Baby rice at 10 weeks?

[Nikki6659]

This is my first baby and my health visitor is pretty useless, so looking for someone who’s maybe done similar.
My baby was 9lb 4oz at birth, he’s now 10weeks and is over a stone. He’s perfectly healthy, in proportion and within NHS guidelines, he’s just a big lad (dad is 6’’4 and built like the proverbial brick outhouse).

He’s very forward for his age, been holding his head up for weeks, pushes to stand up and right now is cutting his first tooth. He has 7oz every 3 hours without fail but is still hungry. I’m wondering whether to give baby rice a go, to start the weening process? My husband and his siblings were weaned between 6-8 weeks under doctors advice as they were such big babies. Granted this was almost 30 years ago.

I just don’t know what to do! Midwife and health visitor said don’t give them hungry baby milk as it just blocks them up 🤷🏼‍♀️
We have no family history of allergies of any kind, but heard all sorts of bad things about weaning too young.

[SoyDora]

I’ve had two babies and never used baby rice. I didn’t purée anything either, but I know that doesn’t work for everyone. I just started with things like sticks of soft carrot, porridge fingers, softly cooked broccoli, banana etc.

[Nikki6659]

We’ve not been strict with feeding times. I just feed him when he’s hungry - but it is pretty much like clockwork. If he’s hungry I feed him, if he’s not I don’t. He doesn’t usually stray outside of 30mins either way though.

[SnuggyBuggy]

I get that it was normal a generation ago but he will be fine if fed on demand.

[bubbles092]

Up the ounces? No need to feed baby rice for fucks sake. And when you do start weaning, no need to feed baby rice filled with cariogenic ingredients! Just simple plain rolled porridge oats and plain rice mixed with some milk will be fine.

[IMissGin]

More milk! No need to ask HV again. He’s 10weeld old, there’s nothing to discuss.

[blackcat86]

No you absolutely should not be feeding anything other than milk. Ensure bottles are made up to 30ml more than the biggest feed he's ever taken. It doesn't sound like the health visitor is concerned so I'm unsure why you're in such a rush. You have the potential to really upset their digestive system. There is a reason why babies shouldn't be weaned until they can sit up unaided and have sufficient teeth.

[peachgreen]

Mine was 10lb 13oz and she survived quite happily on nothing but milk until she was 6 months. Just up the volume of his bottles - my daughter was on 8oz before we started solids and I know other babies who were on 10oz.

In terms of first foods once he's 6 months, everyone is different but I highly recommend baby-led weaning - at 9 months my daughter reliably and fairly tidily feeds herself and has a really varied diet, plus I never have to cook anything especially for her and I don't have to faff about with blenders!

[StripyDeckchair]

You could try baby led weaning when he's ready. Start with softish (but not too soft to hold) sticks of steamed veg and fruit, fingers of toast, etc. Don't worry if he doesn't eat much or anything at first. There are lots of good books on it with recipe ideas.

If you're doing purée then I'd start with steamed and puréed veg like parsnip, carrot, sweet potato, peas. Annabel Karmel books have some good purée ideas.

[jusdepamplemousse]

Teeth have very little to do with being ready for weaning.

My DD had no teeth until 10 months.

She would have been malnourished if I’d held off until she had ‘sufficient teeth’.

[toomuchhappyland]

I would also read up on baby-led weaning. If you wait until baby can sit up unaided (ie not propped with a pillow in his high chair), and can put things into his own mouth (most babies reach both of these points at about 6 months, which is also when their gut is ready for solids) then you never need to make a single purée. I’ve had two children and never blended or puréed anything in my life. BLW is brilliant. You just give them food. Read up on it and see what you think.

[HellenaHandbasket]

Ha, my one year old still has no teeth,they have no bearing.

We waited until 6 months of thereabouts with all 3, and they just ate what we ate. No faffing with separate meals or purees etc. Bar some apple and pear puree for #3 as he struggled with constipation a little early on with solids.

[MawkishTwaddle]

Any need for that, bubbles092?

[Nikki6659]

Most people have really been helpful, so thank you 👍🏼

I was asking for advice, not judgment. It’s no wonder so many new mums doubt themselves and feel like they’re failing when people respond to a simple question by questioning your motives and parenting abilities.

[Pissedoffdotcom]

DS was 9lbs 6oz at birth, he put on weight at an astronomical rate (the MW was in hysterics when she weighed him the first time after birth because he had put on the most ever in her career). At 17 weeks he is still on milk, he has 9oz every feed. Honestly there is no need to wean yet, just increase the amount of milk you offer per feed. My DP has awful digestion issues & he was weaned really early. Not a risk i would want to take

[HillyMillylunchmunch]

Sounds like you've taken the advice on board, good luck with it all

Ask your health visitor for advice when the time comes. Some can be useless but some are really helpful and give recipes etc. That's the good thing about waiting until 6 months - you can give them proper food, pretty much from your plate without having to worthy too much about what's in it. Low salt sugar etc but you don't really need to think about much else. You can give a roast potato a bit of a squash with a fork and add some milk if you want, or just give little one chunks to play with. If you're all eating the same thing he will watch you and copy, its so cute. Things like shepherd's pie, pasta, lasagne, curry (add yoghurt to make his milder if you like spicy), soup with bread fingers to dip, scrambled egg, sausages and chips, all normal stuff you might eat are fine.

[Happygolucky009]

My 10lb baby survived on milk to 6 months. Weaning at 6 months is recommended to enable them to be gut ready, to offer food before so can irritate the gut and is prone to causing allergies. Baby rice provides little nutritious goodness and although your child may be advanced, he / she is not likely to be sitting independently and therefore more at risk of choking.

[NotSoThinLizzy]

I didn't wean at 6 months it's was 5 months as he was ready showing signs that he wanted actual food. Sitting up trying to grab food off my plate ect. There's a growth spurt around 10 weeks so it could that

[Babdoc]

I seem to be a lone dissenting voice here, but recent research strongly suggests that the explosive rise in childhood food allergies, particularly to peanut, is due to this modern advice to delay solids to 6 months.
There is a window of time to prime the gut to accept foods without mounting an immune reaction, and by 6 months you’ve missed the boat.
It’s especially important for babies with eczema to be weaned early, as contact with antigens like peanut via their broken skin is far more likely to trigger allergy if the gut hasn’t already “seen” some peanut and deemed it safe.
I weaned my babies at 8 weeks and 9 weeks respectively, nearly 30 years ago. Peanut butter featured quite early in the process. Both are healthy, allergy free adults, as are the majority of my own generation, ALL of whom were weaned early by current standards.
I agree baby rice has no nutritional value, but there is no harm and potentially a lot of good in weaning early with healthier alternatives.

[StarfishSandwich]

My (not so) little one sounds similar to yours. He’s 8 weeks, very nearly a stone already, has always had good head control, pushes up and weight bears in his legs, lifts all fours limbs and his head when on his tummy etc. I think he’ll likely be ready for food a little earlier than 6 months but we’ll definitely be waiting until after 17 weeks as per current reccomendations. I definitely plan to wait until he’s ready to eat finger foods and feed himself. Baby rice has pretty much no nutritional benefits other than making your baby a bit fuller so better to wait until they are ready to eat foods with lots of nutrients IMO.

[Mountainsided]

Well done for listening. It really is 6 months for a reason. It’s only 17weeks if absolutely needed and recommended by a doctor.
Sadly I’ve seen family members wean at 15weeks as older relatives said thy did it and it did no harm. Just reply to them that the generation above them thought a lot of things did no harm but they’d wouldn’t even consider it now.

[SoyDora]

Babdoc weaning ‘early’ is only considered after 17 weeks. Before that the gut is not mature enough for solid food. I agree that the advice may change from 6 months to 4-5 months at some point in the future, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that food before 17 weeks can be harmful.

[SoyDora]

Plus as we know anecdote is not data. Mine were weaned at 6 months (pure BLW) and are healthy with no allergies at all.

[candlefloozy]

Blimey some of you are so harsh. She's a ftm asking for advice. Some of you need to calm
Down.

[KTD27]

Nikki congrats on your wee one. You’ve done brilliantly so far and it sounds like you’re happy to wait to wean which is absolutely the right thing to do.
You asked about fruits and veggies. I remember with my LO I started with root veg first and things like peas. Once they get a taste of fruit it’s sweet things forever so definitely start on veg first 😀 Ella’s kitchen do a lovely book which has all the stages in and recipes for every bit of it along with an idea of when to introduce what. I didn’t follow it strictly and did a mix of purée and more chunky bits from my plate.
Feel free to PM me if you want to talk some more. I have a 2.5yold on the 99th %ile for weight and a 4 month old baby so can sympathise with needing to ask for advice xx and for you

[SputnikBear]

My DS was 10lb and 95th percentile for length, with teeth beginning to appear at 2 months old. I still fed him exclusively on milk until 5 months, and only weaned a couple of weeks early because I was desperate for him to sleep (didn’t work unfortunately). I agree with all the advice to delay weaning until 20-26 weeks - your baby’s gut is too immature for solids.

Despite having a mouthful of teeth my DS was a slow starter and struggled with textures - until about 8 months he’d gag and physically vomit if I fed him anything except smooth runny purée. Sitting isn’t a good indicator either - if I’d waited till my DS could sit I wouldn’t have weaned till 9 months old and he’d be malnourished.