What exactly has changed????????

misswig

Hi

I started weaning my DS at 7 weeks old as he was demanding feeding every 30 mins -1 hour throughout the day and night. Started off on baby rice but by the time thwe HV came to discuss weaning at 17 weeks old, he was on 3 meals a day!!! I've got to admit i lied and said that i had only started giving him baby rice at lunch time. Even then i got told off:eek: :eek:

My DS was BF and i honestly believe that had i not weaned him when i did then i would have given up and given him formula so i could have a break. As it was i BF until he was 8 months old and he then only started sleeping through!!

Justie

you are mum and as such are free to make the decisions that best suit you and your baby no one can force you to do otherwise and it suggests to me that the HV doesn't know why she's being told to promote 6 month weaning as she refuses to explain it to you. You sound as though you want to make the best choice for your child and as such should be made aware of all the reasons for the guidelines changing so that you can make an informed choice and weigh up the pros and cons on each side.

This isn't something I've yet fully researched as I'm still pregnant so haven't get to that point yet but as far as I can tell the evidence is based on several things:

One of the reasons for changing the guidelines to only beginning weaning at 6 months is the link between early weaning and allergies another is research that shows that some children have difficulty moving from purees onto stage two foods (more lumpy) and a development of a 'sweet tooth' which has long term impact on both tooth health and diet (there are some links to long term obesity).

It's not easy to find any straight answers though as to why you couldn't start weaning earlier it is just best practice and supported by both WHO and UNICEF, amongst many others, to promote breastfeeding only for 6 months. You don't say if you're breastfeeding or bottlefeeding - if you're breastfeeding it may be worth phoning the NCT breastfeeding line to see if they have any info for you or suggestions of how you could feed your child in a way that would fill him up for longer

At the end of the day it's your decision though - these are only guidelines.

hev_2

I faithfully kept to the six month thing that HV insisted on, with DS (my first) and I have just started to wean him. I probably could have weaned earlier, but DS is so placid (didn't get that from me!) that it was okay.

Now, at six months, the books are telling me he should be on lumpy second stage when he is only just starting first stage, the HV just hands me leaflets and I am ready to cry my eyes out in frustration because I want to try and give DS proper nutrition but between the leaflets and the HV I have no idea what it is! I am terrified that DS's development will be screwed by inappropriate feeding. I would love to make the home made baby food, but I don't know at which level to start now and I am panicking.

TBH, at the moment he looks fine, but I am angry that I have been put in this situation.

Hev

dollop

to be honest all babies are diffrent some will want it earlier some will want it later, some get really hungry some dont.i had my first child 16 years ago and am now nearly 6 months pregnant with my 4th and the guidlines to to many things have changed in all that time,i was even told by a midwife the other day that now your not supposed to do the bottles the way we used to and to be quite frank i told her id do them the way id always done them,never done my kids any harm then and it wont now,as for weaning in the good old days they used to put bloomin rusks n weetabix in the bottles lol and some of of were very young,,i fink it just depends on how hungry the baby is ive usually started weaning mine at around 3 months because i find they start getting starving then,it is up to you as a mother to decided whever you think your baby is ready or not obviously your not stupid, and i dont mean this offensifley but youll always get one naive person that thinks its ok to wean a baby at very very very early stages,like i say just look back to wat they did in the good old days,anyway good luck and always remeber trust your own instincts,i had to wean one of mine at about 3 months he was drinking about 8-10 ounces every hour if not more turned out to be a right lill chubby baby but it all came off as soon as he turned 2,god i think ive waffled for england here lol,good luck xxx

fsdss

just to let you know, the GUIDELINES for weaning is 6 months and then you progress weaning stages much quicker than a child younger. the reason for these GUIDELINES are, because there is much evidence to support that early weaning has an connection of illness such as allergy / diabetes.

not before 17 weeks should you wean, that is the earliest that you should start.

at the end of the day, go with your instincts. you are the expert on your baby - not your hv

roseycozy

As Justie says the new guidelines are based on recent research funded by the WHO which shows that babies weaned before 6 months are more prone to allergies and digestive problems. Obviously not all babies will be affected but it is worth considering before you go ahead with weaning early, especially if there are any allergies in your immediate family. I actually waited the full 6 months but then my husband has ezcema so my DD is at higher risk of things lik asthma.

Obviuously it is your choice when to wean so if you feel your child is ready then you have every right to do so, regardles of what anyone says.

I can't really offer advice on weaning though as we're following the 'baby led weaning' route which basically is giving soft 'adult' foods as finger food, or she spoonfeeds things like yoghurt herself, so no pureeing involved. Still, this goes against government guidlines so I get stick from the HVs about that too yet I carry on as I feel it's best for my child. :mad:

I also don't have any issues with night feeds cos although my DD still wakes every 3hrs I co-sleep and breastfeed so often dont even wake up. But I can see if you don't then you'd be very keen to get them weaned!

BernadetteN

I have a 5 1/2 year old born in 2001 and the guidelines then were to wait till 6 months. It was the same for our youngest born in 2005.

I have 2 elder children born in 1996 and 1998 and guidelines then were to wait till 4 months.

I really WOULD NOT go with instincts when it comes to weaning as so many misread "interest in holiding a spoon" or " waking more" as signs babies need fed and fed more. There is just too much evidence pointing to increased risks of ill health and even some evidence linking things like IBS with early weaning, despite there usually being a large gap between weaning and IBS. If you follow the 6 months guideline, it may be hard for those few weeks between 4 and 6 months, but at least if your baby then develops allergies or other illnesses afterwards, you know you have only followed advice and have done your best.

I found it far easier weaning babies at 6 months than at 4 months. There is little need for purees, no hours in the kitchen blending veg and decanting into ice cubes. I just served our 6 month old babies with slightly modified and lumpy versions of what everyone else was eating. That's how those parts of the world as yet untouched with modern science do it and how humans have survived throughout milennia.

BernadetteN

roseycozy wrote: »

I can't really offer advice on weaning though as we're following the 'baby led weaning' route which basically is giving soft 'adult' foods as finger food, or she spoonfeeds things like yoghurt herself, so no pureeing involved. Still, this goes against government guidlines so I get stick from the HVs about that too yet I carry on as I feel it's best for my child. :mad:

Which bit of your weaning routine you describe is against UK govt guidelines? It sounds like you are doing EXACTLY IN ACCORDANCE with guidelines.

http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/agesandstages/baby/weaning/#cat227288

It sounds like you are already at the stage 3-4 of the guidelines. In these guidelines, I reckon our 2 youngest children went from stage 1 with purees to stage 4 modified adult food in less than 2 weeks.

roseycozy

Well Bernadette, the reason they tell me off is that I never gave her puree or even mashed food really. We started at 6 months with things like cooked carrot sticks, and soft fruits and the only 'mushy' foods she had were things that are 'normally' that consistency like porridge, yoghurt etc. I don't think this approach is really that revolutionary but it has been in the media recently with lots of people saying it could be dangerous. They worry that the baby will choke on things, but they really don't - and they say to add finger foods from around 7 months anyway.

Obviously I am a fan of this method or I wouldnt be doing it (my sister actually did this with her two DSs so I know it works). But it can be a slower process than the puree & mashed food route I think and so some health professionals worry about nutrition. But again the new guidelines say that breast milk/formula should be the main form of nutrition untill the age of 1 anyway.

rchddap1

Do what you feel is right. You know your child best and so are best placed to decide what is right. The health visitor is not your son's mummy. They may say 'under no circumstances give solid food'...but the decision isn't theirs. Its yours.

I started to wean my little girl earlier than 6 months. but she seemed to need it. As for how you do it....I went by what my little girl seemed to want. If I gave her food first she wouldn't take her milk. So I gave her a bit of milk first to get the important stuff into her. And then a bit of food afterwards. I know that most other mum's do it the other way round. But she just wouldn't accept it that way.