Weaning, help needed!

[BlessedMamma]

My 7 month DD is refusing solids and I don't know what to do. She just turns her head away and clamps her mouth shut whenever I try to feed her purées / baby porridge. She's not interested in finger foods either. She'll hold it but as soon as she puts it to her mouth and gets a taste for it that's it. She'll drop it and won't try it again. She loves chewing on cucumber but spits any bits out so I think that it's just because it's nice on her gums. She's exclusively BF and also refuses bottles. Has anyone else had a similar issue or has anyone got any tips? My other DD weaned at 5 months and loved everything we gave her.

Hi OP. I know it's easy to say but I honestly wouldn't panic. 7 months is still very young. It takes some baby until they are well over a year old to get into solids. Before then they get all their nutrition from milk so don't worry that baby isn't getting enough. Just let them enjoy playing and experiencing textures. They will eat when ready. Try not to put any pressure on as baby will pick up on that. Do you eat alongside baby? Sometimes this helps encourage. Or baby might like to try something off your plate? Always seems more tempting when it isn't their own food!! My boy is 10 months and still has phases where he barely eats anything but sometimes devours everything!!

So, this is probably the worst advice ever and Annabel Karmel would quite likely shoot me, but when I first started weaning DD she did the same thing. So I would do things like add a few drops of maple syrup to some yoghurt, make sure it was on her first spoonful and then by the third spoonful she had usually decided she actually quite liked it and would happily scoff the lot syrup free. I still do things like dollop hummus on her broccoli and then gradually reduce how much is on there until she's happily eating it on its own.

I also think your stress makes it worse, if she knows I really want her to eat something I've got no hope. I normally make enough for us both to eat if I'm introducing something new and let her watch me eating it (and enjoying it) first. She has never liked purees and I find that she only likes food that I think actually tastes nice, unlike most of the pouches I've tried her on. Which makes sense really. Baby porridge was also a big fat no (I also think it tastes rank), but she loves normal porridge with a mashed banana mixed in for sweetness, sometimes with a bit of cacao powder too.

I also used to add in random tiny mouthfuls of something really tasty that no baby can say no too (usually something sweet) just so she is in the mindset that something incredible could be coming her way any moment so she better keep trying it all just in case - haha!

If it's any comfort, I don't know any adults who only eat cucumber so I'm sure she will change her mind when she's good and ready! Just keep at it and act like everything is totally normal, perhaps try lots of bright colourful fruits to play with that are nice and sweet to get her started and used to texture and then hopefully the rest will come together in time! A crisp piece of apple might be nice if she likes how it feels on her gums? Good luck!!

Thanks for the reassurance @Rosebud1302 I guess I'm just worrying because everywhere says to start weaning at 6 months, but she's still sleeping OK and is a little chunk so I guess I should relax a little bit. She always sits at the table with us for mealtimes and is really interested in what we're eating, until we try to give her some.

Thanks for all your advice too @Lotsie I'll give anything a try.

Have you tried ignoring the boring flavours and giving her really strong things to experience? Baby foods are so bloody boring. She’s had the best tasting thing ever for 7 months (breast milk) and now she’s being offered baby porridge! Try her on some mature cheese and some thick pasta sauce

Agree with Mummoomoocow The first meal my LO really tucked into was a spicy curry! Food is fun so give lots of flavours.

Make sure that you give her a bit of time before offering solids after a full feed—an hour or so--to develop a bit of an appetite. On the other hand, you want to make sure that she isn’t too hungry when she comes to the table—it may actually deter her from trying new foods.
Teething can cause discomfort so it is normal that they don’t feel like eating during this period.
Sometimes a lack of appetite may just mean your child is too tired to eat.
Try having someone else feed her. Try feeding her at different times during the day. Try feeding her in different settings — she may refuse to eat in the highchair but will eat just fine while sitting on your lap! It could be that a small change like this prompts her to get interested in eating. Also make sure she’s not too distracted.
If all else fails, don’t be afraid to give up for a few weeks. This isn’t a battle to be won, after all, and if she senses your frustration (or desperation!) she may be even less inclined to eat. Instead, take a break and try again later. You might be surprised at the difference a few weeks makes!

You're right that the advice is to start weaning at 6 months OP but that doesn't mean your LO will actually swallow anything! It's a sensory experience at the moment. Food before 1 is just for fun as the rhyme goes! Milk is still their main source of nutrition.

Don't stress about what is and isn't being consumed, she'll feel your apprehension and possibly be put off more! She'll becoming a wee munching monkey when she's ready!