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Heinz - weaning at 3months!!

B is three months old and I've just had one of those emails you get telling you your baby's development at x weeks etc.

But it is titled " your guide to weaning starts here"


At 3 months old your baby has already made great first discoveries. In a few weeks they'll need more than just their milk feed to keep them happy and healthy. 

How on earth are they allowed to send this out to people. B is 13 weeks old! I know people in real life who would take this email as meaning , quick go out and buy baby food!  

shes only 3 months old, so it's her whole lifetime again before she will be having any food , not "a few weeks". 

Arghhh  I'm so annoyed! Sorry about the rant!

Replies

  • You're right, some folk *will* do that :(

  • What is it with this at the moment? My health visitor is obsessed with me weaning S early, as soon as he hits 4 months. She says it's to help his reflux but she's also pressuring my friend whose little boy doesn't have reflux...it's really bad :(

  • My daughter had reflux and were advised to wean early which we did under medical supervision at 17 weeks. I don't think they should be actively encouraging people to break the guidelines!

  • If his reflux was still bad I'd definitely be considering it but it's well controlled with gaviscon and ranitidine so I'm reluctant to change anything when what we are doing is working. Our health visitor just seems obsessed by the idea!

  • Sorry to jump in but Ninabeanie did it help? We've been advised by the paed to wean A to help with her reflux - she's 18 weeks. She's just been changed to neocate milk but is still pretty sicky with it and and her last weigh in she had gone down a little in weight. I'm wondering of weaning is the way forward as the thicker texture might stop her being so sick but then worried it may aggreivate her reflux.

  • It does seem to be a thing at the moment that whatever is 'wrong' with a baby that early weaning seems to be the answer. I can see that in some cases there may be a need i.e. they really can't keep milk down, but in many cases it can make things worse! I really bugs me. The people I know who weaned early had far more difficulties with weaning and  their babies eating than those who waited until close to the 6 month mark.

  • I think the few weeks is in reference to the fact that you can start to introduce first tastes at 17 weeks. It's probably just me, but it's really not the end of the world if people do choose to wean that early. I was when I was 3 months and it had no detrimental effect on me. They are just guidelines and it's probably just me being grumpy after a bad night sleep, but I really wish people would remember the definition of guidelines. It's not gospel.

  • We started weaning at 19 weeks. By 3 months I was grateful to have some advice in the way of emails etc so

    I could go out and buy what I needed in readiness. The email said 'in a few weeks' so if you were gettig the email at 13 weeks, I was weaning in 6 weeks from then.

  • There are so many later in life health implications to weaning early. Such ad obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and I find weaning such a faff  that I'm happy to wait. But I agree that people will always wean before 6mths as the guidelines do say from 4mths. And the jars state from 4mths.

    I was weaned early too but that was 31 years ago and there has been alot of research done since then.

  • Your lifestyle has a lot to do with later in life health implications too Daisy. Research is only as good as the size of the cohort. I personally don't think early weaning is going to cause such serious health implications as you've mentioned. There are too many variables between weaning and later in life that would affect an accurate outcome.

  • From what I recall, baby food labelling only requires a minimum age limit by law. This doesn't mean that babies are necessarily ready for weaning at that minimum age but whilst the 'guidelines' are only guidelines, they can get away with it.

  • I'm with you on this one Jellytot. I'm not a stickler for guidelines, in fact we've started offering N food this week at 22 weeks, but I think that email is pretty irresponsible.

    If people feel the need to wean early, for medical or other reasons, then by far the best place to get advice is a medical professional or an independent evidence-based website or group. Not Heinz or any other food manufacturer, who of course have a vested interest in you weaning two months earlier than guidelines advise as it means they are likely to get two more months of sales from it. The wording of the email is wrong to me - the use of the word 'need' suggests that early weaning is essential, rather than an option and also goes against the idea of a gradual introduction to food by saying they need it to stay healthy.

    Also important to remember that the plural of anecdote is not data - most of us were weaned earlier than current guidelines and are healthy  but not everyone is, and clearly there is evidence of the risks associated with early weaning which informs current advice. Whether people take that advice or not is their choice but I believe it is dangerous of baby food manufacturers to ignore it so blatantly.

  • MamaD - Sorry I have only just seen this.  It really did help, she was on Ranatidine and Domperidone for Silent Reflux, we drastically reduced her meds at 6 months and then stopped them altogether at 9 months ( by this stage I was good at recognising what foods were no go for her - mainly tomato or onion)

    It was done under medical supervision and I did not move onto giving her full blown pureed meals until the normal weaning guidelines suggest but she did have certain this before this. If I can find the medical guidelines we were provided with I will let you have a copy, but I would suggest seeking medical advice as it really can make a difference.

    x

  • Thanks NB, the paediatrician had advised me to start weaning her but I'm a bit nervous about it. We've been referred to a dietician (as she is also cmpi) but they can't see her until March, when she'll be 6 months anyways. I'd like to hold off a bit longer but then would feel do guilty if it does help her reflux and I put off doing it. I'm so torn!

  • I will try and find the early weaning advice I was given and send it on to you. I would not hesitate to do it again if I needed to. Unfortunately being a mum is all about guilt but it was the best decision I made c
  • Obviously when people start weaning early for various health/medical reasons that's absolutely fine, but like Margot said , it should be under the advice of a professional.

    It just annoys me as there are so many people out there who are desperate to race through all the stages of development ( putting them in a stage 1 car seat too early being another example ), and having emails like this just makes them more eager to rush out and buy baby food .  It's really irresponsible of them  and they shouldn't be allowed to promote weening so early when the guidelines say 6minths.

    Formula manufacturers aren't allowed to promote switching to stage 0 formula instead of breast milk and have to say that you should speak to your midwife before using it, so they should be saying if you want to wean before 6 months talk to a professional

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