Weaning

Rather than counting days you need to be looking at their signs of readiness. There are no benefits, only potential negatives, to starting earlier than 6 months unless medically advised. Personally I would just wait as 6 months is around the time you can be sure their gut is ready for solids.

Weaning shouldn’t be done until baby is 6 months and showing all signs of rediness (sitting up for long enough periods to explore the food with good head support, bringing objects to mouth, lost the tongue thrust reflex). There is really no need to wean baby earlier than 6 months especially if you’re planning to BLW, unless your GP or health visitor has mentioned otherwise :)

Guys can you cite any references for claims about allergies and intolerances for early weaning? All the studies I've found suggest that earlier introduction to allergens is better for baby.

following for answers 😊

I don't believe we should be advising people to disobey NHS or doctor advice but I also think that it's just as strange to make unfounded claims about early weaning causing intolerances, allergies, gut problems... There are no studies backing this up and that is not what the NHS say!

"before four to six months"

Every baby develops at a different rate. If your baby is ready to start solids at 5 months then go for it OP, even 11 days before. Just make sure she's developmentally ready to begin i.e.has good head and neck control and can sit upright when supported, shows an interest in food, reaches out for your food, opens their mouth when you offer them food on a spoon etc.

I've spoken to my health visitor and paediatrician. The study linked on solid starts is from Journal of Immunology in 2021 and suggests a link between early exposure to allergens and a lower likelihood of developing allergies. I think maybe you've been given out of date information, people used to think that before 2008 but the latest research is different.

But if your leaflet can link me to any studies that show the link between allergens and early weaning, I'd love to do my research 🙃 unfortunately the two screenshots above don't have any sources cited when I visited.

Also my understanding from my research is that the obesity link disappears when you factor in poverty... Lower income families are more likely to wean early due to cost of formula and are also more likely to be obesity because of the cost of healthy foods.

Can I just ask why is everyone against weaning before 6 months when they even sell baby food that says 4 months on it? Your baby will indicate increased hunger/ isn’t being satisfied as much by the bottle so could be a chance to start purées then

Also my HV said not to start before 6 months because baby has a life time of eating food why not give them at least 6 months of just Milk ..like that’s the only reason she gave lol.

I think as this post was put on a BLW group, people are assuming this poster is wanting
To BLW their child before 6 months. GP and health visitors advice purées before 6 months if there’s a medical reasoning behind it. However, BLW shouldnt be started before 6 months, and all signs of readiness are shown.

If the OP is wanting weaning advise for purées, I recommend asking another mum group, as this group is based on BLW and a lot of other mums will be getting confused when you mention weaning.

I just asked you to cite your sources. You then implied I hadn't done my own research (patronising), called me cruel (hurtful), and now are calling me old (I mean... Sure). Still I'm trying to be civil and genuinely open to seeing this research. I don't want my baby to develop allergies. I see these claims bandied around a lot on peanut but no one ever seems to cite their sources.

but legally they wouldn’t be able to sell them to babies if it was genuinely just for marketing the UK has very strict laws.

Secondly how can you say it’s not a sign. I understand there are other signs like sitting up etc But that is definitely a sign. My baby didn’t sit up at 6 months or show any interest in my plate. She sat up at 7 and really showed an interest in plate at about 10M the so by that logic she should start eating at 10 months lol…

you come across quite rude for no reason lol you cba explaining bur jumped on the post don’t comment then.

Let’s not forget ladies our parents and grandparents started weaning at 3/4 months and everyone is perfectly fine 😂it seems to be more this generation who has gut issues

honestly don’t get how people are defending giving baby SOLIDS before 6 months?? Sorry but there was no way you were catching my baby eating full blown meals before 6 months 😭

Literally a baby that’s only just discovered they’ve got fingers giving them a piece of toast to chomp on🥴

no one has said that. I think unless medically advised you should wait until 6 months. But you're also really exaggerating the dangers based on outdated info... It's scare mongering and it's very guilt trippy to mums who are just trying to feed their kids.

puréed/ soft food.. my grandma is 92 Irish and said she gave my dad custard at 3 months. I’m not engaging with you because like I said I feel like you are being unnecessarily rude. I don’t why this topic touches such a nerve for you but have a good evening x

You are told to wait till 6 months unless medically advised to wean with purees before 6 months. Not BLW before 6 months. No gp or health visitor will recommend BLW before 6 months.

thank you loool she’s a bit ott

if you have a high risk allergy baby they are less likely to develop allergies if given allergen purees at 4 months. That's what studies say, that's the benefit. No one is talking about bloody chicken wings 😂

sorry but this is a BLW group. OP was asking about weaning before 6 months. On a BLW group. Which will obviously cause responses like the ones on this post. Because it is a BLW group. And BLW should not be done before 6 months.

I never said you did. I asked you for a source for your claim about allergies.

whether BLW or purees, the information being shared here about allergies is still, to my understanding, incorrect. I think it's dangerous to share misinformation without sources which is why I asked to see the research.

so did I😭

early BLW doesn't cause allergies either 🤷🏻

Early weaning should not be advised whether it’s purées or BLW. A baby’s digestive system and kidneys are not fully developed before 6 months. NHS does state that it can increase allergies weaning too early. If you want to early wean (purées) you should be talking to your GP or a health visitor. Not getting advice from mums online.

purees are considered a solid just FYI.

OP if you’re talking about BLW then this is recommended until 6 months old. I weaned at 5.5 months old due to server reflux, poor weight gain and also CMPA. However, since weaning my baby has reacted to 8 different types of food which includes milk (not saying this was caused by weaning early). I started with purées as instructed by a paediatrician and a dietitian but I didn’t start BLW until about 2 weeks ago as my baby was shoving everything into her mouth and nearly choking.

If you want to wean early speak with your doctor or health visitor as the NHS advises to start weaning at 6 months old just as not every baby is ready before then. There’s a small quiz you can do to give you a small understanding if baby is ready for weaning or if you sound wait a bit longer. There’s honestly no rush into weaning babies😊

https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/baby/weaning/ready-or-not-weaning-quiz/

doesn't change the fact that purees are considered a solid food. OP also never stated whether she's doing BLW to start or purees

okay and? Don’t know why you’re trying to make a fuss about purées not being called solids when that’s not the problem here? BLW before 6 months is the problem?

Just hope people reading this thread are paying attention to who is able to cite sources and who is moving the goalposts and making personal attacks. Going to bed now, night x
https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/whats-new/news/peanut-allergies-could-dramatically-fall-if-babies-weaned-early-on-peanut-products

“Weaning the BLW way” on fb is a great group to join and read all their sources, which state why BLW before 6 months is NOT recommended. Night x

you and are both making a riot out of a simple question posted by OP. She didn't ask for your personal opinions, especially when neither of you are able to provide research to back your claims rather than just "find it yourself". Everything I look at says "around 6 months" not EXACTLY 6 months (fyi 5 months is around 6 months) because every child develops differently.

My experience in Australia also states feeding between 4-6 months. My paed also told me to start at 5 months when my first (now a thriving 2.5yo) was showing all signs of being ready.

Government website in Australia - https://raisingchildren.net.au/babies/breastfeeding-bottle-feeding-solids/solids-drinks/introducing-solids

The OP asked for advice on a BLW group. I’ve assumed she wants to start BLW before 6 months. Which is not advised by any health visitor or GP in the UK. If she wants advice on early weaning with PURÉES, then she needs to ask that on a different group, not a BLW group. And even then, she should be getting advise from the GP or health visitor, both which will say that BLW is not advised before 6 months.

the lady posted in BLW bur I think it’s pretty obvious ( as most people seemed to catch on other than you) she wasn’t referring to giving her baby whole pieces of chicken. “Weaning” she more then likely meant purées

you’re actually very stupid and rude little girl. Yes I do know the difference BUT I THINK ITS PRETYY FUCKING OBVIOUS SHE PROBABLY DIDNT KNOW WHAT CHAT TO POST IN RE WEANING.

like how dumb can you actually get. I’m not even giving my 11 month old a whole ass chicken wing but she thinks we’re expecting a 4 month old to🥴🥴

@Jessica thank you. You are right. Didn't know there was one for purees so put it in the first group I saw. Didn't realise it'll cause such a fuss and bring out grand personalities in people.

Just joined this group and wow think I might leave 🙈

this is the first post I've seen with such comments and been here a while x

🥴🤣