Anyone else in same situation! Baby not eating solids

[pandherbear1]

Hi All, I am at my wits end here and I am looking to hear or even meet mums in the area who have been through this. Please, I need reassurance that my daughter will get through this. My daughter is 7 and a half months and disinterested in All food (yes even purees) I have tried everything under the sun. BLW, eating together as a family, keeping calm and forgetting about it. I am currently laying off all solids because I am interested to see if she will chew toys again. I genuinely have approached this as calmly as possible and I understand the whole 'food for fun' before one. To be honest, I just need to talk to mums who know how this feels. I just feel isolated with my feelings about this and knowing someone who has gone through this would make me feel less alone. She is not sitting up on her own yet and I would feel less worried if she just took a bit of water. We have experienced bottle refusal due to silent reflux in the past. It is only just recently that she has come to enjoy her milk.

Sounds like you’ve done all the right things. One of mine didn’t swallow more than a couple of mouthfuls until he was about 9 months. Although it probably seems like you’ve been trying for ever, it’s only been 6 weeks. I’d keep going with the family mealtimes and playing with food, just for the routine, but don’t worry if it doesn’t get eaten. They all get there eventually.

Do not stress out!!

Actually do check up on the sitting up by themselves thing....

Regarding eating and drinking water: no worries whatsoever until 1 year old. Really!!

A lot of parents don't give solid food until 1 year. DD2 took a couple of months to get interested in eating. Paediatrician advice was to start with sour vegetables. First food for my kids was (very well) boiled broccoli. Then it was carrots. Cut in smallish pieces and put in front of them. You have to remember that eating for babies is an experience. Touching, grabbing, smelling, smearing, sucking... are all happening.

About water. Your child is drinking milk and will start eating foods. All this has water and some kids just don't need any more. It's frustrating I know! I used to live in a really hot country! But it will happen eventually. My kids have the 360 cup btw.

I forgot. At that stage I didn't give them food everyday. I tried putting food in front of them maybe every 2/3 days? And then when they started eating something it became every dinnertime. Then after a while of introducing foods I continued into breakfast (soldiers with soft boiled egg only the yolk)

Peajotter, thanks for replying, I have been trying since 5 and a half months. You see that's the thing she does not play hence the reason I layed off as I did not want her to feel pressure to sit and watch. I had to approach the milk issue carefully & I thought by giving her a break it would ignite her interest to mouth toys. Then I could reintroduce offering food once a day. I feel she will turn 1 and we will still be none the wiser...

Grey12, thanks for your suggestions. This is exactly what I am doing & I agree stressing will not help. I am just being a realist not negative but this could be a long process and go past a year. I feel she has a 'food aversion' due to the lack of play. My ree flag is not mouthing toys so I ak chasing health professionals who will say 'she will in her own time,' even with the sitting.

Grey12, yes I remember all the time it is less about the eating and more about exploring. This is where my concerns are. I am just over the moon with her holding food for a few seconds. I know I have to keep going but I find it hard to believe she will just play randomly when she does not lick or mouth toys. The longer it is left the harder it will be hence my post reaching out to someone who has come out of this the other side...

Does she have teeth yet? I'm asking cause some kids get them very late and so aren't so much into biting stuff.

I remember the frustration you feel. I was so focused in getting DD1 to drink water. I would try all sorts of techniques. Tbh it's unnecessary. Sleeping is different but with eating/drinking you just have to stick to a method you agree with and just play the waiting game.

Another thing to keep in mind. DD1 does this thing where she hardly eats! And then she goes through a phase where she eats half the fridge!!! It's due to growth spurts. Whenever she doesn't eat I get super worried. You'd think since she's 4 already I would have more presence of mind.... but no.

Grey12 ...no teeth yet & most likely will teethe later as my husband & I were late. I was interested in giving her a break to see what would happen but I know I will go back to offering once a day then work from there. It's true, the biggest waiting game of my life...I do hold my nerve most of the time but talking like this really helps. I really appreciate your input.

@pandherbear1 please don't worry. I started at 6 months and my lo was only taking one teaspoon and most of it was coming out. I then stopped for two weeks but thought if I try every day teaspoon at a time she might get into it. She started taking bigger spoons at 8 months. She is now nearly 10 months and we have days where she doesn't want anything 🤷‍♀️

@pandherbear1 sorry - also she couldn't sit indepdently until she was 8 months old.

Kitkat05, thanks for letting me know. I think spoon feeding is a no go with my lo but finger foods may be the way. I will go at her pace...yes the sitting is an interesting one. She has been better in the last week but due to her interest in army crawl it just seems sitting bores her. She has sat a bit longer recently but tires quickly flinging herself back...lol.