Can my 4m old have Weetabix?

[BooBearBoo]

Our 4m old is doing great with weaning although he started getting a lot of stomach pains/wind.

(As a side note before anyone comments re early weaning - he is a big fella - almost 18lbs and in 6-9m clothes. He can sit up (supported) he can stand up from a sitting position (with me holding his hands) and can also give himself his beaker of water completely on his own). He also have reflux so doc recommended trying a bit of solids at 4m to help).

I posted in children's health and it was recommended to cut back on the foods and re-introduce slowly to see if any were a particular problem.

It seems like the prob might have been the porridge he was having for breakfast. I was wondering if warm weetabix with formula milk might be a good alternative?? Or any other suggestions welcome!!

Not supposed to have gluten before 6 months. Maybe his digestive system isn't ready yet?

The porridge was the gluten-free type. It just didn't agree with him. Not sure why :S

Or do you mean weetabix has gluten in it?

No matter what your reasons for weaning: from memory no dairy, wheat, gluten or meat before six months. Which I think just about leaves you fruit and veg, which aren't going to fill him up or provide him with the calories he needs.

I'm not going to bang on, but please look at your first sentance. If he is getting pain then it's not going well.

Weetabix v salty IIRC

Weetabix has gluten - sorry bfing and typing!

With such a young baby I'd stick to baby rice, root veg, fruit (not citrus/strawberry/kiwi though).

if it is giving him wind/pain then he isn't ready for it. that is your big hint. he wont hold up a big flashing sign to tell you it's too early. his body will tell you and it sounds like it is.

Okie dokes thanks for replies.

BooBearBoo please do not feel you have to justify your reasons for weaning. I know exactly what you are going through as all 4 of my children were weaned early - 1 because he was little and wasn't a big milk drinker so needed something more as he wasn't gaining weight and the other 3 because of severe reflux meaning they couldn't drink too much milk without bringing it all back up again and so also needed something else.

Anyway - back to you BooBearBoo. Don't assume that it's the weaning per se that is causing the wind/pain, as some people seem to want you to think - it is more likely that it is one specific thing. Interesting that you mentioned the baby porridge - check the ingredients but it is pretty likely (in fact I'd say almost definitely) that it contains skimmed milk powder. Although dairy is not recommended before 6 months the vast majority (if not all) these cereals contain milk powder, even the ones that say they can be used from 4 months. If your son already has reflux, then it it quite possible that it is the dairy that is making him sore - this is a very common side-effect. (I'm not saying it is - but it is a possibility)

As a general rule - the things to steer clear of before 6 months are wheat/gluten (so that includes breads, weetabix, biscuits, pasta etc...), dairy (not just things like cheese and yoghurts but also look for hidden dairy - like in the baby cereals) protein (cheese again, and also meat & fish etc...) and eggs.

My kids started on fruit & veg. We never did baby rice because neither of the first 2 would touch the stuff and I didn't bother even trying with the other 2. We then had rice cakes (put it in his hand if he is bringing things to his mouth, otherwise break it into tiny bits and put them in his mouth) and rice mixed in with veg to bulk it up a bit. Once they were tolerating small bits/lumps. For breakfast, as all of mine were on 3 meals a day before 6 months and the 3 girls at any rate couldn't have baby cereals because of their dairy intolerances, we use oatabix mixed with their own formula milk. It goes gloopier than weetabix so isn't all that pleasant to feed, but it's absolutely fine before 6 months. You could also try rice krispies mushed down with milk. Stick with those 2 cereals for now for breakfast, and then just use fruits and veg otherwise.

Hope that's helpful.

2plus2more thank you so much for that extremely helpful post :)

Oatibix is quite salty too, although I shouldn't think he'll eat too much at that age. Just check the packet to keep an eye on it.

Oats don't contain gluten but may be contaminated by gluten when they are processed in factories that also handle wheat, rye etc, so that might be something to consider.

From NHS Birth to Five:

"If you do give your baby solids before six months, there are some foods that you should avoid until they're six months old. This is because these foods can sometimes trigger the development of a food allergy. These include:

* foods made with wheat and other foods containing gluten (for example, bread, rusks and some breakfast cereals),
* eggs,
* fish,
* shellfish,
* nuts,
* seeds, and
* soft and unpasteurised cheeses. "

Check that your baby porridge doesn't have gluten it in. It probably does. The one I used did, even though it says 'suitable from 4 months'. Though it has to be said that the jury is still out on whether early/late introduction of gluten is a good thing.
I'd just stick to fruit and veg. The amount that my ds consumed was certainly enough to fill him up.

I weaned early and from 4 months to 6 months dd had fruit and veg purees, baby rice and baby porridge (gluten free version).
On the fruit/veg front banana mashed with formula, sweet potato, normal potato and avocado are good for helping fill them up as rich in calories.
We did baby cereal for brekkie and then lunch or tea of fruit/veg (depending on where we were in the day!). Started on 3 meals from about 5 months.
At 25 weeks I did gluten and dairy and at 26 weeks meat and fish.

If your baby has reflux then the acid in fruit can also cause problems. And, I didn't understand why, but someone told me bananas can also cause problems.