I think I need to start from scratch. Help.

[ilovetosleep]

I've posted about weaning before but I think I need to get back to basics and start from scratch.

DS2 is not taking to food very well and I'm feeling very disheartened. DS1 ate anything and everything, lumps, chunks, crunchy, puree, spoon, finger food - the lot, right from 6 months on the dot. Now I realise I was very lucky. We all loved the weaning process and had so much fun.

DS1 is 28 weeks and we have been going for about a month now. I started with a bit of mush - sweet potato etc. I have never ever pureed anything in my life, only mashed with a fork, but it turns out DS2 doesn't really like that. He gags on even mash, and gets quite upset.

We had some success initially with avocado, hummous, butternut, but he doesn't seem to want those now. I have tried finger food, he can't quite get it in his mouth, his aim is pretty poor! I have tried offering food from my own hand - this is most successful. I have tried pre loaded spoons - the other hand grabs the food and it gets smeared somewhere. Spoon feeding - he keeps his mouth shut. He is just totally uninterested in food. Unless it comes from an Ella's pouch, so my instinct now is to avoid those as I don't want to be totally dependent on them! Oh and he will eat stewed fruit mixed with baby porridge and sometimes I put some ebm in which he likes.

The problem is not that he won't eat, as I know its just for fun etc. But I am getting upset because it is not fun at all, he does not enjoy meal times one bit. He hates his high chair, is marginally better in the bumbo. He will grab the food and play for about 3 minutes, he might let 3 or 4 spoons in, but once he starts to gag or if he doesn't like the taste (most of the time) then quickly he gets agitated, grizzles, starts arching his back to push out of the chair, and eventually cries. I've never seen him smile from the taste of food.

It's not fun at all.

I am worried that I've been a bit too haphazard with it all - a bit of finger food here, a bit of puree there. some really bland things - plain potato etc - and some days some really quite strong flavours - yesterday we had lentil curry. I think I need some help getting some structure in. Maybe I should follow Annabel Karmel to the letter (not usually my style!)

I had hoped to blw but its all been made complicated but suspected allergies so am avoiding dairy, soya, wheat and egg, so he can't just eat off my plate. And he gags so much on the finger food that I just thought puree might be easier.

Oh and he has had TT (released) but I don't doubt that is still causing issues.

I really, really don't want to cause a food aversion, so where do I go from here? I also know that he;s only 6 months and it really doesn't matter yet, but like I said its the lack of enjoyment that is the problem here. Everyoe talks about babies playing with their food in blw but I don't seem to be getting that.

Thanks in advance!

[Alixion]

We're going through similar still at 8mo. I have accepted that we are going to take weaning veeeerrrrryyy slowely.

DS will take a max of 6 spoons of very fine, plain baby porridge. He has pear mixed with some baby rice at lunch and then a yoghurt in the afternoon.

I've tried all sorts of plain finger food to play with but like you he just gets distressed sitting in his high chair after a few minutes. I have had more success without a plastic bib so just using his milk dribble bib thingy and I sit right in front of him and he kicks me while he eats! This seems to keep him happier and I try to give praise and make it short and sweet!

Not very helpful advice sorry! I was really stressing over it too but have relaxed a bit more as time has passed from the pressure of him being 6 months and needing to wean straight away!

[Littlef00t]

How's his sitting? Is he stable enough to sit him on the floor (padded with a rug) with a plastic sheet and put food on the floor? Might make it more fun.

My dd hated her high chair until we got one that grows and realised the first one had the tray far too high and was like us kneeling at the dining table.

[Pointlessfan]

He'll still be getting all his nutrients from milk at the moment so why don't you just have a complete break for a couple of days then come back to it? We are doing BLW and I got stressed about the gagging 3 weeks in. We had a couple of days off then started again with things I know DD can manage eg banana, and 3 weeks later she's eating all sort of things. There's no rush so try not to worry.

[ilovetosleep]

Thanks for all the replies!

Things are going a little better hit only marginally. He has had a few new things and seemed to love peanut butter, and any kind of fruit. He still doesn't seem happy with it all though. The high chair, the spoon, the food all send him ino a rage.

I will try picnic on te floor, his sitting is v good.

I know he gets all his nutrients from milk but the problem is he is a night feeder and will not drink during the day! I am bfing every 2 hrs at night and had hoped to get him fuller in the day to start tackling the nights. Ugh. All the while we are also trying to figure out if he has allergies etc so that isn't helping with being able I blw.

It's all so stressful! I'm sure he can sense y anxiety too, but I know I need to slow it down and stop worrying as its still early days...

[zonkmeister]

I am totally with you... My 8 month old started well, but now seems to get stressed by the idea of anything! Ella's veg punches the only nutrients right now...

[zonkmeister]

Pouches, obviously...