Weird things happening with food.

[1needsleep]

My nearly 1 year old has suddenly become weird with food.
She can eat a whole jar of stage 2 plus a pud, & was really good with her eating.
However recently she has started to turn her head when presented with a spoonful of her Main after about a third.
We have tried;
finishing dinner as soon as she starts turning her head.
She will eat off a finger - sometimes
She sometimes eats of a 'grown up' fork.
Saying 'no' when she turns (not my Favourite), however she does carry on eating after a bit of a whinge.
She likes finger food.
She'll try anything.
I think she is playing games, but not too sure of the best way to address the issue.

Does she just want to feed herself, maybe?

She can't feed herself with baby food, I did try giving her a spoon this went on the floor after a bit of a chew.
We do give her finger foods to eat.

Could you cope with her just eating what you eat with her hands? It's messy, but fun - dd did this from the start, and was using a fork and spoon easily after a while.

I think the clue is that she likes finger foods and has now gone on strike when its baby food.

At nearly one she could be feeding herself even if its just with her fingers. At nearly one iirc a child has teeth and wants to eat and chew food like the adults have, not a jar of something mushy.

Given the choice between a jar of baby food or a chunk of something to hold in the hand and chomp on, my boys would have gone for the chomping every time.

We have tried letting her feed herself, but I just worry she isn't getting a good enough balance.

Her four teeth don't cope with what we are eating yet and removes most of it when self feeding despite cutting it small..

I'll just have to be creative any ideas?

Honestly, her teeth will not be an issue - give us an idea of what you're eating, and we can help.

Also look at www.babyledweaning.com to get some ideas.

Right.

Throw away your jars.

Don't cut things in to small pieces - give her big chunks (the equivalent in size to 1/4 pear cut lengthways) and just leave her to it.

She will gag on and off for a couple of weeks and then she'll be fine. Find out what to do if they actually choke (they don't breathe if choking) for your piece of mind (should know anyway even with jars / purees).

No honey, no nuts, very low salt and no added salt and cut up choky things like grapes and cherry tomatoes.

See what she eats over a week rather than just one meal or one day.

Have fun!!!!!!!!!!

My two done like this eat all sorts including olives at 9 months.

Oh and her gums aren't like old peoples gums because there are 2 rows of teeth buried inside them - they are rock hard and can make mincemeat of a piece of chicken!!!!

DS also went off baby food in jars, which i used when out and about though not usually at home. Have you tasted it? - a lot of it is vile, so it's not a surprise that she prefers fresher, more interesting things. Avocado, banana, pear, cake, bread, cheese, sweet potato, raspberries etc. all went down well with DS. Also persist with spoon - get a safe rubbery baby spoon, suction bowl, and let her try it again. DS got the hang of it soon enough - he would smear it everywhere, but eat a lot too and he loved it. I used to give him liquidised prunes, hideous mess but happy baby.

She eats
Bread, Ham, sweet potato, squash, Garlic Bread, Most Fish including smoked salmon,cream cheese, marmite, curry, even venison burger, houmous, Stew, Raisins, Dried prumes, Rice Cakes, rusks, but it happens even when I feed her our food mushed up with the spoon.

so dont mush it upserve her a small prtion of what your eating

she will make a mess but its the best way
breathe, she needs to learn to feed herself and she obviously desn't want you to do it anymore

she doesn't need mush

I feel she may be eating in her nappy tonight, oh well my lovely sister in law is coming over , and will look distastefully the mess. At least the weather is warm.

Agree with trinity - let her feed herself with whatever you're having, not mushed up, hang the mess, sling her in the bath and have fun. The messy stage doesn't last that long.