up arguements, so what was the point?

Its really sad i dont feel comfortable posting anything so have to resort to "childish one liners" - that still get attacked . . .

Intentionally flaming is against the forum rules and you well know that. Just because you have had disagreements with members previously, doesn't mean that you can go around throwing comments in like that and trying to goad people into further arguement with you by dragging it around various threads. You say you keep being attacked (and sometimes undeservedly) so why continue it and keep putting yourself into that situation?

This isnt the first time this has been noticed Lydia, so as you suggest that members you dont get along with use the ignore button, i suggest you do the same.

I will clean this thread up and reopen since it was going moderatley well

 

[polo_princess]

Reopened

 

[MrsRabbit]

In my experience, after 2 reflux babies, rice cereal for thickening is weighed against the risk of aspiration. We tried it with DD and ended up moving on to thickener after she did aspirate formula and cereal. Then I learned aspiration is WORSE if they breath in the rice cereal too and the doctor didn't tell us that until after my baby was in the ICU.

 

[Tadan]

In my experience, after 2 reflux babies, rice cereal for thickening is weighed against the risk of aspiration. We tried it with DD and ended up moving on to thickener after she did aspirate formula and cereal. Then I learned aspiration is WORSE if they breath in the rice cereal too and the doctor didn't tell us that until after my baby was in the ICU.

Wow that is shocking! If doctors give health advice to babies then they should be trained just as well as HV/MWs. (Not that theyre all the best to get advice from sometimes!)
We need to be properly informed of everything, IMO, before telling us "do this, do that" they need to be telling us risks aswell as benefits.

 

[anna matronic]

It was suggested not advised for me to wean Evan at 17 weeks because of his reflux. I didn't as I weighed up the options and decided he wasn't ready and we'd put up with the gaviscon and sickness. At 20 weeks I decided that he was more ready and therefore started on a little bit of babyrice, I only gave that for 3 days before moving onto vegetables. It made a huge difference to his sickness for the better I stuck with veges and some fruit until he was just shy of 6 months where I introduced gluten and dairy.

I am happy with the way I weaned Evan and have had no problems. I would like to wait to closer to 6 months with my next child though

 

[Farie]

Mrs Rabbit - my girl is similar and aspirates worse with thickened milk. It's why for us early weaning was a no no. Even at 6 months it's still an issue

Ohhh and I never to to message you back, but we got EleCare! Nim loves it and is 200% better than with Neocate.

Anna, omg Evan is so gorgeous! Nim would like an introduction please!

 

[MrsRabbit]

Medical grade thickener [like Simply Thick] hasn't been an issue and we still do thickened liquids today. It's a far cry from the cereal.

Neither the doctor or the GI told us cereal aspiration is worse than typical milk\formula aspiration.

 

[Farie]

We cant even used a normal thickener
For Nim it seems to create even more issues I think she is just particularly *special*