9 month old fighting feed times - has to be distracted to get it in

[cinnamontam]

I've just spent a week in Boston with a very dear friend who has a gorgeous 9 month old boy (her first child). He sleeps beautifully, is very smiley and contented but as of 1 month ago food time has become a nightmare for them. He has to be distracted to get food into him whether it's spooned baby food or his bottle of formula. With endless distractions of TV, music, singing, chatting, books and toys my friend and her DH usually manage to get the following down him but it's a real struggle:

8am - small bowel of pureed organic baby food (fruit or veggie) and bottle of formula

12.00pm - small mixed bowel of pureed organic baby food (veggie and protein) and bottle of formula

3pm - small bowel of pureed organic baby food (fruit or veggie) and bottle of formula

6pm - 2 small bowels of pureed organic baby food (fruit or veggie)

10pm - bottle of formula

He was eating all of this with no issues until a month ago and now suddenly he will only take it in if distracted from the fact he is being fed. Do you guys have any advice on what might be going on? Should she be giving him food that isn't so sloppy? He has 1 tooth at the front but is definitely teething at the moment. I told her I was sure some wise Mums on Mumsnet would have some thoughts.

Thanks in advance

how is he with finger food?
maybe he's just fed up with being spooned at...

Good question. I don't think they ever give him things to eat himself because everything he is eating is either liquid form or very sloppy pureed food so it's all from the spoon. With only 1 tooth what could he eat that has more form and substance that he wouldn't choke on?

If he's teething, this might put him off eating. Lots of different finger foods they could try - steamed veggies, a bit of toast. Cucumber straight from the fridge is a favourite with my 8 mo DS (just cut 2 teeth last week)

Are their gums strong enough to mash stuff like that? Can you tell i don't have kids...yet
Due end of May with my first.

Mae - do you take the skin and seeds off the cucumber first?

My Ds (8 months) has no teeth and managed to eat 4 chunks of melon yesterday by gumming it to death first - seemed to like it as it was straight out of the fridge and I think he is teething so was probably quite soothing - but like the idea of cucmber aswell.

Their gums are pretty good at chomping . They do gag at lumps to start with (this is not the same thing as choking) as they learn to deal with them. Good site is babyledweaning

Nah, too slack for that . He tends to chew the inside out and leave the skin. I don't take skin off fruit like plums, pears etc either as it makes them too slippery for him to handle (seeing him chase mango around his tray was pretty funny)