To give my 3 month old baby rice ?

[Julias21]

shes 3 months old , (2 weeks off 4 months) and she’s chewing her hands a lot and taking over 7oz sometimes every 3 hours . My sister gives her 3 month old (only just turned 3 months) one wee spoonful at night . Apparently it can help them sleep at night . Thoughts ? I got the organic aptimal rice as she’s on aptimal milk. Could she choke ? Could she have an allergic reaction ? Wouldn’t do it if it’s unsafe just one wee taste at night ! Thanks x

Yes, it’s massively unreasonable. It won’t help her sleep better, and has been shown in studies to lead to higher incidents of stomach issues and allergies, as her body isn’t ready for food yet. She’s barely half way to ready.

Chewing her hands is likely a comfort/soothing action, not a hunger cue.

Maybe your sister will be lucky and get away with it, and it won’t cause any ill harm, but it’s not something that’s advisable in any way.

Babies that have to start good young for medical reasons get considerable support for a reason .

No I would not do this. 3 month olds only need milk.

She could be chewing her fists due to teething or just through habit, or because she wants more milk. Her digestive system is only mature enough for milk at the moment.

No I would not do this. 3 month olds only need milk.

She could be chewing her fists due to teething or just through habit, or because she wants more milk. Her digestive system is only mature enough for milk at the moment.

I think the general consensus on weaning later now is that milk is more calorific than baby rice/other baby foods, so just give more milk, and babies guts take forever to mature, so anything other than milk can actually be bad for them.

Also babies wake in the night at 3mo. It's just what they do.

So I'd suggest 8oz bottles offered every 3 hours between 7am and 7pm, Then do a dream feed (basically lift them, sleeping, at 10.30/11pm and feed them milk in a darkened room) pop them back down and hope they sleep through til 7am but if they don't, milk.

They are so tiny, it makes sense they need to eat between 7pm and 7am, and a spoonful of baby rice isn't going to change that.

she does sleep through the night it’s sometimes she’ll just wake up and I put her dummy in and she’s fine (wind pain usually) but just thought I’d ask anyway , would never do it if unsafe and so many people say differently ! What about at 4 months ? Ella’s kitchen and the baby rice (aptimal) says 4-6 months ?

Why do you want to feed her it? Do you think your sisters baby is more 'advanced' because she weaned early? Do you think it will help her sleep? Neither is true

Starting food to early massively increases the chances of developing allergies, which could effect her for the rest of her life. Just put the rice down and wait until she's ready.

It's a risk for no benefit. Risk of gut infections and later problems once your baby is an adult.

Nothing but milk until 17 weeks minimum.

Okay il hold off . I always heard it was other way around that the earlier you start the less likely they’ll be allergic, now I’m hearing the opposite? So confused 🤣 so 6 months ? I just thought 4-6 months as most have advertised

Definitely not under 4 months. Digestive system isn't ready for solids.

Baby rice has no nutritional value. No one should be feeding it to their babies. Wait until 6 months to wean OP. Why wouldn't you want to do what medical professionals advise is best for your baby?

Nope. Read up on the peer reviewed research and NHS guidelines to ensure you don’t damage your child’s gut.
The signs for readiness for eating food are:
-Able to sit up unaided
-lost the tongue thrust reflex
-able to pick up and bring food to their mouth

Thats it. Not chewing fists, not staring at food, not anecdotes, not on packaging of companies that want your money. Only actual science.

Just follow the advice, it's evidence based

When I worked at Nutricia (Aptamil and Cow and Gate) we had a classroom-based session where a dietitian talked through the benefits of feeding an infant only milk until they were 6 months old. The list of benefits was long but even though this was 10 years ago, I particularly remember her saying the NHS would save 1.6bn a year treating adults with IBS, food intolerances and allergies that are caused by early weaning.

The science behind it was explained and I can't remember that part well, but it included long-chain proteins that a baby's stomach isn't developed enough for due to underdeveloped villi in the gut until 6 months of age. When questioned about people who use the 'My kids were weaned at 3 months and they're fine' argument, she said that was unknown as the IBS, intolerance etc don't usually present until early adulthood.

I'd stick to the healthcare professional advice if I was you and avoid the well-intentioned, but misguided advice of a friend or family member. My DD chewed her fingers constantly, it wasn't because she was hungry, but because she liked it and had just found her mouth

I’ve not had any professionals telling me when to start I always see online it’s 6 months but some say 4-6 then some say they started a bit at 3 months .I’m new to it that’s why I’m asking ! I will hold off , what about the pouches of veg/fruit at 4/5 months ? As it’s labelled 4-6 ? Is this okay ? Or milk only till 6? I understand every baby different

Where did you hear that about allergies? All the info on weaning via reputable sites (NHS etc) and info from your Health Visitor should reinforce milk only til 6 months, unless a doctor tells you otherwise.

And the gut issues people are referring to aren't just allergies, but Coeliacs Disease, risk of developing Crohns, Ulcerative Colitis etc. This stuff can develop when the child is much older. And can be because of early weaning.

There's a lot of development between 3 months and 6 months when they're for their system to be ready for food.

If your baby is waking in the night hungry just give them milk. I think night feeds are still to be expected at this age.

Baby rice has no benefits at all so just wait until 6 months and start with vegetables as I think is the current advice. We were told that it's better to start with bitter tastes like broccoli so that they don't expect all food to taste sweet. Baby rice mixed with formula will taste sweet.

It's unsafe, don't do it. Milk only til 6 months. Chewing her hands is a development stage(learning to self sooth) or teething, not hunger.
Can you try bigger volumes less often?

They get away with saying 4-6 months because a small number of babies need food early, possibly as early as 4 months, but if yours was one of them you'd know as they would be under a pediatrician or other medical dietary support. For that tiny % of babies, the pouches that say "from 4 months" are a smooth enough texture.

The manufacturers are intentionally unclear about what they mean, because they get another 2 months worth of sales from every baby that is weaned early. They care about profits not about what's best for baby.

@SecondUsername4me I read it somewhere ages ago, can’t remember where but it always stuck with me !
thanks everyone , il try her more milk less often , she’s only recently just started being more hungry . Thank you for advice and il definitely wait until 6 months ! Then would that just be pouches of squeezable veg/ fruit to start ?

When you start weaning at 6m you can do something called baby led weaning which is just finger foods. Order a book on it / borrow one from the library as it's easier (imo) than getting them used to purees only to then have to handle lumps later.

She can just eat whatever you eat if you do baby led weaning. No need for purées, she needs to learn how to move, chew and swallow food and explore textures (from 6 months old), have you read up on weaning guidelines?

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/weaning-and-feeding/babys-first-solid-foods/

You're right in that 4-6m is the optimum window to introduce solids to reduce the risk of allergies. The evidence for 6m rather than 4m is pretty weak, but basically don't wait until after 6m.

But if you are weaning at 4m because of the risk of allergies, then start her on proper foods with allergens, not pointless baby rice.

4 months is very outdated, this was the advice when ds23 was born however when ds17 was born it had gone to 6 months. Baby rice really has no benefits and i would not really use it at all. I know in some cases babies are weaned before 6 months but this is with GP advice.

This is all you need to know: milk only until 6 months