Early weaning?

[Just4you]

Hi everyone
Right here's my dilemma. My little girl is 3 month old and was born a eye watering 9lb 10ozs. She is very long but still gorgeous! Lol. Anyway my question is about weaning she is showing lots of signs chewing hands all the time, staring at our food, etc, I know the doh have now decided that we should wait until 6 months due to baby's tummys etc but lots if women have told me that they weaned thier baby's at 3 months as that used to be the age to do it back in the day? I wish things would stop changing! Lol. I was weaned at 3 months and although some may argue.. I'm fine lol. I have tried my little girl with some puréed food today and she loved it couldn't get enough I even gave her a spoon to hold to keep her hands occupied and she kept putting it in her mouth arr bless, she has been very forward since she was born,. Anyway sorry to go on. Can I please have some advice on whether I am ok to continue as it seems to be going well and if anyone has weaned thier children at this she I would be grateful for some friendly encouragement as so many people advise different things. Thanks for reading my novel ! Lol xx

[DrP]

I think the guidelines have recently changed and it is now considered okay to wean from four months onward. I had a discussion with my paediatrician (I don't live in the UK) about this a few weeks back at our four months check up and she was telling me that the initial guidelines were four months, as part of an initiative to combat allergies it was shifted to 6 months but that in reality all children are different as to when they are ready but it is generally recommended that you wait till at least 17 weeks (calculated according to due date, and not necessarily actual date) if you LO shows signs of being ready early.

I was going to wait till six months with both my boys. However that didn't happen. I weaned my first at five months (four and a half months according to his due date), he was definitely ready for it and loved his food from day one. My younger son started weaning two weeks ago at just over four months (closer to five months according to his due date). He was showing all the signs of being ready - he could sit up on his own in his high chair (this is apparently an important one), was grabbing at our food, trying to pull my hand into his mouth if I had food in it, drooling more than normal when sitting at the table with us and making chewing motions when we were eating. The chewing on his hands I ignored as he's been doing that since he first discovered his hands, similarly the watching us was the same, he did that all the time so when we were eating wasn't anything unusual.

Tbh if your LO is still satisfied with her milk I would be inclined to hold off for another few weeks or till she is at least the recommended 17 weeks and start properly then.

[lovelylolly31]

I had my baby on Father's Day and he weighed in at 9lb 6oz. I am doing well with breastfeeding but am not sure he can wait until 6 months to be weaned! My mum weaned all of us at around 3 months so I will hang on for as long as possible but I just know my baby will want some form of solids earlier than 6 months. I weighed in at 9lb 8oz by the way!

[Just4you]

That's great thanks for your experiences, I have started my little angel on purée two days ago, after posting the initial thread, and she loves it! I think she was just needing a top up due to being heavier baby like I said she is very forward for her age and holds her head up and even try's to feed herself with the spoon which she actually does manage under very close supervision so she doesn't ram the spoon in her mouth! I have spoken to so many mums including mine and my grandma and they all weaned at 3 months. How did we all survive without all this new guidence etc from the government years ago? Lol. I know it's in children's best interests and is good advice but all babys are so different and have different needs. I'm not giving her too much just yet but the amount she gets she wolfs down! And I think wants more but slowly does it for now, I will increase amounts and times over next few weeks. I hope my actions may help anyone else in this dilemma as I was unsure of what to do, but now I bit the bullet I'm happy with my decision and so is her daddy and she definitely is lol. It's sooo hard not knowing what to do being a first timer at all this. But like I was told you are the best judge of what is right and know what's best for your precious one, with regards to things like this and obviously within reason I wouldn't say wean at 1 month lol!! Take care everyone xx