Early Weaning

Hey Everyone!

I wanted to post today about our experience with Early Weaning and why we chose to wean Miley at 14 weeks!

Why did we start weaning early?

Miley has never really been a big milk drinker, we struggled to get 2-3 oz of milk in her every 2-3 hours. It has been a constant battle since day one and started to show in her growth. She didn't stop growing or lose weight, however, her weight gain slowed right down and the Health Visitor was concerned and kept telling us "if it doesn't pick up soon, we will have to refer her to her GP" After visits to our GP each time they said "she is perfectly healthy, don't worry so much." She began being unsettled and showing more signs she was hungry, but still wouldn't have her milk. I asked family for advice, they all came up with the same advice... Give her food! I left it and left it and then after many discussions decided it was the right time.

Now before you say... "THAT IS MUCH TOO EARLY!" My health visitor also agreed it was what was best for Miley, and now she is a different baby!

How did we start the weaning process?

We began really slowly with baby rice, once a day. Miley hated it as it was too bland, but she did show more enthusiasm to the spoon rather than the bottle. We then began to give her baby porridge and she LOVED it.

I was told -- Introduce one taste at a time. We soon realised what tastes Miley did and didn't like and we built it up from there. 

How is she progressing?

• Miley eats a range of fruits and vegetables.
• She explores textures during meal times
• She holds a spoon as I spoon feed her.
• She sits stable in her bumbo seat.
• She sleeps from 10pm-7am - rarely wakes through the night, but if she does it's generally down to teething.
• She is happy and alert when she is awake.
• She has recently started to drink cool boiled water from her beaker.

Do I stand by my choice to wean early?

YES!

Miley loves mealtimes and it provides a good routine for her too. She is a different baby and really enjoys eating from a spoon. She has more milk now than she was having prior to weaning, as we still give her bottles but also mix her formula milk in with her foods. 

Disclaimer

I am in no way promoting early weaning, this is just documenting our experience with our daughter. All health visitors and doctors will advise weaning at 6 months, but if you are unsure and have any questions always ask your health visitor or GP first. Every baby is different and in the words of my mum "babies don't read books".

I was really nervous to write about this on my blog, as people will often judge quicker on age. However, I thought it would be a good topic to write about so people can see different circumstances and different children.

Leave comments below about your weaning experiences or if you have any questions!

See you soon xxx