6 mth old won't eat solids

[NewYorker1]

My 6 mth old started weaning at 5 mths and loved it. She then caught an ear infection and since then she refuses solids. I think I have tried everything but it's nearly 2 months now and I am becoming really frustrated. She bites her bottom lip, grins and refuses the spoon. I have tried my finger and she loves to chew it but works around where the food is! Do you think it's too early to put her straight onto finger food as I think the teething is not helping?
Thanks so much all ideas welcome

NewYorker1, I really don't know, I'm afraid. My friend's baby wasn't keen on eating from a spoon and she had lots of finger foods - but I think she was a little bit older, maybe eight months. What does your HV say?

She might associate eating (from a spoon?) with pain? My DS has had an ear infection and according to the doctor the build up of pressure makes swallowing food uncomfortable, he was definitely off his food for quite a while. I know this doesn't help at all but thought it could be a possible reason?

Chocolate girl, thanks for that I think I will try the finger food and watch her like a hawk. My HV is as effective as a chocolate teapot I'm afraid so other mummies advise is what I'm working on! Thanks. Charlie1 I think pressure might also play a factor as before hand when I started to wean her I thought she was going to inhale the spoon!! It's good to hear that other mummies have challenges too !

NewYorker1 - I guess the first thing I'd say is that lots of babies don't even start on solids till 6 months so there is no rush. I found with my dd that if ever she had a cold it would put her off solids for several weeks, and then she would get going again. And of course over the winter this used to happen repeatedly! It was very frustrating, but I tried to do the 'keep calm' approach and if she didn't want the food, then just put it away and gave her milk. By far the most important thing at this age is still their milk intake, and solids are there to give them the idea that food is nice!!

So my dd was fairly fickle right up till a year old, sometimes very interested in food, other times would go 2 weeks barely eating anything. And now she's 2.5 and hale and hearty, generally a great eater, though again like all toddlers some days she has more interesting things to do than eat!!

I would say - keep doing what you're doing. Keep offering the food - both spoon and finger food. And provided she's happy - don't worry too much!

Pidge, you're a gem ! I was ready to put her up for adoption.....not Really !! I tried her with dried toast today and dunked it in carrot and apple..not together though! She seemed to enjoy having a good chew. It's comforting to know that I haven't gone off my game and it's not just my stewed apple, but just a phase.
I'll keep trying as you say. Thanks a mill

So frustrating when this happens. Hope its not getting to you too much. Is she feeding well? Breast or bottle? They can get very attached to breast and/or bottle after a bout of illness - in my experience. If you are really keen to get her back on to the solids, I would try removing one of the feeds so she's a bit "hungrier"???? Perhaps you've already done that, I don't know, but this did happen with mine - I removed a bottle from the days allowance(!) and with a bit of determination, did work.

Sievehead - I stopped breastfeeding at 3 months and she took to her bottle like a duck to water. She will be 7 months exactly next week and she is already over 20lbs. She's a happy gurgling little girl, I think it's just me who seems to be losing it. I just heard that if they are slow eaters they will develop into fussy eaters. She has 4 bottles a day but once she is fed at 2pm, she will scream the house down by 4.30pm for another bottle and then I might have to give her one to settle her to sleep. I was conscious that having 5 feeds of 8oz bottle would fill her up and I even tried cutting her milk intake to 4 oz before solids...nope! I cut down the evening feed but then she would wake looking for more! She does sleep through the night and has done since she was 4 months so I'm trying everthing. Her brother was on to steak and chips at her age. How did you reduce the milk intake ? Which feeds and by how much ? That would be helpful

I found when my ds ( now 6 mth) was teething that he went off his solids , although i am finding that he eats better at nursery!

newyorker1 how is it going? i was reading your thread with interest, my ds2 is now 7.5 months and absolutely refuses REFUSES anything solid. i am really really worried now. HV said i should just withdraw milk so he HAS to eat, but he gets hysterical, and gags if i so much as get a minute bit in his mouth (cunningly i might add). he is teething and has diarrhoea at moment so not really surprising i know, but he has NEVER got into solids, it's getting beyond a joke. Desperately seeking Mumsnet sage tips or pearls of advice.

I have a similar problem here too - can anyone help??