Sorry ladies I haven't written back because I purely haven't check through this thread as I thought it wouldn't be continued any further haha JESUS I have missed out on quite a debate... Keira is now 4 months and 3 days old and is now on baby rice and rusks and she is enjoying it, her interest in milk just isn't the same and started to go down hill and she was drinking 3-4 oz of milk then didn't want any more because she just wasn't interested in it no more so she was constantly feeding and not being satisfied by it so I have started her off slowly. I believe if I DID go by what the books said Keira would of been a very hungry grotty baby, but they did help me into stopping her solid food till 17 weeks which stopped her from the inside troubles it would of caused, she is now a happy smiling gurggling baby with a full tum and we are both relived of this.. every baby is different and as it goes 17 weeks was Keira's time, but maybe 5 or 6 month is the time of another baby.. lets not go by what is preached and lets just go by what is explained to us time and time again a baby should not be forced into food if not wanted and if a Mother does decided on weaning a baby under 15 weeks then to make sure the baby is kept a close eye on by medical professions so no harm is done or if harm is being done then it would be found and prevented as soon as possible......
yep i totally agree that every baby is different and has 'their time' I believe that Ruby's time was indeed 5.5 months, when we started.. although i have to say i also believed it was 'her time' at about 14 weeks.. and 16 weeks.. and 22 weeks......
in reality, she was having growth spurts.. no one can tell me she was satisfied with milk during those.. she was growing viciously, (6th centile to 98th+ in 5 months!) but it was temporary.. and she came through each & every one of them, and was once again satisfied, and consuming much more 'normal' volumes of milk. i found the 'one more week' rule handy.. when i was almost giving up & introducing solids, id tell myself 'give it a week' and every time, when the week passed, things were better / much better / LOADS better.... even when we did start at 5.5 months, we are BLW, so she wasnt getting much at all in the first weeks, but her interest in food, and her need to progress, participate & do things for herself were both immediatly satisfied!
the thing is that its SO easy to mistake normal stages in development for signs that a baby is ready....im not suggesting everyone who weans early has misread.. but im pretty sure a lot do...
people talk of their babies little tongues going 'crazy' for food they are 'loving' it so much, when in reality its their tongue thrust reflex going 'WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING THERES SOMETHING IN MY MOUTH' ya know?
its good advice that people weaning early see a dr regularly.. but many of the issues with weaning early are actually more to do with the long term effects, and theres no way that a dr can tell if those are going to happen, by looking at a 4 month old baby....... and its exactly the same the other way around.. no one can tell you that weaning your baby early WILL NOT create these 'problems' for him or her personally, in later life.... which is the exact reason that many people decide to hold off for as long as possible!
Years ago people used to think the world was flat, not round. They also thought that putting a live toad in your mouth would get rid of a sore throat, and that the sound of bells drives away demons because they're afraid of the loud noise. You'd have to be a fool not to believe any of that. 
