When r babies really ready for weaning ???

[cherrished]

My little boy is nearly 4 months old drinks 7oz bottles every 3-4 hours sleeps through the night, When is the right time to start weaning him like starting off on baby rice ??? I know midwifes say best time is 6 months onwards but every time i shop i see lots off food which say 4-6 months surely if they really did not like them being weaned till 6 months why do they sale food for 4-6 months...???

His weight gain is lovely at 3 months + 1 week he weighd 14ilb 3oz...

Sometimes he has his bottle then an hour or too later wants more, we do also give him 3oz water daily to clench his thirst.. like i say he has 7oz if i gave him 9oz he wouldnt drink it all in one go...some days he has his 7oz then 1-2 hrs l8r wants more n probs drinks another 6oz..when i eat snack things like crisps he watches me n moans at me lol (very cute) i have dipped my fingers in some foods n gave him a little taster n he loves it n wants more....

Is it ok to wean @ 4 months n how do ya know there actually ready for weaning ???

Thanks for replying && reading x

Zachary's Mummy

 

[goddess25]

It really depends on the baby. He needs to be able to hold his head up with good neck control and if you put a spoon in his mouth and he thrusts it out with his tounge then he is not ready. IS he showing signf of interest when your eating?

I started weaning Euan about 5 months as he was showing lots of interest. We started off on baby rice and for the first few days he was just getting used to something new in his mouth and didnt really swallow alot of it. We gave baby rice 1-2 times per day from 5 months to 6 months but didnt start any other foods until 6 months.

You could always try and if he is not ready you will know. As i say alot of us have weaned early, with no problems.

 

[mommyof3co]

I don't agree with if they are showing interest, watching you eat and all that that it means they are ready. Babies are always interested in what their parents are doing and will mimic that. 3-4mo is a really big growth spurt so he might be going through that, or some babies just need more milk. Here are a couple of things to read through before deciding to wean before 6mo

https://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T032000.asp

Here are the signs that they are ready
https://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/readyforsolids.htm


Good luck

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I don't agree with if they are showing interest, watching you eat and all that that it means they are ready. Babies are always interested in what their parents are doing and will mimic that. 3-4mo is a really big growth spurt so he might be going through that, or some babies just need more milk. Here are a couple of things to read through before deciding to wean before 6mo

https://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T032000.asp

Here are the signs that they are ready
https://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/readyforsolids.htm


Good luck

Agreed! The watching you eat thing is really not a sign of readiness.

Ruby LOVES watching me straighten my hair that doesn't mean i'm going to do hers! lol

 

[jackiea85]

I think if he is going 3-4 hours between feeds and sleeping through the night then he is probably not ready to be weaned yet. It is up to you but it doesn't sound like he is needing anything extra right now, but that's just me. It might be best to ask your HV x

 

[cherrished]

Thanks ladies for ur replys i will sit it out n wait till he is really ready x

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

It'll be a lot easier and more enjoyable for you both if you do.

 

[Plumfairy]

If he's doing well on just the milk for now then I'd say keep it that way as long as possible... Its a nightmare once you've gota start lugging food pots around along with all the other baby stuff! We weaned just after 4 months as Layla was not satisfied on just breast milk any more. It was definately the right decision for us a she was a much happier baby for it and loves her grub now. Do what feels right for you and the bubs. x

 

[sophie c]

we started weaning at about 5.5months

alys stopped sleeping through the nights, she doubled her birth weight (and more)

she could sit and didnt thrust her tongue, she loved the food from the word go lol and still does, we use some purees and some BLW

xx

 

[milkmachine]

i think babies are ready when they can sit up in aided and get things to their own mouths. x

 

[lisac25]

i know the guidelines are 6 months but i think u should trust ur mummy insticts as well no one knows your baby as well as u! look out for signs like wanting more feeds waking in the night after a spell of being a good sleeper in the night, holding own head up, putting things to the mouth, showing an interest in food, and loosing the tongue thrust reflex, i have stated weaning my little girl slowly but only because she was doing all of the things i have mentioned. including swiping a biscuit out of my hand and promptley putting it straight in her mouth!!!!!! of course i freaked out and snatched it straight back (biscuits will be something she can look forward to a loooooong way into the future lol) but she knew exactly what she was doing lol x

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

look out for signs like wanting more feeds waking in the night after a spell of being a good sleeper in the night, holding own head up, putting things to the mouth, showing an interest in food,

These are not always signs of needing to be weaned. The night waking is often due to a growth spurt (particularly at 3 or 4 months) and they should be given more milk.

 

[lisac25]

look out for signs like wanting more feeds waking in the night after a spell of being a good sleeper in the night, holding own head up, putting things to the mouth, showing an interest in food,

These are not always signs of needing to be weaned. The night waking is often due to a growth spurt (particularly at 3 or 4 months) and they should be given more milk.

not always but like i said you know YOUR baby best, and these quite often are signs, i have many baby books and leaflets etc etc, many from hv or hosp and they also list these as signs of being ready

 

[Plumfairy]

look out for signs like wanting more feeds waking in the night after a spell of being a good sleeper in the night, holding own head up, putting things to the mouth, showing an interest in food,

These are not always signs of needing to be weaned. The night waking is often due to a growth spurt (particularly at 3 or 4 months) and they should be given more milk.

No not always, but often. If breastfeeding, you cant just make your baby drink more milk, even if you offer it every half an hour, and physically there's only so much formula a baby can drink in a day, so there comes a point where giving more milk isn't an option.

 

[Pyrrhic]

You don't need to start with baby rice either.

 

[Lu28]

I think especially if baby is feeding more and waking during the night at 3-4 months it's certainly worth increasing milk feeds for a couple of weeks to see if it is a growth spurt so as not to have weaned earlier than necessary. If LO still isn't satisfied after a couple of weeks of more milk, then have a chat to HV and see where you are.

My LO was watching everything that went into my mouth but as mum2b_claire says, she watched everything else I did too, eating wasn't anything special. She put all her toys into her mouth too but that was about exploring and chewing, not wanting to eat solids. Babies start waking during the night for so many different reasons, I think it's natural to say it's because they're ready for weaning just in the hope that it starts them sleeping through again, anything for a solution! But often, weaning doesn't cure the sleeping issues.

 

[cherrished]

Hi Thanks ladies u have all been a real help...I dont think he is ready yet like i say he loves his milk n only drinks 6 to 7oz he also sleeps through the night ever since he was 8 weeks old, he weight gain is very good...too...I just wanted info on when or how u know there ready for solids and exploring foods...

thanks for all reply's x

 

[asacia]

I think this list is a good, accurate list of what signs mean LO is ready for solids:Signs that indicate baby is developmentally ready for solids include:
-Baby can sit up well without support.
-Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue.
-Baby is ready and willing to chew.
-Baby is developing a “pincer” grasp, where he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer grasp development.
-Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth.
-We often state that a sign of solids readiness is when baby exhibits a long-term increased demand for milk (sometime around 6 months or later) that is unrelated to illness, teething pain, a change in routine or a growth spurt.

Well done of thinking about this is advance and planning. Personally, I waited till LO completed all the above, and had reached 6 months (calender months). He was a hungry baby, but I didn't want to take the risk of early weaning. Waiting for us was the right thing, and he now loves his food and I can feed him without worrying or feeling guilty. Hope this helps

 

[ellismum]

Accourding to someones status on Facebook this morning, 12 weeks!!!!!!

 

[faille]

My little boy is nearly 4 months old drinks 7oz bottles every 3-4 hours sleeps through the night, When is the right time to start weaning him like starting off on baby rice ??? I know midwifes say best time is 6 months onwards but every time i shop i see lots off food which say 4-6 months surely if they really did not like them being weaned till 6 months why do they sale food for 4-6 months...???

His weight gain is lovely at 3 months + 1 week he weighd 14ilb 3oz...

Sometimes he has his bottle then an hour or too later wants more, we do also give him 3oz water daily to clench his thirst.. like i say he has 7oz if i gave him 9oz he wouldnt drink it all in one go...some days he has his 7oz then 1-2 hrs l8r wants more n probs drinks another 6oz..when i eat snack things like crisps he watches me n moans at me lol (very cute) i have dipped my fingers in some foods n gave him a little taster n he loves it n wants more....

Is it ok to wean @ 4 months n how do ya know there actually ready for weaning ???

Thanks for replying && reading x

Zachary's Mummy

Apparently because back in the 50's, the official guideline was 4months and a law was passed to say that all baby food packaging must state these guidelines.. As time has moved on and official guidelines changed, no law has been updated/introduced to reflect said changes.