Can someone tell me succinctly why you shouldn't put a rusk in a bottle ... and other silly things I am being advised to do

[MrsOtter]

My friend is driving me up the bloody wall with out dated advice about how I should be raising dd2.

She is shocked that feeding on demand means feeding whenever the baby wants, cannot believe I feed everytime she wakes.

Yesterday I was given lots of nuggets of advice about all the things I am doing wrong and this is why dd2 (19 wks) is not sleeping through the night. Can I just point out that I don't expect dd2 to sleep through the night, but my friend seems shocked that I am not:

Putting chocolate etc on her dummy
Putting Rusk in her bottle
Weaning her

Among other things. She had her child 11 years ago and is planning on another and she is set on doing these things all over again. Each to their own but can someone tell me why the above list is not advised, I am too sleep deprived to google and I just need answers ready for the next lecture

Rusk is a choking hazard! Bottles are designed for a runny liquid to come from them, not a gloopier mess.

rusk has gluten in it which shouldnt be given to babies under 6 months, I weaned at 17 weeks due to my ds having reflux, but think its usually 6 months, and on the dummy when your daughter gets teeth putting things on it willl rot them. everyone has an opinion, my sisters youngest is 15 and she thinks i should be giving my 8 month old chocolate and using the same brand nappies and bottles as she used!!!!

Chocolate ( never heard that one!) or anything else on her dummy isn't milk. She only needs milk until you're ready to wean her. That will be around 6 months. Weaning will not necessarily make her sleep through the night, in fact it might have the opposite effect and keep her awake cause it's new and unsettling.

Rusk in a bottle, as Nutella said, is a choking hazard. People usually enlarge the hole in the teat to let the lumps through I think as well! Which again is a choking risk. Also rusks are full of sugar, and again... NOT MILK!

My DD (who was 2.3 when DS was born) used to say to anyone who joked about DS having a biscuit/bit of our dinner/drink of tea "he only needs MILK"! Would you like to borrow her until you're ready to give DD anything else?!

Yes please whatagradeA, I could trade her for a very wilful 3yr old if you like

Right so the rusk is a chocking risk, that's my response to that one sorted

I did mention the teeth and sugar issue and she responded by saying it cannot rot teeth they do not have.

Mind yo she did think I was strange for not giving dd1 any sugar till she was over 1. How do you explain that when they don't accept that its bad for them?

I don't mind other people's opinions, I just mind when they are presented as the best course of action and the implication is that I am either barmy or a bad mother for not following said course of action

It can rot teeth they don't have - there have been cases where baby teeth have come through already with decay as the acidity of the saliva (caused by sugars in the mouth feeding the bacteria) has damaged the teeth while they are still in the gums. The teeth exist even if you can't see them yet!

Not giving sugar until over 1 is slightly unusual I guess - still your choice and a valid one. Did you not give fruit etc either or are you just talking about added sugars?

Agree with PP's on answers,.but just wanted to add,

Re weaning: the reason we are told.to wait until 6 months now is because it was found weaning at 4 months caused lots of digestive problems later in life as the baby was weaned when they weren't physically ready to digest food.
They say some babies are ready at 17weeks, but all babies are ready at 6months. So waiting until 6months is the safest option.
Other than laying your baby on the kitchen table and performing a little op, you will not know if your baby is ready out not.
Plus when the age to wean was 4 months - lots were weaned at 3 months!

Re choc on dummy: dummy are designed to be a soother not a habit. Adding something chocolate on to one instantly turns it in to a shockingly unhealthy habit.