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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Does your baby make a mess when eating?

86 replies

Motherofking · 19/02/2021 10:04

When I feed my baby food ends up on his face hair clothes sometimes the floor. I can never seem to feed him and keep him clean. My husband is critical saying he has never seen a mother make such a mess when feeding their baby but I don't intentionally make a mess . My baby ties to self feed , or puts his hands in his mouth with food in it or pushes the spoon out if my hands which drops and causes mess. He makes me seem like such a crappy mother because of it . Tells me in doing something wrong because with his previous child with his ex he doesn't ever remember their being mess when eating . So now I don't know if this is normal or am I doing something wrong . Im a first time mum with no baby experinces and I don't have mum friends unfortunately due to lockdown ive not been able to make any so I don't know if this is normal or am I doing something wrong
Do you mums end up with some mess on the floor after feeding your baby ?

OP posts:
LutherRalph1 · 19/02/2021 10:06

Some mess?!

All the mess! Babies are messy

Your husband sounds like an arsehole

Bagamoyo1 · 19/02/2021 10:08

Of course babies make a mess when eating. It’s what they do!

Camomila · 19/02/2021 10:08

I did BLW with both of mine, I put an old plastic tablecloth under the high chair!
So yes, IME for there to be lots of mess when babies eat.

Does the ever feed the baby? I bet he wouldn't do a neater job than you.

LuaDipa · 19/02/2021 10:08

Of course babies make a mess when they eat. Agree, your dh sounds like an arsehole.

MissTheodore · 19/02/2021 10:08

Babies make a mess. This is completely normal. Ask your husband to show you how it’s done, since he’s such an expert. He sounds ridiculous.
If your baby is happy and the mess is cleared up afterwards, who cares?

User27aw · 19/02/2021 10:10

All babies are messy. Course they do they're babies.
Your husband sounds horrible, I'll bet he has never fed your baby himself.

PogoTheClown · 19/02/2021 10:10

Cheap plastic table cloth under the high chair and we fed him in just his nappy to begin with.

Mrsjayy · 19/02/2021 10:10

Your husband sounds bloody uptight as pp said baby and food make mess.i mean your husband could crack on and do a better job if he likes!

ScottishStottie · 19/02/2021 10:10

I agree with pp to ask your dp to feed the baby and see how he does. Im assuming hes never done it before if his only reference to compare to is his ex feeding a baby, not his own experience despite having at least 2 children...

ComDummings · 19/02/2021 10:12

Totally normal. Some are messier than others. Babies and toddlers love to feel the food so they make a mess playing with it. Plastic backed bib and cheap shower curtain under the high chair and you’re sorted.

FoxtrotOscarPoppet · 19/02/2021 10:12

Completely normal.

As for your husband - ignore the buffoon’s criticisms and enjoy your baby. Children, clothes and high chairs can always be washed. It’s part of parenting.

Perhaps he’d like to take over mealtimes and you can put your feet up with a cup of tea?

IndigoJewel · 19/02/2021 10:12

Mess is an understatement!

FoxtrotOscarPoppet · 19/02/2021 10:13

Completely normal.

As for your husband - ignore the buffoon’s criticisms and enjoy your baby. Children, clothes and high chairs can always be washed. It’s part of parenting.

Perhaps he’d like to take over mealtimes and you can put your feet up with a cup of tea?

ZackaryQuack · 19/02/2021 10:13

Totally normal for food to go everywhere, like pps have said, has he tried to feed vaby?
Babies are messy, and sometimes it only gets messier, my toddler still gets sauce all over his face and in his hair, even with good spoon/fork to mouth control 🤦‍♀️

4amWitchingHour · 19/02/2021 10:16

WTAF??! Yes of course it's messy. Your husband is either lying, forgetful, or was absent for the weaning of his previous child/ren. He also sounds like a total wanker.

abigailsnan · 19/02/2021 10:17

To compare your baby to his other child is very cruel indeed.
Of course this is normal babies do not arrive fully house trained for goodness sake is this man normal ?
I would tell "Father of the Year" to stay away when little one is feeding as his presence is not wanted and he makes the place look untidy.
What an absolute idiot of a man.

Racoonworld · 19/02/2021 10:20

My baby eats with her hands so makes a huge mess!

TryingNotToPanicOverCovid · 19/02/2021 10:20

Completely normal. We changed to the ikea highchair to stop the bits getting caight in thenplastic! And only fed over the floor in the kitchen or ideally outside (maybe not this time of year.)

However we were fairly keen blw at the time and encouraged exploration etc.

I did go to a friends immaculate house and she would only spoonnfeed puree herself and wiped the baby after every spoonfull. I was amazed at how clean she was.

ifitpleasesandsparkles · 19/02/2021 10:22

Your husband is an asshat.

Original poster
Motherofking · 19/02/2021 10:23

Thanks for these responses. I feel better . He's only ever fed him a bit of yogurt twice so wouldn't understand . But I read out these responses to him so he knows it's normal and I'm not doing anything wrong . Also thanks for the suggestions I'll get something to cover up the floor

OP posts:
RealisticSketch · 19/02/2021 10:24

If your baby has been fed and there is a single clean patch on baby that is a minor miracle!! Hair, face, arms, everywhere... even under the bum!
There is a reason that aprons with arms, in fact virtually an entire sou'wester are sold for the purpose of feeding babies.
Most parents joke about feeding their baby in the bath so that it's simpler to get them clean after!
Consider how the baby eats, feeling the food, smooshing the food in the fingers, then rubbing their hair, then flinging arms around gleefully splatting what is on the tray in front of them, occasionally putting food in their mouth... The only way to feed a baby and not need a full clothes change and bath afterwards is to totally control all that. Refuse to let baby touch the spoon, train the baby to open their mouth and let you neatly put the food in... Your baby would be clean but also totally deprived of all the usual sensory experiences learning to eat and exploring food a baby needs.
Your dh is either hopelessly naive or massively unrealistic and either way is being an utter arse!
The best way to deal with feeding baby is to laugh your socks off at how hilariously messy it is (the only sane response) and either wrap baby in waterproof head to toe or wash baby afterwards.
Don't get me wrong, I found the food mess toe curlingly horrid, so I sympathise, but to expect to be able to avoid it or make someone feel like shit cos this is how babies are is nasty.
I occasionally fed baby naked and then put straight in the bath after... Now that whiled away a good couple of hours and was a fun way to address the situation.
Surely your dh had seen the usual pictures of babies/toddlers wearing their spaghetti etc... This is no freak occurrence!
Good luck with teaching your dh not to be a twat about it.

Mrsjayy · 19/02/2021 10:25

Maybe his. Ex kept the bowl away from.the baby And just spoon fed in or something, letting a baby "join in" is great for his development do you give him a spoon as well as yours?

Original poster
Motherofking · 19/02/2021 10:25

My baby also doesn't like being spoon fed . He will happily eat a piece of pasta or chicken over a puree so I don't want to stop him from enjoying his meal over mess that I can clean up

OP posts:
FTM91 · 19/02/2021 10:25

Let your husband feed if he thinks he could do a better job....

Sorry OP he sounds like a knob.

museumum · 19/02/2021 10:25

Some babies open their mouths to be fed like little baby birds. Others (like mine) like to be involved, grabbing the spoon, or “helping” the contents into their mouth with their fingers.