recommended age

[coccyx]

do they still recommend weaning at 4/5 months or has it gone up to 6 month mark. My sil said she was advised 6months.

 

[Serene123]

Yep, 6 months. Althought I'm not going to be listening to that one I don't think. She is a hungry baby!

 

[~KACI~]

6 months is what they advise but realistically...not goin to happen most babies will not wait til then x

 

[coccyx]

Thought it seemed a long time until then. Know with others it was around 3/4 months, as they got sooooo hungry and were constantly attached to my boobs!

 

[Lyns]

I was working with a Great Ormond Street hospital dietician, who led me through weaning my daughter. Have to say we managed to hold out until nearly 6 months and it was then so much easier than all her friends who were weaned early. No mess, no fussy eating, no regurgitation, practically fed herself straight away.

Anyway....the dieticians say absolutely no way before 17 weeks.....it increases the risk of food intolerances so much, its just not worth it.

HTH's x

 

[coccyx]

Oh thanks. Does that mean no rice, purees at all until after 17 weeks? I guess it does

 

[Mamafy]

we held out here till nearly 6 months as well, and it was no hassle at all. I did try at after 5 months but Katie just wasnt interested.

 

[Lyns]

Oh thanks. Does that mean no rice, purees at all until after 17 weeks? I guess it does

Yep, nothing and def no Gluten at all (rusk, pasta etc) until after 6 months. their stomachs just can't cope with it.

 

[sabby52]

I was thinking about this the other day, when I had my first son who is now 10 I was advised to start weaning at 4 months now with Dec it is 6 months, I know new revelations are made every day in the medical world but my 10 year old is perfectly healthy and I started weaning at 3 months!!!! and with Dec he was also eating at 3 months. I think mother know best, no offence to anyone.

 

[~KACI~]

we held out here till nearly 6 months as well, and it was no hassle at all. I did try at after 5 months but Katie just wasnt interested.

Must admit i have left it later with paige as hoping for less problems, started her bout 4wks ago but she was havin none of it, started her this week properly and she went straight onto 2meals and toast. I didn't bother before because she won't even finish a 6oz bottle, seems to get on better with food though

 

[coccyx]

I do think we try to move them onto next 'stage ' too quickly, and I hold my hands up to this. Even with potty training, my first daughter tried at 20 months and seemed to take ages, waited until 24 months with secon daughter and she was dry in day within 2 weeks. My mum did tell me PATIENCE!

 

[ColtonsMom]

I started my son at 2 months with cereals, about 2.5 with purees. He's made it through all his stage 1 foods and eats both rice and oatmeal cereal. He loves it. Jumps for the spoon and has his mouth open as soon as he sees it coming. I think it's more up to the mother and if you try it and they like it.. keep going, if not stop.

 

[Lyns]

This is a link to a handy leaflet explaing weaning....and the associated do's and don'ts for anyone at that stage

https://www.healthpromotionagency.org.uk/Resources/nutrition/pdfs/Weaning made easy.pdf

 

[ani]

The World Health Organization recommendation is exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, and that breastfeeding should continue for at least 2 years with weaning foods added at 6 months of age.

2 years is a tough goal but it's good to have goals, though

 

[Holldoll]

I started my son at 2 months with cereals, about 2.5 with purees. He's made it through all his stage 1 foods and eats both rice and oatmeal cereal. He loves it. Jumps for the spoon and has his mouth open as soon as he sees it coming. I think it's more up to the mother and if you try it and they like it.. keep going, if not stop.

Just because he is doing fine now, you don't know what will happen down the road when allergies can develop.

 

[oOKayOo]

Yea i think they do say but here are things out there that say from 4 months so if it was strictly just 6 months they wouldnt make it for younger

Im not going to wait for 6 months as i think its a long time to wait for a hungry baby, im going to wait until she hits 4-5 months and see how she goes!

 

[lorrilou]

i had to start callum at 17 wks, he was constantly hungry, having a 7oz bottle every hour and his weight gain really slowed down. had no problems with him at all. i started nicole on solids when she was 3 months old and she has no problems with anything.

i understand why they have these guidelines but every baby is different and has different needs.

 

[Nicole81]

the closer to 6 months as you can get is defintaly the best for babe. i waited until Hayden was 6 months and he did fine, he did breastfeed more during some periods but only because of the growth spirts he had inbetween the time he was born and 6 months of age. when soild food started he still breastfeed often as it is the most important food and he was not weaned until after 8 months of age, the longer you can breastfeed the better.

take care

 

[vicky]

they also have guidelines on what to look out for if you baby is ready to been weaned as well.

after a full milk feed your baby cries out for more (aimed at bottle fed babies)

your baby finds it harder to wait until the next feed and becomes irratable or starts chewing their hands

your baby has previously slept through the night but now wakes up for a feed. daytime sleep becomes more erratic not-being able to settle down or waking up earlier from naps

your baby starts watching you with fascination when you eat and perhaps tires to reach for food you are holding.

Kira has been doing all this things for weeks now, tying to hold out for a bit longer. My parents put me on solids at 6 weeks old i'm 22 now and their is absoulty nothing wrong with me, i was drinking that much every hour and was still not satisfired what so ever. I think mother knows best. I know their is guidlines on what not to do and what to do, but as it is called its guidelines they are not set in stone.

trying not to offend anyone just my opioun (sp?)

 

[Lyns]

The problem for babies pre 4-6 months, is that the gut is still very open and porous at this age, and therefore food doesn't get fully digested the normal manner, but can leak into the blood system potentially causing infection at the time and intolerances and allergies later in life. And that usually means as an adult.

I am perfectly healthy...fighting fit in fact....but I do have several food intolerances. Most adults of our generation do....they often just don't know about them. I'm just lucky they they aren't all allergies, because they are possibly/probably/in part down to early weaning. I'm 38....and until I was 32 I could eat anything! Now I'm slightly gluten intolerant, I suffer IBS, and I bloat up like a Pufffer fish to smoked mackerel....and thats not all! I enjoy life...I eat well, I just know what suits and what doesn't!

And I know many many people that have developed both later life Type I or Type II diabetes....again, they were weaned early.

Its fine to make a decision based on your babies hunger and supposed needs, but I think it worth knowing the reasoning behind the recommendations too and why they have changed. Is a few more weeks really worth it?

I know many a mum who has claimed the 'it didn't used to be a problem' defense and chosen to early wean as they believe their baby to be ahead of the game. They probably are in desires and hunger but unlikely in terms of digestive capability....that deosn't tend to change much from one to the other.

Do you know back in the middle of this last century the doctors used to suggest having a cigarrete to help cure a cough or cold? Thank god for medical science, huh? We can't always stick with the supposed tried and tested!