Advice about weaning

[Mysharonawoana]

I am struggling with my DS’s first solid foods and wondered if anyone could offer some advice or experience.

He is 6 months old and showing signs of teething. The only purée he will allow me to feed him is fruit. He will rarely eat more than one mouthful of anything else.

He’s much more keen on finger foods but seems to tire very easily while in the high chair (he sleeps well and has regular naps). He gets irritated and cries very easily when eating.

As a result he is only really managing one handful of finger food (broccoli or banana seem to be favourites). I then go back to trying to give him a purée and he buries his chin in his chest and holds his mouth clamped shut.

He is growing on the same centile as he was at birth and otherwise meeting milestones and happy in himself.

Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to help him accept more solid foods? Or to make weaning more fun for us both? I was looking forward to it all before and now I already feel like a bit of a failure.

[CaveMum]

He's only 6 months - don't panic! Babies get all the nutrition they need from milk alone until they are 1 so it really doesn't matter if they're not eating much in the way of solids right now.

He will gradually increase the amount of solid he takes in over the next few months, just keep offering and let him play with it - soon he will start to eat it rather than just playing.

If he refuses puréed food then just stick with the finger food, you'll actually find it easier in the long run! Have a look at this website for more advice: www.babyledweaning.com/some-tips-to-get-you-started/

[Mysharonawoana]

Thank you! Yes I’m very much more inclined to the finger foods. He has never screwed up his face if eating with his hands, his reaction to purée is just not as positive. But he seems to get so tired... rubs his face with his broccoli... I will give it time. Thanks that’s really good of you to advise.

[CaveMum]

No problem, I'm just starting weaning with my DS who is a totally different kettle of fish to my DD who took straight to it and shovelled in anything she could get her hands on!

DS is still at the "smushing everything in his hands" stage with very little actually making it to his mouth!

[amelie427]

Yes I would stick with the finger foods as you suggest. Some kids just won’t be spoon fed!

If he’s getting tired or upset, I would be mindful of only offering food when he’s woken from a sleep and had milk. If he’s fully rested and full of milk, he’s likely to be in the best mood to explore the food. He won’t understand yet that food is to satisfy his hunger - he’ll slowly realise that once stuff starts to go in, and then he should gradually drop his milk feeds over time.

[wintertravel1980]

Babies get all the nutrition they need from milk alone until they are 1 so it really doesn't matter if they're not eating much in the way of solids right now.

I know this is what popular websites like Kellymom tend to say these days but this is wrong.

Even WHO (who are extremely pro-breast feeding) acknowledge that breast milk on its own will not provide sufficient iron and zinc to babies over 6 months.

Here is the link to WHO guidelines on complimentary feeding:

www.who.int/nutrition/publications/guiding_principles_compfeeding_breastfed.pdf

However, breast milk is relatively low in several minerals such as iron and zinc, even after accounting for bioavailability. At 9-11 months of age, for example, the proportion of the Recommended Nutrient Intake that needs to be supplied by complementary foods is 97% for iron, 86% for zinc, 81% for phosphorus, 76% for magnesium, 73% for sodium and 72% for calcium (Dewey, 2001)

[Oly5]

It’s true that milk won’t provide enough iron etc for him. Start giving vitamin drops and keep trying with solids. He’ll get the hang of it eventually.
I’d make sure he’s hungry at mealtimes and not full of milk and then keep trying with finger foods and purées... maybe one spoon in your hand and one spoon in his so he feels in control too. Playing with food is all part of weaning so don’t worry about the mess

[wintertravel1980]

The good news is that babies do not need to have a lot of solids to get sufficient levels of iron and zinc but the popular saying "food before one is just for fun" is really misleading.

[CaveMum]

Yes but you can supplement with vitamins from 6 months old if you are breastfeeding.

My point was that OP needn't stress because her baby is not eating full meals at 6 months old, some babies take longer than others to get to grips with food and far better to take it steady and follow their cues than attempt to force feed with a spoon and create stress and resentment for everyone.

[wintertravel1980]

Yes but you can supplement with vitamins from 6 months old if you are breastfeeding.

The NHS guidelines recommend that all BF babies are given vitamin D supplements from birth. Children between 6 months and 5 years may also be given vitamin A and vitamin C:

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/vitamins-for-children.aspx

Standard baby vitamin supplements do not usually help with iron and zinc. The NHS and WHO both recommend that these nutrients come from solids.

[MrsBriteSide]

No one told me about vit D for my breastfed baby! Too late now as she's 6 months and I've just finished breastfeeding and moved to formula. Hopefully with her being a summer baby she got enough vitamin from daylight on her skin?!? You'd have thought that the array of midwives and health visitors I saw after the birth would have mentioned it. No one did!

[wintertravel1980]

MrsBriteSide - if your DD is getting vitamin D supplements now (via formula), I am pretty sure she will be fine. You do not really need supplementation in summer - NHS just try to keep their recommendations simple.

I also found that a lot of midwifes and HVs are so focused on promotion of BF that they do not mention anything that can cast even the slightest doubt regarding superiority of breast milk. I was lucky to get a great HV who gave me a lot of useful information but it was definitely luck. Some of the stories I have heard from my NCT friends were very different.