Feeding a 10 week old icecream & other solids?

[PeppaH]

Not talking about me doing this to my baby but I want opinions please.

If your breastfeeding, would you start your 10 week old on solids before you even consider formula?
Solids as in apples, pears, ICECREAM, bbq sauce??? Just about whatever your eating just to try and fill his tummy.

Or would you try formula before starting such a young baby on solids?

Private Poll coming

[SarahDazz]

Hello all, I am the "irresponsible mother" that you have all been condemning.

I would like to set a few things straight before you go on calling me an idiot who needs to be reported to DHS or DoCS or whoever it is in your state.

My son is 11.5 weeks old. For the last week he has been feeding hourly and between the hours of 12pm and 1am when he would finally go to sleep, he would scream, whinge, grizzle and be generally unsettled no matter what I did with him. This was not good for him, nor was it good for myself.
I am breastfeeding and it is going really well. I have an abundant supply. I have breastfed easily from birth and have never had an issue until now. I am beginning to feel like I resent my son because I feel like all I do is feed him. I can no longer cuddle with him like I used to because as soon as he smells my milk he goes into a frenzy until I give it to him – yet he still grizzles all afternoon and night.

When he was 10.5 weeks I was eating a sandwich with avocado on it. I took a small amount of avocado onto my finger and placed it on his tongue. He sucked my finger clean and started throwing his arms and legs around excitedly. I tried a tiny bit more and again he sucked my finger clean. I then stopped.
Also when he was 10.5 weeks, I was eating a slice of pizza and he was starting at me intently, as babies do. I took a small amount of BBQ sauce from my pizza onto the tip of my finger and placed it on his tongue. He licked it, pulled a face and spat it out. I wiped it away and didn't do it again.

Yesterday I was so tired I went to my mum's house so she could look after my son while I had a rest (My husband was sleeping for night shift). She tried to settle him but found he was exactly the same as he was with me - unsettled.
She then suggested some farex. I thought about it and thought yeah, I might try it.
My older sister then turned up with her two children. I told her what I was experiencing with my son at home and she said, "feed him". I told her that I was going to see how he tolerated a little bit of farex. She said that her CHN had told her that because my niece had allergies (when she was exclusively breastfed), the best food to start her on was apple and pear - apple for a week, then pear for a week then mix them. The CHN said this was because they were less likely to cause her any reaction - even less likely than farex.

That night, my mum paced with my son while I stewed some apple. I didn't add anything to it, I just cooked it until it was mush, mixed it with the small amount of water I cooked it in and fed him a tiny bit off of a spoon. Well, he sucked it, swallowed it and then started throwing his arms and legs around squealing. I put a little more on the spoon and this time he opened his mouth and let me put the spoon right in. Again he swallowed and became excited when he had finished it. I gave him about 2 teaspoons in all and then we had a nice cuddle and breastfeed. I then drove home and we again had lovely cuddles on the couch until he wanted to go to sleep. I got him to sleep 2 hours before I had been all week and he stayed asleep! He woke this morning refreshed and ready for the day.

At lunch time today I opened a can of 100% pureed baby apples. He ate about 2 teaspoons worth before he had had enough. He then talked for a while before wanting to go to sleep. I put him to bed awake but drowsy and gently rocked him until he fell asleep after about 30 seconds. I have never been able to do this – I usually have to rock him and hold him till he is in his deep sleep and in the afternoons I can’t put him down in bed at all.
He woke after about 45 mins and was ready to feed off the breast about 10 minutes later. An hour later he was ready to feed again and another hour after that he wanted it again, I fed him both times.

All afternoon he has been having his naps in bed after being gently rocked in bed.
Tonight he went to sleep at 8:30pm and woke at 11:30pm. He had a breastfeed and went straight back to sleep. He may now wake at 4-5am but he may also sleep through till 7-8am.

I have never ever said, nor have I ever fed him ice cream and I would never feed a baby of his age ice cream. I am aware of the dangers of dairy foods and I would not introduce such things until 1yr+.

My son appears to be more settled when he has had a small amount of pureed apple. I am not replacing breastfeeds with food. I am still giving him the hourly feeds he is demanding. I am not giving him 3 meals a day, I am not feeding him food poor in quality and nutrition nor am I feeding him a little pureed apple just to make him sleep longer in order to please myself. He has been highly distressed in the afternoons and this little bit of food appears, for now to be helping him.


I also do not claim to know everything because my sister is a foster parent. I am also a child care worker so I do have experience with children. We have had so many neglected and poorly treated children in our care that yes, I do know quite a lot but I do not know everything. I in no way claim that I know everything as I do not. I had no idea that being a mum would be as hard as it is, I had no idea that I would even think to put my son on to solids at almost 3 months and I had no idea people thought the way they do about me.


I am not anti formula. I accept that some bubs need formula and I don’t condone its use. I do not need, nor do I want the added expense formula brings, nor do I want the possible complications that comp feeding can bring. No offence to anyone intended at all here but I have seen so many women do the comp feed with formula thing and only a small percentage are continuing to breastfeed. I want to continue to breastfeed and it would upset me if I started to comp feed and the breastfeeding suffered because of it. I guess I am being a little selfish there but IMO, giving him a couple of spoons of apple is no worse on his gut than feeding him formula - they are both harder to digest than breast milk. I guess you could argue that bubs tummies weren’t designed to cope with either at his age but many bubs are fed formula from day dot and they have no issues.

I have been made out to sound really foolish – from the comments I think you all believe that I am feeding my son spoonfuls of BBQ sauce and ice cream in place of his breast milk which is not the case at all.

My CHN is also a midwife and a lactation consultant and she is married to our family doctor. I will be speaking with her this week and explaining my reasons for giving him a little pureed apple. I will also highlight his immediate, for the better change in behaviour and see what she says. If they both agree that I should stop feeding him apple then I will stop but until then, if he is happier then I am going to do what I feel is best for my son. If feeding him makes him happy then I am happy.

Now if you still feel the same way then please, go ahead and slander me. I just thought I should give you all the FACTS.

[Misschief]

Well said Sarah. Im glad we all know the real facts now and we can leave this thread behind us

[SarahDazz]

I do have a photo on my facebook page of him with a piece of cake and cream on a fork in front of his face. He head butted the cake and it looks like he is eating it as it is all over his face.

I would like to clarify that I have not and would never EVER feed him cake or cream at his age - that is just ridiculous! The photo was taken as a laugh because it looked like he had been eating it.

[BabelFish]

In that case Sarah allow me to be the first to step up, sincerely apologise and say that I was told entirely different information to what you have posted hence my strong reaction.

I guess it is good to be proved wrong and I stand by my comments that anyone who fed their child ice cream would be stupid and foolish but clearly you did not.

Also, I do still disagree with the BBQ sauce but that is just me.

I would also like to add for the record that like I said earlier, if a bub is clearly ready I am not agaisnt early solids. My DD was the same as your son and I started her on Farex at about 4.5 months, whereupon she changed into a peaceful, sleeping, contented baby from that exact day and almost broke her jaw trying to get more food in her mouth the first time she had any (and every time thereafter).

It sounds to me as though your son may have been going through an early growth spurt and growth spurts are extremely difficult.

Again my posts were based on somewhat extensive information I was sent privately and I was sure that I had the correct information.

I hope you accept my apology and I think it has been a good lesson that it's not always safe to believe a lot of what you are told. Sadly.

[42Tracy]

Sarah, well done for putting everyone straight, the ladies on here were led to believe you were feeding Lukas irresponsibly and I would like to say shame on you PeppaH for spreading such lies. You were the one who in your words "CBF" to take your baby for his 6 week check and here are you ridiculing Sarah and taking things totally out of context.

I HOPE THE MODERATORS WILL DELETE THIS POLL AND ALL THE LIES.

[cmd'smum]

Thread closed.