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"?

If DD isn't actively loosing weight, then she's getting enough to eat isn't she? It's easy to get het up about it and with a PhD you're probably doing more soul searching about it than most. It's not massively mentally stimulating weaning a baby but don't fill all the available brain space with worry! Loads of good suggestions in thread above and she'll start hoovering more as and when her body actually needs it.

In addition to suggestions above, I found stuffed tortellinis helpful. Stick them in the freezer, cook 3 or 4. Lots of different flavours available with different veg/meat/cheese combos and they only take 5 mins to cook from frozen. Can add veg cubes & sauce if you're feeling flash & as they get hungrier. The salt brigade will probably point out its too high as ready prepared-but handy every now and then.

Second baby here at same age as yours. My advice? Bits of your food or carrot/fruit/rice cake/peas/cheese cubes on tray. Easy stuff, don't over think it. AVERT EYES UNTIL THEY SOUND FED UP IN HIGHCHAIR AND CRACK ON EATING YOURSELF. Survey the carnage. Sigh. Wash baby with flannel and remove to somewhere safe. Clean the mess of the highchair. Clean the mess of the floor while they cry through separation anxiety. Look forward to a year onward when the baby has better motor skills! Honestly don't worry, some will tun out picky eater kids and later grow out of it. Keep offering and sighing . Not much you can do otherwise unless you feed them like you were making fois gras.

My youngest child didn't eat anything until his first birthday! He was born big 10lb 7 and despite him being my fourth child I just couldn't wean him onto food. I tried everything but he wouldn't put anything to his mouth wouldn't sit in a high chair so I just left it. I didn't stress I still offered but he wouldn't even attempt to eat anything. Despite this he walked a day before turning 9mnths and was huge 30lb just before turning 1! On his first birthday we made him a cake and he ate it, the first thing he had actually wanted and enjoyed eating. From there it just got better, he's now 3 still large but very tall (average 6yr old height) and eats like a horse. please don't think it's down to you, some take a little longer with the eating and they do like to test us . She will soon be wanting your whole meal .

Ooh, I remember the mess. Not fun.

Give the baby a baby spoon and let him/her get on with it. Dole out small amounts as too much tends to be interpreted as a projectile.

Avacado, banana, toast with butter & marmite, steamed carrots, soft peaches.

As for vegetarian protein a bit of boiled tofu (firm or semi-firm tofu) would work.

DS was same at that age, only started eating proper 3 meals at around 1 when l returned to work.
Few other food suggestions: poached pear - easy to make, a bit messy but DS loved them. At 7 months DM used to make him soups: homemade chicken broth made from chicken wings, or very lean beef, carrots, bouquet garni, then add tiny pasta shapes (like little stars) or semolina and very tiny shredded bits of cooked meat. DS could not have enough of these.

And like others said don't worry to much, they all get there eventually. You are doing great.

It's really good to hear that this isn't abnormal. I don't think she's put a thing in her mouth today! I made the mistake of asking the HV for advice. All I really wanted was some reassurance that she'd get there in the end. HV basically blamed me for breastfeeding her, said I need to cut down her feeds to make her hungry enough to eat she currently has no idea that food can fill her up, so not quite sure how that works

I'm 7 weeks pregnant with number 3 and you just brought it all screaming back for me op...i'm already dreading the weaning bit and dc3 is nowhere near even here yet!

It's completely normal, they'll eat when they're ready. But I wouldn't only offer things she'll eat, i'd keep trying a good variety of things.

Give her a yoghurt and a spoon and see what she does. After draping everything in sight with tarpaulin that is.

Ignore your HV. They seem to think babies of 7-8 months should be sitting at the table with their family for three meals a day eating with cutlery. I heard the same advice given to another mum while I was waiting for DS's weight and height check and had to try very hard not to harrumph from the other side of the room.

Do whatever works for you. Some babies do wolf down food. In my mums group there was one boy who would eat half an avocado, some rice and mashed vegies and fruit for lunch at about 8-9m old. My DS would pick at one or two things and then the rest would be over the side. Both perfectly normal.

Don't stop breastfeeding, but do time her "meals" for when she's due a feed, but not so starving she is blind to all but the boob.
You're doing fine, seriously. Just offer stuff and then throw it away. This is your life now

I had one DC on 3 meals a day at 7 months and the second barely ate a thing until 11 months. She got round to it in her own time. Ignore the HV, it's sounds like you are doing great. Wang your DD a variety of food whenever it's convenient to do so. Let her enjoy smearing it everywhere and throwing it on the floor. Think of it as 'food exploration time' rather than meal time. If any goes in her mouth, consider it a bonus. As long as she is not losing weight, stop worrying until she is at least a year old.

YANBU. Broccoli and cucumber are healthy so I wouldn't worry.

I did wonder if you were breastfeeding. It seems to be a lot more common in breastfed babies that they take to food later. My dd loves food BUT still doesn't actually get much in her mouth and still needs loads of feeds. She is basically in a High chair eating, or breastfeeding (or roaming rooms finding electrical cables)

AIBU? Crappy week at work, meeting old friends sans kids (for the first time in forever) and then notice in social media that they've recently invited another couple (who we don't know) to join us. OH thinks it's downright rude, I just balk at the idea of trying to be witty and funny when all I was craving was the easy company of old friends!!

Ha ha, posted in wrong place, sorry!!!!

Is she growing OK?

As long as she is not eating too much broccoli and cucumber and filling her tiny tummy i wouldn't worry. They are both too low calorie for a baby to eat in large quantities.

She's growing fine a8mint, always been between 50th & 75th centiles.

Yesterday I went out for a few hours and DH gave her lunch, it'd been about 5 hours since she'd had any milk, so she will have been hungry. She had a go with some baby corn, but didn't seem any more interested than usual, so i doubt it's that she's too full from milk as the HV was claiming.

Tried breadsticks yday and they were a hit, so can add them to broccoli and cucumber!

One of mine ate bread and banana for ages, he's 6'3", seems ok . I did get him on to those pouches which he liked because he could suck but also introduced him to different flavours which helped

Rice crispies.
They melt on the tongue and are excellent for developing pincer grip. It is also a fun game to put them out in a line or a shape and let her work down one at a time.
Do you give her a spoon so she can have a go when you are trying her with fromage frais or purées? Everything can be a game for now, as long as she's getting enough milk.

Gah! Zombie!