Weaning 5 months baby

[4658Lou]

Baby is 5 months and is ready for some milk rice (the one you start weaning with at about 4-6 months) how much should I be giving a day and what do I gradually increase it to? How long are they on the rice for before blending food like purée broccoli etc x

26 weeks is the recommended age for weaning into solids, start with normal porridge not the baby rice which is highly processed and not necessary.

We never did rice. Just waited till six months and sitting up. You’re going to feed them for many years, just wait till the recommended time

They don't need to be on rice or puree at all. I never did the rice, did a few pouches of pureed stuff out and about but tried mostly to give bits of what we were eating for simplicity. First foods for both mine were carrot sticks and brocoli. Very little eaten but they enjoyed playing with it.

he seems to like the organic baby rice I started by just giving my 5 month old a couple of weaning spoons a day inbetween his bottles? I read the Ingredients in the one i got it’s only got Organic Rice Flour (99.99%), Thiamin (Vitamin B1) that’s all that’s in it? He seems very hungry in between bottles I thought he seemed ready he’s 5 months so nearly 6 months? X

@DappledThings what did you start off with and how much a day for example 5-6 months old when your baby started to wean how much did you give per day? (roughly) x

Baby rice has very little nutritional value at all, stop giving it. If you insist on weaning early, at least give them proper food.

@Viewfrommyhouse what should I give him instead of the rice? X

I waited to 6 months on the dot because that's official advice and also because weaning is mostly a pain in the arse with how much gets chucked away.

But I didn't think about portions much. Put a few bits of vegetables and fish and chicken and pasta, that kind of thing in front of them when we were having that. Did a lot of porridge for breakfast, just normal porridge, not the baby stuff. Just made a bowl for me and put a bit of it in a smaller bowl for baby to pick at. Keep it as simple as possible!

I was just cautious what to give him as he’s 5 months if he was 6+ I would introduce the veg like carrort and broccoli etc like I did with my daughter but my son seems like he’s ready to have abit of something more that is why I tried the rice with him but if I could give him puréed broccoli that would be better? Untill he’s 6 months? I think the health visitor said either one fruit or one veg to start off with? But I got confused as there is different information what you are suppose to give online too

I would probably stick to purée veg or porridge over baby rice. I’ve always heard bad things about baby rice but never really investigated why!! I always wait till 6 m and did BLW but you know your baby best. My sister weaned around 5 months as he was very ready in her opinion. She gave very smooth thin blended veg just a couple of spoons. She froze in ice cubes so didn’t have to make it fresh each time. X

Everyone is giving you a hard time here, while most countries they start solid at 4 months (for example US and most European countries)

I never did rice, I started with pureed fruit and veggetables. Maybe you can add some to the baby rice?
I would also suggest freezing them, as it is a lot of work!

Other countries have different advice on age, so I don't think 5 months is a huge problem, although I waited until 6 months.

But I've never really seen the point in baby rice. If you're keen to start, I'd do some veg purée or something. Maybe some banana porridge (if you put the oats through a food processor the porridge will be really smooth, and then you can make the porridge with expressed milk or formula, and add some mashed banana).

You shouldn't start weaning until the baby can sit up by themselves confidently... https://solidstarts.com/readiness/ agree with PP baby rice doesn't have any nutrition in it, real porridge is brilliant or veg. You could follow a plan if you're not sure where to start, we followed Charlotte Sterling Reed's book or my friend used the Ella's kitchen planner https://www.ellaskitchen.co.uk/helpful-stuff/weaning-planner-week-1

We were advised to wean our first early (cmpa, severe reflux) and it didn't go well. He's 5 now and still have calorie fortified milk at night. Our second had no such issues but self weaned at 5 months with a successful lunge at my pain au chocolate one day - I'd been keeping my food out of her reach for weeks as she'd been desperate for it, and I was determined to do it by the book this time!

No baby rice. Porridge is good, over cooked brocoli, bananas, etc. I like baby led weaning in theory, but in practice, and if you really can't wait until 6 months, veg purees.

With regards to the porridge I would prefer to do the oats but I don’t have blender yet I will have to get one in the mean time is like the kendamil porridges ok? Or are they still the same as the baby rice a no go?

You don't need a blender. Just heat up oats in milk like you would for yourself.

The baby rice and solid food in general is less nutritious than his milk so just give him more milk if he’s still hungry. We started weaning at 6 months mostly with veges (both purée and finger food) and used Charlotte Stirling Reads book for inspiration.

@Blessedbethefruitz yeah it doesn’t have to be 6 months on the dot all
Babies are different some can be ready at 5 months some can be ready just after 6 months. I know my baby is ready at 5 (1/2 months) because he is intently watching me eat and drink and making the yummy sounds opening his mouth, his neck is strong and can move around unaided, he can sit up with minimal support waiting a couple weeks or more I can’t see I difference on that I asked the health visitor at the time about weaning and she said it is all on how baby is you don’t have to wait 6 months on the dot

I weaned at around 5.5m (reflux but also baby was ready. I started off with broccoli- I cooked till very soft and then mashed with the back of a fork so it wasn’t totally smooth as I didn’t want issues with lumps done the road and I also offered him a large soft cooked floret. I done this with a variety of veg for a few weeks offering both mashed and whole then I moved on to more meal types and then eventually just gave him what we eat. He's a great eater now at 18m (but I know this could all change!)

We started with Ready Brek and that seemed to go down well, though I don't believe baby rice is as awful as MN would have you believe. It provides carbohydrates, and other nutrients come from the milk you make it up with.

No, any solid food personally I would not recommend to babies below 6 months. Please wait till your baby completes 6 months up to start basic solid foods.

In case if your pediatrician had approved to start solid foods to your baby then you can start with simple single ingredients like the rice, barley, oats, banana puree, Apple puree, Watermelon puree, muskmelon puree, carrot puree, beetroot puree etc

Refer to My Little Moppet blog or their instagram page as I had started solids and weaned my baby with their guide.

Your baby doesn't know it's gut isn't ready for food until 6 months. NHS guidelines tell you 6 months. Why do you think you know better?
Genuine question...

Definitely don't wean until 00:01 am on the day your baby turns 6 months Op, it's extremely dangerous!!
But to answer your question, I did blended veggies and fruits to start with, also a little before 6 months.

@Daffodilsarentfluffy the health visitor who is from the nhs says that it can be before 6 months so for example 5 and half months is fine. I didn’t say I know better but from what I was told by the health visitor you know your baby best so if they seem ready at 5 and half months for some purée broccoli for example what’s so harmful about that 2 weeks isn’t going to make a difference

Just make sure they are hitting all the other signs for being ready

• They can stay in a sitting position and hold their head steady.
• They can co-ordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at the food, pick it up and put it in their mouth, all by themselves.
• The baby can swallow food.

Puree only before 6 months, not BLW.