Feeding a 3 month old mashed potatoes?!

emiannie · October 2008

Oh dear. So we had dinner with some good friends that we haven't seen since they had their baby 3 months ago. We're eating and it comes up that they started cereal. Then it's mentioned that they've let him taste mashed potatoes. Then at table Mom puts some whipped cream on her finger (at the Cheesecake Factory) and lets Mr. 3 Months suck it off her hand. This is all right after he got done drinking his propped bottle. WTF?!

Am I a crazy, self-righteous Mommy or is all of this insane?! I couldn't believe it. It just never dawned on me to put ANYTHING in ANY amount in Miles' little mouth and tummy until we started cereal a couple of weeks ago and even then I was leary.

hehe. She'll probably be one of the Mom's Davezwife wants to call the Popo on in another year or so. :-)

LuckySunshineBaby · October 2008

Well we totally let DD taste things. We rub her paci on things and let her taste. We let my nieces try foods this way. My siblings and I all did. We're all fine. I don't give her food to eat, however I would have totally done the whipped cream thing, except I'm worry about milk products (although I'm sure DH has let her taste milk based products). Maybe if food allergies ran in the family or if she showed an issue I would worry. But we do it.

DavezWife · October 2008

lol....

I actually don't mind the whole "giving them a taste" thing. Why not. (as long as it's not peanuts, etc)

But I don't care for propped bottles. I am going to have to site you all for eating at the Cheesecake Factory though. het het.

MayDayGirl · October 2008

both my sister and brother's kids get tastes of things.. they like it Big Smile

DavezWife · October 2008

PS - Em, we were just in Lexington this past weekend, and Davez moved on to a conference in Louisville. Nice state!

tina623 · October 2008

I've propped the girls bottles while I'm feeding the other before but I've never given them food off my plate. They are a little over 3 months and I think that's way to young for mashed potatoes and whip cream. Poor baby...

skoorbnibor · October 2008

I made my MIL cry because I would not let her put icing on E's tongue.

I agree, no way on the foods....

And as fas as the propped bottle. I admit, once when a crying fit occurs and we were in the car, I did this and I was consumed with guilt.

jodynjames2005 · October 2008

I don't know what the heck is wrong with people, or what the hurry is to start solids. It's really not that exciting. Wait as long as you can, people, enjoy the less disgusting poop lol.

Then again, my girls' first taste of anything other than EBM was licking a drop of mint chocolate chip ice cream off my finger at about 5 mo old. I waited until 6 mo for solids like a good Mommy, but did randomly let them try the ice cream lol.

I don't do propped bottles except for propping Charlotte's bottle while I hold her so that I have a free hand to feed Alice her bottle. I only have one hand, so I can't hold both bottles at once. If you only have one kid, and two hands, you don't have an excuse

MayDayGirl · October 2008

DavezWife:
But I don't care for propped bottles.

someone tell me what's the problem with propped bottles?

Mrs.Reem · October 2008

I wouldn't do it. I don't see the point but to each his own I guess. Mashed potatoes don't really have a lot of nutritional value so eating a ton and replacing formula would be bad in my book. At taste would be not quite as bad. Just unnecessary really. That and I don't want my kid jonesing for sweets.

jodynjames2005 · October 2008

Propping bottles is a choking hazard and can also result in overfeeding because the baby can't really stop the flow of milk into his or her mouth. It's also pretty bad from a bonding standpoint... feeding should be a bonding time, not a time when you stuff a bottle in the kid's mouth and ignore him or her!

DavezWife · October 2008

propped bottles? it's missing that bonding thing, IMO. And they can choke, etc.

MayDayGirl · October 2008

ok so a propped bottle here and there isn't going to kill a mother/baby bond though. Obviously all the time would be a bad thing.

Also are you talking about ALL kids that drink bottles? or just the ones that can't help hold it up themselves?

I guess I don't see a problem when a child can hold up a bottle on their own, but maybe that isn't considered propped.

Mrs.Reem · October 2008

My kiddo can hold her bottle no problem but I still take the opportunity to hold her and feed her. There aren't going to be that many more times anymore where she'll sit still and let me cuddle her. She's got discoveries to make and people to see.

Any opportunity to continue bonding is too sweet to pass up. No propped bottles here.

jodynjames2005 · October 2008

It's not propped if the baby is holding it!

I don't really understand why anyone would prop a bottle. I agree that it's not going to kill the bonding to prop it once in awhile, but why would you? Feeding your baby is pretty central to being a mom.

skoorbnibor · October 2008

I admitted freely I propped a bottle up once, and I actually agree with those who dislike it. I felt so bad that I was unable to stop (I was at a traffic light and I gave him the bottle) because I needed to pick my husband up. I felt like i was cheating him of the time it would take to stop, give him attention and so on.

It just felt selfish and although I know no lasting damage was done, Jody is right, Feeding him is is basic part of being his Mom. He actually holds his own bottle now (new last week!) but I can't imagine not feeding him anymore.

candm · October 2008

I'll back you on this Emiannie. We were very much in the "no solids before 6 months" boat (though I understand there are exceptions for reflux, etc.). I certainly wouldn't give whipped cream before a year. Of course, it could have been non-dairy whipped cream, but then I'd be worried about it being full of all kinds of artificial ingredients, which we try to avoid.

And propped bottles = .

cmw&tdm · October 2008

I don't understand it. At that age all they need to be eating/drinking is BM/formula. Starting foods early, especially ones with dairy/wheat can trigger allergies. I about freaked when guests of ours tried to feed my 5 mo old whole wheat pita bread at a dinner we were hosting.

lrrb · October 2008

I never give my kids anything before 6 months. But I do admit I've had to prop a bottle or two in my day....but what can you do with TWO babies haha. I think I have an excuse. Now that Kate can hold her own bottle I always lay her next to me and give her the bottle and hold and feed Ella, then I get the best of both worlds haha. I just don't see the point in giving babies younger than 4 months (I wait until 6) food. There just isn't any REAL reason (aside from reflux of course). Anyways, to each his own, thats just the way we roll haha.

mommyof4boys · October 2008

My 4 had bottles proped at some point. With the twins it was kinda necessary at times. One of me and two of them

AAP's reccomendation, as far as I know, is 4 months for FF babies and 6 months for BFing babies as to the start of solids. Honestly, my 4 had things before that, little bites of things here and there. I did give them bites of mashed potatoes, etc. 3 of the boys started on solids at 4 months and Chris didn't until 5.5 months old. I introduced and he wasn't ready. I can tell you that he has some food allergies so I am worried about food introductions still with him. He is allergic to dairy, soy and nuts.

groovygrl · October 2008

I'm not a mom, but I do work in healthcare so I'm just butting in here

. I don't really have an opinion about those semi solid foods (doesn't seem like that big a deal to me once in awhile, but what do I know), but re the propped bottles, there is a higher risk of ear infections if the baby is reclining and also similar to sleeping w/ a bottle, if the baby is teething, the sugars that solidify on the nipple and the formula/milk collecting in the mouth can lead to tooth decay...that being said, IMO a propped bottle in a difficult situation is not something to beat yourself up about, or to judge other people about if you only see them do it once. Propping frequently/regularly is a different story, but maybe the moms you see doing it aren't aware of the risks...

sarahkelly · October 2008

I think we all sound a bit judgemental to be totally honest. So it's not the way WE choose to raise our little ones... It's not neglect or abuse or any of the REALLY horrible things that happen to some children so I really can't see wasting time worring or judging people because they chose to do things differently than I do. She fed the baby a taste of mashed potatoes, not arsenic. That's just my .02

emiannie · October 2008

Very true what everyone said. FWIW, she was very proud of herself for finding a way to rig up propping the bottle in his carseat...so it happens a lot. And while we were eating DH said he saw him sucking air several times. BUT you're right, it's their kid, not mine. Perhaps feeding babies a taste of stuff isn't a bad idea, but it's not for me. The bottle propping is not good period in my opinion.

Thanks for the feedback though...sometimes I need to reminded that I need to just worry about myself and my family...not everyone else.

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