Food issues

[LindsayS79]

Hi all
DD is 14 months and had reflux which has made weaning slow. Anyway, I make eating a positive experience for her but she absolutely hates having food in front of her. I'm trying to get her to eat proper table food like goujons, sandwiches etc but it's like she's appalled when it's placed on her highchair!
She manages lumps okay but if I try and get her to feed herself she turns her head and acts all stressed. She hates the highchair so I always have to distract her whilst in it.
Should I be seeing my HV about this?

How about if you gave that same food whilst you were outside in the park? Or whilst watching cBeebies say?

It would be worth talking to the h/v.
A really good idea is to do messy play with food.
Start with one or two textures at a time. Get a couple of large plastic bowls or empty ice cream tubs. Put different food in each one. Eg chopped up jelly, cooked pasta, angel delight, custard, lentils, etc etc.
place them on the floor and put a few of her plastic character toys in them and play. Make a right old mess- hands in, really play with it. You play with it too. Don't encourage her to eat it. Just have fun. Go slow do t push her too hard just let her slowly get used to the textures. You need to do this several times a week for quite a few weeks. Start with on dry texture and one soft texture.
Over time it should desensitise her to touching food. Very important also when you feed her don't wipe her up till the end let her get mucky when she eats. If you say things like ' oh you mucky pup' and wipe her mouth your language and action is telling her the food is dirty. This also creates fussy eaters.
Good luck.

Thanks both. I do actually tell my DH not to keep wiping her tray and face! She did actually used to play with food in her chair but since she's had a cold and tummy bug over the last few weeks she's just repulsed at the sight if it. However she's never ate more than a few bites of a sandwich etc. if she sees me with a plate of food she'll play with it. Just not her own

Don't do the messy play in her high chair do it on the kitchen floor. It's not about getting her to eat it , it's too stop her anxiety around it. Eating it will come. Start using it as a game. If she eats some while playing that's a bonus. If she will play with your food and not her own she has been taught her food is bad.
Your husband MUST stop cleaning her , you must not say things like - you mucky pup - whilst she's eating or playing with food. Let her rub it in her hair etc. it's very very important.

Thanks heyho. I actually think she just hates her highchair now. Tonight she ate enough of her food to curb her hunger (I'm guessing) and started to moan to get out. Maybe I've been trying to get her to eat more than she wants.. I distract her a lot with songs/cbeebies/stacking cups etc and gradually she's just stopped wanting to pick up food from the chair table.
I brought out a bowl of plain pasta later and left it on the floor and she ended going and eating 4 pieces of fusilli!

Could she be uncomfy in the highchair?

Also - if she's interested in what you're having, can you remove the highchair tray and tuck the chair in under the main table with you? More space to wave stuff around and maybe more interesting.