Poll: UK mums, what age did you wean your child?

[J&Jsmom]

The reason I'm specifically asking UK mums and only those in the last three years is because different countries have different guidelines - and the guidelines for the UK changed 3 years ago. Anything before 3 years ago isn't relevant to what I'm trying to figure out right now.

I am just trying to get a feel for what most people have done - not trying to start a debate.
Many thanks in advance

[mumto5cuddlebugs]

I first gave ds solids at 4 months, he was a very big baby (11lb14oz) and was very definitely ready, in fact he was trying to take it off our plates and he was on a couple of meals a day within a week or so. I have weaned two babies in the last three years but i can only vote once so i thougth i would let you know that I gave dd solids at five and half months but it was a much more gradual process. I took my cues from my babies. Hope that helps
Kirsty

[maggieruth]

we waited til 6 months because Ethan seemed happy enough and apart from interest in what we were doing, wasn't mad keen for food and also because i have some irritable bowel syndrome and my dh doesn't always have the healthiest, easiest going gut either so given that we knew that the breastmilk he was getting was good stuff we didn't feel like messing round with giving him anything he wasn't ready for.  worked well for us! hth!

[evanskimberley]

At 4 months cos she was showing an interest and was hungry. then stopped again after 3 weeks cos she was just having a growth spurt! Started again properly at 6 months.

[annas mum]

With DD#1 we waited until 6 months - she was sleeping through, and although interested, did not feel the need to start "early", with DS#2 I think he was 22-23 weeks , he had reflux, was no where near sleeping through and was having major issues with his bfeeding prob due to reflux  -after a week or so the bfeeding issues began to improve , though we had to wait until nearly 8 months before getting a glimmer of a good night

Clare

Mum to Anna 2yrs 7 months and Nathan 10 months

[~Faye~]

I weaned Shay when he was just over 5 months as he was really low in weight and my HV suggested to. He had been very interested in food for quite a while though. As soon as we started he was gobbling it up!

Faye

[mari]

4 months because I thought that it was the right thing to do as I had done with Nathan but at six months, I was informed by a health visitor that the guidlines had changed.  Oh well, Alex loved her food and still does.  I am still dissappointed with my health visitor who I have yet to meet!!!

[~Faye~]

I am still dissappointed with my health visitor who I have yet to meet!!!

  Huh! That is really bad. Where are you?

Faye

[Bryony's mum]

By coincidence, exactly 18.5 weeks with each (although Bryony was just over 3 years ago).  With Bryony, i wanted to wait until 6 months, but our HVs were quite militant about starting at 4, and I have friends who started at 14 weeks, so I felt I did well to hold out another 4.5 weeks.  I needn't have bothered as she hated solids and was over a year before things settled down with solids.  She was big and wasn't sleeping through but the solids made no difference.

With Ben, the guidelines had changed to 6 mths (not that the HVs necessarily gave that impression) and I was going to wait but he seemed particularly keen to start, so I did.  Things went much more smoothly with him from the start.  He wasn't sleeping through and again the solids made no difference.

[linfran]

We started at 15 weeks on medical advice as Jason was 18lbs (was 9lbs 15oz at birth) and although he had been sleeping right through since six weeks old had started waking for a full 8oz bottle at night, when he was already getting four bottles a day.  Hv advised us to start but said he was definitely the exception to the rule and to stick to baby rice and fruit and veg - no gluten till six months.

[corrina01]

I started feeding solids to my DD at 51/2 months as she was not taking her milk.  Then when she started solids she began taking her milk more.  We stuck to baby rice for 2 weeks and then started offering her more veggie and fruit purees when she hit 6 months

[rooby-rooby-roo]

I voted after 6 months as that is what happened with Red. We offered puree at 6 months which he refused, and then gradually gave him odd bits of finger foods. He started to eat regular foods (pasta, meat, veges, breads etc) at 8 months and eats more than Ruby now!!

Ruby was weaned at 17 weeks. I was a typical first time mum and just too eager to get to the next step. She took it ok for a while then her intake went way down for a few months before it picked back up again.

[mari]

I am still dissappointed with my health visitor who I have yet to meet!!!

 :

o Huh! That is really bad. Where are you?

Faye

South Wales, (Port Talbot)  My previous Health Visitor was really great but we moved to a different area, still under the same surgery but Port Talbot instead of Neath and I still ring my old Health Visitor for advice.  I did mention to her that I have yet to meet my current Health Visitor and she said that they all have different ways of working and would try to find out if I am due a visit, but I suspect that she didn't like to comment on a colleague. 

[~Faye~]

Actually thinking about it I am still yet to meet my HV too. We moved to Devon about 10 weeks ago and the surgery said the HV would get in contact with me to make an appointment to see Shay and see how things were, and I am still waiting. I wonder if it is just a common problem of not enough HV's? At least Shay isn't a small baby.

I think if your HV doesn't mind then I would carry on consulting her for a while, at least you will be confident of her opinion.

Faye

[* Paula *]

I voted 4 months, but definitely think that I will try and wait a bit longer when we have another baby. 

Thomas suffered extreme constipation - I am not sure if it was due to the food, but would not want to take the chance.  He has only just been able to go normally now.

Paula x