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Friend weaning baby at 3 months

Im kinda worried, I know its nothing to do with me but are you not supposed to wean them at 4 months :eek:

She is still breast feeding though but he is having 1 meal a day of mashed potatoes etc. Should I just leave it or give her some info, or am I totally wrong?

Reply 1

smoomoo

3

4 months is normal!! some poeple do it like 4 YEARS!

Reply 2

Tag

8

the average age is about two i thinl. there was a program about it on tv a while back. the longer the better really, but if she needs the freedom then it's her decision.Personally i would hate to have something - growing teeth- permenantly attattched to my nipple.

Reply 3

Louenn

3 months is a little early, but provided the baby can sit up unaided and can hold its own head up, then there's no problem with trying it on mushed up adult foods.

At least she's been breast-feeding and not bottle feeding - I can understand why some women don't want to, but it's so much better for the baby!

Reply 4

Sarky

18

Tag

the average age is about two i thinl. there was a program about it on tv a while back. the longer the better really, but if she needs the freedom then it's her decision.Personally i would hate to have something - growing teeth- permenantly attattched to my nipple.

There is a difference between "weaning" which is the introduction of food into a baby's diet, and stopping breastfeeding.

The OP is worried because her friend is feeding her baby food at 3 months rather than the usual 4, not because she is breastfeeding the baby.

To the OP, i don't know much about nutrition in babies, so i won't say anything about it....

Reply 5

username23914

Your friend should still be under the guidance of a health visitor to advise her on these things.

There is no absolute rule about when to wean. Some textbooks may mention 4 months (at least they did 18 years ago!) but it depends on the baby. I think its something to do with when the iron stored in the baby's liver from before birth starts to run out.

I started to wean my daughter at about 3 months because she wasn't satsified by just milk- maybe this is why your friend is (are breast feeds becoming more frequent or lasting longer, is the baby not gaining enough weight on breast milk alone?) I know of one child who wasn't weaned until 5 months but was small ( and not too greedy).

If you're worried perhaps enquire what the health visitor or baby clinic (the one she has the baby regularly weighed) advised her? usually babies are first fed baby rice or cereals, later pureed fruit and vegetables. I don't know if potato every day is good idea, perhaps vary it.

Reply 6

Sarky

18

Louenn

3 months is a little early, but provided the baby can sit up unaided and can hold its own head up, then there's no problem with trying it on mushed up adult foods.

At least she's been breast-feeding and not bottle feeding - I can understand why some women don't want to, but it's so much better for the baby!

Isn't the age more to do with what they body can handle than how well the baby can support themselves?...I may be wrong but thats what i thought.

Reply 7

Fluent in Lies

2

This is a serious question!

If people are worried about biting could they not milk themselves into a bottle and feed the baby like that?

Reply 8

Juno

20

Fluent in Lies

This is a serious question!

If people are worried about biting could they not milk themselves into a bottle and feed the baby like that?

Serious answer:

You can get machines that will express milk for you. However, apparently some mothers find this painful, and they are expensive to buy.

Anyway, there are issues with food allergies if the baby is introduced to food too early.

Reply 9

Fluent in Lies

2

Juno

Serious answer:

You can get machines that will express milk for you. However, apparently some mothers find this painful, and they are expensive to buy.

Anyway, there are issues with food allergies if the baby is introduced to food too early.

Ahh you have a good idea and somones always though of it before.

Reply 10

Talya

16

Anthonyjm71

obviously

..not

Reply 11

Fluent in Lies

2

I'm going to start a company that analyses the mothers milk and produces an artifical substitue that contains replicated antibodies etc.

Reply 12

Anonymous #1

OP

Louenn

3 months is a little early, but provided the baby can sit up unaided and can hold its own head up, then there's no problem with trying it on mushed up adult foods.

At least she's been breast-feeding and not bottle feeding - I can understand why some women don't want to, but it's so much better for the baby!

There is not much difference between breast and bottle formula is based upon breast milk afterall and its not like you can tell the difference, though breast milk is superior, most of us were probably bottle fed and were fine.

Yea the baby can hold his head up he's quite advanced for his age lol, maybe its not a problem then, thanks :p:

Reply 13

xlouisax

breastmilk is better for babies. true, most bottle-fed babies are fine, but breastmilk contains antibodies from the mother that build up the infant's immune system in the first few months of life. breastfed babies are less likely to become ill, amongst other benefits.
on weaning, www.gpnotebook.co.uk is a very good website, used by healthcare professionals, and I found this on it
WEANING
This is the process of introducing non-milk feeds to an infant. Weaning generally is recommended to start at between 4 and 6 months. Several factors contribute to when weaning is appropriate:

* gastrointestinal and renal physiology must be sufficiently mature to cope with the variety provided by a weaning diet.
* babies are generally able to form a bolus of food at about five months.
* babies may be able to chew at about 6 months.
SCHEDULE
* four to six months - ideal starting foods include vegetable or potato purees, non-wheat cereals e.g. rice, fruit. The amount of food tried initially is small e.g. 1-2 teaspoons, and then the amount increased steadily to three solid feeds per day.
* six-nine months - variety and quantity is increased. Foods such as fish, meat and eggs are introduced. The volume of milk feeds is gradually reduced from 150 ml/kg to approximately 600 mls/day.
* nine-twelve months - the infant should be able to eat mashed or chopped family meals.

OP, encouraging your friend to speak with a health visitor (as mentionned above) sounds like the best idea.

Reply 14

Zoecb

11

It depends on the baby! Maybe it's ready at 3 months, I think she would know better than you, she is its mother...

Reply 15

Anonymous #1

OP

xlouisax

breastmilk is better for babies. true, most bottle-fed babies are fine, but breastmilk contains antibodies from the mother that build up the infant's immune system in the first few months of life. breastfed babies are less likely to become ill, amongst other benefits.
on weaning, www.gpnotebook.co.uk is a very good website, used by healthcare professionals, and I found this on it
WEANING
This is the process of introducing non-milk feeds to an infant. Weaning generally is recommended to start at between 4 and 6 months. Several factors contribute to when weaning is appropriate:

* gastrointestinal and renal physiology must be sufficiently mature to cope with the variety provided by a weaning diet.
* babies are generally able to form a bolus of food at about five months.
* babies may be able to chew at about 6 months.
SCHEDULE
* four to six months - ideal starting foods include vegetable or potato purees, non-wheat cereals e.g. rice, fruit. The amount of food tried initially is small e.g. 1-2 teaspoons, and then the amount increased steadily to three solid feeds per day.
* six-nine months - variety and quantity is increased. Foods such as fish, meat and eggs are introduced. The volume of milk feeds is gradually reduced from 150 ml/kg to approximately 600 mls/day.
* nine-twelve months - the infant should be able to eat mashed or chopped family meals.

OP, encouraging your friend to speak with a health visitor (as mentionned above) sounds like the best idea.

Yea breast is best temporarily because of all the immunities and well its perfect for the baby lol and formula is missing some benefits, its just some people take things too far with all the 'adults who were breast fed have a lower risk of such a thing', milk is milk :p:

Thanks for all that, I was going to mention it to her but from what Ive just read its fine, he is so small for his age and looked too young to be eating proper food but she's a really good mother so will know what she is doing. I'l ask if she still has contact with the health visiter.

Reply 16

Anonymous #1

OP

Zoecb

It depends on the baby! Maybe it's ready at 3 months, I think she would know better than you, she is its mother...

Anyone knows better than me lol!

Reply 17

ForumFreak

9

It should be ok. My sister was eating solids (as in mushy baby food) at 3 months. She was super hungry and breast or bottle milk wasnt enough to fill her up.

Friend weaning baby at 3 months

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