Interesting reading on what age to start weaning.

[bigbetty]

Ok so we decided to start weaning Francesca last week when she turned 4 months old, but it wasn't a decision we took lightly.

I did a lot of reasearch online, asked you lovely ladies questions, discussed it in depth with DH and had a good chat with my HV.

One article I came across looks at a new piece of research released on 14th January 2011 that suggests babies in the western hemisphere might be healthier if they are weaned earlier than 6 months.

It quotes the report as saying that, contrary to current guidelines, there might be an increased risk of allergies by waiting until 6 months and also the chance of iron deficiencies leading to anaemia. It does also say that it's important to wait until baby is showing signs they are ready to wean and not to force a baby to eat if they aren't ready.

The article gives a balanced view and does not advise which is right or wrong - I just thought it might interest you all to have a look. I apologise if this has already been covered in a previous thread xx

https://www.madeformums.com/feeding-news/weaning-from-four-months-or-six-breaking-news/12293.html

 

[Puddingpea11]

I am wondering if guidelines are about to change again as I have been invited to a meeting about weaning. In the letter is says "such and such is now 4 months old and you may be considering weaning. Though the optimum age is 6 months, some babies need to be weaned before this time...". This was from nhs, so I was like "huh"?!

So I may just go to this meeting to see what they say.

 

[summer rain]

I'm not disputing that some babies may need to be weaned prior to six months, however the study you mention has come up many times on baby and bump and has been widely discredited, all but one of the contributors work for baby food companies, and it's just a reinterpretation of existing research some of which were studies which the WHO based their decision on when it was decided to change the ideal age to six months. Also all organizations who offer support to those with allergies, coeliacs etc in the UK still advise waiting until as close to six months as possible. I am waiting until six months because there is a history of serious allergies and bowel disorders in both sides of the family, also my LO has only very recently shown an interest in food, sleeps through mostly and is still gaining an average amount of weight for his age group xx

 

[summer rain]

The NHS have said anytime after 17 weeks is ok but six months is optimum it's not a new guideline

 

[beccybobeccy]

I saw my HV last week and she told me they had been on a big old Health Visitor conference and that they were to really encourage weaning anytime after 4 months so this is the NHS advising this...

Sofia is 18 weeks, on the 50th Centile and barely finishes 180ml... all of which the HV knows (hardly a prime candidate for early weaning). She told me to begin whenever I felt comfortable but starting now was optimal now she was 4 months.

I was going to wait until at least 5 months but actually she was showing signs of being ready. We tried her on Baby rice today and got on REALLY well. I'm so pleased.

ETA - Obviously if there are allergy issues then there are different guidelines anyway...

 

[Puddingpea11]

I saw my HV last week and she told me they had been on a big old Health Visitor conference and that they were to really encourage weaning anytime after 4 months so this is the NHS advising this...

Sofia is 18 weeks, on the 50th Centile and barely finishes 180ml... all of which the HV knows (hardly a prime candidate for early weaning). She told me to begin whenever I felt comfortable but starting now was optimal now she was 4 months.

I was going to wait until at least 5 months but actually she was showing signs of being ready. We tried her on Baby rice today and got on REALLY well. I'm so pleased.

ETA - Obviously if there are allergy issues then there are different guidelines anyway...

Perhaps this is why the letters have come out- after the conference. It will be interesting to see what they say at the meeting.

Regardless of what is said in the meeting, I will wean LO when I feel she is ready. Though she has all the signs she is ready now, I'm still delaying it for a long as I can.

 

[summer rain]

Some of these big HV conferences are run/sponsored by formula and baby food companies as the NHS doesnt have the funding to pay for such events themselves. I was searching for info about the new growth charts and accidentally stumbled across SMAs site for health professionals and they were advertising one such conference, one of the lectures was on constipation and the other, with the lecturer being Dr Lucas one of the contributors to the aforementioned study, was about how the weaning age should be changed back to 4 months. The actual NHS on the whole have not changed the age guideline and though they are due to review the guidelines next month this is a routine review they do every 4 years or so and not due to any recent articles in the press and so on. I am personally wary of HVs because they should be impartial but sometimes they can be unwitting pawns in the schemes of big multinational corporations.

 

[bigbetty]

Thank you for your responses and especially your insight summer rain.

I guessed that the subject had come up before but was interested to see what everyone thought about it. It was actually a different website I first saw mention of it but I can't for the life of me find it now. It said that 3 top uk universities had done research into weaning and were saying it might be better to start earlier than 6 months but I'm guessing it was just the same study.

 

[KayBea]

They are on about changing weaning back to 3 months now!!
X

 

[bubbles123]

TBH I think they just have no clue why allergies etc are going through the roof and are clutching at straws with the weaning age. Weaning your baby at some time between 4-6 months when you think they are ready but as close to 6 months as you can is aways the most sensible advice. I with lucky with my LO as he showed no interest in solids until after 6 months but I realise this is not always the case with every baby.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I'll always wait until the baby can sit with very little or no support, reach, grab, and bring objects to their mouth accurately. Could be at 5 months, could be at 8 months.

 

[tristansmum]

i weaned at 19 weeks. he could sit upright really well ( was sitting completely unaided at 5 months), was interested in us eating and would grab for food on our plates and try to put it in his mouth. i think its when you feel your baby is ready. i am happy we started when we did. he is now 7 months and eats everything and all constantancies... pureed/mashed/sortly cooked/toast/pieces of chicken/new potoes... you name he eats it.