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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

12 weeks want to try baby rice

46 replies

chilipeppers · 29/09/2011 20:30

My little girl is 12 weeks she has a reflux so i can't give more then 5oz of milk every 4 hours. This is fine in the day but i feel if i could fill her up at bedtime she might sleep better or even please god through the night! I'm thinking about trying a little baby rice at her last feed to see if that helps. What do we think about that,to young?

OP posts:
onepieceofcremeegg · 29/09/2011 20:33

Much too young.

Also baby rice has less calories and is less filling than milk so you will achieve the opposite. i.e. even if you do manage to "fill her up" with rice at bedtime, without causing tummy ache or constipation or other health problems, she won't be as full as she would have been if you gave her the milk.

Could she have 5 oz of milk more frequently? 4 hours is a very long time between feeds although I bf so I'm not familiary with ff quantities.

RitaMorgan · 29/09/2011 20:34

Well, weaning before 17 weeks at the absolute earliest presents health risks to your DD - do you really want to risk it for the sake of some sleep now? You could give her lifelong digestive problems.

Maybe speak to your GP before you do anything.

BlueKangaroo22 · 29/09/2011 20:35

mines 12 weeks on sunday, gave her a small amount of baby rice (and i mean small, ten tiny spoonfuls) and she is fine, hasnt caused any ill effects and ive got a sicky baby too, if you think its whats best then do it.

(Although, the reaction ive recieved from my mom you'd think id fed her boiling battery acid, and she was the one who told me advice back when i was a baby was wean at 12 weeks!)

ShowOfHands · 29/09/2011 20:35

Extremely bad idea. Early weaning should only ever be done under medical advice and 12 weeks is really very early indeed. A baby's gut is not able to cope with solids at that age.

A 12 week old will wake up in the night. It's nothing to do with calories consumed usually.

Would you like help with her sleep? How bad is it? What have you tried?

thisisyesterday · 29/09/2011 20:37

bluekangaroo... unfortunately the bad effects of early weaning often do not show until later.

at 12 weeks your baby won't be sleeping through... she's only been alive 3 months! it's just way, way. way too early for food.

op, you could maybe try smaller quantities at more frequent intervals? that might help get more milk into her if you think she needs it.
but honestly, it's really very normal for a tiny baby like that to still be waking at night, it's just what they do!

RitaMorgan · 29/09/2011 20:41

Why would you think it is best when the scientific research says otherwise, and the NHS recommend 6 months as ideal? What possible benefit is there in risking your baby's health like that? I really don't understand.

BlueKangaroo22 · 29/09/2011 20:41

MIL wanted to dunk her dummy in milkybar yoghurt! Baby rice is very tame in comparison!

Alibabaandthe80nappies · 29/09/2011 20:41

12 weeks is far too early for food, and of course she won't be sleeping through.

Can you demand feed rather than trying to get so much into her in one go? Or at least feed every 2-3 hours rather than every 4?

GilbonzoTheSecretPsychoDuck · 29/09/2011 20:41

I went to my gp when ds was 12 weeks because he was breast feeding for 50 minutes, then taking 5oz of formula and then needing to be fed for 50 mins again 2 hours later. All day, every day. I was exhausted. He advised me to try 2 teaspoons of baby rice in the evening, leave it for 2 days to check he was digesting it without problems and then try again. It worked well for ds but I would never do it without a doctor's advice. When I had dd she was fine to wait until she was 5 months before I added anything to breast milk.

Please go to your gp and ask for advice before you carry on.

onepieceofcremeegg · 29/09/2011 20:42

BlueKangaroo may I just clarify do you have twins?

I only ask because you mention in the same sentence that you gave baby rice at 10 weeks and the baby is "fine" but then you say you have a "sicky baby too"

Is this the same baby? If so which is she - "fine" or "sicky"? Confused

Alibabaandthe80nappies · 29/09/2011 20:42

Blue - what Rita said. Do you not think that these people know what they're talking about?

Sidge · 29/09/2011 20:42

She'd be better off having smaller feeds more often, or having infant Gavison if she has reflux. If you try and get her sleeping all night without feeding, and she's only feeding every 4 hours, then you risk her only having say 15-20 ounces of milk in 24 hrs which is unlikely to be enough.

And sleeping through is mostly developmental and physiological, it's rarely something you can 'make' young babies do.

Baby rice ain't the way to go Smile

RitaMorgan · 29/09/2011 20:43

BlueKangaroo, do you have a health visitor you could see for some advice?

Original poster
chilipeppers · 29/09/2011 20:44

I know lot's of people that have weaned around 12 weeks with no problems. My paediatician said I can't give her more milk then 5oz every 4 hours because of her reflux she also said weaning a baby with early that has refiux can help to keep the food down. I did think it was a bit early though. My GP is useless so is my hv!

OP posts:
RitaMorgan · 29/09/2011 20:46

A lots of babies weaned early have had problems, as research has demonstrated! This is why guidelines have been 4-6 months since at least the early 90s.

If you want to take that gamble with your baby's health, it's up to you.

onepieceofcremeegg · 29/09/2011 20:48

If a paediatrician is giving you advice, and your baby has a specific health problem, perhaps you should listen to your paediatrician rather than a load of people on the internet?

I'm confused as in your initial post your clearly stated "I'm thinking about trying a little baby rice at her last feed to see if that helps. What do we think about that,to young?"

You didn't even hint in your op at the baby rice option being on the advice of a paediatrician.

As there is a specialist involved in your daughter's care, then in your position I would make an urgent appointment to discuss these issues further.

thisisyesterday · 29/09/2011 20:48

but you can't possibly tell if there will be any of the long-term problems that we KNOW are associated with early weaning.

i'm sorry but no HCP ought to be recommending weaning earlier than 17 weeks, and that is absolute earliest.

I am really quite Shock that any would to be quite honest with you.

if you have read up on it, and by that I mean properly reading up on the studies that led to these guidelines being introduced and you STILL want to wean really early then no-one can stop you. But you are not making an informed decision and it is your child's health you are playing with just because you want her to sleep longer.

thisisyesterday · 29/09/2011 20:49

to clarify, when your paediatrician said that weaning early can help keep milk down did she say now? did she say at 12 weeks?
did she offer any other alternatives such as medications or stay-down milks?

thisisyesterday · 29/09/2011 20:50

I also think it's bizarre that a paed would have advised only giving 5oz of milk every 4 hours.

perhaps you should get a second opinion?

onepieceofcremeegg · 29/09/2011 20:50

I was about to come back and ask that too thisisyesterday.

ShowOfHands · 29/09/2011 20:51

Guidelines have been 6 months since 2003 and 4-6 months for 20 years before that, so early 80s in fact.

chilipeppers, with arguments like 'I know lots that have done it at 12wks with no problems' is that you could also say 'every day I step into traffic without looking and so far I'm fine'. The two are not related. Both scenarios involve a known and foolish risk and you might come out of either unscathed, but it doesn't mean it's recommended. And you only need one anecdote to undo the argument. My niece? Weaned at 12 weeks. Her gut will NEVER recover. It made her exceedingly poorly. It is NOT worth it.

AppleAndBlackberry · 29/09/2011 20:51

Baby rice in the bottle is a choking risk. Don't they mean 17 weeks when they say 'early' (i.e. earlier than the currently recommended 26 weeks)?

pettyprudence · 29/09/2011 20:52

12 weeks is way too early. I also have a reflux baby (but ebf) and I weaned him early at 20 weeks on advice of hv and doctor and it has made very little difference to the reflux - I now get covered in orange vomit instead of easy-to-hide-white-milk. It has also made no difference to sleep (but I wasn't expecting it too, was just clinging on to the idea of not being covered in sick).

The reflux became easier to deal with as my ds gained good head control - I now wind him over laminate/stone/wood flooring and clean that up instead of a trail of vom down my back Grin

RitaMorgan · 29/09/2011 20:53

By weaning "early", normally we're talking earlier than 26 weeks. Not before 17 weeks.

PootlePosyPerkin · 29/09/2011 20:59

It's not exactly answering the OP's question (well not at all, sorry about that), but as a mum of a 14 year old & a newborn I was wondering if anyone can tell me why the advice on weaning has changed so much now?

When DS1 was a baby, baby rice was considered OK from 3 months/12 weeks. Now, it's no sooner than 6 months/26 weeks. What's changed? Confused

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