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Those who make your own baby food.

M&M*loveM&M*love
in Babies: 3 - 6 Months

M is allergic to a preservative in Gerber Baby food so our pedi told me to switch to another brand. I really don't want to continue trying different brands and just hope that she doesn't have another reaction so I told the pedi I would just start making my own. The pedi said that it was unwise to make my own veggie baby foods because in some parts of the country veggies have high levels of Nitrates that can cause a rare form of anemia in babies. Companies like Gerber pre-screen for these Nitrates. She also said that  storing home made veggies can increase the levels of Nitrates.

Have any of you ever heard of this? I don't doubt my pedi but M has a terrible eczema rash all over her face and would vomit profusely when she ate Gerber. I really don't want to put her through that again but I also don't want to make carrot baby food and give her a rare form of anemia either. 

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Re: Those who make your own baby food.

  • Alexandra*sMomAlexandra*sMom member
    I have read info on this.  The chances are SO unlikely........
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  • Princessn678Princessn678 member
    Very rare to have it happen, and I believe it is only in some veggies anyway.
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  • kwinters87kwinters87 member
    I make all my own baby foods and I really don't worry about that.  If you're really worried you can make some foods and take them to a lab and have them tested.
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  • M&M*loveM&M*love

    imageAlexandra*sMom:
    I have read info on this.  The chances are SO unlikely........

    I thought the likely hood was low. I am just really paranoid now. 

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  • Alexandra*sMomAlexandra*sMom member
    imageM&M*love:

    imageAlexandra*sMom:
    I have read info on this.  The chances are SO unlikely........

    I thought the likely hood was low. I am just really paranoid now. 

    google it.  Stick out tongue  I beleive it is only root veggies anyway.

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  • M&M*loveM&M*love
    imageAlexandra*sMom:
    imageM&M*love:

    imageAlexandra*sMom:
    I have read info on this.  The chances are SO unlikely........

    I thought the likely hood was low. I am just really paranoid now. 

    google it.  Stick out tongue  I beleive it is only root veggies anyway.

    The pedi told me beets, turnips, carrots, spinach and collard greens.

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  • ChristinaD09ChristinaD09
    Are you using organic???  I would try Nature's Best (all organic), or use organic foods to make your own baby food.  I don't think that brands like Natures Best use additives--all my jars say they just have the organic fruit and vitamin c, with no preservatives.
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  • ervin412@gmail.comervin412@gmail.com member

    Here is a link to an article on wholesomebabyfood.com (a favorite site for me and a lot of mom's who diy baby food).

    https://wholesomebabyfood.com/nitratearticle.htm

    PP was right, it is usually only root veggies (and some leafy greens like spinach) that have nitrates, and the chances of them getting too much to cause a problem is like 0%

    There are plenty of other foods you could make with avoiding root veggies all together if you're that concerned about nitrates. FWIW, I give my DDs carrots I made.

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  • ChristinaD09ChristinaD09
    Oops-I mean Earth's Best.  It was also the recommended brand in my Super Baby Foods book.  Gerber does make organic too, though--my thing of organic bananas says: organic bananas, citric acid, and vitamin C.
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  • MarMatMarMat

    never heard of it.. will ask my pedi about it.

    have you tried Heinz baby food?

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  • lite-brightlite-bright member

    You can find info on wholesomebabyfood.com about this. The only veggies where it's really a concern are carrots and spinach, I believe. 

    You should be fine if you don't use the cooking water from the carrots to thin the puree (the nitrates leach into the cooking water). I also use organic carrots b/c they're grown with less nitrate fertilizer. I haven't done spinach as a baby food. 

    It's a potential risk, sure, but there are things you can do to avoid it and it's no reason not to make your own baby food, IMO. 

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  • M&M*loveM&M*love
    Thanks ladies. I am going to go ahead and make my own veggies and fruits. When her rash goes away I will try some organic brands out.
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  • amykins1283amykins1283 member
    It is rare and I think it mostly has to do with orange veggies, like carrots.  If you steam them and avoid using the cooking water to thin them out when you puree them then it should be fine.  You can also use fortified rice cereal mixed with the veggies to give LO extra iron to avoid anemia (although you said it was a "rare form" of anemia so I'm not sure this would actually help.)

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  • blissfully_caffeinatedblissfully_caffeinated
    Check out this link about nitrates. It's really a non-issue if your baby is old enough to be starting solid foods. I think making your own baby food is awesome. I would get organic foods (which coincidentally have a much lower quantity of nitrates in them). There are also baby foods that are preservative free like Earth's Best and Plum Organics. They literally only contain the fruit or vegetable.
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  • Kelly-reneeKelly-renee
    You could also try BLW, we are doing it with DD, and she seems to like it.  She is currently eating Cauliflower, by just gnawing on the end of it.  I think it feels good on her gums, because she screams if she drops it, until we dig it out of her chair.
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