when to start weaning a baby?

Question

my baby is 3 months old she still wakes a few times during the night, when is the best time to spoon feed?

Answer 1

There are many signs that show your baby is ready for weaning -
they start to wake up hungry in the night when previously slept through, they can sit up with support and support thier head well, they are interested when you are eating and may try to reach out for your food,
You should not start weaning till at least 16 weeks as their digestive system is unable to cope with solids. I recently started weaning my daughter at 18 weeks, just on 1 teaspoon of baby rice mixed with her normal milk per day, after a week I moved on to purreed veg, just one at a time , she loves carrot, butternut squash and sweet potato now.
My advice is , wait till your baby is ready, at least 16 weeks old, start on tiny amount of baby rice at the feed when she is most awake, introduce new tastes gradually, and dont worry if she spits it out at fisrt, it is a new experience and she may not know quite what to do with this stuff in her mouth !!
Most of all do not worry and enjoy it . :)

Answer 2

Put it off for as long as you can, the recommended 6 moths is a bit unrealistic but feeding your baby too soon can cause serious problems such as interceception(not sure if spelling right) as the digestive tract may not be ready for solids. I have 3 children that were all hungry big baby's and I managed to hold out till at least 4/5 months, if your baby still seems hungry after a feed or it taking a lot of interest when you eat or seems hungry all the time then they are probably ready. My boy was still waking a few times a night at around 18 months and that was with solids! so I don't think that on its own is a sign. Good luck!!

Answer 3

A baby should not need anything other that breast/formula milk until they are 6 months old. Alot of babies do still wake a few times in the night and hunger is not probably the reason.

Are you breast feeding? If so, make sure you are getting enough rest and are not over doing things as this can really affect you milk supply in the evening.

Answer 4

Health visitors and proffesionals advise us no to start weaning until at least 6 months.
I started weaning my son at 4 months. Get some pure baby rice from the supermarket first of all. Try mixing 2 tablespoons with your babies formula until it,s smootha and creamy and let her try it.
My son was 10lb 4oz born and milk just wasn,t filling him.
I gave him baby rice every other feed eg when he got up in the morning i,d give him his milk. Then mid morning i,d give him babyrice mixed with the milk from his bottle, then the rest of the bottle. I alternated it through the day and it worked out he had just his bottle before bed.
It did,nt stop him walking in the night for a feed as he still needed it, but he was more content.
Just try the rice you will know if she,s ready for it because she,ll eat it. If not then she,s obviously happy as she is.
As all the other mum,s say though you know your baby best.

Answer 5

I would wait as close to 6 months as you can, babies do wake in the night for feed and solid feeding isn't the answer to solving this. It should only be a few more weeks when she can start going through the night anyway so stick with it for now. My little one dropped night feeds at around 4 months on her own and slept through. She didn't start solids till 5.5 months either

Answer 6

It might be an idea to start no was it might be hunger that is waking her up. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) a baby doesn't need anything other than breast milk for the first 6 months. This might apply in the mud huts of africa where people have nothing better to do than breastfeed day and night.

In the real world however its a bit different. Even here in the UK the health visitors will give you advice on feeding with solids as soon as you need it although they do have to tow the WHO line they realise babys get hungry!

Try plain baby rice first then pureed veg then fruit.

There are pleanty of websites with advice out there.

Take your baby's lead and do whats right for you and all the best!

Answer 7

I was advised to wean my baby at 17 weeks which I did. It was hard work because he was a big boy and constantly hungry so I was still feeding him through the night at every three and a half hours. Im glad I waited to wean him though, at least I know I did the right thing.

Answer 8

you should wait untill at least 4months. As babies do change their routine all the time. Your baby may just need more milk. babies do need regularly feeding for the first 3/4 months at least. You cant force them to sleep through the night so please be patient and make the most of the time you and your baby spend alone together in the nights, imagine its just you two and the rest of the wrld are asleep.
It will soon be over and you will have a routine that will match yours. A good routine will help get your baby to settle at night in the end. good luck.

Answer 9

there is no set time to wean your baby, they will soon let you know if they are not beind satisfied enough by milk alone, if they are demanding more feeds during the day and start to wake in the night after previously sleeping through then you should start to think about weaning, just try bland food to start such as baby rice, good luck

Answer 10

absoloutly normal for a 3 month old to wake in night but u can wean when your baby is ready my daughter was 13 weeks and having little bits of baby rice or pureed fruit she has always been ideal weight and loves fruit n veg now you will know when you own child is ready goverment guidelines is 6 months but evey child is different