Weaning help please...!

[Lozzabell]

So my DS is 23 weeks and he's a big baby at 19lbs.
He's exclusively bf and I'm on a dairy, soya and egg free diet due to his intolerances.
Last week I started him on baby rice as directed by the paediatrician because he wakes almost hourly during the night and wants to be fed.
This week the health visitor has said he needs to be eating twice a day pureed food.

So here's the problem...
I put the food into his mouth and he screws his face up and coughs it out. Then clamps his mouth closed and shakes his head away from the spoon. I've tried SO many different types of food. Sweet, savory, mixing with my milk.
I'm starting to worry he'll never take food!
I planned on going down the baby led weaning route but I can't start this until he can sit unaided and 6 months minimum. He's too hungry and unsatisfied to wait and I can't cope with the hourly feeds during the night anymore

Any suggestions?
I'm exhausted

You don't have to wait till 6 months exactly to do BLW, it's fine to start a couple of weeks early if you feel your baby is ready. Also, the sitting unaided thing means in a supporting high chair, not unaided on the floor iyswim. When I started BLW I used the IKEA antilop high chair with the blow up cushion insert to support him. They just need to be able to sit without slumping over to the side or forwards.

I think it might be worth questioning your HV why she thinks your baby needs to be having two meals a day at 23 weeks. That's quite unusual advice. I personally wouldn't worry about trying to push to two meals a day when your LO is not keen on it anyway at the moment.

Please don't feel that your baby isn't getting the hang of eating - he's only 23 weeks! You've got months and months to get into the swing of solid food.

Honestly? In your shoes I'd be trying mixed bottle and bf, if only to give you a couple of hours more sleep at night

Thank you! He can sit unaided in a highchair so that's great to hear. Bought a Nuby Nibbler today and packed it with avocado.., he loved it! Seems he's happy to feed himself!

The HV said 2 meals a day because he's such s big boy and my milk doesn't seem to satisfy him for long anymore. I can't mix bf with bottle either as the only formula he can have smells and tastes like vomit and he spits it all out. Don't blame him though!
Feel much more relaxed about everything now he's taken to the avocado!