live abroad, they don't have baby rice, what's a good substitute? oatmeal?

[Gemmitygem]

I'm living in Central Asia, DS is 4 months, not going to start weaning till 6 months but need to sort out well in advance in case need to get stuff posted, but they don't seem to have baby rice or baby cereals here: can you use ordinary cereals? I would have thought totally plain oatmeal cooked in water would be OK but really haven't a clue. Fruit and veg is great so no probs there...

any tips appreciated

just rice mushed up?

If you're starting at 6 months you can skip baby rice altogether. It does taste of wallpaper paste after all.

I imagine oats would be fine - I used ready brek for both ds and dd at 6 months - it's just finely milled oats AFAIK. Weetabix also absolutely fine as nothing extra added in either - get both shipped over in large crates

Good luck!

Baby rice is just rice flour I think?

Baby rice is vile (ds spat it at me and I don't blame him) skip it.....

thanks, but you cook the oats, right? in water I spose? we've got one of those babycook things...

you can cook oats in water or milk.

you can give boiled rice as a 'finger' food too. even cook it up with some grated carrot, peas, the wee bits off broccoli florets. etc.

Babycook thing?

Make your own baby rice by cooking until soft and then putting it through a mouli. Then you can just mash it once ds is ready for lumps. (My ds is so lazy he won't touch finger food!)

What sort of things do the locals feed their babies on?

Rice is nutritionally useless, but OTOH is virtually non-allergenic which is why it's so popular as a weaning food here for c age 3 months (ie when they shouldn't really have solids anyway)

Most fruit and veg (skipping eg strawberries) will be fine to start on at 6 months. Cereal isn't necessary at all, but does fill them more than fruit.

Have just looked at terramum's link, that looks like an excellent guide

Mashed potato would probably be a good alternative to grain products - they are all carbohydrates.

If you can get sweet potato, it is an excellent first food.

Gemmy,weaned my baby in Eastern Turkey on lavash (you know it?) and smetana.
Hey,by the way.my dh is off to Tajikistan for 9 mths in a week..Do you know it????

babycook is this great thing we got in Belgium which steams the veg for the baby and then mashes it for you in the steam, thus saving the vits. good cos you just shove the veg in and it does the rest...

don't know what locals feed kids on, will ask the nanny, Vera. In the former soviet union a lot of mothers fed till the kid was almost 2, don't know why but maybe more time off work, or cos not much baby foods or milk available.

moondog, Tajikistan is fascinating, lovely people, it's not 'Soviet' at all, people don't have that grim face in shops etc, beautiful mountains, it's kind of harshly exotic, very poor indeed (but they still have the same rates of infant/maternal mortality as their much richer neighbour Kazakhstan). I would say be extremely careful where you eat in Dushanbe, the turkish cafe and indian restaurant on the main street are definitely ok. and don't let water go in your mouth even when taking a shower, because the water is seriously bad. I was very careful when there, and still got a bug. Also, unless you want adventure advise your friend not to travel on Tajik, or as it's popularly known, Tragic Airlines, because it is unsafe and they've crashed loads!

anyway, re weaning, will try your suggestions of rice/oats.. will give him till 6 months anyway... thanks

It's much nicer and easier to just skip mush and blending, and just give finger foods. Much less work, much nicer for baby, much nicer for you. If you look at threads on here about baby-led weaning (wantastic name, I know), you can see lots of details.

Thanks Gemmy.
It is my dh not my friend (although of course we are friendly!)
Lol at Tragic Airlines.
Dh was talking to a guy who flew with them from Moscow with people standing in the aisle the whole way!
I think he will stick to Turkish Air.

Sounds very exciting.

dur, sorry didn't see it was your DH. Nine months, wow, quite a while.. Will you go and visit him? Would be ok for kids as long as they'd had bcg.. It is an interesting place, would have liked to go into the Pamir mountains.. Very nice people. Probably a lot easier travelling for a man there, though...

I never used baby rice! Its disgusting and doesnt taste like real food at all. Stick to your fruit and veg and wean from 6 months on.

I think so. I would love to.
Will have to find time in between work,looking after the kids and doing my MSc.
How long are you in Kazakhstan(?) for?

hmm, this weaning business is so complicated! I mean, looking at a child's diet of a mix of carbohydrates, protein and fruit/veg and working out how to get the baby there..

must be so much easier with second baby..

moondog, will prob be in Kaz for up to another year, me and DH both looking for jobs elsewhere as been here over 3 years, but both happy for now and I"ve just gone back to work.. does your DH work in the aid sector (sorry if too much info request). Not much else going on in Taj..