Have I broken my baby?

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I've posted here & in weaning as it's a bit of both I think.

Ds2 turned 6 months on Saturday so we have started weaning. Trouble is he's not very interested at all. We have tried to make it fun,singing songs etc, given him his own spoon, let him get messy, given him bits to hold but he literally takes 2 maybe 4 spoons (most of which seems to get spat out) before clamping his mouth shut, at which point we stop as don't want it to become a battle.

He had reflux as a young baby so was on medication which he hated. The reflux had reappeared in the last few weeks as he had a bad cold & is teething so is back on the medication which he still hates. He's just got another cold & hates even being given calpol for that & his teething.I'm worried that having to effectively force his medication in him has created a really negative association with things going in his mouth & am really worried he's not going to eat.

Advice please, feeling really crap about it all.

He has only just started this revolutionary new way of ingesting food: it's going to take some time to get used to. And he is actually eating: 2 spoons is absolutely fine. And if he sometimes doesn't want to, it doesn't matter. He doesn't need to fill his nutritional needs from solid for a long time. It all sounds fine to me.

Just relax, treat it as a new and interesting but optional game for now. And don't let yourself get anxious: he is far more likely to pick up on that than on anything you may have done for his reflux.

Incidentally, you don't have to give calpol for a cold unless he has a high fever or is in bad pain. Calpol doesn't have any healing properties and doesn't treat cold symptoms. And if he does have a cold, I'd expect him to go off food in any case.

Poor you, I am sure someone else with more experience will come over to help you but I just thought I'd let you know that there is no rush. We all put pressure on ourselves when it comes to food, and babies don't need that much. A few mouthfulls is fine. Or you could do a bit of baby led weaning, give him some boiled rice to play with and some will go in his mouth, small pasta shapes, sticks of cooked carrots, cooked broccoli, bits of soft fruit, he will play with it and some will be eaten. I don't know much about baby led weaking as I didn't do it with my kids but it looks like a good option. I am sure someone else will give you better advice and point you to a good book/website. I am a childminder and give lots of food for the babies to eat by themselves and it's fine, very messy but fine. A lot ends up on the floor, but some ends up in the mouth!

Six months is the age when most babies can digest food, it doesn't mean you have to wean them then. As long as he is taking his milk he doesn't need food for nutritional purposes for a good while yet. A rule of thumb used to be 'food before one is just for fun' because they still get what they need from milk. A couple of spoons is FINE, normal in fact, but if he's really not interested leave it for a week or two.

And don't worry. He'll get there when he's ready.

My DS also had to be forced to have medication so utterly refused to allow a spoon anywhere near his mouth. So we did baby led weaning (look up the book of the same name). He fed himself everything (did you know you can eat Weetabix and milk with your fingers?). It was incredibly messy (Weetabix sets like concrete) but he got the hang of it.

If he won't let you spoon feed, you can also try putting the food on the spoon and putting it on the tray and let him spoon feed himself. Also messy, but they get better at it!

Don't worry if he isn't eating much, it will click at some point (my DD has just started eating loads at 8 months).

Dd2 refused solids until she was about 9 months-spat out any I got in her. She was a reluctant eater until well gone 2yo.
She's now 9yo and eats like a horse, anything and everything.

Dd1 otoh who was a dream to wean, now is very fussy and hardly eats anything.

Thanks for the replies, I'm feeling reassured this is normal & nothing to worry about yet. Ds1 literally inhaled solids from the word go so this reluctance is a new one for us!
We had slightly more success this lunchtime with xarrot & he really seemed to like putting the spoon in his mouth himself. Think he needs to get b the hang of swallowing though as just holds it on his tongue & then keeps sticking it out

I don't think dd actually ate any food until about 7-8 months. Until then she just chomped on it and dribbled it out again. She is now a super eater.

I would just let him get on with it. He'll get there soon enough :)

Thanks Hear, it's good to know other people's lo's have done the same but are now good eaters! Hopefully he'll get the hang of it soon & realise food is an amazing new thing.

DD1 hated weaning due to her reflux & I eventually switched to baby led weaning at around 9 months & it was so much less stressful.
DD2 is 8 months & is still on full doses of Omeprezole, we tried to wean her off last months but she had 2 seizures because of the pain, so we're leaving her on the meds.
She's been baby led weaning since 6 months & is only just starting to ingest food. She eats yogurt straight from the pot with no spoon & happily munched on an egg sandwich for lunch .
She's never had puréed food as I felt letting her lead the way from the very start would be better for everyone!

I'm sure your LO will enjoy eating once he's explored everything & learns food is good!

Ease off. His reflux will impact on his solid intake so just sit him down for meals with you where possible and he'll get there!