Solids before 4 months.

[wasey]

when I was a baby, i was having tomato juice, french stick to chew on, baby food etc etc when I was 2.5 months. I have no health problems, blahblah. all the recommendations then were 3 months and as we lived in france they were different also but i'm not entirely sure what they were over there. Summer isn't having solids yet, but i'm just wondering if anybody has started their babies on solids before the recommended age, and if you know anybody with health issues caused by starting solids early?

 

[shimmy]

Threes really no need. There are plenty of ladies on here who could tell you some really horrible stories all because people ignored the guidelines . If your Lo has no heath issues which lead her to need solids early (and even then its debatable to some) then I wouldn't even think about it.

 

[wasey]

noo i have no intentions of starting LO on solids until i feel she's ready, i'm just curious about details really. i know it causes health problems and such but i wasn't sure what kind of health problems exactly!

 

[shimmy]

O ok there was a thread a few days back , quite a long one I think there was a few examples in that . Or any long winded solids thread there will be lol. I know ibs is one, but personally dont know any one. I was weaned at 6 weeks but always fear something in my future happening because of..

 

[Palestrina]

Weaning early can lead to problems with obesity as well as cause discomfort for a baby's underdeveloped digestive system. For a BF baby it can interfere w/ the gut flora.

 

[Frooty]

I was weaned at 3 months but things back then were different. I don't plan on weaning mine until 26 weeks if hes ready i've tried random bits of baby food with him but he wasn't fussed so hes not ready.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Times have changed. Back then, it was thought ok to wean early and that's the advice that was given. Now, it's not recommended until six months, unless under the guidance of a HV or doctor (it even says this on baby foods marked 4 months+ if you look). Milk (breast or formula) should still be the predominant food source until one year. We're doing BLW where food is looked at as "fun until one." Hope that helps!

 

[midori1999]

My sister and I were weaned at 6 weeks. My sister has IBS and I have, um, bowel issues.

My youngest son was weaned at around 3 months on medical recommendation. I won't go in to too much detail as it's complicated, but it basically enabled him to have life saving heart surgery and the benefits obviously outweighed the risks in his case. He is now 7 and has chronic diahrrea and his paediatrician feels it may be caused by the early weaning. He and my other two sons (also weaned before 6 months, the guidelines were 3-4 months with my first and 4-6 months with my second) all have eczema.

The above, as well as definite medical evidence, is enough to make me wait until 6 months to wean my baby this time.

 

[Kimmy25]

My first Lo was weaned at 4 months as per guidelines then he doesnt have any problems.

With zane as the guidelines were 6 months I waited until then

 

[aliss]

The guidelines have changed to a minimum of 6 months (or 4 months, depending on your location) because over many studies (and many, many cases), it is believed to be linked to later problems (ie IBS)

As for personal stories, we attempted rice cereal for our boy at 12 or 15 weeks (I really don't remember) in an attempt to help his acid reflux disease. It made him quite ill, it was very painful, and made his reflux worse so we stopped right away.

As a reflux mom, I can see how many reflux moms can be desperate to wean early to help it. And if it does help (sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't) then I think it's fair enough to do what you feel is best. Reflux moms do that not because they want to disregard solid research but because they feel the pain experienced by the baby outweighs the future risks. If you've ever seen a reflux baby experiencing a true acid pain attack, you would probably agree.

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

my oh and his brother were weaned at 7 and 8 month bm til then and they are both glucose intolerant and oh is lactose intolerant there sister was weaned at 4 monthish and so far has nothing wrong xx

 

[heather91]

My mom weaned us all at 6months and I weaned DD at 6months and no doubt will wean DS at 6months too. Don't know anyone weaned at 3months or before but 6 months has worked fine for us.

ETA: I have IBS even though I wasn't weaned early!

 

[summer rain]

various digestive problems, IBS, coeliacs, crohns, and also one of the main reasons why it was changed from 3, to 4, then to 6 months is there was a lot of research in the eighties and nineties that found a definite link between severe eczema in later childhood (not baby and toddlerhood) and early weaning xx

 

[mummy3]

Out of my 4, 2 were weaned at 6m and 2 were early weaned. The 2 that were weaned at 6m dont have bowel issues but 1 has asthma and 1 has eczema. #3 was weaned at 10 weeks for reflux and it really did help but she does have chronic diarrhoea, she is under a GI doc but nothing has been said about a link to her weaning. #4 was weaned, first with formula top ups then solids at around 4 months(2 corrected) due to FTT, no problems with her bowels Shes currently reverse weaning atm though.

I'd would wait until 6m unless there's serious medical need. I regret being led to weaning #3 before trying meds but completely agree with #4s weaning.

 

[milf2be]

here is a few links that might be interesting to have a look at (might help when you do decide to wean too!)

this is a leaflet about weaning from the department of health website. gives a little bit about why you shouldnt wean before 4 months and that its best to wait until around 6 months.

https://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_084164.pdf

This is an article from the BBC news website about if breastfed babies should be weaned earlier than 6 months.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12190006

does anyone have an update on this?

more on NHS website

https://www.nhs.uk/Planners/birthtofive/Pages/Weaningfirststeps.aspx

 

[Babushka99]

I wouldn't take any risks and just wait until 6 months. Because even though it was ok for you it might not be for your lo and not worth her suffering all her adulthood for the sake of waiting 3 more months. x

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

here is a few links that might be interesting to have a look at (might help when you do decide to wean too!)

this is a leaflet about weaning from the department of health website. gives a little bit about why you shouldnt wean before 4 months and that its best to wait until around 6 months.

https://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_084164.pdf

This is an article from the BBC news website about if breastfed babies should be weaned earlier than 6 months.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12190006

does anyone have an update on this?

more on NHS website

https://www.nhs.uk/Planners/birthtofive/Pages/Weaningfirststeps.aspx

do you know if WHO have any info for weaning prems x

 

[bigbetty]

and if you know anybody with health issues caused by starting solids early?

Hey love! In answer to your question, my husband and his sister were weaned at around 8 weeks old and both of them now suffer with IBS. I just don't think that this is a coincidence x

 

[milf2be]

here is a few links that might be interesting to have a look at (might help when you do decide to wean too!)

this is a leaflet about weaning from the department of health website. gives a little bit about why you shouldnt wean before 4 months and that its best to wait until around 6 months.

https://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_084164.pdf

This is an article from the BBC news website about if breastfed babies should be weaned earlier than 6 months.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12190006

does anyone have an update on this?

more on NHS website

https://www.nhs.uk/Planners/birthtofive/Pages/Weaningfirststeps.aspx

do you know if WHO have any info for weaning prems x

i cant get on the WHO website at the moment its not working, but heres something i found on Bliss (charity aimed at prem and ill babies if you havent heard of it)

https://www.bliss.org.uk/page.asp?section=584&sectionTitle=Weaning+your+p

babies should be weaned between 5 and 7 months from their actual birth date, not corrected

 

[milf2be]

also found this helpful which also has info on weaning premmies

https://www.bda.uk.com/publications/statements/PositionStatementWeaning.pdf