My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Weaning

Baby rice/porridge?

21 replies

Weebeastiebaby · 25/11/2015 16:57

My ds is 22 weeks old and breastfed. My health visitor advised me today to start weaning him in the next couple of weeks. I've tried him with baby rice a couple of times over the past fortnight but he seemed to dislike it. I thought I maybe could try the baby porridge assuming it would be another bland carb-type food to mix with his milk but I noticed today the cow and gate porridge had vanilla and cinnamon and milk in it? Id rather not give him sweet or flavoured foods at this stage. Are these flavouring necessary? Is there another brand of porridge without added ingredients? Or could I make my own? Or is there another food I could try him with? Maybe potato? Sorry for all the questions! Just looking for a bit of advice!

OP posts:
Report
FannyTheChampionOfTheWorld · 25/11/2015 21:35

Yes, you could always make your own if you want to give him porridge. Or add some pureed/mashed fruit to the baby rice if you'd like to continue with that since you've already bought it. There's no reason he can't taste cinnamon and vanilla now, though. Or other flavours. They don't need it to be bland. If you're interested in other foods, you could try fruit or veg, pureed if you like. At 22 weeks he might be able to have a go at finger foods such as a bit of steamed broccoli, but not necessarily, and you'd want to be pretty careful. If you decided to wait a bit longer, they can have pretty much everything at 26 weeks, except honey and added salt of course.

Report
JiltedJohnsJulie · 28/11/2015 13:56

Firstly, I would question your HVs advice on early weaning. Unless advised by a Paed, there is absolutely no need to introduce solids before 6 months. Your be is more than enough and your HV should be supporting you in ebfing for the first 6 months of your baby's life.

Having said all of that, it is fine to add flavours to food, like adding cardamom to Apple purée. BM is very sweet but if you want to avoid giving lo sweet foods, I would avoid baby rice altogether as its artificially sweet and has very little nutritional value. It also fills up their tums and provides fewer calories than your bm, so it's effectively putting baby on a restricted calorie diet.

Report
JiltedJohnsJulie · 28/11/2015 13:59

Sorry, posted too soon. Did your HV mention the signs of readiness?. Once baby is showing those, you don't have to offer purées, you can go straight for finger foods saving you one hell of a faff Smile.

You might also find the weaning information on kellymom useful and the MN weaning info is pretty good too.

Report
JiltedJohnsJulie · 28/11/2015 14:00

*be = bm.

Report
dementedpixie · 28/11/2015 14:01

Baby rice isn't normally sweetened. Add puree to give flavour as it does not really taste of anything

Report
Whatdoidohelp · 28/11/2015 14:03

Why are you being pushed into it before 26weeks?

My baby hated rice and porridge. I started weaning on Ella's fruit puréed instead.

Report
JiltedJohnsJulie · 28/11/2015 14:06

You are right, it isn't usually sweetened but is very sweet. Have a read of this.

Report
ReluctantCamper · 28/11/2015 14:09

I used ready break as it gives a nice smooth texture and is just oats without any extra junk. I think my DS found it a bit more interesting than baby rice. I also added mashed banana or other fruit purée to jazz it up a bit.

Report
Weebeastiebaby · 28/11/2015 21:16

I'm not sure why I was advised to wean. She mentioned something about him becoming fussy if I weaned too late, becoming deficient in nutrients because he is so big and also something about being less likely to develop allergies if weaned earlier.
Found the boots porridge has nothing added. Haven't tried it yet. Am wary of encouraging a sweet tooth as baby's dad has a terrible diet and is quite overweight and would prefer ds not to pick up bad habits.

OP posts:
Report
dementedpixie · 28/11/2015 21:54

I think she's talking rubbish tbh. No need to wean before 26 weeks if they are happy with milk. And the later you wean the less you need to purée.

Report
waceystills · 28/11/2015 21:58

Baby rice is processed nonsense and tastes of nothing.

Wait a month and you can give pretty much what you want, other than honey or salt. Also, what the HV said about nutrients is rubbish, food before one is just for fun and all that.

Report
gallicgirl · 28/11/2015 22:42

Baby rice and porridge is pointless imo. Wait a couple of weeks until baby can sit up and just give him whatever you're eating.

Report
JiltedJohnsJulie · 29/11/2015 18:48

Sorry but I don't see which nutrients baby rice will provide that your bm won't. Perhaps you could ask her and then let us know Grin

Report
JiltedJohnsJulie · 29/11/2015 18:48

Did you manage to read the links I put up yesterday? Smile

Report
FestiveFeline · 29/11/2015 18:51

Baby rice isn't as nutritious as milk and you are far better to avoid it all together. None of the reasons you have listed are what the NHS advise to look out for for early weaning. If that was my HV, I would be writing a letter of complaint, ignoring her and asking for another HV instead.

Report
futureme · 29/11/2015 18:59

Our hv did a class and had all the "baby food " out on display and said we really didn't need any of it if weaning at 6months.

Babyrice in particular seems pointless employ calories. Like adding flour...

Similarly little rice cakes.. They can have normal big ones far cheaper. Same for breadsticks. Being in the baby aisle doesn't add any magic.

Other thing to be aware of is petition filous and similar. Full of sugar and flavouring. She advised a big tub of natural yoghurt and occasional some e mashed fruit if wished.


Similar Ellas pouches. Being a posh brand is no different to cow and gate. Nothing wrong to use their purees but just as easy to hand a blackberry,strawberry to then or mash with a fork if you really want mushy!

Report
JiltedJohnsJulie · 29/11/2015 19:00

This on kellymom gives you some idea of how little nutrition baby rice provides compared to breastmilk, and that's not to mention the vitamins, minerals and immunological benefits of bfing.

The risk of allergies is actually less if you wait until 26 weeks and giving foods at this age has no affect whatsoever on whether or not he will be fussy.

He won't be deficient either. If you are worried about things like iron deficiency, buy an iron pan for cooking, once you start weaning offer iron rich foods and a big variety of foods. Ready break is fortified but the only thing your baby needs to stop deficiencies at this age is your bm. If your HV says different I'd ask her to give you the research to back up what's she's saying.

Report
Gowgirl · 29/11/2015 19:08

I used readybrek made with formula then added stewed and mashed fruit later on...
I also only offered a small taste for the first couple of weeks not a meal as such...

Report
futureme · 29/11/2015 20:36

We used normal porridge if we did want porridge simply as that's what we eat! But other breakfast foods could be toast fingers, egg, fruit and veg sticks etc.

Report
Weebeastiebaby · 29/11/2015 22:45

Thanks for all the great advice. I'm going to wait just now as he doesn't seem very interested and is content with milk. He also can't sit up on his own and doesn't attempt to grab my food. If he wants a taste of veg etc off my plate I won't be afraid to give him a bit but I don't think he needs regular solids just now. Although he is big, he is still too young.

OP posts:
Report
JiltedJohnsJulie · 30/11/2015 17:55

Sounds very sensible Smile

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.