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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

baby rice in milk for 1mth old is this really bad for them???

40 replies

Nointhemood · 05/09/2010 21:28

my niece is realy hungry baby and is having 9oz already and wanting more. So my sister is on about giving him baby rice in his milk. I have two children who were bf and ive never done this so have no experience. If i say something she will prob bite my head off anyhow-but tbh i though this was dangerous. I mean what can you do for a really hungry baby

OP posts:
Meglet · 05/09/2010 21:29

Really bad idea. I'm sure someone will be able to explain why shortly.

HeadFairy · 05/09/2010 21:31

Really really bad idea, i'm sure someone with medical qualifications can tell you why but I'm sure it's to do with the gut not being mature enough to digest anything other than milk and if you give such a young baby solids before they are ready they can develop bowel problems, kidney problems and a whole host of issues. So tell your sister DON'T

Igglybuff · 05/09/2010 21:32

Is it hunger or comfort feeding? Could be a growth spurt. How often does she feed her?

Baby rice is not going to make much difference in terms of calories and at that age puts unnecessary strain on the digestive system.

A friend of mine had a hungry baby. He was hungry because he was growing so much - he's off the charts for his age height and weight wise! Baby rice didn't do much - milk is the most calorific and suited food.

HeadFairy · 05/09/2010 21:32

what you can do for a really hungry baby is feed them more milk, that's it really.

Surely her HV will tell her not to give solids to her dd?

moaningminniewhingesagain · 05/09/2010 21:33

No no no. Choking risk, bowel not ready to digest solids. What to do? Give as much milk as they need. If thats a 9oz bottle every 2 hours then so be it.

Suggest she speaks to her HV before doing else else - hungrier baby milk may be an option though.

AllSheepareWhite · 05/09/2010 21:33

They do hungry baby formulas that might help especially for this kind of situation if the baby is formula fed. All advice says not to introduce solids before 17 weeks as their guts are porous to larger molecules like food and when they enter the blood stream it can produce an immune response that can lead to food allergies.

japhrimel · 05/09/2010 21:34

Really bad idea - the baby won't be ready to digest solids (plus choking risk like PP said).

harley85 · 05/09/2010 21:35

cant you advise her to see gp or health vistor or suggest hungry baby milk? at least this way she may not bie your head off!

moaningminniewhingesagain · 05/09/2010 21:35

Igglybuff makes a good point too, baby rice is a low calorie food, and a rapidly growing baby needs milk/nutrients, not low cal starch.

PaulineCampbellJones · 05/09/2010 21:37

Would get her to speak to the HV. Hungry baby milk is mixed so it's much more like hind milk. Or alternatively it could be a growth spurt?

Original poster
Nointhemood · 05/09/2010 21:37

Baby already has enlarged kidneys so has problems there and was a 9lb baby. I will say something although mum and mil are all of the old school encouraging her to do it. She knows the h/v are against it so probably won't ask. Bay is feeding every 4 hrs and is taking 8oz so she's bumping it up to 9oz.

OP posts:
SirBoobAlot · 05/09/2010 21:40

Terrible, risky and stupid idea, tbh. If she's feeding every four hours, suggest she offers milk at smaller gaps. What a hungry baby needs is more milk, not baby rice.

HeadFairy · 05/09/2010 21:40

a four week old baby taking 8oz every four hours? Sounds perfectly normal to me... why is she worrying that her dd is hungry. That sounds like a really normal intake of milk. Does your sister have any other babies or is this her first? If it's her first it could be a case that she just doesn't realise how much milk babies need.

tiktok · 05/09/2010 21:41

This is dangerous.

It is dangerous nutritionally because the baby needs the milk.

It is also dangerous because it can overload the baby's kidneys and cause dehydration.

It is especially dangerous to give rice in a bottle. There is a risk of choking.

Babies can die because of any of these risks.

Your sister cannot be serious about giving rice in a bottle to a baby aged a month, surely? Sorry - head bitten off or not, you have to say something.

HeadFairy · 05/09/2010 21:41

My dd was feeding hourly sometimes at that age (but she was bf so I guess they have to feed a bit more often, but still...)

Original poster
Nointhemood · 05/09/2010 21:45

I know i will say something but she seems to have 'I know it all' head on. Ive only just seen it on her fb status tbh.

OP posts:
nomoretablets · 05/09/2010 21:46

Yes I kept a record of dd's feed and I am pretty sure at 1 month she was feeding every 2-3 hours.

Also I always put more milk in the bottle than I thought she would have - that way she had as much as she wanted, rather than a standard amount per feed.

ooosabeauta · 05/09/2010 21:47

I second what HeadFairy has just said - that's not really very frequent feeding at all. My ds definitely had more than that, and didn't grow 'fat' so I guess it was no more than he required. I think they suggest that you don't even use hungry baby milk for as long as you can withhold, as it is more filling than natural milk, when actually the baby should be getting as much milk as s/he is hungry for, so it sort of artificially stifles the appetite at a time when you shouldn't. I'm not sure how you can get around conferring your knowledge to them without offence though!

TheCrackFox · 05/09/2010 21:51

Apart from the fact that it is dangerous for the baby formula milk has more calories in it than baby rice so it won't even stop the baby being hungry.

4 hourly feeds isn't even that much anyway. Tell her to stop being lazy and feed her baby properly.

Do you know who her HV is? You could contact her directly and let her know what is happening.

Original poster
Nointhemood · 05/09/2010 21:54

Oh my she's on about putting it in his night time bottle and in the next few weeks pureeing veg and rice. According to her my niece can already crawl with her back legs etc and is meant to be quite advanced. Some of the things im a bit Hmm she seems to be proud of her growing daugter and wont shes achieving but really(ive only seen her once and she was asleep like a nb baby to me).

OP posts:
MumNWLondon · 05/09/2010 21:54

Can't believe she is considering this, esp with a baby with kidney problems.

Maybe baby is comfort sucking rather than hungry. Aside from the dangers of baby rice not a good idea to give formula fed baby more milk than recommended - can lead to baby being too fat and increasing future obesity risks etc.

Baby should be drinking roughly 2.5 x weight, so a 11lb baby should be drinking 2.5 x 11 = 27.5oz per day.

Assuming 4 hourly feeds - ie 6 per day, each feed should be 4-5oz. 6x9oz = 54oz is nearly double what is recommended - she should speak to HV and doctor to discuss how to proceeed.

Original poster
Nointhemood · 05/09/2010 21:55

I mean 'daughter' and 'what'

OP posts:
HeadFairy · 05/09/2010 21:58

Is she just ignorant as to the guidelines on solids or is she just impatient that she has to feed her dd so much? Are you close? You really ought to say something to her, it sounds like she's really going to do her dd some damage. Veg at this age is really bad, it's got barely any calories and will fill her up.

Original poster
Nointhemood · 05/09/2010 21:58

Ive just pm'ed her. Sorry sister and i don't really get on so im walking on egg shells tbh.At the minute she's going through my baby is so perfect and doing this and that. And growing so fast and big but she's not fat just really tall. Its like her babys in competition or something i feel like saying to her slow down and enjoy it dont wish her away. I mean can a 4wk baby crawl on their back legs is this possible??

OP posts:
HeadFairy · 05/09/2010 21:59

If it was my sister and niece we were talking about I'd be weighing with my size 9s, even if it meant a fight.

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