Useful information on the reasons you may wish to wait until six months to wean your baby.Discuss when to wean your baby on our forums, right now! Or, post a comment below.Weaning is the process of introducing your baby to solids after being totally dependant on breastmilk for her nutritional need for the first six months of life.
After the first few months of life your baby's needs are no longer met entirely by breastmilk. Around the age of six months solid food is introduced. The aim is for your baby, by the age of one year, to be eating a well-balanced, varied diet that is more or less the same as that of the rest of the family. The baby's foods will, however, still need to be chopped.
Baby weaning begins with the introduction of various solid foods, such as baby rice or vegetables. Although we talk about starting a baby on solids, weaning foods are smooth purees not much thicker than milk. To begin with they are given in addition to breastmilk or formula, but gradually babies reduce their milk intake and eat larger amounts of food.
You are the best judge of when it's time to wean, and you do not have to set a deadline unless you and your child are ready to do so. However, the Department of Health now recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months (26 weeks). If you feel your baby needs to start solids before this, do talk to your health visitor. The Department of Health used to recommend that babies were started on solids between the ages of four and six months. Then in May 2003, they issued the following statement: "Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months of an infant's life as it provides all the nutrients a baby needs.
There are plenty of good reasons to wait until your baby reaches six months of age. Breast milk and formula milk are easy for your baby to digest and provide all the calories and nutrients your baby needs for healthy growth and development. Also, it is thought that the chances of developing allergies are greatest during infancy, so feeding your baby a diet of breast milk or formula until this time helps reduce the risk of introducing allergens. As your baby's digestive system matures, he or she will be better able to handle different foods without an allergic reaction. Breast or formula milk will continue to be a very important source of nutrition whilst your baby adjusts to a mixed diet and for the first year or so of life.
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First, I'm sorry this is so long! I guess I had a lot to say!!!
I came across this discussion while doing some research and felt compelled to add a little something. I see these posts are older, but I also feel that so many women are wondering about breastfeeding that I should comment. I am a certified lactation counselor and a doula. I am also the mother of two young children. Of course I have my own experiences, personal beliefs, and cultural beliefs. However, when I speak as a professional about the topics of birth and breastfeeding, I am careful to ONLY include the facts. I implore mothers to keep this in mind. While you can read about what other mothers are doing, please remember that this does not make something either good or bad-simply another woman's experience. I certainly would not recommend basing your personal practice on the experience of another mother. We have a wealth of research available to us and this is what should guide your decisions. I am not saying that you MUST follow these guidelines. I am simply saying that you should be INFORMED of the facts. From there each person must factor in their belief systems, their situation in life, and the unique needs of their child. When starting with the facts and then including your personal situation, you can make the BEST decision for your child and family at that time. You can rest easy knowing that while no one is perfect; you have confidently done the best you could at that moment. As human beings that really is all we can hope for.
So here it is...
A mother and her baby should breastfeed for as long as they wish to breastfeed. The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends: "Pediatricians and parents should be aware that EXCLUSIVE (this means no water, no formula, no tea, no cereal---ONLY BREASTMILK) breastfeeding is sufficient to support optimal growth and development for approximately the first 6 months of life and provides continuing protection against diarrhea and respiratory tract infection. Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child." As solids are introduced, usually around the middle of the first year, your baby will shift his primary source of nutrition from your milk to other foods.
An infant comes into this world with an intestinal tract that is designed for breast milk only. Any other substance (cow's milk, formula, water, tea, etc.) can alter the ph balance of the infant's intestinal tract.
All the benefits of human milkâincluding nutritional and healthâcontinue for AS LONG AS YOUR BABY RECEIVES YOUR MILK. In fact, as your baby takes less human milk, these advantages are condensed into what milk is produced. Many of the health benefits of human milk are dose related, that is, the longer the baby receives human milk, the greater are the benefits.
So what about the baby that has breastfed and is still crying? Babies seem simple--eat sleep poop--so it is easy to deduce that they are still hungry. However, perhaps there is more going on. Babies cry for a number of reasons, it is how they communicate to you. Are they hot/cold, dirty diaper, over/under stimulated, do they need comfort...and these are just a few. Breastfeeding is not only a means of nutrition for a baby, but also a source of comfort. Frequent breastfeeding does not necessarily mean a child is hungry. Many parents feel concerned about how much food a baby is getting especially when they are feeding exclusively from the mother's breast. Not being able to see the amount of food going in can be worrisome. I encourage women to trust their children. If they are asking for more breast milk, put them to the breast. I encourage women to trust their bodies. Very few women are unable to produce milk. One of the easiest ways to actually see if your child is taking in enough milk is to weigh the child, nurse the child, and then weigh them again. This can be done quickly and painlessly at your pediatrician's office or with a certified lactation consultant.
I urge parents to base ALL parenting decisions first on research. Also, be aware that professionals are human and may bring their personal experiences and feelings into their practice. It is your responsibility as a parent to seek the truth and make your own decisions.
Please, as mothers relax, love your children, and love yourselves. Be educated and be realistic. To strive for perfection is ridiculous. We have far too many decisions to make in our careers as paernts. But find what is important and meaningful to you. You will find what works for your family and what you feel comfortable with. There is no need to compare ourselves to others or to judge.
I hope this has helped a few people out there.
I was worried because my son was jus getting to 3 mnths n he was watching ppl eat, eating his fists, smacking his lips but then i decided to try him on hungrier milk, it worked for a bit but now he shows signs of being more hungrier so now im starting to wean him.
My older son i started to wean him when he was 2 n half mnths old because he was sooo hungry n did the same as my younger son, you know when ur baby is ready when their time between feeds is smaller, they seem to cry 60% if the time or longer and the tell tale signs like watching you eat following your food, munching on his top or his fists. Every um will tell you the same who has had more than one child, so dont worry if u do get worried though hun go see your health visitor they can alwaizz help you or advise u.
speccyredbex why dnt u try ur baby girl on weaning, it sounds like shes not having much satisfaction on the milk alone n jus odd baby rice, or you could even go ask your health visitor they will advise u best hun
I think there are too many compounding variables to say for sure that these problems are caused solely by weaning before 6months.
I question the research, no-one has been able to tell me how they have come to this conclusion other than by statistical research - my personal view is that statistics are unreliable and can be very easily manipulated and misinterpreted. Who has offered their children to be used as guinea pigs? I don't believe any one has, I would be fascinated to see for myself the demographic, geographic and social economic groups that were used for this research to determine that weaning at four months is harmful. My personal view is this is an experiment to see if weaning at 6 months makes a difference.
Pregnant women have been told for the last ten yeats to avoid peanuts to prevent causing nut allergies in their children- the result has been that nut allergies have continued to rise in this country yet the problem isn;t as severe in counrtries were peanuts are and have continued to be part of a staple diet for people regardless of whether or not they are pregnant.
Although I personally will be weaning my insatiable, 21lb 9oz 15 week old son before 26 weeks. He easily holds his head up, reacts strongly to my partner and I when we eat and as he is teething we we have given him calpol and teething granules from a spoon which he has happily taken.
I think the key is to show common sense, don't bombard your baby with lots of differnt foods and introduce slowly as supplement to the milk - not a replacement. If your baby shows any negative reaction stop weaning and speak to your HV or DR.
One part of the digestive tract develops a lining at around 6 months that is not there beforehand, this is why doctors recommend avoiding foods before this age. Also, there are different reflexes that babies have. One is the reflex to push things out of the mouth - ever seen a baby weening early do this? As that reflex disappears, the ability to swallow develops - babies are more likely to choke before this stage.
At 6 months i will plonk baby in a high seat, throw some long strips of boiled carrot (without salt) at him, and he can decide what to do for himself. He may just fling it around, he might eat some, but at this stage feeding is as much about exploration as nutrition. Some babies don't seriously start 'proper' food until 9 months. The baby is in control when breast-feeding, why do we suddenly start shovelling food and choking them with solids? I believe letting baby decide when he/she starts eating makes sense.
If you want a really good book to read on this information and more, I recommend Dr William Sears 'The Baby Book'. He is an American paediatrician and the book talks about a whole host of information, including antenatal advice, right through until a baby is 2. Also if you type in 'baby led weaning' to a search engine you will probably get some good info too.
It seems tome that introducing some baby rice and some organic fruit and veg would be a good idea. The problem is the wretched guidelines, which are obviously promoted but nobody seems to be able to tell me WHY. I have searched PubMed and can only find that there is very poor eveidence for any of the recommendations, that obesity is associated with early weaning, but so is formula-feeding, smoking, negative maternal attitudes and low socio-economic status. Nobody knows whether it is actually the early weaning or the other factors that cause obesity. The same applies to allaergies, I can't find the hard eveidence. Is it fair to let my son be hungry when nobody can give me a good reason why?
Also, the new recommendations are those from the World Health Organisation (WHO) who have to make guidelines that work all over the world. Of course you should breastfeed as long as possible in undeveloped countries, where other foods are likely to be unsanitary, but is it relevant here in england where we have sterilisers and clean food and water?
Sorry if this is a rant, but I'm desperate for some common sense here, not just blindly quoting guidelines.
Oh yes, and he shoves everything in sight into his little mouth and chews it!