To all those who weaned early....

Replies

• LittleChickpea

  Sep 30, 2008 9:38AM

  hello hun..............
  
  1- I weaned Eoin at 15 weeks
  
  2-just started with brekky........... introduced white meats, fish and dairy/wheat bit by bit from 24weeks onwards.
  
  3- Eoin let me know when he was ready- only a mum can tell xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  
  ps- he 11 mths and never had a problem with eating at all (yet!)

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• upsydaisy

  Sep 30, 2008 9:41AM

  i weaned brooke at about 3 and a half months on advice from doc as she was such a hungry baby, she was 9lb 10.6oz at birth and drank milk for england! she also had reflux but she only had it coz she was drinking to much milk for her tummy to hold so she had to bring it back up so after many hospital stays they told us to give her some solids to fill her up, and she was such a happy baby then! was like having a different baby! only gave her like half a rusk mixed with milk or apple puree to start with, for lunch, then she went on to have lunch and tea then all 3 meals then introduced puddings! just like normal weaning just early!!
  
  My Hv was fuming that we were weaning her! even tho doc said too! she said the doc was wrong and told me i had to stop feeding her solids! paa! is what i said to that!!
  she is 14 months now and the happiest most content baby i know!
  
  do what u feel is right
  xx

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• MumDonna

  Sep 30, 2008 10:37AM

  I started Nathan about 2 weeks ago, at 18 weeks, he was waking for night feeds and already taking 8oz of milk every 3 hours.
  He just has baby porridge for brekkie, after a few days I started adding different fruits, banana is his fave. So far thats it as he doesnt seem to need more but I'll add a 2nd meal of veggies when he's 5 months. He has a tommee tippee food pot serving and eats almost all of it, he has from the start but I think your meant to give them just a littles bit initially (oops).
  
  I havent told Hv or Dr as I dont want to get told off! I trust my instincts, and my daughter was only 16 weeks when she was weaned as this was what was recommended at the time. I know there are reasons for delaying weaning that are relatively newly discovered but there are also reasons to start weaning earlier too. I checked Laurens red book and it states 3-4mths as a good weaning age.
  
  Trust yourself, I think though they do say wait til7 17 weeks if poss, again this was 12 weeks when I had Lauren?!?

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• KTandKlan

  Sep 30, 2008 11:47AM

  Hi hun.
  
  1: I weaned Mason at 11 weeks.
  
  2: I gave him cereal for breakfast and the rest of his bottle and half a rusk for tea with rest of his bottle.I did this for a week then increased the volume for the next week etc etc . I did this for 4 weeks and this week I have changed the rusk to vegetables and a yoghurt and dropped the bottle completely for both meals.
  
  3: I did this on my own instinct at first as Mason has always been a hungry baby and weighed 15lb 5oz at 11 weeks. He started to wake every 2 hours during the night for food but wasn't interested in the milk after 3 nights but was still crying for food. My health visitor came to me at 12 weeks and at first I wasn't going to tell her but glad I did as she completely agreed with me. I am a first time mum so have no past experience but am a firm believer in a mothers instinct. Mason is such a happy baby, I get told it everyday and he used to suffer so badly with his milk as he has reflux but since having solids he hasn't had one problem. I know a lot of people have different opinoins on weaning and I respect that but I knew it was time for Mason. x x x
  

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• wannanother

  Sep 30, 2008 12:16PM

  hi i weaned ethan at 14.5 wks...just gave his about 2-3 teaspoons at first, now hes 16 wks and has equivalent of a baby food jar (1/2 dinner savoury one and 1/2 dessert type fruity one).
  
  i weaned him early and hv was supportive as hes big, and has been taking 11 oz feeds (formula fed)
  
  i only gave him baby rice for 2-3 days then introduced fruity purees and rice pudding, now he also has chicken dinner jars too..hadnt heard that you had to wait til 6mths before intoroducing anything other thank fruit and veg?...he's my second and i think ive just done what i did with my first (shes almost 4 so maybe things have changed since then).
  
  i would say 11 wks is a bit eary..but thats only my opinion and you have to do what you think is best...my friends oldest is 7yrs and she said the guidelines when he was a baby was to wean at 12wks.

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• Loopyloo80UK

  Sep 30, 2008 12:38PM

  Thanks to everyone who has replied so far, it's great to hear everyones experiences.
  
  The fruit and veg thing is to do with the new guidlines as other foods are apparently linked to allergies if given before 6 months.
  
  

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• gsmummy55

  Sep 30, 2008 12:41PM

  -Gabe was 16 weeks when I started.
  
  - I just gave him however much he seemed to want (which at first was not much). Just a few little spoons of rusk with his morning bottle. Then after a couple of weeks I started introducing fruit purees mixed with the rusk, and sometimes banana porridge too. I didn't introduce a 2nd meal until this week (20 weeks) as he didnt seem to need it until then, but I know he needs it now as he started waking earlier. I have been giving him my purees for breakfast and jar foods for lunch as I am clueless of what purees to make apart from plain ones!
  
  -I just did it myself - haven't even told HV, she would disapprove...
  
  Also, sorry if this sounds patronising but until they are 6 months please don't subsititute breast/bottle feeds for solids as it doesnt contain as many nutrients. Gabe was having 4 9oz bottles before weaning and he still has the same now. Please dont drop your lo's milk feeds until they are on 3 meals a day and preferably 6 months....

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• Loopyloo80UK

  Sep 30, 2008 1:00PM

  Thats what I was thinking about milk - although my lo is breastfed on demand and i'm sure she wont let me give her less than she wants! Except at night..... Apparently after 6 months they gradually naturally drop feeds or take less.
  
  I will try other things to get her to be more settled at night, from tonight i'm going to try and give her water for every other night feed until 6am
  
  but will also get some baby rice at the weekend - she'll then be 12 weeks. I guess there's no harm in giving her a little to see her reaction and that will help me know if she's ready. She was 2 weeks overdue, has met the early milestones a couple of weeks early and is very strong - tries to sit up especially when in car seat and she doesn't want to be and has strong legs when held in standing position.

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• karen130770

  Sep 30, 2008 2:56PM

  Hiya
  
  I gave my lo baby rice at 11 weeks for a few days. This was because my friend is a HV (one of the few good ones!) and she told me that at around this age they go through a huge intellectual growth spurt which is why they start being much more alert and also physically the change a great deal. With hungrier babies she recommends (on the QT of course!) giving them a couple of teaspoons of baby rice at their hungriest times just to see them through this period.
  
  I did this and after a few days he settled back down so I went back to just bfing him again.
  
  I've now weaned him (at 14 weeks) as he was just so hungry and I've never seen a child take to solids so well (he's my 4th baby and he has been the best). He is on 2 meals a day after 2 weeks of weaning and would take a third if I gave it to him but thought I'd better wait another week for this really!
  
  I will NOT be mentioning this to my HV unless I need to as I'm sure I'll get yet another tongue lashing for breaking her rules again!
  
  Good luck!xx

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• sooky2-61896

  Sep 30, 2008 3:50PM

  I would be scared to wean before 17 weeks as they keep talking about lining of their stomach not being developed properly but official advice to BF exclusivly for 6 months is a lot of rubbish.I followed it religiously and it was the most stupid things I have ever done.I will challenge any health visitor or health professional to argue with me over this one .Wean at 4 months,dont wait a minute longer.

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• EmmaA

  Sep 30, 2008 3:52PM

  I also weaned my lo at 17 weeks. He is not a particularly large baby but a very hungry one and as he was mainly bf he needed feeds all the time during the day and was waking a few times at night before I started weaning. I started him on baby cereal at lunch then after a week I moved that to the morning and he now has either pureed fruit or veg at lunch with a bottle of water. I made the mistake of trying to drop a milk feed but I've now gone back to bf as much as possible and also give a few bottles of formula a day. He is much more content and sleeping through the night. There was no way I could wait till 6 months to wean. I was thinking of trying him on some petit fillou - does anyone know if this is ok before 6 months? He is now 20 weeks.

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