BF:ing mums - how do you prepare your LOs porridge?

[BabyMagic]

My LO is nearly seven months and we've been doing mainly BLW:ing. Due to constipation I have now decided to introduce porridge to increase her fibre intake.

So how do you BF:ing mums prepare your LO's porridge (or baby rice)?

LO has never had a bottle of EBM so I have never had to express. My breast pump must be in one of the other homes as I cannot find it in here. I tried to express manually and even though I thought I did pretty well I didn't manage to get nowhere enought to prepare the porridge. I ended up topping up with water.

Does anyone use formula for this purpose? My LO has never had formula. I am not too keen on giving her any of the extra vitamin drops that the health professionals recommend , so maybe adding formula to her porridge would provide some extra vitamins??? Not sure why but having formula at home would feel strange though

I am planning to continue breastfeeding.

 

[Squiglet]

Well I used to buy a carton of formula to make up lil miss cereal, when she first started solids, but I had just started working and she was refusing to drink ebm in my absence so I wanted her to have the extra vitamins... Before that I used ebm. She has weetabix and it requires vast quantities of milk to make is sloppy enough that she will eat it and I have major issues expressing.

But as it was only for breakfast I found that buying a carton of formula which was 5€ a huge waste of money because it wouldn't even be half used before I had to throw it away. So I just put ordinary cows milk on it. After 6 months its safe and formula is just highly processed cows milk with a load of chemicals added to it.

Tbh your LO will get sufficient nutrients and vitamins in the breast milk. They don't need formula. Its formula companies who have spread this lie that after 6 months breast milk becomes nutritionally incomplete for babies and you must use formula or add vitamin drops to their diet. At 6 months a baby should be starting solids and gain nutrients that way... they don't need it artificially added unless they have a medical problem or their diet is constricted (ie unhealthy foods, one type of food or not eating enough). Plus you don't HAVE to make cereal up with milk, its one of those advertisment things, where we see people eating "healthy" cereals like coco pops , with milk... it seems strange not to give it with milk and it probably tastes better my dad makes his porridge up with water and salt... he says it tastes strange with milk

 

[LisaJ1986]

For porridge i use our milk. I was told by my HV that it is fine. She has weetabix and ready brek with our normal milk. The baby cereal i buy i just use boiled water.

 

[valentine]

I used cows milk in DD's porridge. Just make sure she has a varied diet and she'll be fine vitamins wise.

Valentine Xxx

 

[Magic Monkey]

I don't breastfeed, but I still use cows milk for cereals - just full fat as babies need more fat than semi/skimmed gives. TBH making formula up just for cereal seems like too much effort for me!

 

[valentine]

I used cows milk in DD's porridge. Just make sure she has a varied diet and she'll be fine vitamins wise.

Valentine Xxx

Actually that's rubbish! Funny how your memory plays tricks! Thinking back, I did give EBM until about 9 months, then cows milk. I did need 3oz per day though and rarely got that, so used mostly EBM and topped up with cows milk until I packed away my expresser at 9 months and DD had just cows milk on cereal!

Valentine Xxx

 

[BabyMagic]

Thanks girlies

Squiglet - one of my best friends who studies dietetics actually tried to convince me as well that the nutritional value of breast milk decreases at six months. Maybe that's true but surely that's why we start introducing solids at that stage. So I disregarded her comment

Maybe I better find my breast pump as there is no way I'd be able to hand express 3 oz????? Or I would get really sore boobies Until then I will just combine my milk with water and start buying full fat milk.

 

[monster_munch]

I use full fat milk and have done from the start of giving him porridge (just over 6 months) this is because i physically cannot express more than a few drops.
I felt awful, but it's done him no harm didn't want to give him formula, purely because i didn't want to pay extra when i have milk in my boobies and in the fridge

 

[trixipaws]

when i first introduced baby rice it was such a small amount that i could hand-express enough breast milk. (i never used a pump or gave EBM bottles either) get baby to start the flow going by latching on, then after 4 or 5 suckles u can unlatch and the milk is easily squeezed out, by putting ur thumb flat above ur nipple, and ur first 3 fingers underneath ur breast, and squeeze with the same principle as toothpaste (lol! i mean starting at base and squeezing then pushing forward towards the opening trying not to let any get behind ur fingers! if that makes sense!)

anyway when melissa was 7 months she was on more substantial meals by then, and i couldnt express enough (it takes ages anyway!) my record was only 100ml out of both boobs! so i just used formula for her porridge- much easier! altho i decided to stop BFing at 8 months anyway and switched to formula so it kind of all tied in really. i think tho even if i'd carried on BFing to a year or beyond i'd still make cereal with formula (and later, cows' milk!

 

[BabyMagic]

Thanks girls again. I just realised that my nips have been a bit sore whilst feeding LO - maybe it's all that hand expressing Trixipaws - thanks for the tip. I've been doing it without LO's help

 

[purple13]

i give connor the plum porridge and make it up with water. but he gets oatibix/weetabix sometimes, and i make them with organic semi-skimmed cows milk. its absolutely fine to do this when its not their main source of milk.

 

[keli]

Thanks girlies

Squiglet - one of my best friends who studies dietetics actually tried to convince me as well that the nutritional value of breast milk decreases at six months. Maybe that's true but surely that's why we start introducing solids at that stage. So I disregarded her comment

The nutritional value of breast milk is the same whether you've been feeding 6mths or 2 years, what changes is the babies need for certain nutrients and thats why we wean at 6 mths

 

[Squiglet]

Thanks girlies

Squiglet - one of my best friends who studies dietetics actually tried to convince me as well that the nutritional value of breast milk decreases at six months. Maybe that's true but surely that's why we start introducing solids at that stage. So I disregarded her comment

The nutritional value of breast milk is the same whether you've been feeding 6mths or 2 years, what changes is the babies need for certain nutrients and thats why we wean at 6 mths

exactly,... its more that milk is no longer adequate sustenance for a baby of 6 months and over, but that is the same for both formula and breast milk. An older baby's energy levels are higher and therefore they require more food, although milk remains the bulk of their diet...until solid food has been firmly established around a year old.