Milkshakes

[petal040]

As my LO won't take a bottle of milk... (or cup)... I was wondering...

When she starts weaning - if it is safe for her to eat fruit like banana and strawberry - could I blend them with milk to make milkshake? I wonder if she'd drink that? Or is it not a good idea?

 

[Lisa1302]

strawberry would not be a good choice as some babies can be allergic to berries - so best to wait til 6 month for those.
Banana would be ok

With the strawberries when old enough, what i did was put them in a juicer, so the flash and pips were kept out.

Its a tricky one to answer as to if its a good idea though to get them to drink milk up better!! Hmm I don't know because even fruits have sugars in - so if every bottle had sugar in...maybe not such a good idea, and could end up with a sweet toothed baby!

 

[petal040]

I wouldn't do it till she was 7 months - because I'd be going back to work - and I was just wondering if it would help her drink milk while she's at her childminder?

Her other milk would come from me... I wonder if it would put her off plain breastmilk?

Good idea about the juicer... did you use the strawberry juice to make milkshake? Or just to make juice? If it was shake - did it put her off plain milk?

 

[Lisa1302]

I wouldn't do it till she was 7 months - because I'd be going back to work - and I was just wondering if it would help her drink milk while she's at her childminder?

Her other milk would come from me... I wonder if it would put her off plain breastmilk?

Good idea about the juicer... did you use the strawberry juice to make milkshake? Or just to make juice? If it was shake - did it put her off plain milk?

oh well no worries about the berries then!

I used it in the formula, like as shake - not very often, once or twice when we had loads of berries left - she didn't seem bothered by her next milks..but I think maybe she could have got used to them if she had too many!!

Hopefully by then your LO will be taking a cup!!

 

[Hevz]

It's not adviseable to add any food, fruit, rusks etc to baby's bottle. I would speak to your health visitor but milkshakes/smoothies aren't really for little babies.

 

[petal040]

Thanks...

I'd be giving her the milk (or shakes, if that's a good idea) in a cup... when you say shakes aren't for little babies, at what age are they okay?

It's probably a daft idea. It's just I don't want her to go without milk during the day, and thought it might help.

 

[Lisa1302]

It's not adviseable to add any food, fruit, rusks etc to baby's bottle. I would speak to your health visitor but milkshakes/smoothies aren't really for little babies.

um why not?! its milk and fruit!! which bit of that is not allowed?!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

As Hevz said, you shouldn't add anything to your baby's milk feeds. Solids should always be given separately to milk as it can cause overeating, constipation, tooth decay.

 

[Hevz]

It's not adviseable to add any food, fruit, rusks etc to baby's bottle. I would speak to your health visitor but milkshakes/smoothies aren't really for little babies.

um why not?! its milk and fruit!! which bit of that is not allowed?!

Because there's risk of choking for a start. If you wish you give your child fruit and milk then it would be best to mash the fruit with some milk and maybe add a bit of rice or porridge and feed from a spoon when baby is weaning but definitely not supposed to give babies food mashed with milk from a bottle or cup. When they're big enough, over 1 probably a straw would be good. It would clog up the hole in a feeding cup or bottle anyway.


Some babies aren't as keen on milk from a cup or bottle especially if they are used to breastfeeding but if you persist then they will do it eventually. I wouldn't advise trying too many cups and bottles as this will confuse baby even more. Stick with one particular cup or bottle and keep offering it to them....it can take a little while but they will take it eventually. I have breastfed 4 children and have had all these probs before, most of the time it's just a matter of being persistant and consistant too. I'm also a trained breastmates peer support so if you need any further advice on switching from breast to bottle/cup then don't hesitate to ask xxxxxxx

 

[Lisa1302]

It's not adviseable to add any food, fruit, rusks etc to baby's bottle. I would speak to your health visitor but milkshakes/smoothies aren't really for little babies.

um why not?! its milk and fruit!! which bit of that is not allowed?!

Because there's risk of choking for a start. If you wish you give your child fruit and milk then it would be best to mash the fruit with some milk and maybe add a bit of rice or porridge and feed from a spoon when baby is weaning but definitely not supposed to give babies food mashed with milk from a bottle or cup. When they're big enough, over 1 probably a straw would be good. It would clog up the hole in a feeding cup or bottle anyway.


Some babies aren't as keen on milk from a cup or bottle especially if they are used to breastfeeding but if you persist then they will do it eventually. I wouldn't advise trying too many cups and bottles as this will confuse baby even more. Stick with one particular cup or bottle and keep offering it to them....it can take a little while but they will take it eventually. I have breastfed 4 children and have had all these probs before, most of the time it's just a matter of being persistant and consistant too. I'm also a trained breastmates peer support so if you need any further advice on switching from breast to bottle/cup then don't hesitate to ask xxxxxxx

I see your point about the fact mashed fruit would be silly, I'm not even sure a child would be able to drink mashed fruit in milk via a cup spout or a bottle.

However I can't really see how fruit that has been juiced in a juicer can cause choking, as its just the juice.

I agree (as per previous post) that its probably not a good idea in general as could end up with a sweet tooth, too much sugar etc
So this probably isnt the best solution for the OP.

In general though, surely a baby that is being weaned is not at harm from drinking milk from a cup which has real fruit juice in it? How is it really different to offering them a cup of water and orange juice, which is recommended?

 

[Lu28]

I thought even orange juice should be very diluted? Just sounds like alot of sugar when LO will probably be getting fruit through solids too xx

 

[Lisa1302]

I thought even orange juice should be very diluted? Just sounds like alot of sugar when LO will probably be getting fruit through solids too xx

It should be, no one is suggesting that the OP would be piling the fruit in.

I just think sometimes mothers in the UK seem happy to be credited with very little or no common sense...just go along with the 'No do not do it' from the Nanny State...and why? Because some numpty once choked their baby with lumpy fruit in milk or rotted its teeth due to feeding it every bottle full of fruit juice in a teated bottle.
That doesn't mean that a mother with a half decent brain isn't perfectly capable of making up some milk in a cup with some fruit juice without causing any harm to the baby.

Soon we will be living in a country where we can't feed a baby cheese on toast for fear they may think toast is too boring on its own.