The rooting reflex

[hunkermunker]

When does this disappear? DS is 7 months and if he's hungry and I touch the side of his face, he nearly bites my hand off! And if DH is holding him just before he has a feed, he'll grab either side of his face and try to eat his nose!

Is this a true rooting reflex, or is he just very demonstrative in his hunger I don't spoon-feed him solids, so I wonder if this is why he's still so 'rooty'?!

Hi,

I think that your son is demonstrating visually when he is wanting to eat!

There are seven reflexes in all. Most reflexes generally disappear before about the 3rd and 4th months, so my reading tells me, but can last as long as a year.

HTH

Kerry

when are you planning on starting to spoon-feed him solids .. I would've thought that's quite a good sign to him being ready (although admittedly could be teething or playing too)

We're not going to spoon-feed him. He's happy munching away on the pieces of food we give him - carrots, pasta, breadsticks, cheese, broccoli (actually not so happy about broccoli...hmm...), all kind of things really. I figure that milk is providing most of his calories (he only does the grabbing thing when he's due a feed).

I'm not starving him - promise!

interesting ... have you ever spoon fed or did you go straight on to finger food ... if latter what's the theory behind that

sorry currently weaning 6 month old so interested

Twiglett, I did the straight to finger food thing too, with ds. I never spoon fed him solids except for yogurts. I did it as I'm lazy and I found it easier to be able to give ds & dd the same meal . I guess that's not the kind of theory you meant though...!

Anyway, it worked for us! ds is now 14 months and still eating his finger foods well.

But didn't they choke?

what did you give first?

how old were they?

sorry .. find the whole concept fairly amazing and one I haven't before considered

We tried to spoon-feed DD, but she insisted on doing finger food first. She will now allow us to spoon-feed her as well.

She started with Cheerios (round cereal), and yes, she gagged on them. Didn't bother her at all. She worked for a long time to get the first one into her mouth, gagged on it, and set out to get a second one in...

She tries to eat my shoulders and/or my shirt (sometimes in anatomically suggestive bits, sometimes just the collar) when she's hungry, but I don't think it has anything to do with spoons or rooting reflexes.