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.

Anyone who feeds their child baby rice doesn’t really give a shit
Seriously? What on Earth do you think most people eat in the world? Rice ground or otherwise is fairly universally consumed.

Not sure why people are so churned up about baby rice and saying it's got no nutritional value.....It's not like they are given loads for weeks on end...It's what you use to get then ready for weaning or putting in their last milk bottle of an evening. At that time they are still getting milk on top, so getting all the nutrients they need.

Of course you say nothing.

Hth

Could you say something along the lines of

“Oooh - I wouldn’t - I think it has less calories than milk so sometimes makes them sleep even worse! Can you imagine????? I’m shattered anyway - Little Johnny still thinks night time is for partying - the thought of it getting worse makes me want to sob! Has anyone tried white noise? A friend of mine said it was great for helping babies sleep but I’m not sure if I’d be able to sleep myself!”

So not judgemental at all - just general discussion.

@Jellybeansincognito

Sigh. I didn't 'accuse' you of anything. I said you don't have to swear to make a point. I didn't say it was directed at anyone. Call it a statement if you want, it's just semantics.

"Also Im not sure everyone who feeds their baby rice is doing it because they’ve been told to"
@Jellybeansincognito....I don't understand that I'm afraid. Millions were told to. Others did it because they heard or read about it, or even researched it.
Why else do you think they did it?
Baby rice really is quite commonly used by millions and is very useful....It's not the devil food you are making it out to be.

Itwouldtakemuchmorethanthis It’s not exactly served alone is it, and a baby wouldn’t survive on a diet of baby rice alone so it really shouldn’t be given in replacement of a feed (which is typically what people are trying to achieve when giving a baby this).

If you were really concerned one of you would have said something instead of taking behind her back on here.

The UK is in the minority of developed countries in recommending six months. Recent studies have shown more risk of allergies and Coeliac disease inn babies not weaned until six months, so there are risks involved in waiting for so long.

The US and more than 2/3 of European countries recommend weaning at four months. So there really is no need for high drama about a child having baby rice at 15 weeks.

www.madeformums.com/news/weaning-from-four-months-or-six-latest-research-questions-current-guidelines/

HollyGoLoudly1 Why would you tell me not to swear to make a point if you weren’t accusing me of doing that?

You are bonkers.

Still waiting for my response regarding selective advice taking.

@Mumoftwoyoungkids...that sounds pretty judgemental I'm afraid. She's clearly made her decision and is happy with it.

“Oooh - I wouldn’t - I think it has less calories than milk so sometimes makes them sleep even worse! Can you imagine????? I’m shattered anyway - Little Johnny still thinks night time is for partying - the thought of it getting worse makes me want to sob! Has anyone tried white noise? A friend of mine said it was great for helping babies sleep but I’m not sure if I’d be able to sleep myself!”

Or just say nothing at all, OP, because it's not your child and not your business.

TabbyMumz What’s not hard to understand? Baby rice is a choice, it’s not a choice people are making solely by being told to use it.

However putting baby rice in bottles is dangerous, and has been strongly advised against for at least 20 years.

I think it’s bonkers that people dismiss the WHO and NHS latest guidelines when it comes to babies and feeding them

Not when they've had a few children over a large timescale and the advice has varied so much that they take it with a pinch of salt as a loose guideline only.
Not when they've been given advice to the contrary by their consultant.
Not when they are aware of newer theories that suggest that later weaning is promoting allergies and intolerances.
Not when they've been advised that WHO guidelines are made with babies in developing countries in mind.

Guidelines are just that. Not to be followed blindly.

What’s hard to understand?*

And anyone making a comment about my parenting choices who started their sentence with "oooooh I wouldn't" would find anything they had to say beyond that automatically ignored.

NiLunNiLautre Of course guidelines can be taken loosely, this particular poster seems almost dismissive however with an attitude of ‘my child thrived, nothing bad happened so nothing bad happened to anyone else’ type of attitude.

Nobody has to follow guidelines but it’s dangerous to dismiss them just because your child survived when many didn’t.

So, let’s get this straight. People want to ignore government advice to keep their baby safe. People want to refer back to older times when babies did die for a variety of reasons. Why would anyone doubt the new recommendations- does anyone really think the government is wanting to hurt babies? No, it’s because these guidelines have shown to provide the greatest positive outcome for the greatest number of babies.
Yes there will be babies that don’t ‘conform’, and that is equally fine as long as parents know that risk.
Guidelines are there to help people make the best choices.

This was completely normal in past decades. I was fed baby rice and cereal from about 12 weeks

"However putting baby rice in bottlesisdangerous, and has been strongly advised against for at least 20 years"
@ColdTattyWaitingForSummer....I suppose it depends on how much you put in. If it's only a bit to make the milk thicker, can't see the harm really.

Yep @TabbyMumz I’m quite sure, it was gravy from Sunday dinner, on a spoon, on its own. They tried this several occasions before deciding the baby wasn’t ready for weaning. The poor child couldn’t even sit up properly at that point.

The baby gravy does have salt in, not much but it does and sugar. So it wouldn’t be ideal if it was that either.

OMG, did someone really give their baby some food SEVEN DAYS EARLY? How stoooopid, don't they know that every single baby is exactly the same? Goodness me, they'll be giving the baby WATER next! My heart is breaking OP, I'll not be able to sleep tonight.

@Jellybeansincognito.....did loads of babies die from early weaning or Baby rice? I've never heard that You seem to be a bit extreme.

It depends also on who's giving her advice. I'm mid twenties and I was weaned at 12 weeks and slept in my own room from birth. My mum is educated, sensible and bright (a headteacher actually and once a nursery nurse many moons ago) and I was in and out of hospital as a baby so she ran all of this by my paediatricians who either advised her to do it or at least gave her the all clear.

I'm now a healthcare professional so understand this advice is incorrect but she doesn't know this and had I not been aware myself, when I had my DD, I may have done exactly as my mum advised. Some people get their info from bizarre sources and advice does change !