Yet another feeding question

OK-- so after being *thoroughly* confused by the feeding advice I was
getting, I went ahead anyway :-)

The kidlets have been introduced to a new pureed food about every week: I
alternate between introducing a fruit and a vegetable and so far they seem
to like everything. They are also beginning to reach for food that an adult
holding them is eating.

Both are teething, though no teeth have appeared yet, and *everything* is
going in their mouths. I would like to give them the occassional teething
biscuit or cheerio (something that will disolve in their mouth), but here's
what's confusing me: everything I've read says that wheat should be the
last grain introduced because of the possibility of gluten allergies. Yet
every cookie or biscuit that I've looked at has as its first ingredient
enriched wheat flour. I bought some rice crackers that I thought I could
use (from the asian food aisle), but they are much to hard. The only cereal
the boys have had so far is rice cereal (I was figuring I'd intro barley or
oatmeal next week). Do I have to wait until theiy are eating all three
grains? Are there baby biscuits out there made with someting other than
wheat? How old should they be before getting wheat?

One other question: when can/should I introduce potatoes? I find *no*
literature on them.

TIA

Marie
Chris and Alex--born 04/23/03 at 31wks gestational :-)
Meet the Kidlets at http://ca.f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/mmcw2

Marie wrote:


Both are teething, though no teeth have appeared yet, and *everything* is
going in their mouths. I would like to give them the occassional teething
biscuit or cheerio (something that will disolve in their mouth), but here's
what's confusing me: everything I've read says that wheat should be the
last grain introduced because of the possibility of gluten allergies. Yet
every cookie or biscuit that I've looked at has as its first ingredient
enriched wheat flour. I bought some rice crackers that I thought I could
use (from the asian food aisle), but they are much to hard. The only cereal
the boys have had so far is rice cereal (I was figuring I'd intro barley or
oatmeal next week). Do I have to wait until theiy are eating all three
grains? Are there baby biscuits out there made with someting other than
wheat? How old should they be before getting wheat?


I don't think you have to wait for the other cereals
at all. Personally, I don't generally do a lot of cereal,
and generally start with oatmeal since all my kids have
thought rice cereal was vile. Most places I've read say
avoid wheat for eight months. I've generally gotten at
least that far, and maybe a little farther if I could
stand it (allergies in the family, DH was allergic to
wheat as a child--and as hard as it is to avoid now, just
imagine how hard it is to avoid for *years*!). I seem to
recall that last time I could find some Cheerios that
didn't contain wheat (or maybe they were Cheerio lookalikes).
Anyway, you might check around for those.


One other question: when can/should I introduce potatoes? I find *no*
literature on them.


I've never heard one needed to avoid potatoes for
any particular length of time.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Marie wrote:
OK-- so after being *thoroughly* confused by the feeding advice I was
getting, I went ahead anyway :-)

Follow your gut. They seem to be ready for it, so never mind what
everybody else does. Everybody else doesn't have *your* kids! I
have always been surprised how clear DS could signal things if I
just paid attention. It still puzzles DH that I always seem to
know what he means, even though DS is starting to talk now.

what's confusing me: everything I've read says that wheat should be the
last grain introduced because of the possibility of gluten allergies.

There is some truth in that. Personally I introduced wheat around
6m (after full gestation, that is), since we have no history of
food allergies in the family. As with everything, you have to pay
attention to their response and don't overdo the quatities, but
you probably know all that by now. I don't know any brand of
biscuits without wheat, but you may want to check in health-food
stores. They carry gluten-free biscuits in general, and I have
found that often baby-food is just a very expensive small-scale
version of adult food...

One other question: when can/should I introduce potatoes? I find *no*
literature on them.

O, I think we did them real early, like almost immediately.
Mashed real fine with some broth and later some cream cheese
(around 6-7m, when you can introduce yoghurt).

--
-- I
mommy to DS (17m)
mommy to a tiny angel (Oct 2003)
guardian of DH (33)
TTC #2.5
War doesn't decide who's right, only who's left

Marie wrote:
OK-- so after being *thoroughly* confused by the feeding advice I was
getting, I went ahead anyway :-)

Follow your gut. They seem to be ready for it, so never mind what
everybody else does. Everybody else doesn't have *your* kids! I
have always been surprised how clear DS could signal things if I
just paid attention. It still puzzles DH that I always seem to
know what he means, even though DS is starting to talk now.

what's confusing me: everything I've read says that wheat should be the
last grain introduced because of the possibility of gluten allergies.

There is some truth in that. Personally I introduced wheat around
6m (after full gestation, that is), since we have no history of
food allergies in the family. As with everything, you have to pay
attention to their response and don't overdo the quatities, but
you probably know all that by now. I don't know any brand of
biscuits without wheat, but you may want to check in health-food
stores. They carry gluten-free biscuits in general, and I have
found that often baby-food is just a very expensive small-scale
version of adult food...

One other question: when can/should I introduce potatoes? I find *no*
literature on them.

O, I think we did them real early, like almost immediately.
Mashed real fine with some broth and later some cream cheese
(around 6-7m, when you can introduce yoghurt). Don't be tempted
to prepare them in a blender unless you have need for superglue.

--
-- I
mommy to DS (17m)
mommy to a tiny angel (Oct 2003)
guardian of DH (33)
TTC #2.5
War doesn't decide who's right, only who's left

"Marie" wrote in message ble.rogers.com...
OK-- so after being *thoroughly* confused by the feeding advice I was
getting, I went ahead anyway :-)

The kidlets have been introduced to a new pureed food about every week: I
alternate between introducing a fruit and a vegetable and so far they seem
to like everything. They are also beginning to reach for food that an adult
holding them is eating.

Both are teething, though no teeth have appeared yet, and *everything* is
going in their mouths. I would like to give them the occassional teething
biscuit or cheerio (something that will disolve in their mouth), but here's
what's confusing me: everything I've read says that wheat should be the
last grain introduced because of the possibility of gluten allergies. Yet
every cookie or biscuit that I've looked at has as its first ingredient
enriched wheat flour. I bought some rice crackers that I thought I could
use (from the asian food aisle), but they are much to hard. The only cereal
the boys have had so far is rice cereal (I was figuring I'd intro barley or
oatmeal next week). Do I have to wait until theiy are eating all three
grains? Are there baby biscuits out there made with someting other than
wheat? How old should they be before getting wheat?

I was able to find a couple of things with no wheat at the
local health food grocery store. Earth's Best makes teething
biscuits with no wheat (they make two different kinds, so read
the box). There's a kind of cereal called Oatios which are
wheat-free. I also found waffles that were wheat and egg
free, but realized later that they had soy, so although it
seems to have worked out OK for my son I wouldn't necessarily
recommend them. The store had rice bread with no wheat,
which I thought was horrible but which my son seemed to like
OK if it was toasted for him to gnaw on. There's also rice
pasta available for later. This was all found at the local
Whole Foods branch.

Bottom line, the 'regular' stuff (Gerber and so on) is all
wheat-based, but if you go to a specialty store you ought to
be able to find some non-wheat stuff. We kept our son off
of wheat until he was 11 months old, when he helped himself
to a friend's real Cheerios and we figured the damage was
done, but the usual recommendation for kids with potential
allergies is 12 months. It was a huge pain and I often
wondered if it was worth it, but in retrospect it wasn't
all that much time.

Beth

everything I've read says that wheat should be the
last grain introduced because of the possibility of gluten allergies. Yet
every cookie or biscuit that I've looked at has as its first ingredient
enriched wheat flour.

I think we'd introduced wheat by about 7 months. If there's no family history
or special concern about allergies, it's probably fine. However, most
commercially made cereals and biscuits do have a *lot* of ingredients, so
they're not ideal "first foods" anyway.

Others have suggested health food stores -- it is possible to find crackers and
things made with oats and other grains. Another possibility is puffed rice
cakes. My DS loved them as a "teething biscuit" type food. Look for versions
with no or very low salt.

One other question: when can/should I introduce potatoes? I find *no*
literature on them.


I counted potatoes as a not-otherwise-problematic vegetable, which can be
introduced right away. We did sweet potatoes as one of DS' very first foods,
and white potatoes followed not long after. Mashed but still lumpy potatoes
are great when the baby starts to try to feed himself, because clumps of it
stick together well enough for him to pick up, but fall apart easily enough in
the mouth not to be a choking hazard.

Holly
Mom to Camden, 2.5 yrs
EDD #2 6/8/04

Hi -

The problem with wheat is twofold: It's a common allergen AND the
incidence of celiac disease (gluten **intolerance**, which is a
lifelong, high-nuisance, potentially life-shortening condition) is
estimated at 1:150 people of European descent.

Your best bet is to postpone wheat until your babies are at least 10
months old and, if you're breastfeeding, be sure to continue
breastfeeding for at least three months after the introduction of
wheat. The initial delay is for reasons of allergy; the continuation of
breastfeeding seems to help avoid gluten intolerance.

Cheerios, by the way, contain gluten. (Look carefully at the ingredient
list.) But some store brands are truly 100% oats, and some health food
brands.

--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would
like me to reply.

Ilse Witch wrote:


I don't know any brand of
biscuits without wheat, but you may want to check in health-food
stores.


Most stores around here carry arrowroot biscuits.

Best wishes,
Ericka

In article ogers.com,
"Marie" wrote:

going in their mouths. I would like to give them the occassional teething
biscuit or cheerio (something that will disolve in their mouth), but here's
what's confusing me: everything I've read says that wheat should be the
last grain introduced because of the possibility of gluten allergies[...]
The only cereal
the boys have had so far is rice cereal (I was figuring I'd intro barley or
oatmeal next week).

AFAIK, every true grain contains gluten apart from rice and corn (I have a
good friend with coeliac disease), so if you are concerned, don't introduce
barley or oats (or spelt, rye etc) until later. Coelic disease is heritable
so avoid gluten if you have coeliac relatives.

Do I have to wait until theiy are eating all three
grains? Are there baby biscuits out there made with someting other than
wheat? How old should they be before getting wheat?

Depends who you talk to, I'm afraid!

One other question: when can/should I introduce potatoes? I find *no*
literature on them.

Potatoes are usually an early food here as they mash well, are readily
available and aren't allergenic. Mash them with cooking water rather than
milk and butter, of course.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Jeez; if only those Ancient Greek storytellers had known about the astonishing
creature that is the *Usenet hydra*: you cut off one head, and *a stupider one*
grows back..." -- MJ, cam.misc

HI --

With respect to celiac disease ... most grains have gluten. Rice and
corn do not have gluten. Last I read about this, oats were on the
"unclear" list. Some people with celiac eat oats, other can't. I'm
unclear on the whys and wherefores.

To avoid getting celiac, even if there's a predisposition for it in the
family, delay wheat and gluten til about a year, and continue nursing
for 3-6 months following the introduction of gluten. (Maybe you could
introduce wheat at 11 months and nurse until 14-15 months?)

Celiac is estimated to affect 1:100 people of European descent. In
Italy they now routinely do the blood test on children as part of the
well child screenings. (At about age 5, I think. No point in doing it
earlier.)

--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would
like me to reply.