Preface: The twins' actual pediatrician called me today to talk about the appointment we had last week...
It drives me mad when the pediatricians at the twins' doctors office tell me that Baby-Led Weaning is not recommended, that I should start them on rice cereal pronto and not give finger foods until 8-9 months. Seriously...don't tell someone that something is bad until you've read about it and you *really* know what you're talking about. Otherwise it just pisses people off. Fine...you're a pediatrician and I get that. And you're worried about babies choking. Of course you are. So am I. But babies can choke on nearly anything--including RICE CEREAL! Especially if you put the spoon too far back into the baby's mouth... With BLW you have no fear of that because the babies are putting things into their own mouths...the FRONT of their mouths, because they can't reach the back and would have no idea how to do that anyway. Yes, I realize that Dovid will be able to go onto normal formula once he starts getting solid food, but honestly...my insurance is paying for his preemie formula (which he's doing great on) and it doesn't cover the regular stuff. Do I honestly want to have him on the regular stuff ($$'s coming out of my pocket) for any longer than I really have to??? Not a chance. Babies do *not* need to eat rice cereal. They do *not* need to eat mush at 6 months. Besides, do you really want your kids to eat stuff with a ton of preservatives? Not me.
Update: This is not meant to be an insult to anyone who feeds their baby with mushy baby food. It's the "norm" nowadays, and I support anyone who makes sure their baby gets fed *period*. :-) And I give big kudos to people who mush their own baby food. It's just as healthy as BLW, except in a different format.
What do I tell the pediatrician so that she'll listen to the fact that BLW is a GOOD option and something that she should be telling parents as an alternative to the recommendation for starting mushy stuff. Honestly...just because you're a doctor doesn't mean you know everything.
Tell the doctor whatever you want. It is not their job to tell you how to feed your babies. It is their job to tell you what to do if something is going wrong. For example, Dovid needed to be on preemie formula for longer, so the doctor helped you out with that.
ReplyDeleteI know more than my sons' doctor about breastfeeding. I'm sure of it. That's why I don't listen to him when it comes to feeding and I just feed my kids.
I asked my dad about this and he said I never ate anything called 'rice cereal'. He says I went straight from formula to eating pieces of whatever he was eating for meals at about 6 months.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that if you're watching the twins closely they aren't going to choke on little pieces of food anyway!
I can't really comment on baby led weaning because I don't know much about however I can safely say that you should start with baby oatmeal and not rice cereal. You can get it organic without a lot of crap in it. Also, it's really easy to make your own mashed sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, etc. I think of it as practicing. It takes them awhile to get the hang of it then around 8 months you can start introducing more chunky things which seems to be when they are truly ready for it. Anyway, like I said, I can't comment on BLW but please don't insult those of us who choose the other way. It's not as bad as you seem to think.
ReplyDeleteBLW is not traditionally taught to med students so when they become dr's they don't really know much about it unless it was something they do with their own children. I hope you get some good advice from others and remember your know your children better than any doctor ever will.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I think you should do what you feel in your heart is right. YOU are their mama, you know them best. Doctors get little to no education about nutrition in med school, and unless they take it upon themselves to learn, they don't know any more than anybody else. Also, it's always been my feeling that pediatricians are there to offer MEDICAL advice, not PARENTING advice. How and what to feed your kiddos is definitely a parenting choice. So don't argue with the doc, do what you're gonna do.
ReplyDeleteThat said, some kids can handle "texture" from an early age, and others can't. If the twins have a tough time with bits and pieces of food, that's ok. Usually around 7-9 months they start to do better with that, although some kids can't handle chunkiness until around 1 year. All kids are different, but all totally cute! :-)
I just looked up BLW on wikkipedia - I agree with what other commenters have said, you should do what you feel comfortable with.
ReplyDeleteYou are not wrong, Elana!
ReplyDeleteHolla from my land, coz here we do not usually use these cereals, unless we are pressed for time...otherwise, freshly prepared food - such as non-spicy diluted dal, mushed out fruits, and such things are the routine things that are fed....and yes milk!
Since when did you have comment moderation? Were you trolled?
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