To say something to this mum re. early weaning?

[Greywalls12]

Was at a baby class today, when one mum mentioned that she'd started giving her 15 week old baby rice.
No one said anything, but their were quite a few disapproving looks.

AIBU to say it has no nutritional value and she could actually be doing her child harm by weaning before 17 weeks?

Or is that incredibly rude and should stop being miss judgy pants?

I don't actually think she would care as she ignores most guidelines e.g. has baby in own room and puts on front to sleep etc.

My bestfriend told me she gave her 9 week old toast, and fed her a yoghurt infront of me at 10 weeks. I couldnt say anything to her but really wanted to tell her

@Jellybeansincognito I agree with @Almosthuman, I think your deliberately trying to be combative here and ignoring other people's valid comments and opinions. You can make your point without resorting to swearing and repeatedly calling people ignorant because they don't agree with you.

Dont say anything op.

Soon your pfb will be weaned.. and before you know it you'll be bribing a 3yo with chocolate buttons and youll wonder why you ever gave a fuck about the nutritional value of baby rice.

"Wtf is with people wanting their newborns to sleep through the night to the extent they’re feeding them baby rice?

Babies are supposed to wake frequently, it is a defence against sids, if they’re waking for milk why are you giving them nutrient empty food as a replacement for a night bottle?"
@Jelly beans.. If you want them to sleep through, you don't give them a bottle in the middle of the night. You either thicken their last bottle up or give them baby rice in the day or evening which will fill up their tummy, then they don't wake up in the night. It's getting them into a good sleep routine. And 13 weeks isn't a new born?

Started my DS on baby rice when he was 3 months old.

Those were the guidelines then.

Doesn't seem to have done him any harm - he's now a strapping rugby player on a top University team.

My DD started on baby rice about then - the packet does say from 16 weeks/4 months and she was a really hungry baby who suffered really badly with colic from just milk.
I went by the dates on the packaging and what my daughter wanted.
She also had her own room earlier than 6 months - she wouldn't settle in the same room without sleeping with me, and as my exH had epilepsy and couldn't wake due to medication, it wasn't safe to cosleep. He also wouldn't leave his bed (but that's another story).
It's difficult as when you are a new mum - everyone has an opinion and aren't afraid to share it. The best thing I've found is to trust your gut and what your child wants.

The NHS mentions early weaning, but it's clear a baby should never be weaned before 17weeks, unless medically advised

What is your problem with this woman? This isn’t your baby. You hardly know her. Babies have been weaned before 6 months many, many times, and she is giving her baby some rice.

Get over yourself.

"TabbyMumz It’s well known that the ages where people start to wean early are stages where babies generally want more milk, so instead of giving a baby something that contains nothing beneficial to them, a parent could just whip up a bottle for them and give them the nutrients their bodies are asking for"
@Jellybeansincognito....My son was given plenty milk, he was still screaming. My health visitor suggested he was hungry and I should try the thicker milk, which I did try. He was so comforted after that thicker bottle as his tummy was fuller. He was suddenly a much happier baby. He had clearly not been getting enough substance. I then moved onto weaning when he was ready too. Sometimes you have to trust your instincts.

She’s an idiot for giving a baby rice regardless of whether or not she’s weaning early. There’s no nutritional value unless you count arsenic.

My babies had solids at 16 weeks on the advice of their Dr. 14 years ago. My sisters and I were weaned at 6 weeks 50 odd years ago....advice changes. Yours is not definitive. She probably thinks you’re a bit crap at some bits of parenting. Best not to voice it though eh?

How can there be no nutritional value in rice??? It’s a staple in large parts of the world.

Literally none of your business. Unless you gave birth to the child your opinion means nothing.

The study conducted about arsenic in baby rice was flawed. They used a very small sample (11 infants in the post-weaning group), they used products produced before a change was made to the legal levels allowed, and they used children all from the same local area and social demographic so theres no way to know whether they'd been exposed elsewhere.

You never hear a breastfeeding mum complaining that milk isn’t enough for them

Yep, I'm yet another who thought this, hence my HV telling me to give baby rice at 12 weeks.

HollyGoLoudly1 Where have I swore to argument my point?

I’m still waiting for my response regards to smoking and cancer treatment.

It is true that people who ignore the latest research and think that old and flawed advice is safe because it didn’t do them any harm are ignorant. Of course lots of people survived it, it doesn’t make it ok, and it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still be fighting people away from it.

No one has to follow the latest advice, but advocating flawed methods are a bit 😬

Yabu. Stay out of it.

I can't remember exactly but I'm pretty sure that when I had my first baby over 19 years ago we could give rice at 12 weeks, I'm pretty sure I did something like that.

Oh my god not BABY RICE!!! Anything but baby rice. Source of all evil, nutritionally void, potential certain death awaits from arsenic poisoning!

Oh hang on, it's just powdered rice people use to thicken up milk to get baby used to the first few spoon feeds. Never mind!

People are bonkers, I wouldn’t waste your breath. Someone from my NCT group was giving her 16 week old who couldn’t even hold her head up gravy! Adult gravy! People really are bonkers!

@Jellybeansincognito
Anyone who feeds their child baby rice doesn’t really give a shit

Shit is a swear word last time I checked. It's also a really aggressive and offensive thing to say about parents who are probably trying their best, or in some cases, have been advised to give it for medical reasons e.g. helping with reflux.

@whoatemylindtbunny.....are you sure it was adult gravy? As they do sell baby gravy which has no salt? Also presume it wasnt a bottle of gravy, but a bit in pureed veg or something?

I think it’s bonkers that people dismiss the WHO and NHS latest guidelines when it comes to babies and feeding them but as soon as they’re sick they want the best care, the latest medicine and the latest guidelines then.

Hypocrites everywhere!
(Again, not saying you have to follow it, but to advocate old advice is an odd concept to me, especially when it caused death to many).

My mothers family fed babies gravy, they are all still alive 80 odd years later. What is it you think these foods will DO to your baby?

HollyGoLoudly1 Of course it is, I was writing a statement at this point however, it wasn’t directed at anybody to try and validate my opinion like you accused me of.

Also, I’m sure not everyone who feeds their baby baby rice is doing it because they’ve been told to.