Good/Bad reasons to wean?

[Shifter]

I was pleasantly surprised today when I took Jack to the doctor about a skin problem and she started to suggest he might be ready for weaning because he isn't sleeping through yet and when she double checked his age and realised that he's only just 4 months she quickly revised her advice.

I don't consider not sleeping through to be a good reason to wean at any age, never mind early.

I also don't consider peer pressure or curiosity to be good reasons. I would hope that most parents would wait for the right signs that their babies are ready for solids before introducing them, but sadly I've encountered far more impatient parents than otherwise.

I just wondered what other reasons for weaning people have encountered and what you thought of them.

 

[mommyof3co]

I agree, I don't think them not sleeping through, or waking more often is a good reason to wean either. Or the try and see method, they will let you know they aren't ready...I don't agree with that when we are talking young babies. by the time they let you know there could already be damage to their digestive systems. I think the best thing to do is wait until 6mo so you can be sure everything is fine and until then deal with the growth spurts with more nursing/formula more often if needed. To me it's just not worth the risk to do it early...maybe right before 6mo but def not 4mo or younger

 

[polo_princess]

Reflux and doctors advice based on that is a good enough reason for me to wean!!

 

[FierceAngel]

we have started weaning for many reasons with HV advice

one of those reasons was tht she STOPPED sleeping through

weaning does not make babies sleep through the night if they have never reg slept through..

she is now back to sleeping through and napping during the day..

however this wasnt the only or main reason we weaned..

luisa was drinking 32+ozs of milk a day and only put on 11ozs in 3 and half weeks

she was grabbing for food and now attempts to feed herself.. she has also mastered a sippy cup but i have only let her have water in it..

to add she is only having 2 meals a day which are 1 small portion of fresh purred fruit and one fresh pured veg

 

[ryder]

As FA said, earlier weaning is suggested when babies who previously slept through are waking again.

Baby rice doesnt "make" a baby sleep through. I know with Jasmine it madeher more comfortable because she didnt have tons of milk sloshing around in her tummy.

Im not sure why people have to keep starting crap about people weaning early? Some people do it, get over it. Not everyone wants to suffer through needless sleepless nights.

 

[helen1234]

Rhys was a brilliant sleeper up until the last few weeks now he gets up 2-4 times a nite.

i weaned rhys around 5 months, he'd had the odd taste week or so before but nothing i could call a meal, and then it was slowly.

my advice would be to go with what you think it doesnt matter what others say or do. weaning only has guidleines to follow.

i weaned because Rhys hates formula he just doesnt suck properly and gets fed up easily so putting milk into rice and porridge was an easier way to get it down him, we did that for for week trying some vegetables as well. and now we blw and he loves it i couldnt praise blw enough, we're flying with it.

the sign i would go with mainly is their temprement in between feeds does he seem satisfied etc.

x

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Yeah I was going to start a thread about this. I'm going to hold off until 6 months if I can. I am really looking forward to feeding Ruby solids but at the same time I will not be pushing her to eat them before her body is ready to deal with them.

I was talking to my mum the other day and she said she weaned me at 4 months because I was exclusively BF and she wanted to stop, but I refused bottles. She also says she thinks it was a bit of a novelty thing to feed me solids too! She says that looking back, those were not good enough reasons.

I wouldn't early wean without the advice of a doctor or HV first.

(BTW I'm not judging anyone who early weans, these are just my opinions)

 

[kerry2009]

Every baby is different and some do need to wean earlier than others.

My eldest son was around 4 months because he was such a hungry baby, he never slept he was always cranky until I began weaning. He was formula fed as I couldn't breastfeed due to being prescribed the wrong pill by my doctor that made my milk go back.

My youngest son I weaned at 6-7 months as I exclusively breastfed until then and he was happy with that.

 

[sparkswillfly]

I think Meadow is showing a lot of the signs that would make other people start weaning.

She stopped sleeping through she now has a bottle at 5am again.
Some days she can have up 40ozs of formula.
She can sit up unsupported.
She has grabbed food off my plate a few times and sucked on it.
Shes a big baby and some say big babies need to be weaned early.

But Ive decided to wait because I dont want to upset her tummy and also shes perfectly happy, she doesnt whinge or anything to suggest shes hungry.

Plus Im of the opinion that she is going to get far more nutrients out of her milk than she is a mushed up veg.

Shes 5 months and 2 weeks at the min. Im not really sure about when to start TBH. As we are following BLW it will be a while before she actually swallows anything so I may start next week or so.

Ive had huge pressure from family to wean already. They all ask is she eating food yet? She must be starving... etc... She needs more than milk blah blah. Then when I say Im not spoon feeding they look at me like Ive lost it!

So I guess people are told they are wrong whatever choice they make but for me waiting is the right choice.

 

[Shifter]

Plus Im of the opinion that she is going to get far more nutrients out of her milk than she is a mushed up veg.

Exactly, it takes quite a few months before they actually start getting any nutrients from solids, even if you wait until 6 months.

Thanks for the responses.

 

[asacia]

A lot of Mums I know have said I should wean LO. He is a big baby, eats freuqently day and night and is interested in watching people eat. It can be hard work feeding him so often, but he is happy and content, so I will carry on until 6-8 months (hopefully). He gets fussy if I don't feed him when he wants, but as long as I feed on demand, he is a happy boy.

 

[Shifter]

A lot of Mums I know have said I should wean LO. He is a big baby, eats freuqently day and night and is interested in watching people eat. It can be hard work feeding him so often, but he is happy and content, so I will carry on until 6-8 months (hopefully). He gets fussy if I don't feed him when he wants, but as long as I feed on demand, he is a happy boy.

How often do you feed out of interest? Jack was a 2-hourly baby until recently. We got through that tough 4 month growth spurt and now he's going 3 hours between feeds and slept 5 hours for the first time last night! (He was feeding every 3-4 hours in the night). I want to continue to exclusively BF until 7 months if possible, seeing as new research has shown more benefits to going that little bit longer!

 

[asacia]

A lot of Mums I know have said I should wean LO. He is a big baby, eats freuqently day and night and is interested in watching people eat. It can be hard work feeding him so often, but he is happy and content, so I will carry on until 6-8 months (hopefully). He gets fussy if I don't feed him when he wants, but as long as I feed on demand, he is a happy boy.

How often do you feed out of interest? Jack was a 2-hourly baby until recently. We got through that tough 4 month growth spurt and now he's going 3 hours between feeds and slept 5 hours for the first time last night! (He was feeding every 3-4 hours in the night). I want to continue to exclusively BF until 7 months if possible, seeing as new research has shown more benefits to going that little bit longer!

Usually every 2 hours, although he does occasionally go longer - usually has one 3 hour break a day, and sometimes a 4 hour break at night. He feeds 2-3 times a night at the moment.

That is good to know, that your LO is going longer. I'm used to the regular feeds now, but a bit longer at night every once in a while would be nice!

 

[Shifter]

Usually every 2 hours, although he does occasionally go longer - usually has one 3 hour break a day, and sometimes a 4 hour break at night. He feeds 2-3 times a night at the moment.

That is good to know, that your LO is going longer. I'm used to the regular feeds now, but a bit longer at night every once in a while would be nice!

I hope you get a similar change in routine too

 

[rach321]

I weaned at 5 months because he simply wouldn't drink any more milk - he would routinely drink more than 40oz every day and still woke during the night. He also showed all of the other signs - he could sit up etc. We started off on puree but then he discovered his independence and refuses a spoon so we are going the BLW route now. If I had BLW from the start then I would have definitely waited until 6 months - he simply didn't have skills to feed himself at 5 months. I was under a lot of pressure from family to wean him at 3 months because he didn't sleep through - but then he never did, not until very recently. I'm glad I held out because he simply wasn't ready that early.

 

[Pyrrhic]

I was under huge amounts of pressure to wean Niamh at 4 months from my family. Its a shame really, but at least now they can see how well she's doing.

I love how when I'm out I can just order Niamh something off the menu, or she can have the food I cook at home for me and OH. No faffing, she just eats it no matter what it is. Yesterday we went out and she had macaroni and cheese with peas and bread for lunch, and then stirfry for dinner., and she's been having food like that since 6.5 months. When we were out actually the woman who brought our food stopped at looked at Niamh and said 'goodness I didn't realise she was so little when you ordered!' and Niamh ate the entire plate of food

 

[cupcake]

I started at 5.5 months, he just seemed into food then x

 

[Pyrrhic]

Niamh was 5 months 3 weeks when we started.

 

[Pink_Witch]

i dont understand all the fuss over people weaning early!! I started to wean my eldest lad at 12 weeks because he was showing all the signs of being constantly hungry despite having 6/7 oz milk every 3 hours!!! He is now a very tall strapping 15 year old, very active into sport and eats like a horse!!! Ernie is beginning to show the same signs as tom was at the same age,so i have upped his milk to try and satisfy him!!

 

[mamalove]

Do people actually have to justify themselves for weaning early?