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Original poster

8 month old won’t eat anything

21 replies

SamanthaH92 · 18/03/2019 11:58

My 2nd DD is nearly 8 months. I keep trying to give her Savory things and stuff I’ve cooked at home and blended as well as jars and pouches. She is either sick because she doesn’t like it or now we are at the point she is refusing to open her mouth after the first taste. She won’t eat anything but porridge and yogurts. Anyone else been through similar what did you do? I intend to speak to our health visitor when I can get hold of her. Thank you

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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Meyouandbabytoo · 18/03/2019 11:59

Have you tried finger foods? My ds hated being fed at first and would only eat things that i put on the highchair table for him.

ApolloandDaphne · 18/03/2019 12:01

I agree with the pp. Put soft finger foods near he and let her explore them by herself. Some children don't like being spoon fed. My DD2 didn't. She only ate what she could pick up and put in her mouth herself and she hated wet pureed types of food.

Original poster

SamanthaH92 · 18/03/2019 12:10

Tried finger foods last night for tea. It ended in vomit. I thought she may also prefer that but she didn’t. Tried to give her some lunch today and she has flat out refused, would not even open her mouth for a taste x

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ApolloandDaphne · 18/03/2019 12:14

That sounds like you are trying to get her to pick it up or put it in her mouth for her. I am suggesting you don't involve your self beyond putting the food near her. It will become a battle for control otherwise and she will win. Step right back and try not to worry about it. At 8 months she will still be getting plenty of nutrition from her milk.

BlackInk · 18/03/2019 12:15

I echo what PPs have said. At 8 months you can offer your DD pretty much anything you're eating as long as it's not too salty and you avoid choking hazards like whole grapes and nuts, and honey.

Offer things like buttered toast, strips of omelette, segments of orange, grated cheese, cooked veg, soup with bread to dip, hummous with bread sticks... and just let her explore. Don't try to tempt or force her.

If you don't mind a mess you can give her a small bowl of plain yoghurt or porridge and a spoon and let her have a go.

Sit at the table with her with your own meal and let her share.

There's lots you can do, but most importantly try to relax. At 8 months she'll still be getting all she needs from milk. Solids at this age are about exploring tastes and textures. There are far more nutrients in breast or formula milk than in purees.

Original poster

SamanthaH92 · 18/03/2019 12:17

@ApolloandDaphne no, I placed the food on her tray and just sat back and let her get on with the finger foods. It didn’t work.

OP posts:

Original poster

SamanthaH92 · 18/03/2019 12:20

I will try her with some toast later. Hopefully she will. That’s what worry’s me that she isn’t getting what she needs food wise.DD1 was a good eater till about 6 months ago now she is fussy so was hoping her weaning would go smoothly lol x

OP posts:

ApolloandDaphne · 18/03/2019 12:20

Ok. Just keep trying. Let her take things from your plate if she looks interested and continue offering her little bits and pieces. Try not to think of her having meal times. Just little bits and pieces throughout the day.

leasedaudi · 18/03/2019 12:22

My baby was like this until ten months, when he started nursery and they commented what a fantastic eater he was..I thought "wtf?". Turns out he just needed some peer pressure. Now he eats like a rugby player.

Until he started nursery, he'd clamp his mouth together at a spoon, and just chuck finger food on the floor.

It will happen, some babies are just more stubborn than others.

WhiskersPete · 18/03/2019 13:44

Breast milk or formula should be the main source of nutrition until 12 months. Just let her explore finger foods at her own pace as she will be getting what she needs from milk. Don’t turn it into a battle as she will pick up on this and refuse more.

user1496701154 · 18/03/2019 19:14

Try Baby led weaning and sharing meals as baby learns by watching monkey see monkey do. This helps increase more akills

Bitchinwitch · 22/03/2019 20:30

My ds used to wretch if we have him anything savoury or lumpy, we went against advice and started sweet, so a few weeks of fruit puree, then we did fruit and veg purees and gradually went on to savoury, temperature was also an issue, EVERYTHING had to be warm, milk purees, even yogurt 😂 I had to warm it for a few seconds otherwise he'd turn his nose up!

chickywoo · 22/03/2019 20:38

I honestly wouldn't worry about it at all, one of my dc wouldn't eat a thing refuses everything just preferred to breastfeed! When she got to about 18 months I was starting to worry till one day we were out for a meal with family and she picked up a bit of my pizza dipped it in her sisters ice cream and ate it -and has been a fab eater every since! it's a standing joke now about her strange first ever meal

Kokeshi123 · 23/03/2019 08:25

"Food before 1 is just for fun" needs to die a death, seriously--it is simply not true.

I don't mean the OP needs to go into a panic, just saying that it is a good idea to give vitamin supplements and fortified foods in the meantime, while working on the eating thing.

Can you give an all-inclusive vitamin supplement, and check the cereals you are giving to make sure they are fortified with iron and zinc, as these are the things babies are liable to become deficient for? Be very careful not to start filling up on yogurt, as this increases the risk of deficiencies--they can only have little bits of dairy products before 1 year.

How much milk is he having, including at night? In my experience, a lot of non-eating babies are tankin' up on the milk all night long...

CottonSock · 23/03/2019 08:28

Mine wouldn't touch food and the hv made a referral but I think she wasn't ready until 10 months. I just gave her those baby carrot crisps and similar things until she finally started enjoying them.

Rainbowsandsnowdrops · 23/03/2019 12:56

Start baby led weaning and share your meals with her so she can see how to eat. If you’re on Facebook join a group called ‘baby led weaning for beginners’- it’s really great and informative on chocking hazards etc.

Our daughter is 8 months and shares all our meals- we had fajitas the other day, we Just adapt it slightly to suit her! She will eat anything now.

Kokeshi123 · 24/03/2019 00:27

Except that the OP has already said that she has tried finger foods and it hasn't worked. BLW is not a magic solution for every feeding issue.

NewAccount270219 · 24/03/2019 04:14

To be fair, she said she's tried finger foods once and it 'resulted in vomiting', which must mean the baby did pick up the food and put it in her mouth, so a) that's not really 'giving BLW a go', at this point and b) it sounds like it might be worth experimenting with different, perhaps easier to eat finger food (as someone said, at this point it would be worth trying those puff things etc)

Also, giving a multivitamin is pretty poor advice since OP doesn't say how her DD is fed - if it's formula and she has more than 500ml a day then the advice is to not give vitamins unless told to by a doctor

CottonSock · 24/03/2019 09:11

Op, one thing my hv did advise after speaking to paediatric nutritionist about my dd2, put some fruit puree onto a plastic toy / soother. Didn't work for us, she watched me do it and said no way... the gagging is food aversion and aim was to desentisise reflex.

Rainbowsandsnowdrops · 25/03/2019 13:53

Yes newaccount that’s what I meant with the BLW comment. I am aware the OP has said that she had tried finger foods but not shared her own meals. It can take a while and tasting things is still good even if they gag or decide they don’t want to eat it at first. I think it does help to share meals too so they can see you eat and model how to eat- I know my daughter always prefers something when it is on my plate too. Simple things like tomato pasta or mushed avocado on toast is a good start.

I appreciate you may have tried some of these things already. Good luck anyway and hopefully it will work out soon!

Seeema2902 · 07/01/2024 21:16

@SamanthaH92 how did u get on ? Out little one doesn’t enjoy being spooN fed but equally unwilling to touch many foods … its horrible … we are finding it increasingly worried with what tomdo.

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