is it safe to start weaning a 14 week old baby as milk not enough?

Question

my 14 week old baby is showing signs that he is ready for weaning, and milk is not enough and sleep pattern is changing as waking hungry in night when normally sleeping through.
i weaned my first son early as the same and he had no problems. can you advise

Answer 1

at 14 weeks milk is ALWAYS enough there are no exceptions

all health orginizations in the world agree babys younger than 6 months are physically incapable of digesting solid foods including rice cereal.http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html
It is excepted by the medical community that breastmilk alone may be given till one year. with formula it is recommended you add other food at 6 months because iron is not redially available in formula (even if they are iron fortified).

your baby may be going through a growth spurt and need to eat more frequently but he doesn't have the ability to eat solids and is not ready to be weened.

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.

please review http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-when.html
and
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html

Answer 2

As long as your baby is gaining weight, having roughly 8 wet diapers in a day, then it's very unlikely your milk supply is low. Babies at 14 weeks do not need to be weaned, they need your breastmilk!

It could be that your baby is going through a growth spurt, and that is why he is waking hungry in the night. Not all babies sleep well at night (many don't!) but that is in no way a reflection on your milk supply.

Lots of times, we unfortunately think that a baby isn't getting enough to eat, when in fact, the baby is nursing for comfort (which is great!) or having a growth spurt. Remember, as long as your baby is gaining weight/having wet diapers, you are doing fine.

If you are worried about your supply being low, try eating oatmeal. It does boost your supply, as does fenugreek, which is available at most health food stores as a capsule or tea.

Good luck!

Answer 3

You might want to clarify the question a bit: do you mean adding solids? Or do you mean giving him a bottle and not the breast? Or?

It can't hurt to give the baby a bottle. If you don't think that he's getting enough milk from you, a bottle would be beneficial. He may well still be going through the three month growth spurt and need a little extra.

As for solids... a newborn's stomach isn't fully formed until they're about 6 months old. Solids could just give him discomfort and possibly pain at this point.

As always, if you have concerns call your pediatrician. It's part of their job to listen to our concerns and address them.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Sometimes I think the Doctors over-research stuff. Both of my children were on whole milk with vitamins by 6 months. My son started on cereal at 4 months, my daughter at 3 weeks. I simply wasn't going to feed them a bottle every hour. Both of my children are very healthy.

Another side note; my mother did the same with me and my sister. Not only were we getting our fill, it ended up that we were the healthiest children in our class. Do what you feel is right. If you bring the subject up with your doctor, expect them to completely nix most everything.

You could try to appease both however, with a little bit of cereal in a bottle. Just watch you don't make it too thick.

That's about all I can tell you. Don't let everyone else tell you what to do here. It's 100% up to you.

Answer 5

If you'd like to keep breastfeeding, keep trying. Your milk will start coming in again. If you'd like to get your daughter to the point of being okay with not breastfeeding, try to substitute your breast with something else. Not necessarily something to suck on, but whether it be a juicy cup, or water...A toy may work. My son went through the weaning at 16 months and we're still working on it...But, he's doing so much better. It just takes time.

Answer 6

Weaning your child to a bottle of formula is fine at this time. Without Doctor's advice, do not give the baby milk (cow's) until they are a year old. Of course, no solids, even cereal at this point, although you can certainly ask you doctor about thickening the formula with cereal. Remember that the "sleepless night" period will pass!

Answer 7

You mean adding solids?
Solids are NOT recommended until 6 months.

Babies under 1 year DO NOT wean themselves from breastfeeding unless YOU initiate it. The AAP says that breastfeeding should continue for AT LEAST 12 months.

It's normal for babies to wake up at night and need to nurse for the entire first year. It doesn't mean anything is wrong. Sleep patterns change and that's NORMAL.

Answer 8

Um no it's not safe to wean your 14 wk old his/her little tummy cannot handle it. My son was the same way he just couldn't get enough to eat(this typically happens with growth spurts) Upon talking to my doctor I was advised to start him on rice cereal(starting at 2 tbsp) and offer him more formula or breast milk throughout the day. Offer more frequent and longer feedings. Keep the baby awake longer during the day and it should help to get him to sleep longer at night.

Answer 9

Don't force your baby to take something that his body is not mature enough for. My daughter is being pressured to start her 4 month old on some solids like rice cereal by her aunt and her grandmother (my sister and mother) They had 2 children and 5 respectively whereas I only had my daughter and her baby is her first. I fully endorse her decision NOT to feed her son anything solid until he is at least 6 months old. He is happy and thriving on Good Start. Is your baby happy and thriving, sleeping well? Then DO NOT feed him solids until your pediatrician says so. It is abuse!!

Answer 10

your child should be on formula, not milk. I hope that is what you mean. Have you tried putting some rice cereal in the bottle at night? That might help to make him sleep longer.