Weaning at 4 months

[Lil_Pixie]

There definitely is a bitch of a sleep regression at around 4m. My son was waking every 45 mins for about 8 weeks, but IMO no amount of milk or baby rice helps with that because it's nothing to do with hunger. So if your LO after having a bit of baby rice is more settled it was a hunger issue - does that make sense? Some babies are more hungry than others and I certainly wouldn't be prepared to watch my child sob because he's hungry. do what you think is right hun xx

 

[oblada18]

There's no way my LO would be able to handle baby rice himself even now, he mostly feeds himself but he has a lot of soups and saucey stuff and trust me none of it would make it to his mouth if I left him to his own devices

I dont really know the consistency of baby rice so I would not really know, never thought of buying the stuff to be honest.
My LO handles food pretty well, she has some thick soups and yogurts with a preloaded spoon that she takes off me. She has rice with veggies herself (slightly sticky rice, curry type food etc).
Anything that would requiring me actively spoon feeding her is just not done... Cant think of anything though lol
Until 1 food is fun so I dont worry much about what actually reaches her mouth, it all contributes to her development anyway.
Ultimately with my OH being indian she will have to learn to eat with her hand anyway when she visits her grandma etc so she may as well learn from the start.

 

[stepmum]

I'm jealous...Oliver is making zero progress with the spoon

 

[joshiesmum]

My happy and healthy son who is now 7 was weaned at 13 weeks. i knew as a mum he was ready. who gives a stuff about guidelines. im a nurse i know what im doing. also half the people who write guidelines are just pen pushers. my daughter is 14 weeks and shes completly diffrrent no were near ready for solids. mums know best xxx

 

[summer rain]

For all of you quoting guidelines....

I went to a weaning talk 2 weeks ago and the professional who took that talk conformed that the guidelines are due to change..... To wean from 4 months. She said its not changed yet but if anyone feel the need to wean from 4 months all professionals will support you as they know the guidelines are changing.

Not interested in any discussion or argument on this fact, just telling you what a current professional qualified in weaning babies and nutrition informed us of.

This is false. This is a myth that has been spread by health professionals for years, based on 'facts' they have learned from seminars run by surprise surprise, baby food companies. Baby food companies run most of the training seminars for HVs and paediatricians in the UK. They have been claiming that the age will be changed back to 4 months since 2003-and so far they haven't been and it has nearly been 10 years. They also looked at various studies between 1996 when the age was changed to 4 months and 2003 before deciding to take that step. We're talking hundreds, possibly thousands of pieces of research and it was not a decision taken at all lightly. I think if the evidence to change it back was compelling the government would have done so long before now. The UK government have just last July updated the guidelines to reiterate more strongly that aside from a few cases most babies are not ready to be weaned prior to 6 months, and these guidelines are not due to be revisited until next year. The decision to keep the age at 6 months was based on looking at a number of studies; including a few that did recommend the age to be changed back to 4 months but the government feel the evidence for waiting until 6 months for most babies is considerably stronger.

https://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/solid-foods-weaning.aspx#close

 

[katiekittykat]

As previously stated, the 6 month guideline was set by the World Health Organisation for all babies all over the world, as the safety of food in developing nations couldn't be guaranteed. The Department of Health in the UK has followed suit. But there are calls for the UK guidelines to be revised, according to a recent report.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1348093/So-IS-safest-time-wean-baby.html#ixzz1wSjfN6zP

I know, I know....it's the Daily Mail. But really the the NHS page that was linked doesn't really say anything except 'we say it's 6 months, because we do. So there.'

I've actually only just read this article today - I made the decision to start my son on solid food at 17 weeks all by myself. Without the help of anyone's guidelines.

 

[oblada18]

"Signs that a baby is ready for solid food include *crying, *irritability, *frequent waking in the night demanding more feeds and not being settled by the usual means, like changing a nappy."

so most babies almost from birth then

I would like more info on who funded the studies... (genuinely though, and maybe more details on the study...)

My personal view on weaning is pretty close to any other developmental stage; I would not stand up my LO and "force" her to walk but I do give a helping hand to help her balance herself at times.
With food therefore, I am happy to offer food (offer, not give - either finger food or preloaded spoons); if she is not ready she will either refuse it or not swallow. If she takes control of her feeding and manages to get some food into her system I would say that this is a good sign that she is ready, like with any other developmental stage (as, similarly, I would not stop my LO from trying to stand up either).

I dont think mothers always know best, I am still struggling at times to know what she wants or needs, but I do think that a lot of the times baby knows best...

 

[katiekittykat]

Fair point oblada18 It is the Daily Mail and it is badly worded.....and probably the baby food companies funded the research. But I agree with the sentiment nonetheless. Yes, breastmilk is the best thing for babies and they can live on it quite happily until they are a year old. But what about babies that aren't breastfed for whatever reason? All they get is synthetic formula milk....would you want to give them just that for a minute longer than you had to?

 

[oblada18]

Fair point oblada18 It is the Daily Mail and it is badly worded.....and probably the baby food companies funded the research. But I agree with the sentiment nonetheless. Yes, breastmilk is the best thing for babies and they can live on it quite happily until they are a year old. But what about babies that aren't breastfed for whatever reason? All they get is synthetic formula milk....would you want to give them just that for a minute longer than you had to?

thats a fair point!

 

[mumofone25]

i thought this was meant to be site for support not a compation, yes everyone is entilted to an opinion, but its just that a opinion as are guidlines they are not set in stone.
you did get sleep regresion around this age, and i would personally try and wait a bit longer, but this is your child and your call, research the risks and make an informed decision, i bet most of use on here were weaned earlier than 6months i know i was and i have no stomache conditions and no allergies!

good luck with whatever you choose to do xxx

 

[Blah11]

formula isnt really 'synthetic'. its cows milk & some other stuff.

 

[katiekittykat]

formula isnt really 'synthetic'. its cows milk & some other stuff.

What other stuff?

 

[andella95]

It really depends on the type of formula.

 

[katiekittykat]

If I could be bothered I would copy out the list of ingredients from the side of a box of formula, but it would take far too long. I can assure you that none of it comes from any sort of mammal. Therefore it is 'synthetic' ie. not of natural origin.

 

[andella95]

87% Water, 4.4% sugar (sucrose), 2.3% casein hydrolysate (enzymatically hydrolyzed), 2.2% modified tapioca starch, 1.5% safflower oil, 1.3% fractionated coconut oil (medium-chain triglycerides), 1.1% soy oil; Less than 1% of: calcium citrate, calcium phosphate, carrageenan, potassium phosphate, ascorbic acid, magnesium chloride, calcium hydroxide, sodium chloride, potassium citrate, L-cystine dihydrochloride, potassium chloride, L-tyrosine, choline chloride, L-tryptophan, ferrous sulfate, taurine, m-inositol, zinc sulfate, alpha-tocopheryl acetate, L-carnitine, niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, cupric sulfate, vitamin A palmitate, thiamine chloride hydrochloride, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, potassium iodide, phylloquinone, biotin, sodium selenate, vitamin D3 and cyanocobalamin.

this is what my daughter is on.

eta- i copied and pasted that.

 

[Blah11]

not so good if you cant pronounce half of it. However, it keeps babies alive and happy so who cares.

 

[Blah11]

If I could be bothered I would copy out the list of ingredients from the side of a box of formula, but it would take far too long. I can assure you that none of it comes from any sort of mammal. Therefore it is 'synthetic' ie. not of natural origin.

eh? the whey and casein does :s

 

[katiekittykat]

If I could be bothered I would copy out the list of ingredients from the side of a box of formula, but it would take far too long. I can assure you that none of it comes from any sort of mammal. Therefore it is 'synthetic' ie. not of natural origin.

eh? the whey and casein does :s

OK - the whey and enzymatically hydrolized casein. I think we can agree that the rest is synthetic though. Also, all of Niall's bottles have 2 sachets of Gaviscon Infant in, so you can add that to the chemical cocktail. And it kept my baby far happier than my breastmilk ever did. But having read through that list of ingredients, I feel much happier that the majority of what he now gets is fresh fruit and veg. Despite the fact that he isn't yet 6 months. If there's going to be anything wrong digestively with my son in years to come, I would much prefer to point my finger at the long list of ingredients above rather than the fact he is fed purees from a spoon.

 

[Snuffy]

So what is your view on early weaning due to reflux which is widely recommended by HV's and doctors then?

I was advised to wean Louie from 4 months for this reason

I weaned Amy at 4 months for the same reason. It didn't make the slightest difference to us, I was just mopping up orange puke instead of white.

Personally I loathed making purees and always said if we had another I would hope to go down the BLW route if possible, but if circumstances meant we had to wean earlier then I would do the same as before.

Happily Ollie is still putting on weight steadily on just his synthetic substitute and neither he nor I have any current plans to start weaning yet.

By the same token it really doesn't concern me how other people choose to do the whole weaning thing. Live and let live I say.

 

[highhopes19]

I can't believe the way people row and bicker on here about such stupid things!! Even over the ingredients in baby milk oh dear...

Isabelle was weaned at 4 months due to reflux... Best desision we made for her if I could of waited I would of though