Why are the bread/dairy rules different in Belgium?? Please tell me I can ignore them!

[euromum]

My health visitor here (in Belgium) told me no bread at all till 8 months and no dairy products at all until a year. Maybe I lack imagination but after about 2 weeks I am a bit frustrated by just putting veg and the odd bit of meat in front of ds (6 months) - surely she needs a more varied diet? She seems keen to try anything and as far as I can tell is getting the hang of eating things well. We have no history of allergies anywhere in the family so aren't these rules/guidelines a bit too cautious? I would really love to start giving her cheese, yoghurt and toast.

Yoghurt should be ok - there are special baby yoghurt Müller Little Stars (my sister gives those to her 6 month old - cartons say from 4 months). Not sure on bread. Well I have the opposite advice - here, I was told to start weaning at 4 months!!! My baby wasnt ready, but I was pushed from Motherinlaw and doctor. It seems that where I am in Eastern Germany they are very relaxed.

The normal yoghurt baby food jars here from Hipp, say from 7 months though.

Not sure what other tipps the ladies on here can give you.

Seems odd advice to me. Presumably all the babies in Belgium are not breastfed until a year, and the ones that aren't have formula? That's a dairy product!

There is evidence that wheat/gluten allergy is more likely in babies who have wheat products before 6 mths, so maybe that's where the 8 mths thing comes from.

Your baby doesn't need variety in his diet at 6 mths, though - but cheese, yog and toast will be fine!

Ask your HV about the formula/dairy thing