How do people get their babies to eat food if they are not interested?

[bumbleweed]

We are trying BLW because dd started pushing spoon away after a couple of weeks or puree weaning, so read up on the BLW philosophy and it seemed very sensible.

She then became interested in spoons, and sometimes likes to feed self porridge or mashed veg if we 'help' her to load the spoon up. She also has good finger feeding skills and can chew fine.

However, just barely eats anything at all.

She is 9 months and still breastfed.

But she at today one small piece of pear for brekkie, a cherry for lunch (veg batons rejected, rice rejected) and an inch square piece of bread and hummus at tea-time.

I know I prob shouldnt be worried as she has her milk, but her weight gain has slowed this month, and I just wondered what others do if their babies reject food. Someone I know suggested distracting with a toy and then spooning food in?

[purplemonkeydishwasher]

Bumble, my DS is the same. He's 10 months and barely eats any solids. I generally try a big variety of things (17 course meal!) and if he eats a bit of a couple of things it's a good meal.
At least she still has you to give her the nutrition she needs.
Oh, and if she's a lot more active she probably won't put on as much weight as before. DS has put on a pound in about 6 weeks.

[PigeonPie]

bumbleweed, I think it might be the heat at the mo. My DS has hardly eaten anything today, but has upped his bfeeds and has also drunk quite a bit of water, so I'm not too bothered (I might be if it still happens when it's got cooler though!).

[bumbleweed]

purplemonkey, I was wondering how many different 'varieties' to offer at one meal! Half of me says - just offer a couple of things and if she eats she eats and if she doesnt she doesnt - ie thats real life and how I would like to be when she is older.

But the other half thinks 'but she's my baby and I want her to grow big and clever so maybe she would prefer something different' (delves into fridge and produces 3 more veg and 2 more fruits)

yes didnt think about the heat (strangely as it is absolutely mafting as we say up north) - could well reduce appetite

[wherethewildthingsare]

I agree with the heat thing and lots of people will say she is just fine at the moment but when she is approaching a year old you may have to cut down on her milk by reducing the amounts of feeds you offer her and replacing them with a cup. Have you tried offering her a little water or dilute juice? I also bf as required but stick to conventional mealtimes for 'solids' so there is more interest.

[januarymum]

As someone who's dd (now to 2.6yrs) and still not a great eater.

I wouldn't worry as long as dd trying new foods, it took my DD about a year to get the eating of food as apposed to bottle (couldn'd b/f) i think that they get used getting milk in the way they want and its easier then trying to eat.

As she is still gaining weight then then don't worry my dd actual lost weight during weaning as she was and is so active eg walking at 10 mths.

We used to give her own 2 spoons then i would use my 1 to feed and be grateful that i managed to get her to eat anything.

i would go the route of toy distracting then meal times become a game.

Does where you go for weight have a hv who specialise in weaning, who may be able to give you more advice.

[kiskidee]

i didn't get anything into her that she didn't want. no point stressing out yourself and your little one. at 13 months old she started to eat 3 meals of virtually anything we put in front of her when only a month before she was gagging on the teeniest bits of ham hidden in mash potato.

[kiskidee]

my dd is still bf at 15 months and only weighs 21 lbs (just) yet she is a powerpack of energy and is v. strong for her size. what i am saying is: look at your baby. is she happy and energetic? then don't worry about weightgain. when she is ready to eat, she will.

oh i didn't offer a too choice of varieties as they kept ending up on the floor and i work fulltime. i offered whatever was convenient for me to prepare and whatever was offered up at the nursery. as standbys i always sent in natural yoghurt with a bit of jam. if she downright refused anything, she would usually eat the yoghurt. That went on for months and then she started to accept weetabix, and then porridge. even now she gets readybrek (porridge) every morning as i figure that you can't go wrong with porridge.

using 2 spoons is good. now we use one but half way thru she wants to feed herself (and me) and then later on, she lets me feed her again.

this was longer than i intended but i hope you found it useful.

[Squarer]

Snap kiskidee - heat aside, my DS showed no interest in food until he was 13 months and suddenly started grabbing handfuls and shoving them in.
We also like the 2 spoon/fork method for anything that requires utensils these days.
I would say just keep doing what you are doing bumbleweed - sounds great to me!

[Groveregg]

Hi Bumbleweed, you made me feel better when I posted a similar thread a while ago so I shall try to return the favour! My ds (now 10 months) is still not very keen and I have completely stopped trying anything with a spoon as it wasn't getting anywhere. It is gutting when you see your friends all feeding heaps into their younger babies and the babies even learning to use the spoons themselves when ds won't touch one. I had really given up a couple of weeks ago and could hardly be bothered to offer him anything but I have been doing a food diary for the last 10 days for the HV and it actually has really helped - partly because as I knew she would read it I wanted to make extra efforts to show I've been trying lots of different things, but mostly because it's helped me to pinpoint what has gone down well. For us finger sized sandwiches seem to do the trick (and not much else) and yesterday I tried sneaking some of my lovingly prepared puree out of the freezer into a sandwich and he ate 4 of them for lunch which is more than half a slice of bread, his best meal ever. More than anything I think things might be changing (famous last words) as he gets more active and needs more calories; he worked out how to get up and down steps (our house is full of them) and is now bombing round the house. I'm sure that soon I'll be posting a new thread asking for help again but for the time being I feel quite positive, as long as I don't start comparing to any other babies...

[bumbleweed]

thanks you guys

as usual I do feel better after the bout of reassurance I always get on here

I am so glad to hear that there isnt anything totally obvious I am missing or should be doing, and that other babies just 'got' food in due time.

I will keep on with the different flavours and type of food then but not go to too much effort with the purees

groveregg, when I posted you some help it must have been when dd was having her adventurous hummus and guacamole phase - recently such delicacies totally rejected, hmmmph

But really glad to hear that your ds is wolfing down your puree sarnies. DD sounds similar in that she is very active crawling and standing up on furniture.

[Groveregg]

Well actually he sussed out the puree sandwiches this lunchtime, I am going to have to use less filling! We did have a rubbish day for food actually... but you might be interested in a book I got in the post today, My Child Won't Eat by Carlos Gonzalez. It seems really good and looks just what is needed to reassure me when things get bad even if it is a bit American.

[PanicPants]

your lo's sound just like ds. Rejects the spoon - just shakes head and pushes it away so I've been giving him puree sandwiches too, and in pitta breads. Also give him bread sticks, cheese, banana, cucumber etc etc.

But does take his breakfast (weetabix/readybreak and fruit)from a spoon hmmmmmm.

Most of it ends up on the floor though

[Drillbert]

I have been suffering the same lack of interest in food. DS is 6 1/2 months now and is taking a bit of food especially if I pick one of his favourites - the sweeter the better but I am trying to resist giving him fruit all the time. I have resorted to mixing pear puree in with his veggies but that only works sometimes.
I live in France and the advice over here is quite different from the UK which considering it is all supposed to be based on science is confusing!! No help from health visitors, just occasional visits to the paedetrician, so it is really nice to visit the website and find out that DS is 'normal'. They start weaning at 5 months over here and expect him to be having 3 'full' meals a day by now and 3 milk feeds. We are still on 5 milk and 3 small meals a day so it is very reassuring to see that this isn't too bad!!