weaning at 4 months to do or not to do???

[Twister]

I also see that you are a young mom and can see the reliance on guidelines and doctor advice....sometimes we need to step away from rules and scientific fact...experience and maternal instinct go a long way...sometimes guidelines are just not correct for some babies...the health unit is not going to step in and ask for things to stop or be redone or be changed....

I don't understand why pp's age comes into it? Just because she's considered a young mum means she doesn't use her instincts and just blindly follows guidelines without making an informed choice? Facts are facts at the end of the day and yes mothers instinct is great but the only way to know your baby's gut is mature enough for solids is when they start showing the physical signs. If they're not showing them, they're not ready.

weaning at 4 months vs 6 months is not a danger to my babies health! no food is dangerous!

How do you know? Often the effects of early weaning don't present themselves until years later, I'm talking adulthood here.

my parents weaned me at 2 months and I am very healthy...and carried twins to term without any issue...and both myself and my babies came home from hospital 2 days after giving birth...and my husband was weaned at 1 month because he needed more food and would not stop crying and he is a very healthy 42 yr old with no allergies! so can the guidelines explain that????!!!!!

You and your oh may have been fine, but obviously some babies weren't. Its ultimately the parents decision, but the guidelines are there for a reason, to try and inform parents and protect babies from being weaned unnecessarily early. They don't just pluck a random number out of thin air and say that's when you should wean. It's based on years and years of research. No one has said that health problems will occur as a result of early weaning, just that the chances are increased. Why would you want to take the risk? (Obviously not talking about early weaning for a valid medical reason).

 

[Bunnikins]

My name is bunnikins and I weaned my baby at 17 weeks :hangs head in shame: lol. I literally know of no one who waited til 6 months in real life, and I frequent a lot of baby groups! The "late" weaners I know are the ones who hold out til 5 months (generally the ones who had smaller or early babies who weren't as hungry) im in the UK too! Guidelines change quicker than I change my socks, so I use common sense instead!

 

[Twister]

The guidelines have been to wean at 6 months for 10 years now so no, they don't change as frequently as you think. For me personally, common sense would be to wait unit my baby shows the signs of being ready.

 

[Dk1234]

For the life of me I can't understand why people care so much when you start your baby in solids. The guidelines where I live, which I consider a pretty amazing place that spends billions a year on research, and a place with some of the best dr's in the world, are 4-6 months. My dr told me my baby was ready at 4 months. Why do people think they are smarter than my dr. When a. You don't know my baby, and b. you have done a limited ammount of research probably on the Internet.

 

[youngwife20]

I also see that you are a young mom and can see the reliance on guidelines and doctor advice....sometimes we need to step away from rules and scientific fact...experience and maternal instinct go a long way...sometimes guidelines are just not correct for some babies...the health unit is not going to step in and ask for things to stop or be redone or be changed....

what is strict is vaccines....if my babies were to be vaccinated before 2 months and 4 months and 6 months at each interval...the health unit in my town would come after me and demand my babies be revaccinated....here guidelines save lives...I am not stupid...obviously guidelines save lives here but weaning at 4 months vs 6 months is not a danger to my babies health! no food is dangerous! when my dad was a baby he lost two siblings because they would not take breastmilk and there was no formula...and I myself would not take very much formula and was not breastfed...my parents weaned me at 2 months and I am very healthy...and carried twins to term without any issue...and both myself and my babies came home from hospital 2 days after giving birth...and my husband was weaned at 1 month because he needed more food and would not stop crying and he is a very healthy 42 yr old with no allergies! so can the guidelines explain that????!!!!!

that was just a cop out thing to say " what you can see is im a young mum and rely on docs advice and guildines" just shutup. whos judging who now? there was no need to say that I yes i take what my doctors say. and yes i also think about whats best for my baby you dont know me so there was no need to say that you an idiot. there was no need to patronize me. im not even gonna read ur rubbish.

LASTLY AGAIN WITH Your stupid family evidence. it means nothing because thats just one family the guildines were set based on research on on based on alot more families ur just pathetic using my age if thats the only way you can base your opinions is making my opinions look like not fact then weldone.

and your making it sound like i am a bad mum for your information i am 100percent confident in my ability to parent and have done a great job . my age does not play a part in this because i have been looking after other people from a young age and i am very mature for my age i was my mums registered carer since the age of 12 and i did a great job so just shutup with your assumptions because my age plays no part in this you carry on feeding ur baby 1 month old whatever age i dont care. facts are facts. anicdotes are anicdotes. its funny how you come on here saying people are discrispecting you yet your the one being patronizing get a grip.

i could say much more but im not even gonna stoop to your level if any one wants to comment saying im being harsh dont bother. because there is no excuse for patronizing someone and making it seem that there not a responsible mum etc because of there age that is an insult to all young mums. and obvcourse foods not dangerous thats why babys rnt ment to eat nuts and honey till one lol everything u say is aload of rubbish

 

[youngwife20]

I also see that you are a young mom and can see the reliance on guidelines and doctor advice....sometimes we need to step away from rules and scientific fact...experience and maternal instinct go a long way...sometimes guidelines are just not correct for some babies...the health unit is not going to step in and ask for things to stop or be redone or be changed....

I don't understand why pp's age comes into it? Just because she's considered a young mum means she doesn't use her instincts and just blindly follows guidelines without making an informed choice? Facts are facts at the end of the day and yes mothers instinct is great but the only way to know your baby's gut is mature enough for solids is when they start showing the physical signs. If they're not showing them, they're not ready.

weaning at 4 months vs 6 months is not a danger to my babies health! no food is dangerous!

How do you know? Often the effects of early weaning don't present themselves until years later, I'm talking adulthood here.

my parents weaned me at 2 months and I am very healthy...and carried twins to term without any issue...and both myself and my babies came home from hospital 2 days after giving birth...and my husband was weaned at 1 month because he needed more food and would not stop crying and he is a very healthy 42 yr old with no allergies! so can the guidelines explain that????!!!!!

You and your oh may have been fine, but obviously some babies weren't. Its ultimately the parents decision, but the guidelines are there for a reason, to try and inform parents and protect babies from being weaned unnecessarily early. They don't just pluck a random number out of thin air and say that's when you should wean. It's based on years and years of research. No one has said that health problems will occur as a result of early weaning, just that the chances are increased. Why would you want to take the risk? (Obviously not talking about early weaning for a valid medical reason).

Thank you! also she said no foods are dangerous lol shes so dilusional. if food isnt dangerous why arnt we supposed to give our babys honey nuts until a certian age? unless were all stupid for following that and she gives her babys nuts and honey at birth or whatever she sounds so imature.

 

[youngwife20]

My name is bunnikins and I weaned my baby at 17 weeks :hangs head in shame: lol. I literally know of no one who waited til 6 months in real life, and I frequent a lot of baby groups! The "late" weaners I know are the ones who hold out til 5 months (generally the ones who had smaller or early babies who weren't as hungry) im in the UK too! Guidelines change quicker than I change my socks, so I use common sense instead!

You must chnage your socks every 10 years then because thats when guidlines last changed.

 

[youngwife20]

For the life of me I can't understand why people care so much when you start your baby in solids. The guidelines where I live, which I consider a pretty amazing place that spends billions a year on research, and a place with some of the best dr's in the world, are 4-6 months. My dr told me my baby was ready at 4 months. Why do people think they are smarter than my dr. When a. You don't know my baby, and b. you have done a limited ammount of research probably on the Internet.

I find it funny that kissyface or whatever she is called liked your comment she is completly contradicts what she has just said. she said to me that im not a good mum basicly because i listen to my doctor. and yet she likes your comment because you listened to your doctor lol. ( I also said if your doctor says you should wean fine) kissy face is saying you dont know how to make ur own dicsision because you did the worst thing in the world and listen to your doctor. If you notice she is only liking your comment because you agree with her opinion. If you said " My doctor told me to wait till 6 months" she would of said the same to you.

Im talking about this comment she made.

I also see that you are a young mom and can see the reliance on guidelines and doctor advice....sometimes we need to step away from rules and scientific fact...experience and maternal instinct go a long way...sometimes guidelines are just not correct for some babies...the health unit is not going to step in and ask for things to stop or be redone or be changed....

 

[Bunnikins]

My name is bunnikins and I weaned my baby at 17 weeks :hangs head in shame: lol. I literally know of no one who waited til 6 months in real life, and I frequent a lot of baby groups! The "late" weaners I know are the ones who hold out til 5 months (generally the ones who had smaller or early babies who weren't as hungry) im in the UK too! Guidelines change quicker than I change my socks, so I use common sense instead!

You must chnage your socks every 10 years then because thats when guidlines last changed.

10 years isn't that long! Certainly not long enough to see what effect it has on long term health. It was 4 months or younger for years and years before that. Research has already started creeping out about waiting to wean is causing probs. I bet my bottom dollar it will have changed when our babies are having babies and they will be on here shocked at how we could have been so cruel to wait til 6 months (or so daring to start that early if it goes up even more!) I maintain its more about what a baby eats, not when they eat it! If u start giving them crap and sugar from 4 months the chances r they will be more likely to get ill than a baby having crap from 6 months. And people there days eat more crap so r more likely to feed baby junk.

If they r ready to eat at 4 months, to me it is cruel to wait til 6 months. I cant imagine my girl eating only milk now. She would be drinking it non stop. Thats not fair when she can enjoy her fruit and veg and fill her little tummy up too.

No science can tell me she isn't ready til 6 months, she clearly was ready far earlier! My health visitor and GP both agreed too.

 

[overcomer79]

I'm sorry youngwife but I view you the one being patronizing. I think you attacking everyone for weaning their babies at four months because we are following the advice of our drs is out of line. Do what you want with yours but for gods sake leave us that wean at four months the hell alone. You feel the need to reply EVERYONE that weans there babies at four months. Seriously get a grip.

 

[babies7777]

We have decided to do blw for the following reasons:

We as a family love the principles of baby led weaning, my lo is currently exclusively breast fed on demand so to then change that and me decide when she should move on to the next stage doesn’t sit right with us. I want her to control when she is ready and provided there were no health concerns etc then we want to wait till she makes the first move.

Re, The whole time frame from 4-6 months etc I will offer my lo food on her tray from 6 months, if she wants to squish it, play with it or ignore it then that’s up to her and fine with me. We as a family sit and eat our evening meal together and lo usually either sits in her chair or on my knee and if at any point she grabbed something off my plate and started eating it and it was before 6 months I would then offer her it but unless that happens before 6 months we will wait.

I don’t think at 6 months they are magically ready for solids as opposed to any other time but I do think that developmentally she will be more ready in that her hand to mouth coordination will have improved and she is naturally more interested in what we do, I have noticed that improve from last month to now so by 6 months I anticipate she will be even more so. If she isn’t then she won’t eat it and I like that she, as in now has that option. I remember long days as a child being forced to sit at the table and eat my veg, it never worked and I have long since hated many veg because of this. I don’t want eating to be a battle ground for us when she is older so to me the best way for our family is for my lo to feed herself and hopefully she will love all her veg.

I have read books and research and think for us this is the best choice, plus it’s so interesting, for example I know as an adult I will have a fancy one day for a certain type of food and research suggests that’s because my body is lacking something. It has been observed in blw that children when presented with various foods on their plate or tray will do the same and I think if I was to feed by other methods I would be taking that option away from her, she can’t exactly say I want an apple today mummy so I think that’s a really good thing.

But ultimately every family is different and what works for one may not suit another. I hope you find an option that works well for you!

Re the whole jars saying from 4- 6months, I was only thinking earlier about this.. So from pregnancy I signed up with all the baby companies and from my lo being about 3 months old I started getting weaning info through the post with samples etc and their suggested weaning plans, all mention from 4 months and starting certain things first etc. I had a little wobble at times wondering if I was making the right choice, given that all these companies were offering an alternative in a perfectly organised chart with stickers to boot but then I just look at my lo and think she will show me when she is ready and if that’s before 6 months so be it or if that’s at 10 months then great but ultimately she will when she wants to.

I note in your post you asked for people to comment who had already started weaning but thought I would write as someone who is going to start soon and some of the thought process I have gone through.

Hth

My baby is only 11 weeks so way to early but I was just wondering when did you all start weaning your Lo's?? With my 1st I started her at 4 months and that was 9 years ago,there wasnt really any signs to say she was ready I just tried her and she took to it,but now all I hear is you cant wean them till they are 6 months. Whats the difference from now and back 9 years ago?? I've read all things saying babies kidneys are not developed enough at 4 months and it could cause allergies, so why say from 4 months on the jar?? I was going to start my baby at 4 months just with a bit of baby rice and take it from there,but now im not so sure. Has anyone got any advice??

 

[summer rain]

For the life of me I can't understand why people care so much when you start your baby in solids. The guidelines where I live, which I consider a pretty amazing place that spends billions a year on research, and a place with some of the best dr's in the world, are 4-6 months. My dr told me my baby was ready at 4 months. Why do people think they are smarter than my dr. When a. You don't know my baby, and b. you have done a limited ammount of research probably on the Internet.

Actually several organisations as well as prominent physicians in the US do advise waiting until 6 months especially for Breastfed babies. Even the AAP support six months of exclusive breastfeeding though it is true their advice on offering solids from elsewhere on their website is 4-6 months. But exclusive breastfeeding entails no solids. Perhaps the 4-6 month guideline was more intended for formula fed babies?

I personally trust my government and the WHO over an individual doctor any day regardless of who that doctor is and how much he knows. Although having said that my own doctor who unlike many UK doctors is a paediatrician as well as a GP she supports the six month guideline wholeheartedly, she isn't a young doctor either and has been working for 31 years but she is willing to look at new research and if the evidence is strong she accepts it. Same with most of the hospital specialists my children have seen, the vast majority of them said do not start before six months.

I have done a great deal of research into this issue over 8 years and no, not just online but from other resources as well. More importantly the WHO and UK government have looked at hundreds of pieces of recent evidence when deciding their guidelines the majority of which were from developed western countries. They didn't just make the guideline six months for the sheer hell of it, it was strongly evidence based and new research has come out since that has only confirmed the new guideline. There is no financial or other benefit whatsoever in the government here advising six months and if weaning at six months would harmful it would cost them money so I don't think they would want to shoot themselves in the foot like that. You can follow and do whatever you want but I honestly don't see why US ladies are so defensive about guidelines in a completely different country and go off on one trying to shoot them down? Xx

 

[summer rain]

Updated AAP guidelines advising EBF for as close to 6 months as possible here

https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the...000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR:+No+local+token

Xx

 

[overcomer79]

Updated AAP guidelines advising EBF for as close to 6 months as possible here

https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the...000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR:+No+local+token

Xx

well now I don't feel so bad...she's formula fed and she didn't start eating really until after five months.

 

[mommy0629]

I've stayed away from posting on this thread since the begining lol but with all the debate on this topic on BnB and my own pediatrician being sort of on the fence with it and instead basing her recommendation on each each individual baby and their specific needs, I have done a good amount of research lately. Like Summer Rain said, it seemed to me the the US guidlines tend to focus on EBF for the first six months and it's actually hard to find if they feel differently about a formula fed baby, which I must say is frustrating.

 

[youngwife20]

I'm sorry youngwife but I view you the one being patronizing. I think you attacking everyone for weaning their babies at four months because we are following the advice of our drs is out of line. Do what you want with yours but for gods sake leave us that wean at four months the hell alone. You feel the need to reply EVERYONE that weans there babies at four months. Seriously get a grip.

Your making me laugh actualy because you actualy didnt read what she said properly lol Are you blind? I said many times that its okay if your doctors advice you too what I had a problem with is mums who wake up and go " why not " without doing the research, so if you have you are not reading correctly thats your fault. its kissy face saying i shouldnt follow doctors as because i choose to follow doctors im a niave young mum so clearly that must apply to you if you agree with kissyface.. so if thats what I was saying then why did she say that lol? You completly got it wrong. You get a grip because i clearly stated of medical proffesionals have adviced you to then fine what I had a problem with was peoplle weaning there babys without the need too. and I said it many times clearly aswell as stating facts. so what your saying makes no sence. And I will do what i want with mine. what do you mean leave you alone? i dont give a crap what you do with your baby i was stating fact. I am not the one being personal and saying its my age making me not a confident enough mother to believe I know whats right for my baby. its kissy face that actualy was saying you shouldnt listen to your doctor. so i think you need to re read.

Lastly I have not once said " what your doing is wrong" I have stated facts. and asked questions because I was curious about the answer simple as. If you find that attacking thats your problem. I reply to people who consider there stupid anicidotes to be plausable research. that isnt the same as attacking everyone who weans there baby at 4 months with a medical proffesional saying its adviced.

Originally Posted by overcomer79
There is obviously a barrier called the ocean. Many drs over here still advise solids at four months old. Many of us follow what the dr tells us to do. I'm sick of having what we do questioned repeatedly.

I'm sorry for being snippy but it seems if you wean at four months you aren't very respected and keep having six months crammed down your throat.

We are repeatedly asked "why can't you wait to six months??" I don't see anyone asking "why can't you start at four months?". I'm sure the OP has made her mind up by now anyway.
Lets be honest, if someone askes " Why can't you start at 4 months" The long list of facts will be crammed down your throat. So lets be realistic. When you ask " Why do you start at 4 months?" Its a Valid question that usualy results in answers that have no fact to it. just about how other babys are fine etc. ( Obvcourse not including health reasons or following Docs Instruction etc)

 

[summer rain]

My name is bunnikins and I weaned my baby at 17 weeks :hangs head in shame: lol. I literally know of no one who waited til 6 months in real life, and I frequent a lot of baby groups! The "late" weaners I know are the ones who hold out til 5 months (generally the ones who had smaller or early babies who weren't as hungry) im in the UK too! Guidelines change quicker than I change my socks, so I use common sense instead!

You must chnage your socks every 10 years then because thats when guidlines last changed.

10 years isn't that long! Certainly not long enough to see what effect it has on long term health. It was 4 months or younger for years and years before that. Research has already started creeping out about waiting to wean is causing probs. I bet my bottom dollar it will have changed when our babies are having babies and they will be on here shocked at how we could have been so cruel to wait til 6 months (or so daring to start that early if it goes up even more!) I maintain its more about what a baby eats, not when they eat it! If u start giving them crap and sugar from 4 months the chances r they will be more likely to get ill than a baby having crap from 6 months. And people there days eat more crap so r more likely to feed baby junk.

If they r ready to eat at 4 months, to me it is cruel to wait til 6 months. I cant imagine my girl eating only milk now. She would be drinking it non stop. Thats not fair when she can enjoy her fruit and veg and fill her little tummy up too.

No science can tell me she isn't ready til 6 months, she clearly was ready far earlier! My health visitor and GP both agreed too.

There were some organisations advising weaning from 6 months much earlier than when the guideline was initially implemented and yes some of the studies used to decide to change the age to six months predated that decision by several years, so while it has been 10 years since you claim all of a sudden this advice was seemingly sprung on the population, they had many years of evidence to back this up first. Some of the studies I have seen in the past that they used to decide the guideline came from the early 90s so twenty years ago.

Also when the guideline was changed from 3 months to 4 months in 1996 the government actually meant 4-6 months with waiting as close to 6 months as possible as optimum. There is a UK government document online proving this and I have posted it here before, this information was misinterpreted to mean that you should start by 17 weeks at the latest, one reason the government had to step in and clarify the guidelines that as close to 6 months as possible is the optimum. They were only reinforcing the original message not pulling a new one out of the bag.

Historically early weaning was NOT the norm, in the earlier part of the 20th century many organisations and doctors were advising weaning onto solids from between 6-9 months, I posted a very long and informative article about this in baby club the other day. However because the formula available in those days was so poor quality and potentially lethal, because in susceptible babies it could cause a build up of sodium in the blood, it started to be advised to introduce solids very early even from birth in some cases.

A lot of this starting solids early was from an obsession in the mid-1900s that children should be 'adultified' as soon as possible for healthy emotional and physical growth and being on milk would be an obstacle for this. It is now known that the opposite is true. I don't think there is a doctor around today who would think introducing a pureed roast chicken dinner to a 2 day old is a good idea but in the 50s or 60s there were many doctors who endorsed such things. Research and research techniques have improved so much as well. The studies that show harm to weaning at six months are usually conducted by those who do work for baby companies or formula companies so are not neutral. Those that don't, usually when you look into them are small studies where it isn't clearly stated whether other factors were taken into consideration. This is why they are not given much credence when it comes to drawing up guidelines xx

 

[kissyfacelala]

i never said that there are foods that are not dangerous....I said that babies not getting food when they are hungry is dangerous..more dangerous than weaning early and weaning later can lead to iron deficiency especially with exclusive formula feeding as I did not breastfeed....and I am not stupid to give nuts and honey to my baby and I weaned at 4 months not 1 month....

and i never said that youngwife was a bad mother...if she was just looking for why I weaned at four months out of curiosity then why did she challenge my reasoning and disrespect me and judge me...like I said before I am not wrong and neither is she...no two moms will agree on everything....too bad for her if she doesnt like my reasonings...I dont answer to her...I answer to my babies!

 

[overcomer79]

I'm sorry youngwife but I view you the one being patronizing. I think you attacking everyone for weaning their babies at four months because we are following the advice of our drs is out of line. Do what you want with yours but for gods sake leave us that wean at four months the hell alone. You feel the need to reply EVERYONE that weans there babies at four months. Seriously get a grip.

Your making me laugh actualy because you actualy didnt read what she said properly lol Are you blind? I said many times that its okay if your doctors advice you too what I had a problem with is mums who wake up and go " why not " without doing the research, so if you have you are not reading correctly thats your fault. its kissy face saying i shouldnt follow doctors as because i choose to follow doctors im a niave young mum so clearly that must apply to you if you agree with kissyface.. so if thats what I was saying then why did she say that lol? You completly got it wrong. You get a grip because i clearly stated of medical proffesionals have adviced you to then fine what I had a problem with was peoplle weaning there babys without the need too. and I said it many times clearly aswell as stating facts. so what your saying makes no sence. And I will do what i want with mine. what do you mean leave you alone? i dont give a crap what you do with your baby i was stating fact. I am not the one being personal and saying its my age making me not a confident enough mother to believe I know whats right for my baby. its kissy face that actualy was saying you shouldnt listen to your doctor. so i think you need to re read.

Lastly I have not once said " what your doing is wrong" I have stated facts. and asked questions because I was curious about the answer simple as. If you find that attacking thats your problem. I reply to people who consider there stupid anicidotes to be plausable research. that isnt the same as attacking everyone who weans there baby at 4 months with a medical proffesional saying its adviced.

Originally Posted by overcomer79
There is obviously a barrier called the ocean. Many drs over here still advise solids at four months old. Many of us follow what the dr tells us to do. I'm sick of having what we do questioned repeatedly.

I'm sorry for being snippy but it seems if you wean at four months you aren't very respected and keep having six months crammed down your throat.

We are repeatedly asked "why can't you wait to six months??" I don't see anyone asking "why can't you start at four months?". I'm sure the OP has made her mind up by now anyway.
Lets be honest, if someone askes " Why can't you start at 4 months" The long list of facts will be crammed down your throat. So lets be realistic. When you ask " Why do you start at 4 months?" Its a Valid question that usualy results in answers that have no fact to it. just about how other babys are fine etc. ( Obvcourse not including health reasons or following Docs Instruction etc)

Actually if it is any of your business, yes I am blind. Thank you. I have a genetic disorder where blindness comes with it. Thanks for asking. I don't think you would be "lol" if you had vision problems. When you call people an idiot and call their family stupid then yes I view that out of line.

 

[overcomer79]

I've stayed away from posting on this thread since the begining lol but with all the debate on this topic on BnB and my own pediatrician being sort of on the fence with it and instead basing her recommendation on each each individual baby and their specific needs, I have done a good amount of research lately. Like Summer Rain said, it seemed to me the the US guidlines tend to focus on EBF for the first six months and it's actually hard to find if they feel differently about a formula fed baby, which I must say is frustrating.

yea that's why all this debate about waiting six months really gets me. I formula feed too and my dr instructed at four months to do so.