Struggling to know if we are doing well or not...

[MummaV]

DD is nearly 8 months old and has been flat out refusing any food at all until last week. We'd previously tried purees, finger foods, spoon feeding etc and everything was met with mouth clamped shut and a meltdown. HV told us to just wait it out and keep trying.

So I bought some of the lumpier pouches and other bits and just kept trying every few days.

In the last week she has finally started eating but I don't know if we need to be doing anything else or on what schedule should we add other things.

She has baby porridge with fruit puree for breakfast, approximately half a pouch of food for lunch (spaghetti bol, cottage pie and cheesy tomato pasta have all been hits) followed by either some fruit puree or some cut up fruit. For her evening meal she's having the other half of the pouch and either veg or fruit pieces.

She doesn't seem to like eating food herself, she'll hold a piece of toast or fruit but not put it in her mouth she'll only eat it if it's in my hand.

She is still having her formula on top of this and a sippy cup with water at meal times (not that she ever seems to drink the water).

Need reassurance really, are we doing ok? What can we do to make things better/easier?

[nephrofox]

I would just keep offering her bits of whatever you're eating. Is there any reason she is having pouches rather than the same meals as you? As long as you leave out the salt she can have pretty much anything at 8 months. I would mash some up for her and offer on a spoon, plus some chunkier bits like a floret of broccoli or whatever

[nephrofox]

Try and keep the emotion out if it. If you sit in front of her making her meal a massive focus, she's more likely to keep her mouth shut. If you sit next to her and focus on your own meal / chatting with whoever then just offer her the spoon periodically she's more likely to copy you and open her mouth

[Domino777]

Mine was only eating an ice cubes worth at each meal time at 8 months. It's only really a taste of different foods in addition to the milk at this point. Up to a year it's all about the milk. Your best bet is feeding her your food so that she gets a taste for what you eat. Mostly stay away from processed stuff and sweet stuff. Let her eat as little or as much as she wants without stress or enticing her

[Domino777]

Having weaned them onto homemade adult food, they are the least fussy eaters I know aged 3-13