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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

Chocolate as a first food

49 replies

CorrieDale · 20/12/2005 21:24

No, this is not a joke thread!

We're going to start DS on solids on Friday, when he'll be 26 weeks. My mum has already recommended chocolate mousse as a first food and today, my sister was talking happily about chocolate pudding as a follow-up to DS's carrots.

I really do not want DS to encounter chocolate at the tender age of 6 months, mostly because I suspect that once he's tried it, he'll find it difficult to summon up much enthusiasm for carrot sticks! And I'm sure it isn't recommended until 1 year. There are going to be family battles about this (which I am obviously going to win but I would like as much ammo as possible) and I wondered if anybody knew the official line on chocolate for babies - or even of any research that will back me up!

OP posts:
kama · 20/12/2005 21:26

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NotQuiteCockney · 20/12/2005 21:27

I don't know of any research. I do know that it's generally recommended to stick to reasonably savoury flavours to start with, as we all have a built-in sweet tooth (breast milk is quite sweet). Babies need to learn to like savoury flavours, they don't need to learn to like chocolate, nearly everyone likes chocolate without needing to learn to like it.

ItllBeLonelymumThisChristmas · 20/12/2005 21:27

No not as a first food - for the reason you give as much as anything else.

But you don't have to wait until they are a year old either. I rmember ds1 having a chocolate pudding at about 6 months (he had his first solids at 3 months though - long time ago!) and, bellieve it or not, it was one of only 2 foods he refused to eat on first encountering it!

NotQuiteCockney · 20/12/2005 21:27

Has your family been annoyed about you waiting this long, and they're trying to wind you up now?

WigWamBam · 20/12/2005 21:28

You need to keep your mother and your sister as far away from your child as possible - if what you say is true then they are barmy. Keep him off the chocolate for as long as you can, even if only because once he has a taste for it you'll never be able to take it away again.

chickyboo · 20/12/2005 21:30

Welcome to my world!!!

NotQuiteCockney · 20/12/2005 21:30

For balance, I should point out ... a close friend of mine, who is a BFC, waited until 6 months before weaning her last two kids. But then, she just gave them whatever she was eating. Sweets, a taste of champagne, whatever. Her youngest is a bit difficult about food, but her second-youngest is really really easy to feed.

That being said a) it's the parents' choice what to feed a baby, not the grandparents', aunt's, whatever. b) this is not how I do things.

brusselsbeansprout · 20/12/2005 21:38

No baby needs chocolate ffs. Next question?

MrsSpoon · 20/12/2005 21:40

With my two I wanted to get the taste of 'real' foods established first. Although not against chocolate at all, they both had a little chocolate whilst small, DS1 was probably over a year but DS2 was only 7 months.

FWIW I caught my Mum (usually fairly sensible about these things, don't really know what got into her that day) letting DS2 lick red wine off her finger before he was even weaned, I went mental.

MrsSpoon · 20/12/2005 21:43

Actually remember being horrified when DS2 aged 7 months started screaming and lunging at me from the pram when I was having a sly bar of Dairy Milk, he had never had chocolate before and was not going to pipe down until he did.

fruitful · 20/12/2005 21:51

I'm sure my breastmilk was at least 50% chocolate.

Chocolate jar food anyone?

suzi2 · 20/12/2005 21:55

No nowt about weaning but... does chocolate not have caffiene in it? Not ideal I wouldn't think.

suzi2 · 20/12/2005 21:55

Please excuse my mummy brain. I KNOW not 'no'. I'm ashamed...

ISawFrannyandZooeyKissingSanta · 20/12/2005 21:56

Well, chocolate contains sugar, cow's milk and caffeine, none of which are recommended for babies' first foods. Good luck - I think you may need it (and I thought my mum was barmy)

hativity · 20/12/2005 22:00

ammo: you need to introduce foods one at a time in order to detact allergies or disagreements - chocolate is a processed food with several ingredients, chocolate mousse is a double processed food with lord alone knows how many ingredients. You cannot possibly introduce such complex foods until you have introduced all manner of basic single ingredients leaving a 3 day gap so you can detect reactions. This will take, ooo, at least a year...

snowleopard · 20/12/2005 22:06

May I dissent a little here. There is nothing much wrong with a tiny amount of chocolate itself, ie the cocoa element. It's just one of many flavours in the world. I have heard that chocolate containing caffeine is an urban myth - a quick google search of scientific sources suggests either it doesn't contain any, or it's a tiny amount (less than in decaffeinated coffee). People get up in arms about chocolate, the product, because it's full of sugar, fat etc. - that's not cocoa's fault. I wouldn't give my 6-m-o sugar-filled puddings all the time but I'd let him taste a bit in the interests of variety. I'd let him lick a bit of chocolate I was eating, for example, once I'd checked the ingredients for artificial gubbins etc.

Anyway didn't I read that having loads of chocolate while pregnant (I did) makes for a contented baby (I have one)? So why not let them have some after birth?

Twiglett · 20/12/2005 22:08

they are being stupid

tuppenceworth · 20/12/2005 22:21

Do your family like you??

kama · 20/12/2005 22:39

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tamba · 20/12/2005 22:41

My ds's used to have choccie pudding from a jar from about 6 months - shoot me now! And also choccie buttons.

snowleopard · 20/12/2005 22:52

Well, my DS can have some Hipp organic chocolate pud too when I get round to it - it's in the cupboard I give him a range of different stuff including loads of home-made fruit and veg, and some organic jars. In that context I think choc is OK.

"Wean a baby on it" sounds like that's all they're getting - but it's important to get the baby used to lots of tastes (making sure of course to introduce gradually, watch out for allergies etc.).

Christie · 20/12/2005 23:03

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thecattleareALOHing · 20/12/2005 23:07

One of ds's first ever foods was chocolate muffin...

I'm not actually recommending this btw.

santaslittleunicorn · 20/12/2005 23:10

wouldn't be surprised if my mum gave me a spoonful of golden syrup tbqh!

There is no way she would have gone thro the SAINT Annable Karmel school of weaning!

I'm still alive though.

followthestarlover · 20/12/2005 23:14

ds had chocolate at 6 months! just a little taste.
he loves it, but he also loves everything else i give him (have yet to find something he won't eat)

he is 10 months old now and occasionally gets a treat (usually on a sunday when we're at my mums!)

i believe in everything in moderation. we don't "ban" any foods

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