[redhead31293]

Hi, I was wondering if someone could help me or give me their opinion.
My step sister feeds her baby spaghetti and meat balls with spices in it. We can smell the garlic in the sauce when we open the jar of home prepared spaghetti for her, and there is definately ground beef in the spaghetti. The baby is 11 months, and she has been feeding it to her for awhile. I know spaghetti with mild sauce is ok for some babies, but she seems to have a bad reaction to it. She has horrible diaper rash all the time. She has also been fed bologna, which doesnt seem like a good idea to me. The baby doesnt have any teeth yet, and I just dont think her body is ready. My step sister wont listen to us when we tell warn her about these things, even though my mom has had 5 kids, and has taken care of many other children besides her own. They only feed her baby formula "as a snack" now, and are giving her only their own table scraps, because they have also stopped buying actual jars of baby food. I take care of the baby all the time, so I change her diaper. I can tell that she is not digesting the food correctly because you can identify undigested beans and other foods in her diapers. I am concerned about the baby's development and growth, and overall well being. Can someone tell me if I'm just crazy for thinking that these things are bad for her? Or tell me I'm right Thanks!

[newlymom]

Yes! your baby is too young for that kind of stuff..
better to get rid off if not the food the person itself

[purelegance]

actually, skipping babyfood is becoming more & more recommended.

[swt1899]

The gums in babies are used to crush food. Even if they don't have teeth, they can mash up soft foods like pasta, beans, etc. My son's Dr cautioned me about adding salt into foods more than certain spices. Also watching acidic foods... tomato sauce, citrus, certain juices, etc. That can cause bad diaper rash. I add in onion powder into steamed green beans. I then cut them up in bite sized pieces. There will be a lot that passes through the digestive system, but they do absorb the nutrients... the fiber passes through... I read that in an article when I found the skin from beans in my son's diaper. He digested the important goodies, but passed the fiber.
I would ask a Dr and see what they think. Before I gave my son solid foods, I asked my son's Dr. I was concerned because he only had 4 front teeth. But soft foods should be fine. I cut up cheese ravioli, cube steak, chicken, steamed veggies, rice, potatoes, ham, etc. I started with tiny pieces the size of a pencil eraser... because I was nervous, but Robert eventually got to where he could eat larger pieces.
If there is bad diaper rash, acidic foods and juices can really irritate. Sometimes other foods can cause it for no apparent reason.
Again... a Dr would be a much better source. Different parents have different advice. Some parents are more cautious and start solid foods late, some start as soon as baby tries to feed himself (that's what I did). I'm a first time parent and I trust our pediatrician the most.

[redhead31293]

Originally Posted by purelegance

actually, skipping babyfood is becoming more & more recommended.

yeah, but she is replacing the baby food with adult foods like the spaghetti and meat balls that is making her sick. i know its fine to feed babies pure foods like vegetables, but she is feeding her food that she cannot handle

[swt1899]

She needs to remember that baby is learning how to use her tummy. Simple foods like was said earlier are good. I made my son's babyfood by simply steaming fruits and veggies and then pureeing them. Again, I would have a Dr's advice. Just to make sure.

[purelegance]

i'm not sure how formula works (DD was purely bf), but i know they are to be weaned @ 1 year, so for an 11 month old to only have formula as a drink seems normal to me. Also, the baby is 11 months, there's very very few foods that she can't handle right now. The only restricted foods that i can think of are berries, nuts, honey, etc. and that's only until 12 months, i can't think of any others past that age.

[redhead31293]

thanks so much for all your comments!

[twinzplus3]

Actually. . .did you know Japanese babies start solid foods around that time. . .and one of their first foods is radishes? Spices, garlic, etc. - just not such a big deal. Bologna I'd skip because it has such little nutritional value.

Tomatoes however, are highly allergenic-quite a few babies are allergic to them and perhaps that's the problem with the baby. I didn't ff at all, and my kids were a little late to start solids but we skipped baby food entirely with most of them. My youngest three are huge fans of spicy food!