Solids: Keep trying or leave her be?

[emkana]

Dd2 has been exclusively breastfed for 28 weeks; 10 days I started giving her baby rice, but she's not interested at all. The only way I can get anything into her mouth is by sneaking it in, but she looks very unimpressed and never opens the mouth for it because she really wants it. I've tried veg as well, same result. The only thing she likes is finger food - sucking on a piece of apple, or banana, or bread roll. What shall I do now? Keep offering or just letting her have the finger food? And how much of it - how many different things? With dd1 it was similar, but I just kept trying and trying, getting very frustrated and tearful sometimes in the process - don't want it to be like that this time.

The thing I likes about weaning my last baby at 6 months was missing out baby rice altogether and going fairly quickly onto meals. It really is tasteless. I started with carrot, then carrot and potato then liquidised meals (and I am afraid jars of food at times for convenience). Keep giving her finger foods and some of your own meals too.

emkana, I agree with mears. And to be honest if she's interested in finger foods that's a pretty good thing. We had the opposite problem with dd, she liked spoon food, purees etc., but it took AGES for her to eat any finger foods. She's 17 months now and still only eats v. soft stuff. Dd also never really took to baby rice, have you tried porridge instead? It's much more tasty. Sweet potato's a goodie too and some pureed fruit maybe? I would keep trying, but don't push it. Just have something to hand and see how it goes. Also, how do you fit it around b/f's? I was advised to give 1 breast, some solids, then the other breast and that seemed to work quite well, not too hungry, not too full. Good luck!

I'm currently weaning DD, and we had the same reaction to Baby rice, it is foul! Vegetables can also be quite bitter, remember BM is sweet, so maybe she'd be better off with pureed fruit? DD's not quite there yet, but with DS2 I made custard using formula and he'd have mashed bananas and custard, or stewed apples and custard.

Message withdrawn

Agree about the baby rice, I missed it out altogether with DS2, 6 months, he will eat anything if mixed with pureed butternut squash (halve it cut out seeds and roast it in the oven till soft and a bit caramelised and scoop out the flesh). Maybe your dd will have a particular favourite you can mix with other food groups
Also if you can bear the mess and as she's very dexterous let her hold the spoon herself.

HTH

Great that she loves finger food - try giving her a spoon - she won't know what to do with it yet, but one of these days she'll get it in her mouth! If I was you I would keep going giving her finger food and just offer her a tiny amount of pureed veggie, fruit or whatever. She'll get the idea after a while - there's no hurry.

My dd started solids at 6 months and she would go through phases of not being very interested - usually we would then realise she'd been coming down with a cold or something. Then she'd get the hang of it again and this went in cycles for a few months. Now (19 months) she's an ace eater.

emkana if you want any sugestions for healthy finger foods for a six month old check out my post finger food for a ssix month old and i know where your coming from i kind of got worried when mine would only eat finger food but it turns out to be great thing also give her her food on finger food like useing a baby biscuit to pick up the fruit she might get more intrested that way then when shes ate a resonable amount hand her the biscuit telling her she has been good and let her have fun with it thats what we did and i was shocked it worked now he will eat most things because he knows he got his turn coming next be warned can take a bit of time

Today she sat at the dinner table with us in her highchair, very happily sucking on pieces of cucumber. I didn't offer her anything 'spoony' at all today, just couldn't be bothered. I'll do as everybody has said - keep offering finger foods and occasionally offer some pureed fruit or veg (will have to try butternut squash and sweet potato).
Thanks to everyone for your advice!