your opinions on the new weaning advice?

[NG09]

Ugh, drives me mental when people say 'I'm not weaning until my baby is x months old' beacause guidelines state you should wait until then. They are there as a GUIDE, not written in stone, that's why they chop and change because low and behold they don't actually have much of a clue either. Cannot understand why people don't trust their own judgement and wean when baby is ready whether it be 4, 6 or 8 months A bit of common sense I think!

I really had no clue everyone was saying the same thing to and I thought he was hungry and didnt know what growth spurts where. I do agree people need to follow their instincts here i know that how and do do that, but sometimes when you want the best you listen to health professionals and friends being a new mum. you live and learn by this. I wait till I know my son is ready and not by what this guideline says even when its been changed. I hope others will do the same but someone will believe this guideline and more early weaning will happen. More excuses for companies to set the dates on jars back.

My mum bought a chocolate desert for my son because it said from 3 months on the jar! it was loaded with sugar and chocolate! I was horrified . she said it was fine it says so on my jar, the amount that think its ok because it says on the jar is unbelievable! i dumped it in bin.ps he was 3 months old. 12 weeks and she wanted him on chocolate deserts.

Believe me, I have more faith in my own ability as a mum than I do with some 'health professionals'. It took me 3 months for them to listen to me about him being lactose intolerant. They kept telling me babies are sick, it's totally normal, not in our case it wasn't.

Chocolate desert @ 3 months?? Like I say, common sense

I do to, took years of mess ups with my own health never mind trusting them with my children. My son has only met my doctor once and thats because she wanted to meet him, he has never needed to go there and same with Alex he met her once just to get his heart done few days after birth. My hv is fond of saying my bresstmilk is crap after 6 months and keeps telling me my breast milk has made my sons front teeth go but he has grinds them down teething as the rest are fine. She blames breast milk on most things and has no clue. So I never listen to her since I was bleeding from nipples for months and all she could say was formula .They know I dont listen to them anyway. I dont even ask them anything any more if I need advice I come here. (not on illnesses etc always go to doc but as I said I have been lucky not to need one).

ps my mum has no common sence she says them deserts do no harm just brush their teeth after yet she weighs 30 stone. hummm. And apparently all that crap done her no harm to. hummm again.

You know I do too, I always come on here for advice aswell, there is so much more knowledge here than my doc or hv could ever give me.

 

[Dragonfly]

 

[laurenriley]

hey im new to this site and was wondering how do you start a thread also i was wondering what peoples thoughts were on weaning a baby at 11 weeks- and if i decide to do so could anyone please tell me symptoms to look out for if my baby feels ill after?? thankyouu xxx

 

[chickchock]

Hey all. There's been no change in guidlines, it's just someone wrote a report and the media swarmed all over it.

I do think it's a shame that they changed the guidlines from 4- 6 months to 6 months rigid (allthough aparantly the guidlines are 'around 6 months' but I never read that- just 6 months absoloutely)

I was lucky in that where I live our HV's and MW's are realistic and said that some babies will need weaning earlier, and as long as we do not do it before 4 months its perfectly safe. We have to remember that a lot of the WHO's research is carried out in third world country's, where obviously things like formula feeding and introducing food on spoons/ fingers can cause infection due to the lack of availability of sterilising equipment and basic hygiene practices. Obviously that's a good thing that this advice is in place to protect those babies and even vulnerable children in this country, but in most cases we know whats best for our children and are able to make sure things are done safely.

 

[Sarah10]

hey im new to this site and was wondering how do you start a thread also i was wondering what peoples thoughts were on weaning a baby at 11 weeks- and if i decide to do so could anyone please tell me symptoms to look out for if my baby feels ill after?? thankyouu xxx

I really wouldnt, without sounding patronising, why are you wanting to wean at 11 weeks?
To start a thread, there is a tab/button near the top of each forum saying 'new thread'

 

[mixedmama]

The government will forever change their guidelines. The only guide I need is my baby, she'll let me know when she's ready!

 

[bbyno1]

I have followed Aliyah's needs all the way and will continue to so so with weaning. If milk isn't satisfying her then why should i wait until she is 6 months just because that is the 'guideline' for now.
I don't follow guidelines without researching first anyway x

 

[ouchwithNo.2]

I think every baby is different and only we know when our baby is TRULY ready for food.
Neither of my two were anywhere near capable at 4mths - they wouldn't even be able to sit in a highchair at that age so I can't imagine trying to feed them.
My son I started feeding at 6mths (that was 2004) because HV told me to - he was going to get 'ill' otherwise.
It was horrible - he totally refused for weeks, the HV even came out to see if I WAS DOING IT CORRECTLY!!!!
I gave up. At 8.5/9mths I tried him again and he was a little bird.
This one has been so different, started at 21/22 weeks (HV and GP tried to get me going @ 17wks due to reflux but I said no) and she loved the spoon but only if she put it in her mouth but hated puree so I let her be and she started stealing 'adult food' off my dinner plate so ever since she has been doing that.
No way could you do that with a 4mth old...

 

[mummy2jack]

hi, my lo was 4 months yesterday, i was feeding him (BF) when the news came on, so listened to story while he fed. After, i came on here to see what peoples opinions on it were and the majority of mums were saying...they only guidelines, you know your child best. Anyway i was adamant i wouldn't wean before 6 months due to guidelines but yesterday thought well, he is making all signs that he's ready, i'll just try him with some baby rice and see what happens, i'm sure he would let me know if he didn't want it....Well....he LOVED it!!! Ate the whole lot and then looked as if to say is that it?! I was so shocked, really didn't expect him to enjoy it as much as he did so i have now had to eat a bit of humble pie to those friends and family saying wean him early. I was ADAMANT i wouldn't, now i am searching the net for tips on weaning 2 months early!!!

 

[emsiee]

I couldnt care less what the "guidelines" say tbh. One minute its one thing, the next its another. They cant make up their minds! I just go with my baby, not guidelines when it comes to this sort of thing.

 

[laurenriley]

hey i was thinking of weaning because my baby drinks 280ml every hour!! and is still hungry he doesnt throw any up either. also he screams until he gets more and 280 every hour is just too much. i just feel so sorry for him and hate thinking that nothing i do is filling him up x

 

[kirmal12]

hey i was thinking of weaning because my baby drinks 280ml every hour!! and is still hungry he doesnt throw any up either. also he screams until he gets more and 280 every hour is just too much. i just feel so sorry for him and hate thinking that nothing i do is filling him up x

My LO used to drink bucket loads of Milk i always wondered whether it was too much but he kept drinking and was never sick or poorly. He just went through huge growth spurts and needed all the milk he could get. I'm not sure how old your LO is but there is a huge growth spurt at 4 months. My LO's milk intake slowed right down between 5-6 months. If you still think you would like to wean then the earliest is 17 weeks but it is a pain in the butt, i loved it when i only had milk to work about!

 

[aob1013]

I still think Mum knows best and you should follow your baby's lead.

 

[laurenriley]

hey i was thinking of weaning because my baby drinks 280ml every hour!! and is still hungry he doesnt throw any up either. also he screams until he gets more and 280 every hour is just too much. i just feel so sorry for him and hate thinking that nothing i do is filling him up x

My LO used to drink bucket loads of Milk i always wondered whether it was too much but he kept drinking and was never sick or poorly. He just went through huge growth spurts and needed all the milk he could get. I'm not sure how old your LO is but there is a huge growth spurt at 4 months. My LO's milk intake slowed right down between 5-6 months. If you still think you would like to wean then the earliest is 17 weeks but it is a pain in the butt, i loved it when i only had milk to work about!

he is 11 weeks which is why im a little sceptical about doing it- my mum however has had 4 kids and weaned them all between 10-12 weeks and we are all fine... i think lol. very confusing matter

 

[ellaandcallum]

Allergies too are hereditory, so not always down to early weaning. Some allergies are auto immune too. My daughter Ella has celiac disease (autoimmune) which is an intolerance to gluten, this is genetic, so not waiting until 6 months, providing I dont give Macy gluten will be fine as told by Great Ormond Street, who my 9 year old is under. Celiac disease can only be triggered if given gluten to eat, that is when the damage occurs. Also lots of babys and toddlers have temporary intolerances to food, that is why they will not test for celiac disease until a toddler, as children can go grow out of allergies. Celiac you cannot, its life long.

Macy will be weaned when I feel she is ready not by what the government say.

 

[crossroads]

hey i was thinking of weaning because my baby drinks 280ml every hour!! and is still hungry he doesnt throw any up either. also he screams until he gets more and 280 every hour is just too much. i just feel so sorry for him and hate thinking that nothing i do is filling him up x

My LO used to drink bucket loads of Milk i always wondered whether it was too much but he kept drinking and was never sick or poorly. He just went through huge growth spurts and needed all the milk he could get. I'm not sure how old your LO is but there is a huge growth spurt at 4 months. My LO's milk intake slowed right down between 5-6 months. If you still think you would like to wean then the earliest is 17 weeks but it is a pain in the butt, i loved it when i only had milk to work about!

he is 11 weeks which is why im a little sceptical about doing it- my mum however has had 4 kids and weaned them all between 10-12 weeks and we are all fine... i think lol. very confusing matter

Weaning before 17 weeks is considered dangerous. Even the BMJ research paper doesn't suggest it.

 

[crossroads]

Allergies too are hereditory, so not always down to early weaning. Some allergies are auto immune too. My daughter Ella has celiac disease (autoimmune) which is an intolerance to gluten, this is genetic, so not waiting until 6 months, providing I dont give Macy gluten will be fine as told by Great Ormond Street, who my 9 year old is under. Celiac disease can only be triggered if given gluten to eat, that is when the damage occurs. Also lots of babys and toddlers have temporary intolerances to food, that is why they will not test for celiac disease until a toddler, as children can go grow out of allergies. Celiac you cannot, its life long.

Macy will be weaned when I feel she is ready not by what the government say.

When do you suggest gluten is introduced to babies? I'm trying to figure this one out myself.

 

[Sarah10]

hey i was thinking of weaning because my baby drinks 280ml every hour!! and is still hungry he doesnt throw any up either. also he screams until he gets more and 280 every hour is just too much. i just feel so sorry for him and hate thinking that nothing i do is filling him up x

Is your LO on hungry milk hun? Jayden is a huge eater, he would easily drink 70oz of milk a day. I tried him with a spoon of baby rice at 16 weeks but he just wasn't ready. I would try and wait till 17 weeks at least, We had a veggie shepherd pie for tea tonight and i mashed a steamed carrot and mixed it with abit of formula, he adored it, but he is 22 weeks. Ultimately it is down to you though x

 

[no5ontheway]

I'm sorry, but I really don't see how weaning before 17 weeks can be classed as 'dangerous'. As earlier posters have said, the 6 month WHO guideline is actually directed more at third world countries, where they don't have the same sanitary conditions as developed countries, and yes, I have been told this by a paediatrician who was NOT impressed with the idea of waiting til 6 months to wean.
My 4 older children have been weaned at different times, we have family history of allergies so the younger 2 were held off til nearly 6 months and they now have lifelong dairy intolerances, so late weaning and introduction of dairy didn't help them. Evelina Children's hospital are in fact currently doing studies into early introduction of solids (3 months) and in particular the most common allergens, due to the increasing rate of allergies in this country.
My eldest son was weaned at 12 weeks (on medical advice) as he was not gaining weight, and he's the one with no allergies, lol!! That aside, having had children when the advice was 16 weeks, then when the advice was not until 6 months (but, interestingly, the hv's soon jump down your throat if they're not weaned by a day after 6 months) I definitely agree that every baby is different, and if you try your baby with solids and they're not interested, just leave it a little longer.

 

[laurenriley]

I'm sorry, but I really don't see how weaning before 17 weeks can be classed as 'dangerous'. As earlier posters have said, the 6 month WHO guideline is actually directed more at third world countries, where they don't have the same sanitary conditions as developed countries, and yes, I have been told this by a paediatrician who was NOT impressed with the idea of waiting til 6 months to wean.
My 4 older children have been weaned at different times, we have family history of allergies so the younger 2 were held off til nearly 6 months and they now have lifelong dairy intolerances, so late weaning and introduction of dairy didn't help them. Evelina Children's hospital are in fact currently doing studies into early introduction of solids (3 months) and in particular the most common allergens, due to the increasing rate of allergies in this country.
My eldest son was weaned at 12 weeks (on medical advice) as he was not gaining weight, and he's the one with no allergies, lol!! That aside, having had children when the advice was 16 weeks, then when the advice was not until 6 months (but, interestingly, the hv's soon jump down your throat if they're not weaned by a day after 6 months) I definitely agree that every baby is different, and if you try your baby with solids and they're not interested, just leave it a little longer.

i have to agree , although my mum has 4 kids and has weaned us all between 10-12 weeks, however my youngest sister developed a serious allergy to dairy and eggs tomatoes etc when she was 1-4 she is now 5 and is no longer allergic to tomatoes or eggs but im wondering if it is like you say hereditary because sh has a different father to us 3 and his side have bad allergy probs xx