Weaning

Recently a few new and expecting parents have asked me about weaning so I thought I would offer this my experience up to the forum.
    For those of you who read my rantings, I am the mum (or is it mom, oh, never mind) of a one and bit gorgeous little boy. We had a few special and unusual circumstances around his birth (he was a premmie born at 34 weeks and I am just unusual) and he is our first. Being that he spent a month in the Special Care Nursery and was born with the inability to 'latch on' (no sucking reflexes at that age) he was fed through a nasal tube with formula and what little breast milk we could produce. (Lots of pumping, lots of Motillium, and a boat-load of frustration.)
    From birth he was 'entree and main course' fed (breast milk and formula) for the first five months. Even though he was born early, he still weighed in at 2.6kg and was the nursery's biggest premmie at the time. At around five months, he showed signs of being hungry even after the recommended formula allocations were given. He was rapidly gaining weight and all of our well-baby visits and vaccinations were indicating that his growth was on an above-average percentile for Australia. (Dad is 6' and I am 5'8 but neither of us are over 20 BMI - Body Mass Index, so no obesity issues or fears.)
    Being that I am the first of my social circle to have a child and my all of family live overseas, I didn't have a lot of influence or peer pressure directing me on the weaning topic. At six months, and with our pediatrician's approval, we began introducing baby cereal. Fortunately, it  was without incident (except for the change in poo consistency and the new pungent aroma) and eventually we got adventurous and introduced a colorful range of vegetables, proteins, dairy and meats, but not at first and not all at once!
    Being that each baby grows and develops uniquely, I don't think there is a rule of thumb on this when to wean. All of the medical fraternities advise that for the first 6 months babies get all their required nutrition from milk, no matter where it comes from.  Ask your GP, Pediatrician, or health care worker during your check-ups and get their feedback on your baby's development. Be candid about any reflux, gastro or tummy/bowel concerns at that time. In my experience a hungry baby, like a hungry adult, is not a very camper happy and neither sleeps or settles well. If your baby is still hungry and you have offered up all the breast-milk and formula recommended, it may be time to introduce solids.
    One of the most important facets of parenting is beginning to develop a new intuition and synching with your new baby. Being that you it's greatest observer and you get the most 'face time', you will get to know and trust your gut on what is right for your child and although there are volumes published on this and every new parent topic, rest assured your confidence will develop over time. My MyStage newsletter for April is all about the process of weaning with practical tips for first time parents which is published for free on the internet. If you would like a copy, email me or go to www.stephenierodriguez.com/stages for download details.