Late weaning?

[OMGbabyno3]

There's always talk of early weaning, but what about late?

I have started with Gabriella who's 6.5 months but she's not sitting up on her own yet, and this seems to be a big developmental sign that they're ready.

I don't think my other two were either but Gabriella seems slower at eating and not really interested yet.

Should I maybe wait?

 

[littlemonkey]

My eldest didn't properly sit up on his own until about the same age as your LO. He was able to pinch my food, put it in his mouth, chew it and swallow it at five months when sitting up in the bumbo etc.

I think it's the same as anything, all babies are different and if she's still getting a good quantity of milk, then don't worry about it, follow her lead. The health reasons for introducing other foods at six months are to do with the changing amount of nutrients they need. You can help with this by giving her vitamins, although if she's formula fed, she's probably getting enough.

Don't be afraid of trying different weaning methods. I found a mixture of purees and finger foods best for my boy and will be doing the same again with my youngest. Some things he wasn't happy to have mushed up, he'd happily feed himself and vice versa.

 

[Ella1979]

My daughter didn't sit up by herself until she was 10.5 months. We weaned her late - started between 6.5 and 7 months because she was born 4 weeks early, so we delayed it by around that amount. We would sit her in her bouncy chair for eating to start with. This kept her strapped in and upright but totally supported her head. She would never have coped in a highchair at that age. I must say though, we did traditional weaning (so purees first). I wouldn't have considered finger foods with her not being able to fully support her head or sit up straight. We went to the small lumps at around 8-9 months and then to the bigger lumpy food at 10.5 months when she was able to sit well in a highchair. She had no problems with transitioning from smooth to lumpy foods either.

My advice is to just go with your baby. With my son, he had no problems sitting but still had that push reflex at 6 months old (or whatever it is where they just push the food straight back out of their mouths) and I delayed weaning him by a couple of weeks and started again.

Hope that's of help! xx

 

[CARNAT22]

James never sat independently until he was about 10 months but we weaned at 6 months as his head control was fine and in a high chair he sat normally. He was commando crawling from 7 months so I was never worried about him - he just preferred to be on the move.

Bee is exactly the same. Commando crawling but not sitting. She is fine in her high chair but we've been taking weaning nice and easy. Her head control is good and I think that is the most important thing?

X

 

[TTT]

I personally think that bumbos and aids make them learn to do things independently more slowly. We have carried out baby around everywhere since birth and he sat up independently at three months. Its not possible for most though. But I wouldn't worry too much about this particular milestone for weaning. We started weaning at 19 weeks and it was going really well but my baby has just cut his first tooth and is crawling so no longer interested in food. We tried baby led but found purees eay more successful. he now has lumpy foods.

I think they say wait for six months because of allergens so just avoid wheat and gluten and I would think you'll have nothing to worry about

 

[Orion]

It's not an exact science. It's ok to wait until your LO is ready, if they're not ready by the 6 month guideline.

 

[wifeywifey]

I spoke to my hv about this because my little girl is tiny and was not ready at 6 months, she couldn't sit unaided and point blank refused puree I tried a couple of week later and she wouldn't touch the stuff. The health visitor said don't worry every baby is different. She was 7 months and went straight to solids as she still refused to be spoon fed

 

[tinselcat]

I started at 6 & half months and baby has taken really well to it. He couldn't sit up by himself when we started, although could sit with support.

I put him in a cosy high chair (Ikea's cheap one with a padded insert) and that actually really helped him learn to sit up by himself.

We've just hit 8 months and he's been eating the food really fine, proper lumpy stuff quite quickly, has been doing some finger feeding, and can now drink out of an open top cup unaided.

He was definitely keen to get going by the time we started, always watching other people eat and drink, and was very keen to hold the spoon himself (although we didn't let him for fear of choking!).

Do whatever seems right for your baby, but it may be worth a try now and see how she gets on? Babies are depleting their iron stores by now though so that's something to bear in mind.

 

[JD.Deedee]

I started at 6 & half months and baby has taken really well to it. He couldn't sit up by himself when we started, although could sit with support.

I put him in a cosy high chair (Ikea's cheap one with a padded insert) and that actually really helped him learn to sit up by himself.

We've just hit 8 months and he's been eating the food really fine, proper lumpy stuff quite quickly, has been doing some finger feeding, and can now drink out of an open top cup unaided.

He was definitely keen to get going by the time we started, always watching other people eat and drink, and was very keen to hold the spoon himself (although we didn't let him for fear of choking!).

Do whatever seems right for your baby, but it may be worth a try now and see how she gets on? Babies are depleting their iron stores by now though so that's something to bear in mind.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/iron-deficiency/art-20045634

Usually formula fed babies get enough iron, because formula is fortified...
Also explains with the cows milk situation before 1 as that's a popular one too..

And let me just add to this that too much cows milk this is the same for an adult depletes iron to digest the milk.. The recommended amount it 500mls max for both adults and children..

Another add, aside from all that milk we don't need loads of dairy such as cheese, yoghurt on top of that everyday.. Excess lactose can give symptoms like lactose intolerance.. We just don't need too much.. That's without beginning to think of the fat (low fat equals high sugar, excess sugar is still converted in to fat...) or sugar content in dairy or normal cows milk...

Vitamins such as Iron and calcium are also found in green leafy vegetables.