to just feed my 7.5mo broccoli and cucumber

[LittleSausageFingers]

I'm on maternity leave with a BF almost 8mo who I love to bits, but this weaning business is driving me crazy. Started on purees at 6mo, wouldn't take a spoon, turned head away, clamped mouth shut, became quite a battle. So we turned to BLW, offering mainly veggie sticks, toast, etc. She messed around with it, but either gagged and vommed or spat it out. Persevered, managed to get her to have a bit of puree from a spoon, but three weeks ago she got a cold (now fine) and hasn't had anything from the spoon since, so back to BLW.

I know the advice is to give them what you're having, and I try to, but DH gets back so late that she can't have dinner with us (I tend to cook after she's in bed as she's quite demanding, especially at the moment, won't be put down). DH is also veggie due to IBD so I don't cook meat really, although I do want her to eat meat. Most of our meals have meat substitute in, which I'm not sure I should be giving her. Also, she has no teeth, she just can't seem to break anything down enough to swallow it. I've been doing this three times a day for a month and a half, and basically nothing goes down, bar a little bit of cucumber and broccoli. I'm so fed up of the mess, the stress, hearing about her little baby friends who are eating three course dinners at 7 months.

I feel like something that sounds so easy ('oh, just give her a corner of what you're having') is insanely difficult. I have a PhD, ffs, and I can't feed a human. AIBU to just give her broccoli and cucumber every meal since it's all she'll "eat"?

I'm no expert - DS would eat beans on toast for every meal if I let him and weaning was a horrendous nightmare for me. Looking back, I can only advise what is now say to myself - give your DD a little of what your having plus cucumber and broccoli BUT don't care if she just messes about with it. Make sure she's getting plenty of milk and TRY TRY TRY not to care.

DS wasn't really eating at 7 months, he's still BF'd so I didn't worry.
Have you tried petite filous? Or Little Stars are supposed to be the better option I think.

Agree stick to the veg you're having at the mo if it's easier. If you want you can always save a bit of what you have the night before to give at lunch assuming it doesn't have Quorn in.

Stop worrying! I've done BLW with all three of mine and what you've described sounds pretty familiar - in the early stages there was a lot of gagging, mushing, gumming, playing.. and not a lot of eating!

Just keep giving her bits and bobs (steamed vegetables are good, soft fruits, breadsticks, etc, etc) and she'll get there. If she's BF she'll be getting everything she needs nutritionally from you so she's got time to explore and learn about food.

Thank you all so much for the replies. It's a massive relief to know this is normal. Great suggestions for foods to try (some of which we have given before, but will persevere with).

I had no idea it could be quite so soul destroying, and while I'm trying to keep it casual I'm pretty sure my baby will be the subject of a Hugh F-W War on Waste programme... "This baby is single handedly responsible for 90% of food waste in the UK today..."

DS aid nearly two now, we're on holiday in a hotel so I can't do him his favourite meals, and I swear he's living off thin air. Every plate of food he's been served, 90% goes back to the kitchen (or on the floor). It's soul-destroying tbh but I TRY so hard not to let him see that it bothers me.

YANBU my DD has been a tiny eater ever since we started weaning and wouldn't really eat solids until around 1. She's now three and still lives off fresh air. I laugh in restaurants when they offer us the kids menu...she would never eat a full meal!

As long as she isn't losing weight and is still having milk then don't stress.

Neither of mine ever ate much at that age - they sucked stuff and spat it out or threw it on the floor. Dd loved to gag and projectile vomit too. Which was fun.

I used to just put stuff on the high chair tray and leave them to it. Also just had to be meh about the mess.

Dd used to love soup and bread at that age - it was unbelievably messy. Other hits included sweet potato, scrambled egg, cheese, pasta twirls, peas, mashed potato, cheese on toast, yogurt, breadsticks, rice cakes, cottage cheese, pepper, mango and pineapple.

Your food waste comment really resonates. I give my baby just a bit at a time so if she starts going mad throwing it on the floor at least it's not too much.

She is 9 months and still not eating a lot, though it is starting to get a bit more. My dirty secret is she loves eating the food off the floor that she has thrown there. For some reason it is more appealing the second time round. Shoes are now banned from the kitchen.

Hold your nerve!! BLW can be a bit dispiriting to begin with, if every other baby you know is eating a kilo of purée a day, FWIW, my 7.5mo old consumes practically nothing - I'd say he's actually swallowed the equivalent of about a tablespoon of purée in the past 6 weeks, but he seems to be enjoying himself and is definitely getting the hang of what to actually do with food! My older son was exactly the same - didn't really get the hang of it until about 9mo -and is a brilliant eater now.

Some good food ideas on here but my back-ups are usually avocado, melon, crumpet, breadsticks, plum, toast with cream cheese, pasta tubes etc.

babies stomachs are tiny so only little amount are needed.
Grated cheese is a hit here, chilled apples sliced are nice on the gums as are icecubes knotted in a muslin cloth for chomping if LO is teething.
Toast with various toppings dairylea/marmite etc.
It will be messy the poundshop sells shower curtains that are useful for popping under the highchair to catch mess.

It is the best approach to just give her a bit of what you're having, I know that's annoying to hear. Just chuck it on her tray, with a bit of broccoli too as you know she likes that and if she doesn't eat it don't worry.

My 9 month old has always been a good eater but sometimes she just isn't interested. If I chuck a few strawberries in front of her she'll scoff them straight down because she loves them then start on the other stuff too, it's like she just needs something to get her interested.

If what you're having is too late, then you can save a bit and give her what you had yesterday. It's fine. She might throw it on the floor, might taste it, might eat it. Try not to worry.

Tofu is recommended for weaning!

I hated weaning. At that age DS was having mashed banana or sweet potato if he was lucky. Mango was a big hit as I recall. Don't worry about meals, just give her tastes of things.

Be very wary if offering quorn. Lots of people have bad digestive reactions to it. Personally I'd wait a bit longer before trying her with it.

You may have already thought about this, but if you're cooking late, make a bit extra and chuck a couple of tiny portions in the freezer. You'll quickly have a batch of 'a bit of what you're having' ready in the freezer several hours before you cook for you and dh. And much easier to bung in the microwave or leave in the fridge during the day than cooking with an awake baby!

I'm trying to remember what we have the kids at that age that they particularly liked. Soft fruits - rasps and blueberries, pasta done in those no-salt baby stock cubes you can get in Boots, err... breadsticks, hummus (think that might have been after 12m as it's a bit salty), roasted butternut squash, peas - oh, definitely peas, just frozen ones, it takes them an age to eat them but they love them and it helps with the thumb and finger grip.

Try and think of it as messy play with food. They really only need to have a go at feeling and tasting it at this age.

Sympathies OP! I had one of those too. Wouldn't eat anything. Around 9 months she finally started eating ready break and yoghurt from a spoon...that let me mush insome fruit. Really really finely sliced (or shredded as someone posted above) roastchicken breast was a revelation...(just ready cooked m&s....who has time to roast a chicken?!) and let her feed herself. We started cutting down bottles which increased her appetite around 10 months. Only really been eating 3 'meals' a day since 13 months and even now, will have days where she barely swallows two mouthfuls of food. But....She's healthy....She's a good weight, she doesn't scream or tantrum demanding food (which some of my friends DC do and for which I am very greatful!). Weaning was stressful but once I ended up just having faith that she would go at her own pace, I felt better about it. pincer grip stage was also a big milestone....set her off on blueberry halfs, peas and sweet corn. At least they are easy enough to clear off the floor! Good luck OP it will get better

Radical I know, but cook when she's in bed and have that for dinner with her the next day and your DH can have the rest when he gets some. That way she'll see you eat which is a big driver for them. Then she can prat about with whatever you put in front of her. Then she'll start eating it all and you'll revel in the baby that eats all. Then she'll turn 2 and you'll be back on here saying that all she'll eat are sausages .

There will be mess...Buy some cheap shower curtains £2.00 from Asda. One on the floor under her chair and another Blu tacked to the wall.

I wouldn't worry about it give her what you can and what she will eat. DS3 was a reluctant weaner and wouldn't let a solid pass his lips till 7 months, he didn't really get into it till 8/9 months. He's nearly 5 now and eats most things when he's not being annoying!

my 5yo pretty much got to 5 on cucumber, broccoli, hummous, carrots and toast.

You're doing great - don't let it stress you out.

Oh and DS was weaned on Quorn and tofu because that's what we ate a lot of. There's nothing wrong with giving babies vegetarian substitutes.

My eldest DC learned to feed me fromage frais before they learned to feed themselves: it was like a game: we both ended up with faces shiny with dairy product, but it really helped develop the spoon technique.
It works itself out when the time is right OP. The main thing to remember is don't stress, don't let her know you are stressing, and, most importantly, don't wipe her face constantly; a baby covered in food is a baby learning so don't put her off. Laugh about this, then she will.