Do I HAVE to start with porridge?

[Babybushie28]

Hi ladies,

Lo is 4 months and although I don't plan on weaning until around 5/5.5 months I'm starting to look into this now. Although it all seems a little daunting I'm excited to try new things with him and I want to be prepared.

Everyone keeps telling me to start him NOW on porridge - which I have no intention - but I don't know why it's always porridge or baby rice?

I'd like to start him on soft fruit and soft veg maybe with a mix of blw and traditional but do I have to give him porridge/rice?

Thanks in advance

Xxxxxx

 

[Lynds77]

Rice is shite to be honest. No nutritional value at all. Porridge is much better.

I think they say to start with these things as you make it up with the babies milk so its not such a shock to their taste buds.

Its obviously up to you. No harm in veg or fruit puree at all. I was advised to start with root veg as its sweet. Like carrot and parsnip. Although butternut squash has always been her favourite veg

Sure your little one will let you know soon enough if fruit or veg is too much for them to handle x

 

[CARNAT22]

Porridge and rice is suitable from 4 months but current guidelines still say wait until 6 months.

I started James on baby porridge at 5 months as he was showing signs of being ready - he wasn't and we stopped.

Around 5.5 months I started offering some fruit and veg. From 6 months he has just had everything. I threw out the baby porridge and use normal porridge oats.

We never did rice as Lynds says there is zero nutritional value.

xxxxxxxx

 

[Sunbeam638]

No you don't have to start with porridge at all! We gave around 4.5-5 months (can't remember exactly) on porridge then at 5.5 months we started fully weaning in conjunction with HV. Our LO was ready but I tried apple purée at first epic fail but porridge then fresh banana and porridge went down well.

HV said to us it's like wall paper paste for babies, no nutritional content etc but we used it in the mornings to begin with and in the evening butternut squash, sweet potatoe etc. you can start on fruit and veg purees not baby rice if you don't want to but the recommended guidelines is 6 months.

Xx

 

[Chezza]

Hey BB,

I started JJ on a tsp of baby rice in the evenings when he reached 17 weeks - mainly because with it being made using his formula, the taste was familiar. It has no nutritional value at all apparently. Saying that, he loves it and beams when he sees his little bowl and spoon.

I made a variety of puree's too (the Annabel Karmel APP is great - lots of early weaning recipes) - and have let JJ taste a little bit each day, just to see what kind of flavours he likes - apple is a firm favourite and banana is out lol.

I know they say to wait until 6 months, but we started at 17 weeks because we felt he was ready - and we were right. He was taking nearly 40oz of milk each day - and because of a little baby rice and a little puree each day, he is now only taking 32oz - and 2oz of this is with his baby rice.

You'll know when Trey is ready - so trust your instinct xxx

 

[titch]

I think another reason for the baby rice is that hardly anyone in the world has ever been allergic to rice so it seems a safer one to start with. Until theyre 1 all of their nutrition can come from milk anyway. The weaning is more about skill building at this stage. In America parents avoidggluten until the child is over 1 as there is some evidence to suggest this reduces the chance of wheat intelligence. I did this with my LO as much as possible as we have a strong family history of problems with gluten. As a result he ended up eating either rice or potato as carbs until he was older

 

[titch]

Auto correct! Wheat intolerance not intelligence

 

[BunnyN]

My mum said when my older brother was a baby the common advice was to start solids at 6 weeks. Of course at that age the only thing they can possibly cope with is something like baby rice. I think it became normal to start with special foods because early weaning was the norm and the habit of using baby rice and baby porridge has stuck but might be kind of outdated for mothers planning to wean at 6 months (or close to). By the time they get to 6 months I think most babies have stomachs and taste buds that are ready to cope with a wide range of foods and flavours. I don't really intend on buying any special baby food products, just choose things from what we are eating which are suitable for her.

 

[redbear]

ive made Tempy some butternut puree and she loved it apparently really good for them and sweet like there milk xx

 

[Babybushie28]

I forgot about my post lol!!

Some great advise girls, thanks - it's good to know!

We actually got a weaning pack thru the post from hipp (I signed up with Emma's diary while preggo!) with a sample of baby rice with peach and I though that may be a good comprise.

Saying that tho - Trey defo is not curios for taste yet, if anything other that his bottle/dummy/hands go in his mouth he pushes it out straight away and screws up his face ha!

Xxxxxx