would you blw at 5.5 months?

[liz1985]

My dd is 5.5 months and ready to wean. She is showing all the signs and I feel she's pretty desperate to get going. I weaned ds at same age but we tw so the couple of weeks didn't bother me. Want to do blw this time. Does it need to be dead on 6m or is it ok to just go for it now? Im confidant she could pick up the food and put it to her mouth etc.

 

[Pearls18]

I think the main thing with BLW is that they are sitting up well, but remember there's certain foods that should be left until after 6 months I can't remember which as we've waited but I think it's grains, dairy? Tbh BLW is very slow in the beginning, if you do it true to form it could be weeks before they even manage to eat much, it's a lot of sucking and gumming in the beginning. She's not likely to be getting much to fill her up so you could look at that from two angles 1) you may as well wait as it's not likely to fill her anyway so may as well give more milk, or 2) if she's not gonna get much it doesn't matter if you start a bit early and if she does then maybe she was ready. But I'm a bit nervous about the whole digestive system situation which is why I waited until 6 months no matter what other signs but that's because I BF I know it's different if FF. Sorry load of waffle, but yeah maybe you could try a bit of fruit or veg sticks? Something she could suck and gum to practice to coordination?

 

[mummytobe_93]

I do mix or spoon feeding and baby led weaning and it really works for me. I started probably about 10days before she turned six months do what you feel is right. There's always people that will disagree with it but you're her mum x

 

[iiTTCii]

I started a few days before she was 26 weeks.
As others have said, she will probably just play with it at first anyway and might not swallow good for a few weeks so you could start giving her things to explore.

I was so excited to start weaning.. And then nothing. The first day, she didn't even put food in her mouth.. When everything goes in her mouth! I found it a bit disheartening for the first couple of months as I didn't feel we were getting anywhere with BLW but I'm so glad we stuck with it as from 9 months, she just found her appetite and will eat anything!

 

[felix555]

I would if she's sitting up unaided

 

[liz1985]

She can only sit compleatly unaided for very short times, but she can sit with little support and can sit well in a highchair without flopping etc. Yeah they can basically only have fruit an veg till 6months which is all id give her anyway. We tw ds but skipped purrees and he ate plenty of finger foods and has always been a fab eater, the main reason im wanting to try blw is so she can just sit with is at family meals without one of us having to spoon feed her. IiTTCii, im the same, looking forward to starting and watching her attempting different foods and she probably wont touch it lol.

 

[CaptainMummy]

We started dd1 at 5.5 months. She took to it instantly and was definitely ready

 

[wtbmummy]

We started spoon feeding from 4months. Ds is 5months next monday and for the past two weeks along side his purees I have given him finger foods to get him used to the transition slowly. So far he has managed to eat half the slice of toast he had. Lick of the sunflower spread on other occasions and gum at and eat some cucumber and sweet potato chip. Also he loves bananas but dont give him that often with the potasium levels.
If you think your dd is ready and is able to sit up well enough in her high chair then I dont there wouldbe any harm in starting now. If she is ready she will put things in her mouth to eat. If not at least she is getting used to her high chair and different textures of food

 

[Sarah125]

I started blw from 5.5 months. She was definitely ready as she was sitting unaided and reaching and putting foods in her mouth herself. She didn't start properly eating until 6 months anyway

 

[AP]

I think I did too, and she didnt eat proper til more7-8 months.

 

[DaniMoose]

following!....dd has just turned 5 months and properly started weaning her with fruit and veg purees so far and tiny lumps of things like sweet potato chips, peas etc and she cannot get enough of it, it's going a bit TOO perfectly.
she sits well in her snug and we have the insert for her ikea highchair...i think only hand coordination would be the downer otherwise

would it be worth a try in a couple weeks?

 

[liz1985]

Im going to start tomorrow with peices if fruit and veg. I guess if im wrong a d she's not ready she won't be able to do it anyway? Thanks for advice and stories x

 

[mum22ttc#3]

I started both DD3 and 4 at 5.5 months/24 weeks, both took to it fantastically and was swallowing bits within the first day or 2, not enough to fill them but just bits here and there.

DD4 is 6.5 months now and so had been eating for a few weeks, she still doesn't eat enough to fill her and is still on the same amount of milk but she is defiently eating a bit more each time.

We started exactly as we would have at 26 weeks and have pretty much given her everything that we have been eating.

 

[MummaMoo]

Have you tried it then liz? Curious to know how it's going!

My little girl is just 5months and I'm itching to start weaning, but trying to last to 6months because that's the figure we're told.. but if we could meet in the middle at 5.5months then I'd be willing to give that a go!