Mil And Baby Supremacy Feeling Irritated

Ew....
Take the kid away and feed yourself.

 

Hi @kaveriudy I can imagine how you feel - I would be raging mad myself.
If you don't want your mother-in-law to do - she has no right to do it. Please ask her firmly and politely to stop.

I do want to tell you that it used to common for *parents* to do this for their babies - I've heard of it myself and seen my family members do it for one specific item like peanuts - baby is too small to have nuts but really likes the flavor of roasted peanuts so father did it for his baby son and daughter. But I am sure it wasn't the grandparent's right to do it. I was curious so I did try it once for little boy - also peanuts. Then I decided to use mortar+pestle to crush to bits and give him.
Parents are taking a risk to do this - transferring numerous mouth germs (as well as maybe beneficial digestive enzymes) to the baby. But it *has* to be parent's decision.

I also know of a friend of mine from far east Asia. Her 11-month old was fed all family food - many types of meat and fish - chewed by her mother (who was my colleague) for the entire meal for &every* meal! And her reasoning was that was how she ate from her mother throughout her childhood till she got teeth.

(I don't agree to the teeth reasoning - gums are strong bones that can do a lot of work that we don't give enough opportunity for)

So it is common - but your MIL definitely should not be doing unless you have asked her to do it.

Maybe tell her to stop based on germs being transferred. If she says she did it for her kids - tell her it is different for a mother to do it - because biologically your body through birth and breastfeeding is highly customized for what baby needs - this is not at all true for grandmother and baby.

The logic i've heard my mother say for this is: babies who eat chewed family food get exposed to lots of real tastes - and won't have to be kept on bland or special baby/toddler specific food for long.

Anyway, it HAS to be your choice. I would put my foot down if I were you.

 

It is not right is she out of her mind ..
She has so many germs in her mouth say her it is not good for the baby and it will cause infection.. if was a necessary then doc would tell u ..what nonsense is this..stay firm n let her know u will not this happen stop it ..

 

Every human individuals mouth would have at least 200 different varieties of bacteria.
Many of them are not disease producing but few of them do cause diseases. An example is meningococcal bacteria and pneumococcal bacteria. These two bacteria live as normal commonsal bacteria in adult Mouths.

In the adults saliva , who have it , it may not cause disease in their entire life because that adult would have immunity to that bacteria.

But children's Mouth's normal bacterial population will be naive and will be totally different from that of an adult. If an adult contaminates a child's mouth with his or her own adult saliva, then the child developing dreaded infections with pneumococcus (pneumonia) and meningococcus ( brain fever) is very high.

One more infection that is documented spread from one saliva to another, is "infectious mononucleosis"; ( please Google it) this is a viral disease. This is not as dreaded as the two diseases mentioned in the above para. But this also can cause prolonged fever in a child.

@pinky2cute is a post graduate medical doctor. Let's invite her input on this.

She is a competent authority to comment on the issue.

Show this information to your husband. Convince him about scientific reality behind your mother in law's disgusting practice. Ask him to Councel his mother to stop this practice.

Making the young baby vulnerable to an adult salival infection, for no fault of it , is a big, " no no".

 

No this is not right ....I think you need to talk to her on this and say you don't like this.

Even my mil has the habit of saying always this is how I have raised my kids...I agree. But have you ever allowed your in laws to raise your kids??I keep thinking this question in my mind..

I always say that take all the privileges of grand parents..I will never even question and I dont have the rights to do so...But at the same time don't question what I do for my kid..I will never ever do anything wrong for them and it's absolutely my right to bring them up the way I want. Suggestions can be poured in but don't ever try to put rules on my decisions...

 

Mom's kiss can spread cavities to baby

Are we living in stone age or are we birds?
Why not just pressure cook food to make it softer?

 

Op, I don't know where you live.
This is child abuse in USA

 

So gross and risky too. Please takeover food prep and feeding of your baby since she doesn't listen to you. Be firm. Do not shout or loose temper even when you feel raging anger. Just repeat that "yes, i understand. You had the opportunity to raise your kids as you deemed fit. I want to do the same."

 

You should clearly state that this is not acceptable.