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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

"It's not weaning, just giving him a bit of baby rice to help him sleep better"

9 replies

claireybee · 15/05/2008 14:31

This is what one mother at toddler group said to me today.

Several of the mums have been telling me to give ds baby rice or rusk at bedtime for motnhs now to get him to sleep through. Until now I had resisted telling them exactly why I was ignoring them (they all gave solids at 6 weeks old so I didn't want to seem to be telling them that they had damaged their children iyswim) but today I cracked and went into some of the dangers of early weaning. They all looked stunned for a minute then one mum said

"It's not weaning, just giving him a bit of baby rice to help him sleep better" and another said

"Yeah, you don't have to wean him yet if you don't want to but just give him some solids at bedtime so he doesn't wake up hungry in the night. A bit of rusk or baby rice won't do any harm"

WHAT?!?! HOW is that not considered weaning?? Could this be why we still hear so many stories of babies having baby rice in bottles etc, people don't think that they are going against the weaning guidelines. Do people really not consider this to be weaning?

(I suspect that mumsnet may not be the right place to ask this as people seem pretty clued up on here)

OP posts:

fiodyl · 15/05/2008 14:36

but also I think I can see why they think that. Baby rice is kinda powdery much like formula is and they probably see it more like a hungry baby/night time formula IKWIM

thebecster · 15/05/2008 14:39

My mum kept suggesting that and kept telling me that '[name of mutual friend] says it's fine, and you know she's a health visitor, and really knows her stuff'. (Which she clearly didn't or wouldn't be saying it's fine). Then she'd follow up with 'And I weaned you early and it hasn't done you any harm'. In the end she went on about it so much I had to say 'Well there are a few risks of early weaning. Coeliac disease, which I have. Allergies, which I have. Food intolerances, which I have. I might have had them all even if I hadn't been weaned early, but I don't want to take that risk with DS.' I felt awful as it did hurt her feelings, but she finally shut up about it and let me do it my way. But yes, I did hear that from lots of supposedly educated people, including health 'professionals'. But not on MN!

StealthPolarBear · 15/05/2008 14:40

six weeks???????????????????
ds hadn't opened his eyes by then I don't think, never mind be ready for food!

Original poster

claireybee · 15/05/2008 17:51

It's kind of scary if people don't realise that what they are doing is weaning-I wonder how many people out there are giving baby rice from a young age but saying they weaned at 6 months?

OP posts:

LuckySalem · 15/05/2008 17:54

I don't bother with babyrice etc, DD has a bottle of hungry baby milk at night and therefore sleeps through. I'm sure she's ready to eat but still hasn't lost the reflex of pushing her tongue (and anything in front of it) out yet so will wait.

Even I'm not stupid enough to think it's not weaning or that 6 weeks is a good time to try babyrice!!

Original poster

claireybee · 15/05/2008 18:10

How old is your dd Lucky? (looks very cute in the pictures!)

OP posts:

Pheebe · 15/05/2008 21:14

Don't the hungry baby formulas have potato starch in them?

Had either of my babies been that hungry and had I not been able to give sufficient milk because of a sheer volume issue I think I'd have given baby rice + milk too rather than hungry baby formula.

There's alot of received wisdom about giving baby rice with milk early and it IS very different from weaning. The difference being when you're weaning you aim to give a range of foods which a babies gut simply isn't capable of handling before 4-6 months. Rusks - no way, wouldn't even give them now - evil sugar laden things!

Having said that giving babies small amounts of baby rice before bed is very unlikely to help them sleep through. Its a learnt skill that comes with time partly as they get used to the fluctuations in blood sugar. In the womb they had a constant supply don't forget. For most babes sleeping through will come when they're ready, all you can do is create the right environment, be consistent about bedtime and night time routines and support them as they adjust to life outside the womb. IMO anyway

chloemegjess · 16/05/2008 12:28

I just ignore people who give that sort of advie. Most of them will still say the same thing even after you say all that.

Pheebe - not saying rusks are good, but you do get sugar free ones nowadays.

Didn't know that about the hungry baby formula containing potatoe starch! Surely that cant be good for babies? I think the formula says suitable from birth? I am no expert though as I BF. lol

Seona1973 · 16/05/2008 12:54

hungry milk does not have potato starch in it - it is just more casein dominant compared to the first milk that is more whey dominant. To confuse matters a couple of the manufacturers have made milks that are for 'bedtime' and they have added ingredients that are supposed to help with getting your lo to sleep - they are follow on milks though and only suitable from 6 months. There is nowt wrong with giving hungry milk and I would much rather give that than add in baby rice far too early.

p.s. There is also no such thing as a sugar free rusk - some are marketed as sugar free but are sweetened with concentrated fruit juice instead and have just as much sugar in as the ordinary ones.

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