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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Ella pouches and Hipp baby food

66 replies

nandossa · 09/01/2023 13:59

I use these sometimes for my baby.

I feel there is a lot of judgement around this. Is it really so terrible to use these sometimes ?

OP posts:
sexnotgenders · 09/01/2023 14:08

Does it matter what other people think? Is it the judgement you are worried about, or is it whether they are 'bad' for your child? I don't give highly processed food to my DD, and I don't eat it either - that's my choice. I wouldn't ever judge your choices. I also don't think sometimes giving your child highly processed food is 'bad' as part of a varied diet, regardless of what I choose to do. Basically, do what you want and don't worry about what other people think. That's usually the best approach to parenting

Laiste · 09/01/2023 14:10

Is it highly processed though? Ella and Hipp?

pjmasksitsthepjmasks · 09/01/2023 14:11

I weaned both of my dc one Ella food pouches and jars of baby food and didn't notice anyone batting an eyelid..: though tbh, I don't care what anyone else thinks of me anyway! My kids were fed and that was what mattered.

Don't stress it op. Just do what you can do.

Laiste · 09/01/2023 14:12

At the end of the day you're feeding your kid and showing love.

When you look at the fucked up things being done to kids all over the world - seriously don't stress about Ellas's pouches.

Laiste · 09/01/2023 14:15

My 8 yr old DD likes an Ella fruit pouch as a snack sometimes during her break at her hobby class.

Sometimes it's an apple. Sometimes it's a satsuma. Sometimes it's an Ellas pouch!

Raggeo · 09/01/2023 14:15

I have some friends that only ever gave their kids baby food from pouches, I have some friends that never used them. I thought they were handy when out and about or travelling but didn't use them at home. I don't think it really makes a difference and none of us were judgey one way or the other. The only concern i would have about ONLY using pouches is about the texture of them. They are very blended without many lumps and it could lead to the baby being fussier with textures as they get older, but as part of a mixed diet its parental and sometimes baby preference.

mightymam · 09/01/2023 14:16

I still have Ella pouches in the fridge for days when my preschooler gets a sore throat (a lot recently) and doesn't want to eat normal food. I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks. So long as my child is fed, that's all that matters.

FlounderingFruitcake · 09/01/2023 14:18

Do people really care that much about someone feeding baby food to their babies? Who exactly is judging you? Personally I used them for convenience when out but they had homemade at home. I thought that was pretty normal?

Soubriquet · 09/01/2023 14:19

My dd was practically raised on Ella’s kitchen.

She would feed her self little bits of food but not enough to be full and chunky baby food made her retch, so this is what she had. She would have a pouch, maybe two, and then pick at food

Original poster
nandossa · 09/01/2023 14:20

Laiste · 09/01/2023 14:10

Is it highly processed though? Ella and Hipp?

Yeah I didn't think they were highly processed either.. some people make Ella pouches sound like a McDonald's... it's not.

OP posts:
Original poster
nandossa · 09/01/2023 14:22

Raggeo · 09/01/2023 14:15

I have some friends that only ever gave their kids baby food from pouches, I have some friends that never used them. I thought they were handy when out and about or travelling but didn't use them at home. I don't think it really makes a difference and none of us were judgey one way or the other. The only concern i would have about ONLY using pouches is about the texture of them. They are very blended without many lumps and it could lead to the baby being fussier with textures as they get older, but as part of a mixed diet its parental and sometimes baby preference.

I do both home made and sometimes a pouch and not often a jar.. I don't know any other mum who does this..

OP posts:
Original poster
nandossa · 09/01/2023 14:25

Everyone I know does 100 percent home made. I have two kids and didn't see anyone talk about/ give it to their kids both times. It's weird. I feel this weird judgement / guilt around it, as no one else seems to do it ! Like if MIL comes round, I wouldn't show her that I'm giving a pouch for example. It's like my secret or something.. so dumb.

OP posts:
bakewellbride · 09/01/2023 14:27

I was very precious with my first and it was only homemade goodness for him at all times.

I have a second baby now and she occasionally has pouches. Probably about 3 a week so not many but they are handy as life is busy now and I'm often sleep deprived and worn down.

I do feel a bit guilty as I guess they're not as good for my baby as homemade and I feel so wasteful with the plastic packaging so I try not to rely on them too much though. It's about balance for me.

Soubriquet · 09/01/2023 14:27

Oh, my kids are 7 and 9 now and are not at all picky when it comes to food. Dd doesn’t like fish, and there are a couple of bits of food ds doesnt like but 9/10, they will eat what you give them.

Both had pouches. I never did home made purée and baby led weaning wasn’t filling them enough

TerraNostra · 09/01/2023 14:33

The fact that you know what your friends are feeding their kids 100% of the time would suggest that your friends are sanctimonious twats who have nothing better to talk about. You need new friends, not fewer pouches.

I gave my DS a lot of Ella’s pouches, I thought that the range of flavours was great (and they are not all purée texture). He is 6 now, very healthy and very bright. He eats a varied diet.

PMSL at the PP who smugly said “I would never give my child highly processed food but of COURSE I would not judge you for doing so”.

Don’t sweat it. You could even let him play with some non-wooden toys too if you are feeling particularly bold 😉.

Laiste · 09/01/2023 14:35

Ah OP. You do you.

Out there are mothers who collect the dew laden fruit and veg from their organic gardens at sunrise daily and feed only that.

The rest of us just do what we do as best we can.

I did a mix as well. Ready made and home made. I used to take one of the heart shaped Hipp meals out with us if we were going out for the day to someone else's house as DD was sooooo picky.

She is a bugger for not eating green veg. There's a little jar of Hipp which is spinach and something - i STILL stir that into pasta for her sometimes for a really quick meal and she LOVES it even though it's the dreaded GREEN! She laughs about it being baby food and says she doesn't care it tastes nice!

Cosyclothes · 09/01/2023 14:35

I do mostly homemade but I find the pouches so handy for being out and about. I always have a few in the press just in case. My baby is 9 months now so eats a lot of what we are eating but the pouches are handy for example if we are in a restaurant and the food isn’t suitable for her. Don’t worry about what people think! Xx

FlounderingFruitcake · 09/01/2023 14:37

The fact that you know what your friends are feeding their kids 100% of the time would suggest that your friends are sanctimonious twats who have nothing better to talk about. You need new friends, not fewer pouches.
This with bells on!!

Laiste · 09/01/2023 14:39

yeah that.

And honestly - who's going to care once they're 5, 6, 7 .... 17 ?!

(and it comes along quicker than you can imagine!)

HelterSkelter224 · 09/01/2023 14:39

FlounderingFruitcake · 09/01/2023 14:37

The fact that you know what your friends are feeding their kids 100% of the time would suggest that your friends are sanctimonious twats who have nothing better to talk about. You need new friends, not fewer pouches.
This with bells on!!

Yep and also are they REALLY only feeding them 100% homemade or do they have a few pouches that they sneak in when they're out and about, I bet they do

ShirleyPhallus · 09/01/2023 14:40

I think there are pluses and minuses

Theyre very expensive for what they are, pretty wasteful on plastic and a lot of the recipes are mixed with sweet fruits which I don’t think is great in getting the baby used to lord savoury tastes

But they’re so convenient, especially for on the go, and also it’s great to be able to get a variety of tastes especially if it’s something you wouldn’t eat yourself

Roseelane · 09/01/2023 14:40

Nah, most people just don't care what other people feed their children.

Rowen32 · 09/01/2023 14:42

Just check the salt and sugar content, there's a limit for what's okay...
Its the packaging I hate more than anything..

ronswansonstache · 09/01/2023 14:44

We lived at ILs for four months when DD was 8-12 months. MIL hated me cooking in the kitchen so DD had a HIPP meal about 3-4 nights a week. I didn't love it but it hasn't done her any harm! She's now 2 and eats everything we eat at mealtimes.

I would probably avoid the puréed fruit ones as they are very sugary but the 'meal' Ella pouches e.g. shepherds pie I thought were totally fine.

AlmostAJillSandwich · 09/01/2023 14:44

I buy them for my hamsters Grin