baby rice at 4 months?

[BusyB]

Can anyone give some advice on whether it's fine to give my baby some baby rice at 19 weeks? A 'good' night is usually waking once or twice for a feed although recently, she did manage a few nights in a row going all through from 10-7am but for the last 2 weeks has reverted back to almost newborn feeding habits, waking at least every 2 hours to feed. She often falls asleep during a feed so perhaps isn't taking enough at night but is gaining weight!! (She's nearly a stone!).

Thought I could offer some rice mixed with breast milk at 5pm after breastfeeding? I'm aware this is before recommended 6 months - does this matter much? (Guess HV would say 'yes'!) Gina Ford says after 11am feed then introduce 5pm after a few days??

I'd be grateful for any advice.

[sillywoman]

The current recommendation is to introduce some solids sometime between 4-6 months, when you think your baby is ready. Is she watching you eat & smacking her lips, or trying to grab your cutlery in an attempt to feed herself? If so then she's ready.

be careful of falling into the 'feed them solids to make them sleep' trap. I seem to recall reading some recent, fairly good (RCT) research that suggests whilst introducing solids can initially make babies sleep a little longer, within a couple of weeks that side effect will wear off and babies go back to waking either as frequently, or more frequently than before. It's likely to be a short term fix :(

[Saffron]

Is the waking really to do with hunger, or is it a developmental phase. If developmental, adding solids is not likely to help with sleep.

While adding baby rice, formula, etc, is obviously not going to be toxic for Baby, there's no research to suggest that it benefits Baby either. Research has shown that before approximately 6 months, Baby's intestines are still very immature, including the fauna that colonize the intestines. Exclusively breastfed babies have an entirely different gut bacterial population as long as they are breastfed only.

This bacterial population is thought to be physiologically significant to the development of the gut wall and also the immune system in general. I must say that I was mildly surprised that research has concluded with overwhenlming evidence that adding just one serving of baby rice or formula per day changed the population of gut bacteria in breastfed babies to that comparable to formula fed babies. What's not certain is what impact this has on health in the long run. In the short term, babies exclusively breastfed for 6 months suffer from less respiratory illnesses and are less prone to atopic disease (allergy) in childhood.

On the otherhand, if you think Baby is showing signs of being interested in food, then this is also a sign that the gut is maturing. If your partner could offer baby rice or do a bottle feed, then it might give you a chance to rest if that is what you really need. It's a personal choice. xx

[BusyB]

Thanks to both - helpful advice so for now we'll stay on only breast and see how we go!

[Saffron]

Do you have the Wonder Weeks book? It might be a helpful reference for your baby's developmental phases. Mine is on loan to another Forumite at the moment, but the library has copies.

[bobbly]

if it helps, i recently heard that it is advisable to wean babies at 6 months and not before due to the potential for food allergies. If you can hold out for another 2 months, then it may be your safest bet. Wish I had.

[Yak]

We went through this for a couple of weeks at around the 4 month mark, but it did pass. I do remember so clearly that feeling of everything being like back at square one, so you are not alone! We're now weaning (just shy of 6 months) which has also caused a bit of sleep regression (due to milk being more calorificly dense than other foodstuffs).

[mrs f]

I would seccond the wonderweeks book just so you know what they are roughly going through...

also if you have an IPhone then get the app as it shows you when they have little clouds over their heads!

but yes 4 months 'sleep regression' we are through it now and baby F sleeps better than he ever did before, so there is hope. I wouldn't neccesserally resort to baby rice in the first instance... In fact I never botherd with baby rice but that is a whole other thread, one we don't want to start !-)

[mima08]

Agree on the 4month sleep regression, it does pass, honest! I am the one who has Saffron's copy of the Wonderweeks book - it is great. If you are struggling to get it from the library, send me a PM and I am sure we can share :)

[esme]

I followed the current advice (at the time - last year) which was hold off solids until 6 months... I believe that has now changed to 4 months - which is what it used to be. I would say ignore the books, Gina Ford Shmord and follow your instincts, if your baby looks hungry she probably is! I really regret listening to all the health visitors and nutritionists as tho they may think they know what they are talking about the reality is nobody really knows the cause and root of allergies and other health conditions. My baby was always a big boy and could have done with solids from 4 months. Instead I held off til 5.5 months at which time I found it a struggle to wean him and get him eating more. Babies don't just sleep through because they are full obviously so all the people who say "don't do it just because of that" I would again ignore - in the nicest possible way!! :) Good luck, try loads of flavours when you do try foods, and don't put too much pressure to make everything yourself as there are some really good brands out there which are organic and nutritious, but far less time consuming...

[Saffron]

I wouldn't ignore anything. I would listen to everything, then only hold on to what works for you!

;-)

[Nutrition at DTR]

Current advice is still wait until around 6 months. As with all health advice, it is based on the most sensible interpretation of the latest research. Esme is right that the cause of allergy and other health conditions are not fully understood, but the research does show that early introduction of solids is more likely to result in allergy later. This does not apply to every child, but who knows which child it will apply to. One of the reasons early weaning leads to this is that the schedule is not followed closely enough - stage 2 foods are introduced when the baby should only be on stage 1 as the carer has run out of ideas may jump to the next range of foods. And as Saffron points out, the bacterial balance of the bowel is altered. There is a huge amount of research in this area linking bowel bacterial imbalance with autoimmune conditions and psychological symptoms.

One thing to watch out for is salt before 1 year. In the Children of the 90s study (ALSPAC) of 14,000 mothers and their children, salt levels were worryingly high - main sources being bread and milk, introduced too early to under 1s.

[Saffron]

Goat's milk has less sodium than cow's milk, and pita bread was one of the store-bought breads I found with the least amount of salt. I also found that frozen pita bread was great for teething. The Baby-Led Weaning book has a lot of interesting info on how to tell when Baby is ready for solids. I'm happy to lend my copy. xx

[Jasmina]

It's so good to read that others have experienced the 4 month regression. My LO is now 4.5 months and the last 10 days have been knackering!

I'll look out for the Wonder weeks at the library.

Thanks,

Jas

[MichelleT]

Baby rice and cereal is much less nutritious than breastmilk. Could be she just needs to cluster feed/tank up in the evenings?

[womanofdulwich]

Why is baby rice and cereal less nutritious than breastmilk? i thought it had all sorts of things in that made it so good. iron etc.

[Fuschia]

It's just a highly refined carbohydrate

No fat

Protein

And the vitamins have just been added artificially

[sophiechristophy]

Ironically, baby rice is in my opinion a totally inappropriate food for babies. Breast milk is nutrient dense, comprising of over 3000 nutritional elements (we still haven't been able to determine exactly it's composition), which means that for the volume (and their tummies are small remember), a baby can not get a more nourishing food source. Baby rice on the other hand, is essentially powdered white rice, which contains virtually no nutrients. So, by feeding baby rice you are displacing the more nourishing breast milk.

Consuming artificially fortified vitamin's and minerals is far inferior nutritionally than receiving those vits and minerals from their source. The body does not absorb them as easily, and they are not of as good a quality. You are always better to eat a wholefood, than a refined/processed 'fortified' food.