A little bit of baby porridge at 19 weeks?

[Bluemamma]

Hi mums, is it too early to give a little baby porridge at 19 weeks? By little I mean literally 1 or 2 teaspoons of runny porridge. My baby is not a great eater and he takes 4-6 oz every 3 hours but he’s just not a baby that loves milk. He loves gripe water and gets very excited when he see it so maybe he would love something more tasty than milk…He’s obviously not seating but I’m thinking of giving him little spoon in his bouncy chair (did that with my first baby at 5 months) I know baby rice is aweful and has no nutritional value but what about flavoured baby porridge? He had reflux which is now a lot better than it used to be so that could help him further?

Anyone here that had a baby with reflux that just wasn’t a great milk drinker and offered some “solids” so early ?

My daughter had severe reflux she was on meds for it and my hv suggested weaning early.
Can you speak to your hv?

A lot of people do start weaning at 4 months. It's often advised by paediatricians for refluxey babies. What's his weight like? What size teat did you use?

Thanks guys, yes I spoke to my HV but I have to say she just has different views than myself on many things.
His weight is very good he is 7kg and more than doubled his birth weight already. But feeding him can be a real struggle. There are days when he eats but there are days that he just doesn’t want to eat and every bottle is a struggle to say the least (but he is happy and smiley just not hungry I think) also he wakes at night every 4 hours. So I’m thinking there could be a value in giving him some porridge maybe he would like it so would eat a little more and sleep more at night… I do know 19 weeks is early though.
With my previous one I started at 5 months but he was in 90 centile and was an absolute milk machine- would eat 2 litres per day if I let him :) so a whole different baby.

We started weaning at 17weeks as DD had/has horrendous reflux. This was with hospital guidance and tbh it wasn't a big deal to them, they said 6 months is guidence. For DD it didnt make any difference because she just wasn't ready so actually caused more problems.

I was advised by HV to start solids at 17 weeks with reflux baby. She had dropped several centiles from birth and struggled to get enough milk. I started on fruit or veg purée at first. Worked a treat and she seemed to keep milk down better with purée in her tummy. I didn’t bother with my second child who was gaining well on milk alone.

Early weaning is recommended sometimes for babies with reflux. As long as it's not before 16 weeks, there is no strong evidence of any harm (although earlier than this isn't recommended).

Do double check though that the porridge isn't just baby rice again, as I've seen many brands advertised as porridge that is actually not oats at all, especially for younger babies. But if you shop around and inspect the ingredients, you should find something more nutritious that would work.

I wouldn't. Our baby had baby porridge at 6 months and came out in hives all over. It was really scary.

I don't know what it's like nowadays, but when DS (who will be 20 years old this month) was a baby, it was normal to give a bit of baby rice to our little ones at 4 months. I did this with all 3 of mine without a hint of a problem. In fact, it made life easier... and yes, that matters! They were such hungry babies. I'd make it with breast milk whenever I could. Start with baby rice.

Do double check though that the porridge isn't just baby rice again

Baby rice is more ideal at this age... allergic reactions are uncommon with rice.

Two spoons of baby rice / porridge is going to have minimal calories in it though. How much milk is he having overall? Is it coming back up?

@TheVanguardSix

Do double check though that the porridge isn't just baby rice again

Baby rice is more ideal at this age... allergic reactions are uncommon with rice.

The problem is though, that baby rice has almost no nutritional value. It's just empty calories.

4 months used to be normal so I don't think it can do any harm as long as it doesn't affect milk intake - I'm not a health professional though! Baby feeding does go in fads, from early (6 weeks) to todays baby led.

The problem is though, that baby rice has almost no nutritional value. It's just empty calories.

I think the problem with rice is that it can contain arsenic.

Well when my eldest was born, three months was the norm and he had his first very tiny tastes at 12 weeks because he was ravenous and had horrible colic. By the time son 2 came along the advice was 16 weeks. I think I waited almost til then. He has always not been as food oriented as son1. Both were fine - we are talking just a sloppy spoon or two or three - I used to mash up a tinned pear quarter with a bit of avocado. Both are strapping twenty somethings.
Remember, when they give advice, they have to aim at the lowest common denominator. It's not like you are shoving maccy D or sugar down them.

Mine hated baby rice - its horrible. Mush up swede or carrot or fruit.

You can start to wean from 4 months. Just do 1 small portion mixed in with their usual milk and make sure they are still getting enough milk daily. Our 5mth old started having a bit of baby rice with 1oz of milk on addition to her usual formula feeds and is really enjoying it. Our son weaned from 4mth and had no trouble eating lots and getting enough milk in too, he still eats loads now at 11 (like a bottomless pit 🤣, rarely sits still either).

You can get the 4 mth pouches - choose the really basic fruit ones and mix them with milk. One of the babies I care for gets the Ellas bananas and coconuts one (it was a massive 200 cals per pack) that I then mix into his full size formula into a runny soupy mixture. It takes him a while but he will eat the whole pouch + the bottle of milk we mixed in in + half a bottle to wash it down with. Weaning early has transformed his appetite so def worth a try.

Find one that isn’t flavoured. Infact if you have a blender just blend oats so they are tiny. I wouldn’t be giving anything with added salt, sugars etc?

@Ozanj I think people with even the most basic knowledge of weaning know not to start with sugary fruit pouches.

OP, I'd wait till as close to 6 months as possible. Do you feel confident you'd know exactly what to do if your small baby choked on the solid food you're planning to give?

Your baby's behaviour sounds normal, not all baby's guzzle bottles at speed. X

Thanks everyone. I’m inclined to maybe wait another 4 weeks but seeing GP tomorrow so seek advise. This is tough as all babies are different and what works for one baby may not work for others.
Each baby should come with a manual!

The guidance nowadays is 6months. If you're worried about your baby's weight, talk to the HV or the GP and they can tell you whether you should be worried about your baby's food intake or not

I think the problem with rice is that it can contain arsenic

I'd forgotten about that! I haven't had babes in arms for a long time now and this totally slipped my mind. Thank you for the reminder!
I do know that mine also had a bit of mashed-up stewed apple with the rice and on its own. Also, mashed avocado on its own. Mine all had this at 4months. My firstborn was avocado mad, but then we had an avocado tree outside so it was all too easy... we had an apple orchard as well. Those were the days.

Btw my 15 month old hardly eats 🤷🏻‍♀️ but she's an ok weight so I don't insist too much

You say your baby is an ok weight and you don't think they're hungry. So what would be the point of the porridge? Just a couple of spoonfuls of porridge isn't going to help them sleep better. Start a little early by all means but I honestly don't think it's needed in this circumstance x