The big W...when are you starting?

KayeCee_And_Co · Aug 1, 2010 7:32AM

Anyone thought about / started weaning yet? Matilda is coming up 15 weeks and I am thinking about starting her on a tiny bit of baby rice (is that classed as weaning?). She is putting on weight well (is 13.2 now) but she is just so disinterested in milk! She is still only on 4 or 5 oz every 3-4 hours - the most she has ever taken in 6oz and DH and I were dancing round the room! I need to read up some more and figure out whether it's right for her but I have bought my little spoons in preparation!

K x

Ruth77 · Jul 30, 2010 10:23AM

I'm hoping to hold out till 6mnths - really want to give BLW a go & you're not meant to start that till 6mnths! Plus, I think weaning is going to be hard work & quite tying so I'm waiting as long as possible! Benjamin seems more than happy with milk at the moment!!! x

Feebs76 · Jul 30, 2010 10:32AM

I think I'm going to hold off til after our hols at least so 22/23 weeks. I doubt we'll make it to 6 months though as she's such a hungry monster!!! I think 17 weeks is the earliest they recommend because of the stomach/kidneys' maturity. And they need to have strong head control - grace can still bob about a bit at the moment!

Keep us posted on your progress though!

Xx

Muffin_Mammy · Jul 30, 2010 10:38AM

Everyone keeps telling me I'll never get Lucas to 6 months as he's such a big boy, so stubbornly I want to prove them wrong!!!! Plus, I was weaned at 12 weeks and I have severe wheat allergies and can't help thinking it's connected.

I'll just keep an eye out for the sighs he's ready...if that's in 3 weeks time, I'll start! Have bought loads of stuff ready for starting already! He is being funny with feeding at the moment, only put an ounce on over 9 days, so maybe I will have to start sooner rather than later!

Who could have imagined this thread 3 months ago??!!

Hxx

xCALLEIGHx · Jul 30, 2010 3:05PM

17 weeks is the minimum the nhs says. renri i would tell them there are far more calories in your milk than in carrotts and apples, so which is going to put more weight on him!

clairol2 · Jul 30, 2010 3:22PM

We've already started. Lara loves food, i mean really loves it.lol
She is still on just as much breast milk as before and hasnt had any problems so far with anything. I'm staying away from things like gluton and dairy.
She really seems to love fruit the most, so really just sticking with a few spoons a day and she loves to hold and munch on a piece of apple too.
claire and lara 17 weeks

Muffin_Mammy · Jul 30, 2010 3:36PM

Calleigh, totally agree, but the little bugger is becoming increasingly fractious and will suddenly only feed very briefly and will happily sleep past 4 or 5 hours after a feed if I let him. Hopefully just a phase, don't think I can cope if I have to stop BF again.

kayssis · Jul 30, 2010 4:29PM

I don't think we'll make it to 6months, ryans already showing an interest in food, he watches us eating so intently and last weekend was trying to grab leftovers off a plate that was almost within his reach- not sure what he wouldve done if he'd managed though. Our topic at baby group next week is weaning but she did say before 4 and a half months is the very earliest

mummy_123 · Jul 30, 2010 5:22PM

As with most things advice on weaning has changed in the 2 years since I had DS1. It was then 17 weeks if they were showing signs of being ready (which he was & HV confirmed at 15 weeks that he was ready but we held out until 17 weeks). We were also told that meat needed to be introduced by 7 months so if you waited until 6 months you almost had to rush the process!!

We'll be starting at 17 weeks again with DS2 as he's been showing all the signs & won't take his eyes of DS1 when he's eating. We've never had any food issues with DS1 & he'll eat absolutely anything so we'll be following pretty much the same plan.

Good luck & enjoy.

Xxx

TriTread · Jul 31, 2010 2:42AM

Amelia is 17 weeks but not ready yet. She still only takes 6oz of milk. Although she's gone back to wanting to drink around every 3 hours. I think she's going through a growth spurt though.

The disinterest in milk seems to be common at this stage - all my NCT and 1st Time Mums are going through it. Just need to ride it out.

Feebs76 · Jul 31, 2010 5:38AM

As with most things advice on weaning has changed in the 2 years since I had DS1. It was then 17 weeks if they were showing signs of being ready (which he was & HV confirmed at 15 weeks that he was ready but we held out until 17 weeks). We were also told that meat needed to be introduced by 7 months so if you waited until 6 months you almost had to rush the process!!

Just wondering where you live Mummy123? I had my DD1 3 years ago and the guidelines were the same up here (yorkshire) as they are now i.e. wait til 6 months. I know that 4 or 5 years ago it was recommended that you begin weaning from 4 months but not before 17 weeks but thought the advice had changed nationally back then. Prob another example of the NHS being totally different from location to location!!

I have to agree about the fact that if you wait til 6 months the HVs will try and make you rush the process. I did wait until 6 months with DD1 but in retrospect she still wasn't ready then. HV made me feel so pressurised to get her almost immediately onto lumpy food/meat etc that the whole process was totally stressful as she was not interested so mealtimes were about me desperately trying to get her to eat and her tantruming as she didn't need the food! In the end she was ready at about 8-9 months and then it was no problem.

This time around I intend to ignore the HV entirely! If I decide to wean Grace early I won't tell them and if she's not ready until beyond 6 months (unlikely!) I'll stand by my guns! I'm definitely keen on giving BLW a go, (although prob will do this alongside baby rice/purees etc) as I want to be led by Grace's appetite and not government guidelines!

Right that's me off my soapbox!!!

xxxx

HayleyR_ · Aug 1, 2010 7:32AM

I'm not sure tbh. I doubt we'll get to 6 months though. Oliver is nearly 18lb now and has 5/6 8oz bottles a day. After having really bad colic/constipation I really don't want to give him hungry baby milk.

I think at first I will just give him little bits of baby rice and see how we go from there.

H x

The big W...when are you starting?

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