baby rice & cows milk?

[Linda]

had a visit from the hv about weaning.

i'm left totally confuddled.

she told me baby rice has no nutritional value and is pointless unless mixed with pureed veg or fruit and to give cows milk from 6 mths as long as it's mixed with cereal but not too drink.

mw told me not to give cows milk or any dairy eg yoghurt or cheese until 12 mths.

if it's mixed with cows milk is it not the same as giving it Ellie to drink?

she also told me baby walkers make babies bow legged and door bouncers and chairs are dangerous.

has anyone been told the same kind of thing?

 

[Becky]

I'm not surprised you're confused!!

I too thought that cows milk wasn't supposed to be given until 12 months! I was told to make up baby rice with "baby's normal milk" so if you breastfeed then you express some or used formula if that's what you use.

I have no idea about baby walkers making children have bowed legs but I know a few children who have used them and are fine now.

I would ask to see a different HV if I were you as she doesn't seem to be giving advice that is consistent with government guidelines!

 

[Linda]

i thought you should use babys own milk too.

both me and sis had a baby walker and we are both fine, begining to think they want to take all the fun out of being a little one.

she also said at 6mths Ellie should be drinking out of a training cup and must be off the bottle before she hits one...

 

[Gem & Leland]

you mix baby rice with there formula ! u deffo dont give cos milk till 12 months either !

 

[Becky]

I was told that for cups/bottles etc. to continue to give baby milk in its bottle and introduce a cup for water/diluted juice once you start weaning. Its important not to give juice in a bottle as the sugar can damage teeth as the hole in the bottle is so small they have to suck it harder or something.

 

[maybebaby]

You can give dairy products like cheese and yoghurt from 6 months. You can also use cow's milk in food like cheese sauce etc. I started putting cow's milk on Austin's cereal from about 9 months but he didn't have it to drink until 1 year. Certainly when you start weaning you should use the baby's normal milk (either formula or breast)

I started giving Austin his day time milk in a beaker (a cow cup) from aboiut 8 or 9 months, and stopped bottles completely when he was 1. He does still have the dummy though.

Austin had a baby walker and a door bouncer and has never had a problem with his legs! He took his first step just before he was 9 months and was walking well by 11 months.

 

[leckershell]

My health visitor has always said the same too... she said no cows milk as a drink until 12 months, but it's allowed "in cooking" so he can have cheese sauce and yogurts with cows milk in.

I don't understand the difference to be honest other than cows milk not having much nutrients so I think they can have it so long as they are getting nutrients from the formula milk still?

And I wonder the same thing about walkers - apparently they encourage children to walk by leaning forward instead of moving their feet so they actually make children take longer to walk? I haven't bought him one for this reason but as I was told today, why would they sell these things if there were health risks...

 

[weenik]

You can use cows milk from 6 months in cooking.....I used EBM for a while then cows milk from about 7 months (because he eats mostly the same as me). Cows milk is recommended for drinking from 12 months (no need for follow on milk) because it doesn't have as many nutrients as breast or formula, but as they get older, I think as long as they get a good diet it does no harm to do it a bit earlier. Dylan still has formula twice a day and breast milk at night but I cook everything with cows milk (although still use EBM/formula for cereal only because I'm so used to doing it!).

There's loads of people saying don't use baby walkers because it can cause injury, but if people use them at the top of stairs/beside pools etc then they're just daft tbh. I don't know any kids (me and my 4 siblings included) who haven't used a baby walker and we're all fine and don't have bowly legs!

 

[Redshoes]

Isaac had cows milk on his cereal from 9months, as he never always ate it all it would be a waste of formula, as it was the weetabix etc I was more interested in him eating, the cows milk had little relevance, and is OK to give to LO's under 12months as long as it doesn't REPLACE their formula, which is important for its vits and mins.

I think your HV is a little extreme in her opinion on door bouncers and walkers, seeing as nearly all parents use them daily with LO's and not all babies result in bow leggedness I would tell her you think she is wrong, or just smile and politely take her opinion, but really, I think she's out of order talking as such Very best wishes