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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

pre-chewing baby son's food

88 replies

Lovefruitsandvegs · 10/04/2012 13:49

Just read this story www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2127315/Alicia-Silverstone-defends-controversial-practice-pre-chewing-baby-sons-food.html

What do you think of this method? My SIL used to do it to her kids. It is really disgusting. Also, when I was a very young child I remember seeing my cousin's wife doing it to their kid. Even though I was like 6 or 7 I found it disgusting.
I have seen how mums put pacifiers into their mouths and then stick them back into their babies' mouths. Why do mums have to do it?

OP posts:
Kayano · 10/04/2012 13:55

Pacifiers I can sort of understand because there might be something on it that the naked eye can't see.

Per chewing food is rank though

2shoeskickedtheeasterbunny · 10/04/2012 13:57

disgusting just plain sick.....

eurochick · 10/04/2012 13:57

Bleugh.

puds11 · 10/04/2012 13:59

wow never even seen this before, but i have quite a sensitive gag reflex, and this is pushing it to the limit

GilbertandGeorge · 10/04/2012 14:01

So disgusting! I am Shock

MumbleMumm · 10/04/2012 14:03

It's traditional in some cultures. I don't personally do it - but looks like it's an easy way to purée :-)

FondleWithCare · 10/04/2012 14:06

Each to their own. I wouldn't do it but I don't really care if others do.

Perriwinkle · 10/04/2012 14:12

No need for it.

Just because they are your own child doesn't mean they should have to be forced to ingest all the germs/bacteria that you are harbouring in your saliva does it? Eewwww YUK! When they grow up and start snogging people it'll be their own choice to do it but I say until then, leave it!

I too have very often seen parents giving dummies a suck suck to "clean" them before putting them in their baby's mouth. Another thoroughly vile practice that I would never have considered doing.

Some people's standards of hygiene are very slack.

Original poster
Lovefruitsandvegs · 10/04/2012 14:36

I think mums chew food because they believe they will give some protection to their child with saliva. I once read somewhere that there are more germs in the mouth than in the anus. Anyway, some people say pre-chewing food is only natural in the animal world. Hmmm. Animals also lick their bottoms which is yuk but it is normal for them as they cannot use a shower :)
I have also seen mummies pick dummies from the floor in the public transport or shops and then pass them to their babies. Do they ever think of people going to the loos (traces of poo, urine, vomit, harmful bacteria) and carrying this around with their shoes. Yuk. Well, at least for me it yuk.

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 10/04/2012 14:38

i don't have a problem with it. certainly don't find it disgusting.

it's practiced quite widely round the world i believe, some people refer to it as "kiss-feeding"

i've done things like biting grapes before giving them to the kids, it's just a step further than that isn't it?

StrandedLindtBunny · 10/04/2012 14:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

slatternlymother · 10/04/2012 15:00

BLEUGH! That is gross! By the photos, it seems she spits it into his mouth! That is just horrid.

You wouldn't do that to an adult if they were ill or had an injury. You'd blend it, or cut it up really small! That's so horrid.

AFuckingKnackeredWoman · 10/04/2012 15:03

N.A.S.T.Y

Longtalljosie · 10/04/2012 15:06

Oh for Gods sake, it's not remotely horrid. It's not what I'd do but each to their own. It's only spit, for heavens sake, it's not poo.

Kayano · 10/04/2012 15:07

Would you like your mum to spit in your mouth then?

TheCraicDealer · 10/04/2012 15:07

This is a whole area of parenting I was unaware of [boak] I wouldn't want some pre-masticated food shoved into my mouth, although I admit a baby is probably less bothered about the origins of the mush. This is what blenders are for, people!

Kayano · 10/04/2012 15:08

More germs in the moth than the toilet apparently

GilbertandGeorge · 10/04/2012 15:09

yy that dummy sucking thing when it's fallen on the floor is repulsive, but this is even worse!

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 10/04/2012 15:11

Ugh. It's reminded me of an article a couple of years back.
A woman with 9 month old triplets (who were huuuugge BTW) -she was "too tired" to cook, so gave them ChewedUpandSpatOut fast food.

Wholesome!! not.

oldmum42 · 10/04/2012 15:11

Well, it may not suit our current cultural "norms", but this pre-chewing of infant food, until the child is old enough to chew properly, is natural and normal - jars of baby food are not natural or normal.....

In many tribal cultures this is still normal thing for a mum to do - we are all far to squeamish as our instincts have been "civilised" out of us!

LeeCoakley · 10/04/2012 15:12

I'd never be able to stop. Just let me chew this chocolate button for you baby. Ooops too late. Before you know it the whole packet's gone.

babylann · 10/04/2012 15:14

Asking whether you'd like your mum to spit in your mouth isn't really the same. I wouldn't want to drink milk from my mums nipples either.

Not to say that I like the idea of this "re-feeding" stuff... Certainly would never do it, not for me.

Columbia999 · 10/04/2012 15:15

America isn't a "tribal culture" though, there's absolutely no need to feed a child in this way. I'm sure Alicia Silverstone can afford a blender to mash up the baby's food, although now he's 11 months old, he must have a few teeth and be able to do a bit of chewing himself now!

oldmum42 · 10/04/2012 15:15

Kayano - more germs than the toilet? It's not the number of bacteria that's important, it's the type.

One thing pre-chewed food will do, is inoculate good/useful bacteria from parent to baby.

theodorakis · 10/04/2012 15:17

I saw a woman in Starbuck chewing a bigmac and poking the puree down the throat of a baby who looked 6 months max. Maybe is a culture thing, a lot of the far Eastern mums here do it

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