Weaning!

[Mummyto1little1]

My son is 10 months soon and still isn't weaning.

I've tried to give him puree and normal food but he just gags and spits it out and gets really worked up.

I really need advice as some friends children my son's Age or a bit younger are already having 2 or 3 meals a day.

Hi OP, what finger foods have you tried so far? I only ask as I've had similar issues when I started weaning DS (now 7 months). He wouldn't even entertain purées, or anything on a spoon infact and when we tried giving him bits of the food we were having, he'd see them on his high chair tray and either ignore them completely or start screaming. That is, until we were at a family occasion one day and he grabbed a pringle off my plate and started sucking it. So we went out and bought a few of the organic baby type snacks, as well as breadsticks and crackers and they were all an instant hit (at least, he'd suck on them, even if nothing much got swallowed!). Then slowly we started dipping them in things so he could try other flavours and he's come on a lot since then, will pick up and try other things etc. This may totally not work for you, but you never know

Do you feed him at family mealtimes or on his own? I would take all the pressure off both of you and just put him in his highchair at mealtimes and put a few bits from your meal on the table in front of him. Don't try to feed him, just enjoy eating your meal (and let him know how much you're enjoying it!). Eventually he'll start exploring and tasting the food at his own pace. If he's still having plenty of milk he'll be fine from a nutritional point of view.

We've tried steamed carrot sticks and cucumber, bread, weetabix with a bit of milk but he could eat it himself etc

We've tried spoon feeding as well with weetabix and porridge. But he has no interested with the spoon.

We've the finger food a lot though not just once

Yes we try and feed him at mealtimes and when we are eating he is always in his high chair anyway

Have you tried him with proper meals rather than just "finger foods"? They can eat pretty much anything, it just needs to be in the right shape to avoid choking risks.

We have tried little bits of a meal (porridge, fries, bread etc) but he wouldn't try to eat a meal. Because even with bread on his high chair he doesn't eat it or fries etc

Just keep putting him in the high chair and serving him a meal. No ‘baby foods’ just the regular family meal (with the exception of whole nuts or honey). Give him his own spoon and fork too.

Have you got your health visitor review soon?

He already has his only fork and spoon and when we are eating he chews on his spoon.

We don't have a hv as she left and we haven't been given a new one.

Ok, so he is putting things in his mouth then? Like the spoon and toys? And can he sit? I assume so if he’s in the high chair. So he should be ready to wean. This is what I would do:

1. Not bother with a spoon or fork for him. They’re like toys and distracting him from the food.
2. Assuming you eat healthy home cooked food, (and if not now is a good time to start) include him in every meal. Sit him in his chair and give him what you have, subject to a few exceptions (eg honey, whole nuts - check the nhs website for exactly what) and make sure things are cut into safe shapes eg cut grapes and cherry tomatoes into quarters
3. Look up the difference between gagging and choking to reassure yourself. Gagging is normal.
4. I’d very much recommend reading Gill Rapley’s book Baby Led Weaning.
5. Don’t bother with purées or spoon feeding now he’s 10 months old
6. Try placing a piece of food in his hand and guiding it to his mouth
7. Go to a baby weigh in / health visitor clinic and ask for advice

Good luck!

Thank you. Yes he can sit but sometimes is wobbly

I'll try and give him some food that we eat.

I'll try and take him to baby weigh

Is it possibly timing? We were advised to try when not too hungry or full. We started about 45mins before his feed was due. We do mixture of finger food and puree at each session. Started just once a day for a week or 2 then twice a day then eventually onto 3 a day with a bottle at start and end of day (he's 8 months). Also do you offer water with every session? We didnt realise that at first and it made a difference!

Do you have access to a family centre drop in where you could see a hv?