Help my 7 month old doesn't like food!!!

[cheryljaynemason]

started trying to give my baby solid food a month ago at 6 months and he won't eat anything, its like he just doesn't get it! if you manage to get anything in his mouth he just retches it back as soon as it hits the back of his throat! he's really tiny and am worries that if he doesn't start eating soon his growth will be stunted - help!!

My ds didn't eat anything until he was 9 months old, it was very stressful.

The three spoon trick worked for us, two fir the baby, one for you and keep loading them up, eventually some will go in and they'll get the idea.

Also try and relax about it all. Milk is sufficient until they are one.

Thanks so much I know I'm being stupid but food is just the most emotive issue isn't it - will def try the spoons tomorrow though, thanks a lot xx

Have you tried the basic baby rice? I followed Gina Ford "weaning" twice and very successfully. I'm sure DS2 was similar but eventually they catch on.

don't worry as long as baby is drinking plenty of milk and is alert.

My DD didn'teat until about 6 wks ago and she is 11 months! It is so hard not to stress but really try not to. It will all work out in the end - until they're one it's just for fun! I found reading the Patricia Rapley book about BLW great, even though we didn't really follow it, it has lots of good advice.

Thanks so much ladies for all of your responses, its just so nice to hear reassurances from people that know what they are talking about rather than the same old lines from the HV! Tried the spoon trick yest and did help, but still have the same problem with him retching once it gets to his throat. Am thinking that perhaps his newborn gag reflex hasn't gone yet. Same problem with baby rice which we tried this morning. Those of you that are saying you had the same thing, what did you do? Did you just keep trying every day or did you put it off for a week or so and come back to it? Just off to Amazon to order the P Rapley book! One more q - I hear what you are saying that milk suff until age 1, but does this apply to BM aswell as he also won't have a bottle! I heard that BM doesn't give them sufficient iron after 6 months? Thanks ladies, I really needed you!

reg the iron - the iron stores start to get less from about 6 months but it is still sufficient for baby until much later. in some cultures babies are only weaned around a year old.

just try every day, maybe try finger foods or bitesize food. stop when it is not enjoyable anymore.
gagging is good, baby needs to learn not to get things into the windpipe!

Don't worry, its definitely not unusual. My DS is the same, only just starting to really consume anything at over 9m. He is also tiny, but he is gradually getting the idea. After spending a fortune on Ella's pouches that just ended up in the bin I resigned myself to the fact that he is most intent on doing it himself.

Now he gets pretty much what the rest of us are eating put on his tray, cheerios/cornflakes/toast/bagel at breakfast, some pasta, grated cheese, baked beans, oven chips, moist bits of meat, cooked veg (he's def not keen on fruit so far but I keep trying). While he keeps busy playing, throwing, tasting and occasionally eating (!) all this I try and get spoonfuls of yogurt or veg puree in where I can, sometimes I am more successful than other days, but he is improving, no doubt about it. When it is obvious he has lost interest I take him/food away and some days he only seems interested in bm but that's ok for now.

also, I meant to say, weirdly my DS seemed to gag more on textured puree (stage 2 stuff) than he did on finger food that he needed to suck/chew before swallowing. It was almost as if he was expecting puree - which he never liked anyway - then was surprised by the thickness of the food. I gave up on that very quickly!

Thanks very much both - lots of invaluable advice. I now have an action plan! Distract him with finger food while I try to shovel in a bit of smooth puree, and try not to get too stressed when he refuses it. And stop wasting money on Ella's!! Thank you so much - you have all saved my sanity!!