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Weaning

7 month old EBF baby just not interested and off to childminder in a couple of weeks - help!

5 replies

Biped · 13/01/2014 09:44

Hello. I've been attempting weaning with LO, who is 7 months 1 week, for just over a month. He has been pretty much EBF to date. Things seemed to be going ok for the first week or so, but since then he has generally objected if I put a spoon anywhere near his mouth. I've tried giving him his own spoon to hold, but he will use that like a teether and bat away the loaded spoon - the only times he has tolerated spoon feeding even slightly have been for super sweet foods like Petit Filou, which I'm not keen on giving him, and mashed up prunes.

I've also tried baby led weaning with buttered toast soldiers, apple slices etc. He will sometimes suck them, but prefers to wave then around and throw them on the floor without putting them anywhere near his mouth. Either way next to nothing gets eaten.

He totally refuses a sippy cup, getting cross and batting it away if I put it anywhere near his mouth. He has now also started to refuse to take formula from a bottle, which he used to accept on the odd occasion we offered it. Yesterday he had a furious crying fit when I tried to offer a bottle of formula in place of a BF.

Basically, it seems as though he's decided it's breast or nothing, which would be fine, except I'm starting back at work in a couple of weeks!

Can you offer any advice? Could I be doing something wrong? Thank you!

[Trudges off despondently to sweep toast soldiers up from the floor]

OP posts:
Babyof1 · 16/01/2014 12:02

There's lots of advise out there, but probably the main piece is not to panic, especially at food time and try not to encourage too much.

Spoon feeding won't speed things up. Supply the food, same-ish as yours, on the tray table or on a pre loaded spoon and then chat away or get on as you usually would at meal and snack times. Ignore the mess. Don't watch their every move, it's not comfortable. Encouragement isn't helpful. Don't expect a result, ie a clean plate. Give loads of time to this, so it's relaxed and not rushed - meal and snack time take at least half an hour in our house.

Food and drink needs to be fun and not a big deal. It is not their main source of nutrition in that first 6 month patch anyway.

Get some help introducing formula/expressed milk from a cup or bottle - ie not given by you, but by the next best person. Google it, there is loads of info!

Perhaps he's already too hungry when offered the bottle??

See if you can take the pressure off by asking work if you can come back a few weeks late? That's what I did, they were pretty good about that.

SurreyArmyWife · 19/01/2014 18:17

Hi, we are having similar problems, but are probably a couple of weeks further on. DS is almost 8 months old and breastfed. He is only recently starting to take to fromage frais and fruit purée. One day when I was trying, he suddenly opened his mouth and would let me put a little of the spoon in. Until 7 months I don't think he took more than a taste, now he takes about 100g of food split between breakfast and lunch. I also let him play with foods, in the afternoon I put out lots of fruit, veg and cheese, he puts them in his mouth, but still hasn't worked out how to break them down and swallow. Initially I was offering food about an hour after his milk feeds, but now I try the food first at lunch and he takes much more.

We're having the same problems with him not liking a sippy cup, everyday I offer one cup with water and one with formula. On a really good day he will take 20ml of each.

DH is away at the moment, when he's back our plan is that he will try to offer the formula and do the lunchtime feeds at weekends. In the hope that DS will take a little more of everything.

Even though DS still only take a little food, in a couple of weeks we have gone from him eating nothing, to my being able to leave him for up to five or possibly six hours between milk feeds. Could you start back on half days? Good luck.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 19/01/2014 20:10

Have you spoken to your cm biped and has he had any settling in sessions? What did she say?

It could just be that you are worrying over nothing but I think its worth talking this through with a BFC on one of the breastfeeding support Bfing Helplines Smile

Have you read Breastfeeding and childcare and So how do we get started with solids? Just thought there might be something in there that could help Smile

reyhansmummy · 19/01/2014 22:55

I'm having exact same problem!!! try a normal cup my son will occasionally drink from that but does make a mess! and as for food i don't know what to say because my 7 month old ebf doing exactly the same :(

Biped · 22/01/2014 21:43

Thanks all! About a week after I posted this, we had a bit of an epiphany, and he's now eating a bit more - both finger food and off the spoon. It was as though something just clicked in his mind. Still not on top of the drinking though. Surrey and Reyhans I've been offering sips from an open cup, which as you say seems to work a bit better, and I've also been spoonfeeding water when I'm really worried he isn't getting enough liquid.

Good to know there are others experiencing the same thing - I will think of you next time I'm sitting opposite him being spattered with carrot while he conducts an invisible orchestra with his spoon...

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