Weaning....

[gangofgin]

I've been waiting since Tuesday for bar a call back from my HV, and I have tried calling a few times since then but no luck.

I went to get him weighed last Friday and at 18 weeks is 18lb 13oz!! What a puddin'. Anyway, she was saying with Alex being so big, she's surprised I haven't started weaning him yet, but up till then he was showing no signs at all and seemed a settled boy. Well I think he must have heard the chat and since last friday night, all hes done is scream and hardly sleep.
Hes been on 4, 8oz bottles a day and sleeping 12 hours at night, and the odd time woke at midnight for a for a feed.(i know im lucky)
Now hes feeding every 3 hours and having 5oz..through the night too.
He hasn't slept for more than about an hour and a half in 1 go since last thursday night.

Think being unsettled is him telling me he wants a bit of food?
I haven't the first clue about weaning and so many sites tell you different things, I don't know whats best to do.
I wish my bloody health visitor would be a little less rubbish

 

[LisaJ1986]

It could just be the dreaded 4 month growth spurt. Most babies go through this stage. However even before Angel hit this she showed signs of being ready to wean. At 17 weeks i decided to go for it. She was unsettled,watching us eat, copying us chew and spent a large part of the day on the boob. I decided to try little tasters to start with. The odd bit of yogurt here and there to see how she reacted and she loved it! In the end i just went for it! I knew it was the right thing to do.

Only you know your baby. Obviously the longer you hold out the better for the baby, but you will know in your heart what is right.
I started her on sweet potato. Some HV's tell you to start on baby rice but mine told me to skip it. I have a cupboard full that's never used. It has no flavour.

 

[purple13]

could well just be the 4 month growth spurt hon - he's showing classic signs; there have been a couple of posts about this recently. there's no doubting that you've got a big lad there but being unsettled like that is much more a sign of a growth spurt than a need for food.

the thing to remember is that there are far more calories in milk than there are in fruit/veg purees and baby rice (which is pretty much what you're limited to before 6 months).

i wouldn't wean unless you really feel its necessary; the advice to wait until 6 months is there to give babies guts a good chance to mature, whether outward signs of weaning are present or not.

good luck with the growth spurt - they can be really tricky!!

 

[gangofgin]

thanks a lot for replying.

this is why this forums great, if i wouldn't have asked here, i'd have probably started giving him food when i didn't really want to thinking it was time for weaning. i'll wait a while and hopefully this growth spurt wont have too much growth going on xx

 

[Sage]

yeh def sounds like a growth spurt, personally i wouldnt wean yet hun but of course thats totally your decision! :hu

gosh 18lbs 13!!! my son is nearly 10 months and still doesn't weigh that much!

 

[lfc_sarah]

Yeh will be 4 month growth spurt.... = HELL

 

[kazzie-bo]

Yeh will be 4 month growth spurt.... = HELL

ditto we are going through this at the mo....longest growth spurt i have ever experienced!!


and def got a big boy there...my little one (literally) is 20 weeks today and weighed (this morning) 12lb 7oz