[Solved] Feeding baby rice at 9 weeks?

Welcome to being a parent. Often you find that if it isn't your partner you're disagreeing with it's other members of the family!

It's a generation thing. My mum has told me before that she put baby rice in my bottle when I was a couple of weeks old. Luckily she doesn't go on about how we should feed our child, but as for my mother-in-law....... don't even go there. Many an argument had there (and it all culminated in her admitting that the child minder always fed my wife anyway, not her! So she was basing her opinion on what others had said to her).

It's just one of those things. It's a shame that your girlfriend isn't taking your opinion into account. I too am a big believer in not feeding them more than they're happy with. We've always done it with my breastfed son and we continue to do it (he's now 8 months old and unlike other parents in my wife's baby group we refuse to feed him chocolate. I can't believe that other parents do anyway, but my other point of view is that at his age he doesn't know about it, he doesn't miss it, so let him just be a baby for as long as possible).

Anyway, it might have been like that before and 'it did them no harm', but who knows how many people nowadays have weight problems due to this attitude? Similar to when people say "people in my generation used to chew ourcot bars which were covered in lead-based paint and we're all here", but I often wonder "yes, but how many babies tragically died suddenly without explanation?"

So, for what it's worth, my point of view - at this age you shouldn't give them any more than milk without expert medical advice. You have EVERY right to be opinionated about your own child, and every right to kick up a fuss. My best advice is to keep pushing her to speak to the health visitor and keep being firm in your opinion.

It might all end in a big argument, but I strongly believe that as a father you have a right to an opinion. Gone are the days where fathers weren't expected to care about such things.

Hi and thanks very much for the response 🙂

Well it kicked off big style over the weekend, but I wasn't backing down on my opinion because afterall he is my son and regardless of whether it may or may not be of any harm I'd like a more expert opinion other than "it'll be ok". I was accused of doing it by the book and not listening to the mothers instincts but I still think that for my piece of mind we could have atleast sought better advice.

Now that I've battled to keep this one at bay I can see many more arguments on the horizon with regard to his diet and what he should/should not be eating. 🙄

Nine weeks? Holy crapola.

Current World Health Organisation guidelines are that a baby should have nothing but breastmilk for the first 6 months. Baby rice manufacturers are being cheeky and still saying "suitable from 4 months" on their products implying that this is the recommended age, but even that is double what your missus is saying...

She's a loon, I tell ya!

Mother's instincts? What about father's instincts?

What a kick in the teeth that statement is - to me it basically says "mothers are better than fathers"

Thanks for the replies guys, I managed to pursuade her otherwise in the end.

Not through force, or want of my girlfriend though. My son became ill, I presumed it was down to the feeding at such an early stage. His poo's were off, he was grumpy at everything and just wasn't himself. I think this pursuaded my girlfriend that it was too early and we are now holding off until he lets us know that he is ready for food.

I know it shouldn't have got to this stage though, my opinion wasn't listened to at all, should I have been more firm? ..perhaps.

It was my girlfriends mum I was also contending with though, every time he was round there they'd be feeding him all sorts of [censored] - knowing full well I didn't agree.

Ah well.. one battle over with.

Hi Guys - interested in this thread, why not check out the DadTalk article about weaning

My eldest was eating solids at quite a young age - against all advice!! Think it really depends on the baby'e current eating habits

I was pleased to see the list of things babies/children should avoid eating.

I had to read one line twice because I misread it and thought it said: pureed lentils and humans. [my bad]

I definitely wait until 6 months at the earliest before starting to add rice to their milk, or 5 months at the very earliest.

The last paragraph of the article gave me some encouagement not to 'loose heart'. Our 19 month old definitely stops eating if his meal is interrupted (eg someone walking in the room) and it can be 45 mins later before you can get him to try eating something different to make sure he has eaten enough.

Thanks for a great article full of soooo much info.
/orange

My daughter is almost 2 months old I i have been feeding her rice cereal for a while now. Her Doctor was actually the one who told me to put her on it because she has acid reflux really bad. So bad that it caused her to vomit and stop breathing. She has had about three episodes like this very scary,but the reason for the rice is to thicken the milk so it doesn't come back up. So far it has worked like a charm she hasn't had an episode in a few weeks now. So to answer your question it's not a bad thing to give it to him He will be fine. It also helps them sleep through out the night.