DD is six months can I put cows milk on her weetabix?

[lolalotta]

Is this allowed or does it need to be boiled first, than cooled? Sorry if this is a silly question!

Yes.

And no you don't have to do anything to it. She can have dairy products but should continue to drink breast milk or formula until 12 months to get vitamins etc.

I used full fat cows milk in cereal/food from 6 months - I used to warm it in the microwave before adding to the weetabix as I found it made a smoother mix.

you give a 6 month old baby weetabix?! you do know they have sugar and salt in them?

God weetabix are fine.

I've given my LO weetabix (or rather, "wheat biscuits"). Given that the only place it DIDN'T end up was her mouth, I was hardly worried about sugar and salt

Most foods have sugar and salt in them. While babies should avoid more than 1g of salt per day, it is fine to give them food which has salt in - less than 0.5g per 100g is fine, more than 1g per 100g, give very sparingly. Sugar is only an issue because it gives babies a sweet tooth, so avoiding too much is good in the long run.

Weetabix for a 6mo is a great breakfast.

each to their own I suppose. I give both my DD's porridge, mini shredded wheat or toast for breakfast. But then I am very mean about any foods with added sugar or salt in them.

I didn't know they had sugar and salt in them, I feel embarrised now for not checking the packet I haven't actually given her any yet... so far she's just had fruits and veggies. Thank you for your replies.

per 2 weetabix biscuits (adult portion) there are 1.7g of sugar and 0.24g of salt. When you break it down into a smaller portion for a baby/child they are not getting much salt/sugar at all.

do you make your own bread grapes? most bread has loads of added stuff in, including sugar and you have to put a bit of salt in bread to make it taste nice

Thanks for this, was just about to ask the same myself. Bought some yesterday to give to DS this morning but wasnt sure on which milk.
I guess he will only have 3/4 of a portion anyway so i agree not much salt or sugar, but then i guess avoiding it totally will also do them more harm.

We used full fat cows milk in food from 6 months. Just couldn't be bothered with expressing.

Cows milk just isn't advised as the babys main drink, which alot of people will do.

As for alternatives to weetabix, we gave ready brek with fruit from 6 months, much less expensive than baby cereals.

choufleur - yes I do usually make my own bread, and no I don't put salt in it. It is much harder to avoid salt in bread than it is in breakfast cereals, things like porridge, ready brek and shredded wheat don't have anything added to them.

Obviously a bit of salt and sugar here and there won't do any harm, but I personally wouldn't give it to such a young baby every day.

yes, weetabix and cows milk both fine.
My DS 14 months likes the choc chip mini weetabix!
I wouldn't have given it to pfb though!

Framey, might be being thick but whats pfb???

'precious first born' - where you do everything by the book.

I was wary about weetabix with pfb daughter when she started eating, but she preferred this to any other cereal. My 9 month old son has had it most weekdays since 6m; there is negligible amount of sugar and salt in the half biscuit he has (not much of a morning eater, my lad. He makes up for it with rest of meals though!). It is also an excellent source of fibre and fortified vitamins/minerals, especially iron. Since my fantastic eating daughter turned into a picky toddler, I am delighted that she will nearly always wolf down a bowl of weetabix or cheerios with plenty of milk. It is entirely normal for even a 6m old baby to ingest some sugar or salt in their diet - like most things it's a balance. Mine have home-cooked meals pretty much all the time with no salt or sugar added, so I figure a nutritious breakfast with a small amount, which is eaten with relish, is better than them refusing to eat a no-sugar/salt cereal. Have relaxed a lot with 2nd child! Even chocolate is a pretty good iron source, so better than "sweets" if they are having a treat.

it's really easy for me, and comforting for them to have this for brekkie on weekdays when I am working. Have fun at weekends (or occasional other days if SAHM) with pancakes, french toast, scrambled egg etc)

The weaning session at my health centre used weetabix as an example of a food you shouldn't give because of high salt. I was going to give dd porridge but then read that you can't give bran and my porridge has bran in it. Then read that wholegrain cereals are out too, so stopped the mini shredded wheat. She's back on mashed banana or pureed fruit at the moment.

Hey Issy42, dont know if you remember me, how you doing!

at our weaning group they gave weetabix as an example TO give as a breakfast but STAY AWAY from redy brek as that was full of salt & Sugar!

Its a minefield.......you are never going to be able to prevent all salt and sugar, you can only do your best so i wouldnt worry too much as long as you arent manually adding salt and sugar to there foods yourself!

Whereever you go someone always has a view and an opionion and has always heard somthing or done something different. I was told not to use cows mimlk so i just mix it with a bit of formula milk now im no longer expressing or heat the cows milk up as someone else mentioned earlier on in the thread.

Ive done the beating myself up over the whole "im i doing it right" "what do other mums do" etc throughout the first 5 months of my DD life, she has just hit 7 months and she is the happiest little dumpling, she rarely whinges unless something is actually bothering, smiles at just about anyone, is super active and generally content.

I decided after all the beating myself up that i would let DD tell me what she wanted and needed, if she doenst want brekky i dont panic, if she wont go down for a nap i dont spend hours trying to force her, if she tierd i dont try make her stay awake in case i throw her out of a routine, it felt like it took DD so long to get into a routine and she did it all herself without me pushing and forcing.
The way i see it is if im chilled, calm and relax it can only rub off on DD. Obviously i appreciate they need routine (and guidance) which i follow and i will be teaching her right from wrong! but if she is having an off day or just doenst feel like something i dont stress out i just go with the flow a bit.

A bit of sugar everynow and again is not going to do them any harm and im a firm believer that if you persistently try and stop them from having it they will just go out and do it behind your back once they are able and then you have no control at all!

As my dad always says what did they do before these books and experts exsisted...........

Plain ready brek has NO added salt and sugar so your weaning group is talking rubbish. Weetabix has a little of each added but not so much that it would take them near the daily salt limit unless you gave 4 adult portions (which would be 8 weetabix!)

Ready brek (no sugar or salt added)and weetabix (low sugar, lowish salt) are both good breakfasts, much better than the baby cereals which have tons of sugar in. DS was very happy with a banana every day for breakfast at that age.

Both mine had weetabix from about 8/9months, as I found it was just a bit too high in fibre for them before then - poo ishoos.

They are 3 and 18m now and have own brand shreddies instead. Again, not sugar free but not too bad either.

Thank you everyone, the question about views on cereals for my DS which I was just about to post has already been answered for me! Now, just have to find the thread about water vs juice and in what kind of cup...

I just went to my ds's 8 month check and the hv didn't bat an eyelid when I said he sometimes has weetabix and banana for breakfast. I wouldn't worry too much about it. On the other hand, I agree with grapesandmoregrapes about not giving it every day. And I am impressed with her making her own bread!