Baby fruit pouches

[mummy2903]

I have started giving my 4 month old fruity pouches and would like to know why some are for 4month plus and some for 7 month plus babies . If it is just pure fruit why would it be for different age range.

could i not just blend my own banana's and peaches for her ?

You shouldn't be weaning her at 4 months anyway. I'd put things on hold for a few months. Around 6 months is recommended.

Yes you could just blend your own stuff. You're paying for the convenience of not having to.

Not sure about the age thing (I just gave mine mashed tinned fruit), but would assume the 7m one has some lumps in but the 4m is completely smooth? With the meals, the older ones tend to have lumpier textures as the baby gains eating experience

Why are you weaning early and going against guidelines?

Fruit pouches are full of sugar so not necessarily the best choice for a baby, despite the fact that they look healthy.

www.itv.com/news/2022-07-08/baby-food-pouches-more-sugary-than-coca-cola-dentists-warn

4 month old babies absolutely do not need puréed fruit sugar. Please wait until she is 6 months and blend your own. Start with vegetables like carrots, butternut squash and sweet potato.

If you're weaning at 4m you should be doing so following guidance from a paediatrician, so just give whatever they recommend.

Weaning early can result in ongoing gastric issues, 'under one, food is for fun'.

To answer your question, yes, you could just purée your own food to give your baby. It’s much cheaper and really easy. Boil some veg, blend It down until smooth, Get some ice cube trays and little pots, freeze what you make and then pop them out into a freezer bag and use the ice cube tray for the next batch. That way you can have a variation. If I remember right, You don’t need to purée banana though, just mash it with a fork.

I think the difference between 4 and 7 month food is probably the texture. The 7 month is likely to be thicker and lumpier. The 4 month food is likely to be completely smooth and runnier.

Its recommended to wait until 6months now, but when I had dc 1, the health visitor had us all starting weening at 4 months and I remember SIL being really shocked I was leaving it so late as they had started weening my nephew at 3 months.

Thank you for everyones feedback.

I can see some of you all have different views on this.

But why would they sell these things in the shops then ? For a 4 month old ??

You need to speak to your Health Visitor.

Seriously? Why do they sell cigarettes? To make money.

It's not different opinions, it's scientific guidance. Replies like yours suggest to me people should be made to go on courses before having children. It's ok to not no everything but surely you would think to read up on NHS and WHO guidelines?!

Because they are legally allowed to do so, it's the absolute youngest they're able to market solid food for. They don't sell it because it's good for babies, they sell it because they want to make money. It's pure capitalist greed.

Thank you for your disrespectful feedback. Highly unnecessary for a comment like that :)

What is your reasoning for going against the guidelines?

I agree.

Its just marketing messages to get you to buy some now and others at 7 months.

Thing is though pureed fruit is very, very low calorie but will fill up space in baby's tummy. That space is needed for high calorie, high nutrition formula or breast milk. You would really be better waiting till about 6 months to start on food.

Also baby's digestive system and kidneys are not developed enough for food yet and you are risking problems in later life.

Best to just give baby another bottle or some more breast milk just now and wait a few more weeks.

Me too - there is lots of evidenced based info around against a) the use of pouches and b) early weaning.
Have you heard of baby led weaning?

Please don’t feed your 4 month old pure sugar - which is what puréed fruit is. Wait till 6 months and feed more healthy stuff

Aside from going against guidelines, please don't be in a rush to wean. The cleanup after every meal is the absolute worst bit of parenting imo, why do you want to give yourself two extra months of that if you don't have to? Enjoy this time while you can where all you have to do is whip out a boob or make up some formula!!! You will miss it when baby is on 3 meals a day and lobs food on the floor when they don't fancy it.

Have a look at NHS or Solid Start guidelines for weaning. And especially look up physical guidelines for weaning. Not many 4 month olds can sit well enough for solids. You are also potentially setting them up for a lifetime of digestive issues.

I won't comment on the early weaning, but I just wanted to share with you that we gave DS fruit pouches first at 6 months, and it was such a huge mistake. He developed such a taste for sweet, sugary foods and would refuse anything savoury. Weaning with him has been hell and I truly believe it's down to us having given him sweet foods as his first taste experiences. Even now, he'll take a fruit pouch or a yogurt over any other snack. I'd try to hold off giving something so sweet so early on.

I think they're legally allowed to advertise food from 4m but the NHS guidance is different to that. I've come to realise since having a child that what's legal doesn't always correlate to safe, for example, forward facing from 15 months is absolutely not safe, but it's legal.

Everyone.... im just going to eat the pouches myself.

Baby can wait 6 months. Got it.

There is no added sugar. The sugar in naturally in the fruit. So if you blend up all your own fruit there will still be same amount in there

As others have said, weaning is advised by both the NHS and WHO from 6m onwards, unless told differently by your own medical team - eg with DS1 I was advised to try early weaning to help with his reflux, it didn't work AT ALL but was worth a try.

4m pouches are a purée - no lumps at all.
7m starts to be lumpier
10m even more
12m have full chunks.

As for why 4m is sold - the same reason they sell "follow on" formula - to make money. There is no need at all for a baby to move off stage one formula but all companies make it because they can then advertise it which they're not allowed to do with Stage one and can offer promotions on them to entice you to buy theirs.

Make sure you brush your teeth really well afterwards. They're incredibly sugary.

So your saying she can still have stage 1 for the whole 12 months ?

It's absolutely fine. When I had my daughter it was 3 months. It's only guidelines they are always changing things anyway It's up to you. You can blend up any fruit or vegetable it's just the same as in the pouches