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Weaning

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

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Original poster

can you please tell me why its a bad idea to add baby rice to a bottle

46 replies

oranges · 27/10/2006 22:05

I know its not recommended and i have not done it, but ds's 2-day-a-week nanny keeps insisting he will starve unless I add baby rice to his bottle. I keep refusing, but just want to throw some facts at her to make her shut up.

OP posts:

nearlythree · 27/10/2006 22:27

I was told that baby rice virtually dissolves. Horrible stuff, gave my dd1 shocking wind pain, in the end I made my own (which you could definitely not put in a bottle!)

lulumama · 27/10/2006 22:28

i actually think if you are not happy with her doing so...the reasons why it is bad for the baby are irrelevant. He is your baby, weighs a decent amount, is happy & settled , started..why the neccesity in her mind to do this.

if you have told her not to do something you fear could harm your child, that is reason enough.

apart from the choking risk, the risk of obesity, and the fact it is not necessary...

Original poster

oranges · 27/10/2006 22:28

thank you moondog - I have been giving him pear, and pumpkin and carrot and broccoli, which he loves, and she made me feel crap for not giving him more rice. oh god, listen to myself! why am i putting up with this from her?? need to be a bit clearer and firmer, I think. i think its because he still does not sleep through, and all her kids did, so she feels i'm doing something wrong.its got to the stage i dread her coming and wonder if I should just try to work and look after ds at the same time. its easier than feeling tense about his food, which is a source of joy to us both the rest of the time. Phew, rant over

OP posts:

lulumama · 27/10/2006 22:29

mesnt to say..started weaning...

lucy5 · 27/10/2006 22:30

Perhaps you should tell her who's boss.

buktus · 27/10/2006 22:31

pear, pumpkin, carrot and brocoli are much better than baby rice anyway, i always thought that was just for the very start of weaning just until they got use to taking food off a sponn, if hes eating all those other things that good enough with her forcing the wallpaper paste issue

nearlythree · 27/10/2006 22:41

My ds usually sleeps through and he's not weaning yet. Neither of my dds slept through until they were two. Each baby is different.

Original poster

oranges · 27/10/2006 22:48

thanks all. i think i was getting muddled. must print out this thread and read it before she comes next!

OP posts:

mears · 27/10/2006 22:50

Oranges - there is practically no calorific value to baby ricae at all. Whatage is your baby? If he is 6 months or over he does not need to have baby rice at all - it is wallpaper paste!

Rice should not be added to bottles because it thickens the milk and makes the baby have tosuck extra hard to get it. It it needs to be given, it should be given off a spoon because it is a solid food. Only milk should be given out of his bottle.

LadyOfTheFlowers · 27/10/2006 22:52

it does nothing for the baby and wont come out of the teat?!
(reply to title)

zephyrHellcat · 27/10/2006 22:55

Oranges I would pretty much echo what everyone else has said on here. Your ds sounds like he's doing just fine as he is... My dd2 is 6 months and is having lots of mashed up veg too - some days a few spoonfulls, some days none. Sometimes she sleeps, sometimes she doesn't - I just try to remember that she is only 6 months old and routine will come in time.

I think your nanny is being very unfair to you. Helpful or friendly advice is brill but to make you feel uncomfortable about your own instincts and choices for your own child is overstepping the mark... sounds like you'll have to make your feelings very clear to her (I know that sometimes that's easier said than done but if it make syou feel better about your ds then it's worth it)

Original poster

oranges · 27/10/2006 22:55

is there really no value on it? even if mixed with steamed vegetables?

OP posts:

nearlythree · 27/10/2006 23:02

Like I said, I was told it turns to water. I made my own by boiling white rice until soft and then putting it through a mouli, after a while I just mashed it. Mix it with boiled veggies, then when ds is ready you can add cheese or meat/fish to make a 'risotto' or mix it with fruit and milk or fromage frais to make 'rice pudding'. It is scrummy!

zephyrHellcat · 27/10/2006 23:03

I'd say no. He'll be getting everything he needs from veg and his milk.

Meant to say earlier as well, if he is having bottles of formula milk, adding baby rice to it will seriously upset the balance and prob make him poorly.

lulumama · 27/10/2006 23:08

have you ever tried it oranges.....it;s vile!!!! as a base for veg/fruit etc...ok..but not as a taste...it would put me off eating !!

Chandra · 27/10/2006 23:16

Oranges, rice is a carbohidrate, it may be lacking in vitamins but is a good source of energy so it's not an evil food or something of the sort. Now, there is no need to add it to the bottle.

I'm sorry , I don't condone it's use, promote it or accept the it's suitability but I'm amazed at the pasionate opinions people can have about baby rice

moondog · 27/10/2006 23:17

Nowt wrong with rice Chandra,you are right,but at this stage it is of little ntritional value to the baby.

Chandra · 27/10/2006 23:19

I though I had siad that there was no need to add it to the bottle...

Skribble · 27/10/2006 23:34

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

terramum · 28/10/2006 00:09

Adding rice to a bottle is dangerous for a few reasons:
(1) It is a choking hazard.
(2) The cereal takes away from the amount of milk in the bottle (adds carbohydrates and dilutes the nutrient density), and baby may not get adequate milk volume for proper growth and development.
(3) Baby is being given a higher concentration of calories without being able to regulate her own intake. This can lead to weight problems in the future.

These links have some info about these issues:

Cereral in a bottle

Baby bottles & Cereal

Adding Rice to formula

Original poster

oranges · 28/10/2006 12:25

thank you all. its a lot clearer in my mind now at least.

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