confused...do I mix baby rice with breastmilk?

[SuperAmoo]

If so should I start expressing milk now in preparation? (she's four months) -sounds like alot of hassle! Bearing in mind my DD is dairy and soya intolerant though.

You can, but it's not compulsary for babies ot have rice - some (quite rightly) refuse to look at it

She doesn't have to have baby rice at all! Try her on carrot or sweet potato if you want to go the purees root, else try Baby-Lead Weaning. I've done both, and BLW is much easier and more fun. Doesn't mean she can't have purees as well, of course.

And yes, you can use ebm to make up baby foods. By all means get pumpin and freezing - far better for her than anything manufactured.

After 6 months, you can mix it with cow's milk and before then, use breast or formula to mix. Mine hated baby rice and I only used it to bulk up purees but nicer mixed with fruit.

It also goes a strange consistency if left to stand. Baby rice is a bit yuk and there have been some concerns about the (naturally occurring) levels of arsenic in it. I used it with #1 and she is OK but chose not to with #2 in the light of the new information. Expressing just to mix with baby rice would be a royal PITA (and, conspiracy theorists gather near ) might just push you into spending ££ on formula. You really don't need it. It has no nutritional value. If you wait till 6 months (probably a good idea if she already has food intolerance issues) then she can move straight on to finger foods.

I gave my DD baby rice on the advice of the NHS weaning guide but I won't bother with any subsequent DCs. PrettyCandles has some good suggestions for first food, pureed (or just cubed) steamed pears are good too. My DD has both finger foods and purees.

You are right that it IS a total PITA to sterilise the breast pump, pump some milk and then mix it with baby rice. I'm not even sure why it's recommended although maybe Ghouls is onto something with the conspiracy theory

oh good - I don't want to give her baby rice anyway - it looks totally gross. Not intending on giving her anything till she's 6 months but struggling a bit as she's 20 lbs already at 18 weeks and she just feeds and feeds and feeds. My poor boobies!

20lbs already! she's a whopper! You're obviously doing a great job feeding her so far hang in there! Have you spoken to your HV about weaning yet?

Perhaps try a bf support group for some moral support. Honestly it is a myth that big babies need solids before 6 months really. It's one of those things that does handly drive you to the formula/baby food jars in the supermarket - so there is money to be made if the myth persists.

The myth sort of makes me angry since it implies that women's boobs have somehow become inadequate in the last 100 years But then maybe I am just a nutty conspiracy theorist

So busy dreaming up my evil-capitalist-baby-food-manufacturer theory that I forgot to say well done for obviously doing a great job feeding yor baby. Their latch can go a bit wonky sometimes. Do you offer both sides at every feed? Could be a growth spurt?

Thanks everyone. I have started to offer both sides at every feed. I think she was having a growth spurt for the past couple of weeks - last night she slept till 5 for the first time in a long while. Hopefully her weight gain will calm down abit!

I'd skip baby rice - no nutritional value at all - decide whether you're going to do puree, BLW or mix puree and finger foods. Well done on growing such a big baby and hope you have more better nights, but if you don't, it's also a bit of a myth that solids/formula aid sleep.

just hand-express into the bowl, is quick and easy...