Should i start weaning my baby who is nearly 5 months?
Answers:
Well, you coul try introducing solids, and still feed her her bottle less often, take it away slowly, not all at once, she needs all of the vitamins she can get from that milk.
I would, yes.
Dont wean her! She doesnt need to be weaned - but she may be ready for solid foods.try giving her some rice cereal mixed with some expressed breastmilk or water before bedtime.formula is a poor substitute for breastmilk - breastmilk is much healthier for you baby - supports faster brain/eye development, is easier their digestive system, leads to fewer allergies, less constipation, diarhea, fussiness, and gas, and has antibodies which boosts their immune system, protecting them from illness.all, of which formula doesnt have.there is no reason to wean your baby.she just may need addition food at this point.she is probably ready to start some solids.keep nursing! It's better for your baby than formula! and formula wont solve your problem!
Yeah go for it, like you say 6 months is the recommended age but all babies are different. Make sure its what you want to do though and not your family, shes your baby. Ive looked after children and babies for years and have come across all different weaning ages.
I weaned mine at 4 1/2 months so yes you can.
It is recommended that you continue breastfeeding until she's a year old, if you are able to. You can offer baby foods now, if your pediatrician says it's okay. She wont need as much milk when she's getting nutrition from other sources. Good luck on whatever you chose to do.
don't wean her. just start introducing some solid foods in addition to the breastmilk.
she will still need her milk but you can try her on the baby foods the ones from 3 monthes onwards to gave her a taste ,you will find she will sleep better to, not to much mind good luck
Yes! Give it a go. She doesn't need to be weaned, but she's sending you the signals that she should have a go at something more solid.
You have to remember it's not just a food issue, but oral/dental development too.
And it's so much fun!
Follow your instincts. You're her mum.
If you can keep nursing her, please do! Just add other foods to her diet as well. It doesn't have to be an either-or situation. I nursed bother my children till they were 3, and it has great benefits for health, mental development, and security for the child. If you are hesitant to wean her, don't yet. Keep up the good work, mom!
keep breast feeding her. but try and start her on some basic baby rice cereal. this will fill her up more. I did this with my two sons and it helped a ton. mix the rice cereal with either water or breast milk and make it pretty thin at first. you can supplement your breast for your baby and feed the baby breast milk for over a year. good luck
Babies need the nutrition that breastmilk & forumula provides for the first 12 months. You should NOT wean her at 5 months.
You can start giving her more solid foods, and have her learn to drink water from a sippee cup, but do NOT wean her from milk.
For the past year now, I've been working at a daycare specifically in an infant room. First off I suggest you go with your heart. A book, family members shouldnt tell you when the right time is, everyone has their own opinion and since she is your daughter you know her best and you know her needs better than anyone. If she's waking up in the middle of the night and you suspect it may be because she's hungry, I would slowly start to impliment rice cereal mixed with breast milk if you are still breast feeding. Again, its completley your decision there never really is a right or wrong choice, every child goes at their own pace.
Although the government suggest that you have to go by your instincts on this. If your baby seems unsatisfied by milk alone, is only going short periods of time between feeds or seems to taking an interest when watching you eat, perhaps now is the time to begin weaning her, you could try with her last feed at night a few spoonfuls of baby rice and then her bottle and see how she goes with that.Good luck and all the best with it.
yes start to wean her i mean my little girl was like that at 4months so i give her baby rice with milk and rusks are very good also pureed pear and apple are very good to
Who recommends weaning at 6 months? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for the first year of life and longer if the mother desires. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for a minimum of 2 yrs because of the continued nutritional and immunological benefits breastmilk provides. No reputable health agency at this time would encourage weaning at 6 months. :-)
OTOH if by weaning you don't mean completely stopping breastfeeding but rather beginning to introduce solid foods in addition to breastfeeding, around the middle of the first year is an appropriate time to begin introducing solids. Again, the AAP is now recommending parents hold off until after the child turns 6 months. Earlier solid feeds put the child more at risk for developing food allergies down the road. From 6-12 months, solid food is mainly for fun and practice. The bulk of the child's diet should still be made up of breastmilk.
It's very common for family members to pressure nursing mothers to wean as the baby gets older. They worry about baby's nutrition and development. But studies have shown over and over that extended breastfeeding results in healthier (less infections and chronic diseases), more normally developed babies (better eyesight and coordination, better tooth & jaw alignment). It's hard to imagine it now, but the cold & flu season will soon be upon us and most nursing moms find their children develop fewer infections and recover from illnesses more quickly than other family member or friends' children who are formula fed. The health benefits are also extended to you.you are at less risk of developing many types of cancers, especially breast cancer, if you continue to nurse to your child's first birthday or even beyond if you chose to do so.
If you need support for dealing with your family, look into a support group for nursing moms. La Leche League may have a local group. Your local hospital might also sponsor a support group. There are many parenting forums online where you can also get ideas for handling negative comments and information to help you with your decision on weaning.
Whatever you decide, remember for both your comfort and your baby's, it's a process not an event. Weaning cold turkey is not only traumatic for your baby but also puts you at risk of developing a breast infection. Take it slowly and watch your baby to make sure the adjustment is going OK, both physically and emotionally.
Good luck and congrats on breastfeeding for 5 months! That's a wonderful achievement and you've given your baby a fantastic start in life!
She should continue to get her formula or breast milk, but you should start adding cereal to her diet. About 6 months is when you start stage 1 baby foods. Always check with your Pediatrician first.
The AAP recommends nursing exclusively for the first *6* months and then adding solids while you *continue* to nurse for *at least* the entire first year.
La Leche League suggests that the first solid foods should be bananas, avocado and pureed sweet potatoes.
Signs that indicate baby is developmentally ready for solids include:
Baby can sit up well without support.
Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue.
Baby is ready and willing to chew.
Baby is developing a “pincer” grasp, where he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer grasp development.
Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth.
We often state that a sign of solids readiness is when baby exhibits a long-term increased demand to nurse (sometime around 6 months or later) that is unrelated to illness, teething pain, a change in routine or a growth spurt. However, it can be hard to judge whether baby’s increased nursing is related to readiness for solids. Many (if not most) 6-month-old babies are teething, growth spurting and experiencing many developmental changes that can lead to increased nursing – sometimes all at once! Make sure you look at all the signs of solids readiness as a whole, because increased nursing alone is not likely to be an accurate guide to baby’s readiness.
There are some links below about starting solids that may be helpful to you.
Babies should have formula or breastmilk until they are one year old. At that point they should have breastmilk or cows milk. She is probably ready to start eating solid food and cereal. Start with cereal mixed with formula or breastmilk. After she gets the hang of swallowing it, give her a stage one baby food (I mixed it with a little cereal to make it easier to swallow). You will know when she is ready to move to stage 2 and 3. After stage 3 is pretty much table food, at about 1 year.
I started my son at 4 1/2 months as he showed the same signs. Start with pureed root vegetables (carrot, sweet potato, butternut squash etc). Introduce at mid morning or evening feed along with some milk.
Start giving her purees, like apple, blackberry etc, runny purees, and also carry on with milk (breast or formula). My baby is 11 weeks and we have just started giving him a bit of the above mentioned a couple of weeks ago. Every baby is different and therefore the 6 month rule does not have to apply. My baby is a very hungry baby, and it is only after we have started giving him runny purees that he is totally satisfied and sleeps much better at night. You know your baby better than any health visitor.
I reckon that you should start off giving her some solids. But don't completely wean her yet. She'll soon be moving on to cups and all of these worries will pass you by, honest! I was the same with my wee one. x
The recommended age of weaning is certainly not 6 months. The APA recommends breastfeeding EXCLUSIVELY (no solids, formula or anything else) for 6 months, and then breastfeeding along with other foods until at least one year.
Your daughter waking during the night is not a reason to wean her. It may be a sign that she needs to nurse more at night. That is perfectly fine to do. She may be growing and needs to build your milk supply so that she has enough milk. Once the growth spurt ends, she may return to her old sleep habits, or perhaps not. The best thing to do if you're concerned that she isn't getting enough breastmilk is simply to nurse her frequently. This will help get your supply up to what she needs.
It is very normal for babies to change their sleep patterns - usually many times during their first year. Just when you think you have it figured out, they'll change again! It can be confusing. But it's also normal, and not a sign that there is anything wrong with your breastfeeding relationship.
Did you know that *weaning* means different things, depending on where you live?
If you live in the USA, it can mean either
- that you are stopping breastfeeding and are now using formula
or
- that you are stopping breastfeeding or formula completely
or
- that you are stopping all bottles.
If you live in the UK, weaning means that you are introducing foods other than human milk or formula.
This is actually the correct use of the word *weaning.*
Weaning a baby onto solid food usually takes many months, as table foods are introduced slowly into is diet, starting at about six months of age.
Of course all babies are different. Some start a little earlier and some quite a bit later.
You may find this FAQ helpful:
When should my baby start solids?
http://www.lalecheleague.org/faq/solids..
I wouldn't fully wean her unless it's for other reasons. Starting solids is a possibility, speak with her pediatrician. Most Dr.s today prefer to put off introducing solids until 6 months, as introducing them sooner has been linked to food allergies and obesity, but every child is different. My baby was huge (even as a preemie 2 months early he was 6lbs. 12oz., 20in.) and needed to be started on baby food at 4 months, he would practically beg for food when we were eating.
But breastfeeding is a separate issue. Babies still need milk/formula until they're 12 months old. 6 months old is definitely NOT the recommended weaning time, as some of the other posters have pointed out. Especially when listening to advice, consider the source. There were several generations that were taught breastfeeding was bad, poor nutrition, 'dirty', among other things. As stated by someone else, AAP recommends exclusive breastfeeding for AT LEAST 6 months, and then in conjunction with solids until 12 months, and therafter as long as MUTUALLY desired by mom and baby. And WHO recommends (similarly) exclusive nursing till 6 months, and then for up to years OR MORE.
The formulation of breastmilk constantly changes to meet the needs of your baby, making it the only milk tailor made for her, and as long as she nurses she gets the immunities and antibodies that give her extra protection as well as extra security from mom as she branches out to sitting up crawling, etc. Please don't stop nursing just b/c some people don't understand the weight of the benefits and try to tell you it's time. The best time to wean? When your child decides it's time to wean, and very rarely does a child under 12 months choose to wean on their own, though older nursers will occasionally go on a nursing 'strike' for a few days (read more on the ask Dr. Sears site), but they're not really wanting to stop.
I have a 9 month old daughter and i started her at 4 months as i did with my other 2. All they say 6 months for is to stop the amount of obese babies. When i had my first and second child it was 4 months so i just did the same for my third baby. If it was meant to be 6 months then why do all the jars of food still 4 months on them? Do whatever you feel is right but i would say yes start now by seven months your daughter should be on food that contains lumps and if you wait until shes 6 months then shes going to be late at eating food containing lumps my niece is the same her parents waited and now they have problems getting her to eat anything. Where my daughter eats anything. Its your decision at the end of the day do what you feel is right, you know your baby better than anyone else you know what she needs so go with your instinct. You need to still continue to give her formula aswell i would say 3 9oz bottles a day and juice aswell.
i went to a weaning class just yesterday, and they said every baby is different. u should try and aim for as near to 6 months as u can, but if ur baby is ready u can attempt to wean. but remember that milk still should be the main staple part of ur baby's diet. it was orginally 4 months, but they moved it to 6 months. in the class they said that if u start earlier than 6 months u should stay away from things that have wheat in them and other things that can cause allergies, put them off for as long as possible. talk to ur health visitor, im sure they will give u plenty of advise. and go visit the library for books about weaning, and dif recipies to make it more fun and interesting for ur baby. good luck hunni!
Each baby has his/her own timimg. If you think she is ready for more tastes go ahead. I use to give both my boys "tastes" on the spoon of nearly everything we ate (mashed pots & vegs, soups, mashed any soft foods, from a very young age (a few months) and they used to lick their lips and keep looking at the spoon for more!! They are now two young healthy strong men!
They recommended 6 months for breast feed babies. But my daughter was breast-feed and I had to start weaning her at 5 months as she was feeding for 45 minutes ever hour. Do what you think is right or contact your health visitor and ask them for help and guidance. The recommended age for formula feed babies is 4 months.
Yes, if she is waking through the night it would suggest that she is needing something more than just milk, your health visitor would even tell you this. Start by giving some baby rice once a day, when you feel she is most hungry, this is most likely breakfast time as she has went all night without milk. Just start with a small amount of rice and gradually give her more, as she takes more rice you should notice she will not need as much milk. Then gradually increase to twice a day and so on Don't worry about the 6 months mark! I had 3 children before 6 months was advised (it used to be 16 weeks) it has only been changed to 6 months in the last couple of years. I started introducing solids with all three of them at 16 wks and it hasnt done them any harm. I actually have a 16 week baby boy at the moment and I have just started him on baby rice. So dont worry, if your baby needs it then just go ahead.
(paddys wife)
if shes getting really hungry and milk isnt doing it anymore then just try very simple foods like baby rice with milk, but nothing too complicated.Pople say wait till 6 months but what choice do you have if your babies starving?Good luck
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