baby rice

[sarahandlily]

i thought it was ok to start introducung baby rice to a baby at 15 weeks plus 6 days as nearly 4 months. my little girl is often sick, may have reflux but certainly cries during having a bottle so i though baby rice may help. she did really like it and i gave for three small meals each day, not too much, with her normal bottle (using the formula milk she leaving at the end, say 20 ml with some baby rice). then I started reading about all health risks etc and have stopped after 4 days. will I have caused my baby harm? I feel sick with worry.....she is 17 weeks is 2 days time, is about 13 lb and was 7 when born. has 4 bottles of 240 ml or so a day.....

if she like it i carry on my sister baby was weaned at four months and so was g and they are prefectly fine

You haven't done your child any harm at all. When my son was born in 2000 the advice was not to start weaning until 16 weeks (I think it's even older now)... but he was so hungry, miserable and awake all hours of the night that I introduced a little baby-rice and tiny amounts of very well-mashed banana as a supplement when he was 12 weeks old. He slept like a top from that point, was much happier and has always been in excellent health ever since.

So don't worry. These weaning cut-offs are far too general and I think you should trust your own judgement that you will naturally do what's best for your baby. If your baby is content, enjoying the baby-rice and not screaming with indigestion then you're doing the right thing.

it is unlikely you have caused harm, but i would recommend you get some help re the reflux and if you are going to wean duue to reflux it should be inder the guidance of a HCP

her weight is irrelevant to this

nhs advises no solids before 17 weeks, but to aim for 26 weeks, when the babys gut should be mature enough to digest something other than milk

it does strike me that 4 bottles a day is not a lot of milk for your baby , at only 18 weeks.

if she is being sick and not getting much milk, her weight gain might be slow, and giving food acutally wont really help that

if you are feeling sick with worry, i would stop weaning unless it is under supervision and look at getting medication for the reflux if appopriate and getting more milk into her

it is not about whether the baby like sit or ' it never did me nay harm' but whether the baby is pysically mature enough to digest something other than milk, and at 17 weeks, babies tend not to be ready.

signs of readines sare sitting unaided, good head control, loss of tongue thrust reflex, and being able to pick up, chew and swallow a piece of food. waking in the night and wanting more milk are not signs

the safest, most nutritious and filling food you can give a baby is milk.

not rice or banana , but milk

Thanks everyone. we have put a brake on the weaning for the mo and will see how we get on in a few weeks time. Zantac and Gaviscon from the GP seem to be helping with the sickness and feeding pains.