Feeding baby solids.

[Moons1234]

Hi, I'm new to Mumsnet and I don't know if I'm posting in the right place but I'm in desperate need of some advice. I'm a first time with a 9 month baby and Im really struggling with getting him to eat solids! He doesn't seem to like anything, unless it's banana or fruit puree. I even have to squeeze fruit puree on to every spoon of his porridge for breakfast! I have been trying other foods, but sometimes he won't even open his mouth to try. Other times he will have 1 spoon and just keep turning his face away. Sorry if this has already been spoken about, I just don't know what to do...

Have you tried giving any finger foods?

My previously well eating 11mo has started point blank refusing to be spoon fed. He will feed himself though. Its like he became super indepemdant overnight.

Agree with PP, just put some finger foods out and see how he goes. It might take him a few goes to figure things out, and he might not eat as much as you want him too.

This is normally the age when babies suddenly start to become independent and want to try to do things for themselves. You could try giving him a spoon of his own. He may not be able to do much more than wave it around at first, but it might keep him content and busy enough to enable you to pop some food into his mouth. Plus, it's good practice for the future.
Secondly, he might be trying to let you know he’s ready to move on to new textures of solid baby food ("I'm done with mush, Mum"). You could try more meals made up of foods that he is able to feed himself. Don’t worry too much about the amount he eats. Offering a variety of foods during the day will ensure that he’s getting all the nourishment he needs.
Thirdly, he may have developed a negative association with being fed with a spoon. For example, if the spoon has been loaded up with too much food or put too far into his mouth. And if you like to scrape the food that ends up around his mouth at meal times, he’s probably learnt to dislike and refuse it. Use a soft-tipped shallow spoon. Sit directly opposite him, not overloading the spoon with food, presenting the spoon to just in front of his lips giving him the opportunity to lean forward slightly, open his mouth and accept it.

Thank you so much for your reply, I will definitely try these suggestions! I have been getting myself into a real state since I last spoke to my HV. She told me that my LO should be on 3 meals and a snack a day, but the term 'meal' is a very loose one indeed! I think I definitely should include him more at meal times, and give him stuff that we are eating too. Xx

Yes I think you are right, he must want to become more independent! It's just scary with your first as you have no previous experience to fall back on.

@Fivemoreminutes1Thank you so much for your reply, I will definitely try these suggestions! I have been getting myself into a real state since I last spoke to my HV. She told me that my LO should be on 3 meals and a snack a day, but the term 'meal' is a very loose one indeed! I think I definitely should include him more at meal times, and give him stuff that we are eating too. Xx

@dementedpixie. I have tried giving fruit and veg as finger foods. But I think he finds those a bit boring. Should I be giving him foods that we eat at mealtimes do you think?

There is nothing boring about fruit and veg to a 9 month old!

Perhaps you could try the two-ingredient pancakes on the My Fussy Eater website. It’s basically 1 egg and 1 ripe banana mashed together as the batter. My baby loved picking these up to eat and they are very soft.

I also did things like avocado mashed with banana and baked sweet potato mashed with cheese. I added couscous and tiny pasta shapes to sauces or purées.

When I felt ready I gave small squares of toast. I also found melty sticks were useful to get baby used to holding and eating food.

I gave my (now 2 and 4yo) DC some of whatever we were eating every mealtime. I sometimes cut it differently and avoided meat/tough chewy foods that they could choke on till they were older

Sometimes they ate loads, sometimes hardly anything and they went through phases. I mostly did baby led weaning (unless they were getting frustrated at not being able to eat something - yoghurt, porridge etc - using a spoon in which case I helped because it was less mess for me to clean afterwards.

Neither of mine would reliably eat what I consider to be 3 meals a day until around 18m. They were both breast-fed; I don't know if that made a difference.

The biggest thing I found (and still find) is that as long as they are fine in themselves then it's not worth worrying about. Go with the flow and they'll start eating meals eventually.

Let's face it: there are very few adults who don't eat food. They all got there eventually and I bet a good number of them weren't eating 3 meals plus snacks a day at 9m old.

At 9 months you aren't limited to fruit and veg. You can give bread/toast, meat/fish, cheese, pasta, rice, eggs, etc. Try giving some of what you are having

@Odile13 thanks for the tips! I will try those pancakes, they sound simple enough. Love the idea of adding cous cous and tiny pasta shapes to sauces, perhaps that would make things a little more exciting for him. Xx

@User0ne
Thanks for the advice, you are right. My LO is a happy chappy-I've just been getting myself really worked up about it, especially as he is my first. When I watch videos on YouTube about 'what my baby eats in a day', it makes me feel even worse! That, paired with various family members making comments about how they don't think he's putting on weight and why he's not interested in food-sends my brain into overdrive. Sorry for the rant. I needed to let it out somewhere 😭

@dementedpixie
Thanks, I will persevere in fruit and veg and going to try offer him more family food too xx

@Moons1234 bless you lovely, I'm on my own weaning journey and a ftm so I know how pressured it can feel. I read somewhere once "food before 1 is just for fun" and that helped me with stages of my little boy eating and then refusing. I tried spoon feeding as I had quite an anxious time getting to grips with weaning and I found my little boy turned his nose up at most things I tried. One piece of advice I can give is to start a fresh tomorrow 💕 it's very messy, but maybe pop the things you know your little one likes into a suction bowl on their high chair and let them have a feel and taste themselves. It doesn't have to be finger foods at first but it's a great way to let them explore. Even now my boy won't let me feed him his weetabix in the morning but will quite happily feed himself with his hands. I've also found the things I spoon fed which he "hated" he absolutely demolishes if left to it himself. Also I know you'll know this, but their milk is the main source until 1 - do what you feel is right for you and your baby, things will get easier xx