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BBC news - weaning bf babies before 6 months.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12180052



Don't know about you lot but I can hardly keep up with the ever changing guidelines on parenting.



Think I'll just ask my baby what he wants to do!
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Replies

  • I know!! It is mad isn't it?



    There is tonnes of conflicting advice out there now! I just said on my FB, I will just follow ds2's lead on this one. xx
  • I know, its very frustrating that people follow the guidlines and are still told they aren't doing the best for their baby...

    It definitely needs research that is clearly and broadly independent..
  • I think we parents should just be better informed about how to 'read' our kids. No way was ds1 ready for weaning at 16 weeks. Neither is ds2. I tried ds1 at 5 and a half months and he resisted it with all his might so I gave up and at dead on 6 months tried again and he has been a great eater ever since. Ds2 is showing a lot of the signs now at 20 weeks but I'm not convinced he's there yet - as soon as I think he's ready we'll start be it next week or be it at 26 weeks. It's up to him!
  • I've always been confused about the whole allergy thing. 6 months is pretty late to start weaning as compared to many other cultures. We have really high rates of allergies and getting worse every year compared to countries that wean at 4 months and yet we are advised to wait till 6 months to avoid allergies. I don't understand the logic!
  • I as just coming o here to post about this. As a first time mother it is most annoying and confusing lol!!! As if parenthood itsn't tough enough!

    I imagine by time I have my second child the guidlines will have changed again.

    I am just going to be led by my child I think and look out for the signs that he is ready.

  • i always believe mother knows best and when my girls were ready for weaning i done it wither it was early or late and they are healthy and happy. Guidelines are just that and its up to the parent to make the right choice. I just wish they would make up their minds, everything is trial and error with the government guidelines, we are really test dummys for them, it makes me so mad!
  • Mmmmm. I'd like to know who funded that research, myself!
  • I think the "between 4 and 6 months" is about right, but do wish they would stop changing the goalposts. However, parents do need some sort of help in reading when their baby is ready for solids if they're going to say you should start between 4 and 6 months as you will get many people starting at 4 months because they think they should. My dd was not ready at 4 months, but would never have made it to 6 months. We started at 5 months and by then she was so hungry that she was feeding every hour and a half and was unsettled in between. That changed dramatically within a day or so of introducing solids. Because of some of the comments you see on here about early weaning I had sleepless nights thinking that I was doing some sort of harm to her by starting early, but it was certainly what she needed.
  • goodness there have been some heated discussions on here about this and it proves a couple of things



    1)guidelines - are just that

    2)Mummy knows best



    Research is a funny thing becasue it is only done on a small segment of society - it cant possibly apply to all so to stick to it ridgedly is maybe not the way to go.
  • double post
  • The lady on the bbc seemed to be focusing on the "inconvenience" of an 8 week baby not going through the night. I breastfeed my baby 2 or 3 times during the night, I wouldn't expect her to go all day without food so why all night. Their tummies are so little!
  • I'm just confused!!!! Obviously I want to do the right thing by my DS (doesnt everyone?!) but with all the conflicting advice it doesnt exactly make things easy, esp for a first time mum does it?!?!?!



    Like you ladies have said, I'm going to try go by my LO. My HV was most insistent I should wait until he is 6 months as apparently his kidneys won't be mature enough to process anything but milk... so I feel a bad Mum for even thinking about doing it earlier!! :? :?



    I am CONFUSED.COM!!!!
  • I saw this on the BBC breakfast show. For a start, there is no new evidence about this, it's just opinion so nothing has really changed. Second of all, the so called breastfeeding 'expert' Claire Byram-something was an absolute muppet. She said some ridiculous things and I feel sorry for mothers who go to her for help. She based all her evidence of a healthy and happy baby on one who sleeps through the night - as if that is the be all and end all.
  • Haven't seen the clip yet but glad that I have just followed my babies lead, rather than worry too much about guidelines. As for this sleeping through the night business, babies aren't designed to sleep through the night, physiologically its a safety thing is it not? Back in the day when we lived in caves and had predators lurking about in the dark ready to pick off the littlest. lo has only just started sleeping 'through' at 7 months but getting up once or twice (often not til 5am I must add) has not killed me (sorry rant over) and obviously this is different if they are up every 2 hours or are obviously uncomfortable x
  • Claire Byam Cook. In cahoots with Gina Ford. Nothing more to add!
  • I have had 3 babies in the last 9 years and the guidelines have changed at least 3 times now! It's just ridiculous - but it is worth remembering that this is just a group of peoples opinions rather than any new devastating research results.



    The 6mth guideline is based on the results of over 3000 research papers (according to Radio 4) - so it's not just an arbitrary figure plucked from the air! However that does not mean it's the best thing for every baby I suppose.



    Never personally understood why the early weaning threads got so heated tbh, it's not a terribly emotive subject to me, although maybe if people have felt criticised for early weaning it is to them!



    I weaned ds1 at 5mths (guidelines were 4-6mths then) and my younger 2 at 6mths as per guidelines, and I must admit I never had any problems -t hey all seems perfectly happy on breastmilk until that time. But they didn't sleep through until 8 or 9 mths, and they are all pretty fussy eaters.



    I don't think an obsession with parenting guidelines/what other people are doing with their babies is very healthy to new mums. I followed the guidelines and my babies were happy and content, had they not been I would have tried other ways. A common-sense approach is needed!
  • LOl Maenad!

    I did think that Claire woman was a bit odd!!

    I think the BBC clearly jsut tried to get two women at the completely opposite end of the spectrum! Where was the nice middle midwife haha. Was quite funny watching them argue it out though.
  • Oh, THERE you go. Medal for Maenad. The study was part sponsored by Nutricia. Who make artificial foods and infant formulae. Biased load of crappy bunkum.
  • Its all very confusing!!! i will be going by baby im afraid, im sure she will let me know when she is ready, at only 12weeks i have a little while to wait yet. The whole thing of going through thorore night gets to me, my first lo never slept through till 8or9 months and i probably wont expect this one to either, might be a bit mad but i actually enjoy the nighttime feeds as long as its not every hour,lol.xxx
  • I came on here to comment about this too...



    My DD is 23 weeks on Sunday and she is EBF. For the past couple of weeks, she has been waking up at night (about 3/4 times rather than once) so I went to the HV yesterday, who advised to hang on for another 2 weeks as there are other reasons which could explain it (change of routine at xmas, cold, me having had the flu...).



    Now I'm confused as to what is the best thing for my little one. I'm thinking about starting now slowly, this way she will be right in the middle at 5 months.



    I have to say this research has been written by people who received funding from the baby food industry (See the article in the Guardian), so maybe it should be taken with a pinch of salt...



    I still believe that the 6 month rule was introduced because if you say 4 months, people will start at 3 months when baby is clearly not ready. By saying 6 months, people wait until 4 months...I don't agree mums know best (if we do we wouldn't spend so much time on here for advice...image, e do what we thinkis best and we hope that it is...



    The bit about coliac disease confused me the most. There was no way I would have introduced gluten before 6 months as the risks are just too serious for baby. However, this research is saying the opposite, that there are more cases of gluten allergy if you wait after 6 months to introduce it... What to do??!
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