Hints and tips for weaning (merged)

felicity1

20 weeks for both my little ones, no jars of baby food all home made stuff whizzed up.

JoJoB

jannyannie wrote: »

Hi all

Our son was a hungry boy. I was breast-feeding every 2 hours, sometimes more than that. I weaned him at 12 weeks, with some baby rice and fed him all the things we have without the salt in it. He's now 7 and 4'3", skinny and eats almost anything. My health visitor wasn't that happy about it but I felt I was the best judge. I knew I couln't breastfeed like that until he was 4 months old and be sane, as he wouldn't have a bottle.

Jan :A xxxx

Mine is refusing bottles too, pain isn't it? I got used to the feeds every two hours though - this is quite normal for b/f babies as breast milk takes about 2 hours to digest so they naturally need to feed more than formula fed babies.

Started weaning mine last week at 5 and a half months. She was showing a keen interest in our food and it just seemed the right time. It hasn't at all been difficult just breastfeeding all this time, apart from needing a break now and then. Going to give her her first mashed up banana brekkie now, can't wait!

Penelope_Penguin

DD was over a year old before I could persuade her to give up BF (as I wanted another baby ).

DS gave up at about 5 months, and showed no further interest.

I'd go with your own instincts - in many countries children aren't weaned until they're well over a year old.

As this has fallen from the front page of Old Style, I'll move it to the Families Board, where you're bound to get more answers

pigpen

DS1 was 8 weeks.. Farleys second milk and 'to the brim' bottles every 2-2.5 hours were enough indicator to me!
DD1 was 15 weeks..
DS2 was 19 weeks (8 weeks prem though)
DD2 was 6.5 months.. and once she discovered food there was no stopping her.. by 8 months JUST for breakfast she would have.. 3 weetabix, 1 slice of toast, 2 yoghurts and a banana.. then boob..
DS3 was 18 months.. he was 9 weeks prem, with lactose intolerance and reflux and had associated eating with being sick and feeling ill so didn't.
DD3 was 12 months.. she just couldn't face it before hten.. it was offered but she would just gag
DD4 was 11 months.. she just wasn't interested
DD5.. also had reflux.. was 6 months.. she was 6 weeks prem too and wouldn't eat before then.. even if food did stay down better than milk.

Hubby was 1 week and his mother crammed him with rusks.. and I was 3 weeks and had rusk in my bottle.

Milford_Cubicle

My DD was 12 weeks when she was weaned, born 8lb 5oz, didn't lose any weight at all, just gained from day one. Was taking five 8oz bottles per day and wanting more so I made the choice as I felt she was ready. She's now 7, 4' 3", size 2 shoe, age 9-10 clothes.

arthur_dent_2

I would have thought that it very much depended on the size and appetite of your baby. Both of mine were around 5 months I think.

jellyhead

The guidelines changed between my two children too. With the first I was being nagged to wean him at 3 months but he wasn't interested before 6 months.The second baby wanted food at exactly 6 months, which was the recommended age at that time.

Friends and relatives have weaned earlier than 6 months and have had health visitor approval for it. I think babies are all different. My second was/is huge and heavy but he didn't need any food before 6 months. He gained half a pound in his first week and a pound a week for the next few weeks - at his 6 week check he had gained 5 and a half pounds! My nephew is tiny and delicate but he was weaned at 3 months, so I don't think the size of the baby is necessarily an indicator.

I was actually nagged by health visitors to wean my boy before 6 months - AGAINST the guidlelines! I was told that waiting until 6 months would delay his speech, due to him not using the muscles in his mouth. With him being a summer baby and starting nursery at just 3 and school at just 4 I was told that speech delay would be very upsetting for him. At his 7 month check I was told he should be eating lumpy food by now, but he had only started on pureed food 3 weeks earlier and didn't like lumps.

My SIL had a different health visitor in the same town, and she was made to feel like a bad mother for early weaning. We often said we should swap health visitors :rotfl:

OrkneyStar

It is confusing- I am a first time mum but reading literature, talking to friends/family etc I am well aware guidelines change.
My son was exclusively bf from birth, we started introducing tastes of things at about 5 months, a bit more (types and quantity) at 6 months and so on. We introduced cows milk in food at 6 months and as a drink at about 12 months. He is 15 months now, not the best eater but not the worst either, will try things but knows what he likes.
TBH I would aim for as close to 6 months as you can but equally a little before that should be ok.
Instinct is always a great guide too.

Originally posted by JoJoB
Going to give her her first mashed up banana brekkie now, can't wait!

Also just to say some babes don't much like banana so don't be surprised if your DD doesn't take to it- maybe try something a bit more bland
x OS

Jo_F

6 weeks with my first one, my mum phoned me one night and I was in tears as there was nothing I could do to stop my daughter crying, mum came over with a box of Farleys Rusks and told me to put a 1/4 of one in her bottle, and it worked, seemed the poor little mite was still hungry, the milk just wasn't filling her up.

I then started her on baby rice in her bottle, and the Heinz tins of baby food. The health visitor went up the wall and told me that she would have problems, be obese and all that stuff. Hmmm she's 13 years old, dainty and still eats for England.

With my son it was again about the same time, I breast fed till he was a couple of weeks old, but I got an infection and had to stop, so he went on the bottle and then when it looked like the bottle wasn't enough, he started with the rice in his bottle.

You have to go with what your baby is telling you, it's not a case of one size fits all.

monkey22_2

I'm just weaning DS3 now age 5 months. He's a big boy (9lb 2oz at birth) and I was aiming for 6 months but he's just started wanting to bf every 2 hours again so I guess he's ready for a bit extra.

I would definitely wait until they're able to sit up by themselves as otherwise there is a risk of choking, same with putting rice/rusks in their bottle.