Baby eating shop bought baby food.

[jodiekidd]

My baby is 9 months old.

He loves shop bought baby food which I've been mainly feeding him on since we started weaning.

He's putting on weight well and is 50th percentile.

He does eat other little bits but it's mainly jars and pouches.

I'm feeling quite shameful and embarrassed that he's eating this but he likes it and it makes my life easy.

Will this effect his eating habits going forward. Has anyone else fed their babies solely shop bought food?

what’s wrong with making life easier - that was my aim of buying pouches and jars?

Veggie Dahl with cauliflower

Organic cauliflower 25% | Organic vegetable stock 15% (water and organic vegetables: carrots, onions, peas) | Organic cooked rice 14% (water, organic rice) | Organic onions 9% | Organic peas 9% | Organic aubergines 8% | Organic tomatoes 8% | Organic carrots 7% | Organic cooked lentils 6% (water, organic red lentils) | Organic curry powder <1% (turmeric, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, fenugreek, onion, black pepper, clove, nutmeg) | Organic coriander <1% | Organic garlic <1% | Other stuff 0%

Slightly begs the question about what the rest of the family are eating that a 9 month old can’t be sampling. Regardless of ingredients homemade tastes so much nicer than pouches / jars. I wouldn’t want to set the expectation that childrens food needs to be different from adult food. Much nicer (where possible) to eat together and for a baby to participate in the whole dining experience.

@Parker231 when you are weaning, eating solid, resistive foods helps a babies brain to make a map of the most for safe eating. The first six months are also when a baby is most likely to try new foods, when babies get to one they often become resistive to new foods. There isn’t anything intrinsically wrong with shop bought purees, although they are often very high in sugar. The issue is that babies aren’t developing the connections between the mouth and the brain in addition to it being shown that they are more likely to become picky eaters if solids aren’t eaten by 9 months.

i fed DT’s when I got home from work. DH was still at work so we ate much later. Once DT’s were old enough to stay up later, we ate all together and ate out frequently (lived in Central London with an amazing Greek deli/restaurant around the corner)

Eating out is great for trying new things - especially if there are options which aren’t beige for children.

Neither of the DT’s were fussy eaters - although a nightmare sometimes when they started school and doing meals for their friends who had a limited range of foods they would eat.

It’s not ideal, but I understand. At 9 months they don’t really need puréed food. I’d rather just give them a sandwich to much on than baby food after some of the stuff I’ve read now. I fed ds baby food when I was out and about or was knackered. He had baby food a few times a week, but I’m not sure if I’d do that again if I had another baby. It won’t harm your baby though, it’s just a bit like giving them ready meals!

Yeah because life and parenting is hard. We are not all nailing it, in life.

Sorry that happened to you but I won't be passing anything on to the health visitor as I trust what she said. I'll be doing what's best for My son and not risking it. Have you not read the ones who spooned fed nuts and had a serious reaction. I'll be doing it the safe way

After some research, AllergyUK disagrees with this being the safe way.

I trust them over your rogue HV

I would start including other foods that you cook alongside the jars etc. With mine I put the new things on my plate. That made them curious and they wanted to try “mummies dinner”

She's not a rogue hv 🙄 I don't care what strangers say thanks. I'll do it my way

I used a combination so for days I was at home it would be mashed up whatever we were having if possible.

For breakfast it was normal cereal with small bits of toast but for busy days or when I was out I used shop bought and always had a supply in the house for those just in case days.

As a parent of a child with multiple allergies and has had several anaphylaxis I would say to anyone reading this that organisations like allergy UK etc sole focus is dealing with allergies and staying up to date on developments in learnings about allergies. It is not unusual for professionals such as HV or even GPs to not have the most up to date knowledge for specific things such as food allergies.

We would always follow the guidance of our consultant but obviously new parents weaning don't have access to specialist consultants in this area so I would always refer to public guidance and recommendations from organisations such as Allergy UK or their equivalent in what ever country.

Watching a small child going into anaphylaxis and having the realisation that your child could be here one minute and dead 10 minutes later because of interaction with an allergn probably brings into context slightly the importance of having the most up to date information to reduce risk were possible.

@Emmamoo89 bless you, naively believing everything your ONE HV told you. You don't have much experience of HV's do you?? Forget the advice of entire organisations (including the one this HV works for, and those who specialise in allergies in children ), you go with what one single woman told you, and bang on about it loudly on the internet on repeat as if it is the gospel truth

Oh, and just reminding you because you seem to have forgotten, but your Ella pouches were brought in a shop. I know. Shocking, right!!!

@Emmamoo89 , I understand you felt you have followed the right advice from your HV and your children turned out fine. But it doesn't necessarily mean her advice wouldn't cause harm in other children.

When other organisations have advice in contrast to your HV's, it would be better to question if it's wise to quote her advice to other parents.

Bear in mind, if it goes the wrong way, it might lead to fatalities in other babies whose mums took this advice quoted by you. It's a very serious thing, even though you meant well.