When to start weaning - very confused and any advice much appreciated

[Jemm16]

My dt boys are 5mths today. Dt1 has two bottom teeth, off milk during the day and past 3 weeks stopped sleeping through. When he does wake (2/3 times in night) he guzzles his bottle. dt2 has no teeth but very dribbly and wakes once during the night for a feed. Both are bottle fed and hv suggested to try hungry milk in night but hasn't made much difference other than making dt2s poo very runny! I have been reading about weaning and not sure whether to start??? Dt1 has more head control than dt2. I know the advice is 6 months but would it hurt to try? Did you wean both at same time? Any advice from multiple mums would be much appreciated!!! Also Dt1 weighs 17lb 10 and Dt2 17lb 4.

[neversleepagain]

I started weaning my girls at 24 weeks as per pediatrician advice. Mine were a bit premature (34 weeks). I weaned them at the same time for the sake of my sanity. Starting them on solids wont mean that they will sleep through the night and guidance says 26 weeks as this is when the gut is mature enough to handle food.

However, you are their mother and know them best. Plenty of babies are weaned around 20 weeks. My advice is not to rush weaning, it is hard work preparing the purees and finding time to fit in the meals around the milk feeds.

Good luck.

[FreeButtonBee]

I started at 5.5 months when DTS swiped a piece of toast from my hand. I am doing BLW so just finger food on the high chair and loaded spoons of softer stuff which I hand to them and they feed themselves. It's awesome for twins! could not recommend enough.

Not sleeping is not an indication of readiness to wean - and weaning hasn't improved my bad sleepers! Head control, sitting up with minimal support, ability to put stuff in their mouths are better indicators. If they are hungry, give them more milk. It's unlikely to harm them if you start on veg and fruit but there is no need to rush it and frankly it gets dull very quickly! I did start them both at the same time but DTD was a lot slowly to get interested than DTS.

Also ikea Antilop highchair are brilliant. And the bibetta full body bibs. And invest in a shower curtain to go underneath to save you cleaning the floor.

[Jemm16]

Thank you for the advice. Think I am desperate for some sleep at the moment so looking at all sorts to see if it might help!!!

Dt2 doesn't have head control yet or sitting up unaided but both are putting things to their mouth so think we will try more milk and stick it out for a little longer!

[neversleepagain]

Mine couldn't sit in a high chair until they were 8 months. I spoon fed them in bouncy chairs until they were ready. This is why I had to go the puree route. They are great eaters now and we do BLW and they eat anything from artichokes to tuna steaks on their own.

I second the Ikea antilop chairs too, very easy to clean.

[silverangel]

I weaned at 22 weeks actual on advice of paeds for reflux. Neither could sit at that point and we spoon fed in bouncy chairs - it didnt make any difference to their sleep though, and if anything unsettled them for a few weeks.