Hoping for reassurance with weaning

[silvergoldstars]

I have posted about this before but I am worried about my nearly seven month old and food.

I started weaning him a week before he turned six months. He tipped it up. Fine … expected this.

He turns seven months a week today and he just has not really engaged with food (or drink - am encouraging water) at all. I can’t honestly say he’s eaten anything apart from a lick or taste.

I did the NCT course and so I ‘know’ five other babies born within a week of him who are tucking into porridge and veg and scrambled eggs and all sorts and I really am concerned.

It can take longer for some babies to get the hang of it. Just keep offering and stay relaxed as possible about it! Do you eat together? Babies like to mimic behaviour.

Regarding milk from a cup.. that’s from 12 months, don’t worry about it now. You should offer water in a cup/sippy from 6 months,

Yes … I offer it

@silvergoldstars don’t worry if he doesn’t drink much, my DD is 14 months and still barely drinks any water 🤣

you need to stop comparing him to other children.
period.

he's not left behind at all, he's only 7m.
stop putting pressure on yourself and stop expecting him to perform.
you haven't ruined anything but you are making this such an issue, unnecessarily.

this is not a competition. please stop seeing it like that.
he'll eat when he's ready. you said he had reflux so maybe his digestive system is not mature enough yet.
it doesn't matter.

keep changing where he sits as others said, offer him little but often. he'll get it eventually

I’ve read that he should be having his milk from a cup as soon as possible and so I’m trying to get him used to this but he isn’t very skilled at drinking from it. I’m expecting too much, aren’t?

Sorry, but yes you are

He's a baby. Try to relax.

As others have said, milk in a cup is from 12 months, even then lots still continue with the bedtime bottle.

Just keep offering. One thing that really helped my DD was to give her what we were having. She wasn't really interested in baby foods.

Try offering whatever you are having for lunch and blithely ignore him while he eats or doesn't.

I know they say babies should be drinking from a cup at that age, but not many do. My one didn't either. She is fine now. Honestly, babies are expected to grow up so fast, its a matter of time babies will be expected to be working and paying taxes.

If you're giving him milk before food, he may not be hungry/ interested.

DD is 6.5 months and we're only doing 1st taste at lunchtime (an hour after milk) as she got constipation when we tried to up her intake. Other babies that age we know are on 3 meals...that's fine for them, we're plodding on at DD's pace. Keep offering, and experiment with different sippy cups for water

encouraging drinking from a cup at a young age is a red herring. it has zero to do with child development (eating or otherwise).

it was thought up and encouraged by child psychologists in the 70's as a roundabout way of getting carers to have more bonding time through physical contact with babies who were mainly drinking formula from a bottle (because mothers would stop bf earlier to go back to work).

think about it.
a 4-6m old can easily drink from a bottle on their own. they don't need to be held so the physical closeness they would get from being bf can be eliminated.
but they have to be held and sit on someone's lap to drink from a cup at that age which steals back a bit of the "lost time".

so don't worry about cups. it's a PITA and it's not necessary at all

@silvergoldstars

Funnily enough I did give him a melty puff the other day to keep him quiet in a traffic jam and he ate it. Bizarre!

I tried giving him what we eat as recommended but it was a non starter. Puréed veg has been the go to but he isn’t too bothered. I’ve given him frozen sticks of mango and melon to help with teething but he wasn’t impressed and scrambled egg which just ended up on his bib!

I’ve read that he should be having his milk from a cup as soon as possible and so I’m trying to get him used to this but he isn’t very skilled at drinking from it. I’m expecting too much, aren’t I!?

Going by this post, yes you definitely are. He's still tiny. He wants a bottle of milk and should be getting several a day. 7 months os too young to be getting their milk from a cup. I don't care what anyone says its a load of crap. My dd puts everything in her mouth except food infront of her. She eats off a spoon though. I don't give her the spoon or the bowl. She doesn't get a chance to tip the bowl up because she gets nowhere near it. With my first we were never advised to let them feed themselves as soon as they moved on to solids. He's 13 now, and he's definitely managed to learn the art of feeding himself solid food, even after refusing anything other than bottles of milk smooth purees jars until the age of 16 months (cost me a fortune).

My second ds never drank milk from a cup either. He's 7 and managing fine. Honestly OP if you just want to get some food into him, just feed him yourself, off a spoon with pureed food. I know they recommend lumps and finger food for speak development but imo that's also bollocks. Both my ds's ate pureed food until after they were a year old, they could both talk in full sentences by age 2. I'm also a childminder and have seen kids who have had no pureed food at all, just finger food from day 1 of weaning, and one of them didn't say their first word until 22 months.

We are having a very similar problem. My baby is nearly 8 months and weaning and and still is an absolute disaster. I have been very upset about it and feel like I tried everything. In the end I was told to go back to basics and try find something bland she will eat. It's yoghurt. She takes or some days and others didn't . We are miles off three meals a day. I know how you are feeling but I am just going to keep on trying every day and hope one day it just clicks but it hasn't yet

You need to stop reading, stop googling and stop comparing, and just respond to what your child actually needs and wants

Yes, I’m trying to do that. That’s why I’m asking here.

I’ve never not given him milk, he’s never hungry. Just asking for ideas.

And I do feed him from a spoon but he won’t eat it

I wouldn't worry too much. My DD is 8 months old and she loves her porridge and purées but I'm trying with finger food now and it's either smooshed in her hand, on the floor or on me. Compare that to her cousin when they would eat everything at her age so every baby is different. It is hard this weaning!

@silvergoldstars Have you tried just taking it right back to basics? 🙂 as others have said, milk from a cup as soon as possible after they are 1. Up until then bottles are absolutely fine.

With the food, try blending single veg and just offering one flavour a day - or combining a couple of flavours. Keep it simple. If he likes putting things in his mouth then try just dipping the spoon in the purée and sitting it on his tray or handing it to him. Hopefully he’ll have a good chew at the spoon and get a taste of the purée at the same time (I use the Omnia silicone spoons and DS loves having a chew on them 🙂)

Another thing worth checking - is he uncomfortable in the high chair? I bought the Silver Cross Buffet high chair and despite being 75th centile for height, my DS is still too short in it at 8months old! His elbows sit below the tray and he gets so frustrated trying to eat that he just isn’t interested. I changed high chair and he was like a different boy!

Also, if you use Instagram then give “dietitianlottie” a follow. Her son didn’t take too easily to weaning and she documented their journey on Instagram so there may be some helpful tips for you there 🙂

Thanks.

He does try to grab the spoon and waves it about but doesn’t really put it in his mouth!

I’ve tried

Broccoli
Carrot
Parsnip
Potato
Courgette
Avocado
Cauliflower
Mango and melon
Banana
Porridge
Scrambled egg
Toast

He just doesn’t seem to want anything, apart from chocolate or ice cream which is a bit of a worry.

I really think you're worrying about nothing. If he's ok developmentally in every other way, he'll most likely get it soon. The new flavours must be odd - after all, toys don't taste like food. It's all new.

Melty puffs are great, if he's already eaten one that's great! I used to do a bit of puree and something to hold, in the early stages either a finger of toast or a puff. Get a bowl that suctions to the high chair. Let him play with his spoons outside of meal time. Let him sit with you while you eat and see if he grabs at your food. And do not worry about the cup thing - I don't know any babies that could manage an open cup until they were past one. To be honest my 2.5 year old still has his beakers with a spout - he can use a cup but always knocks it over. He had a bedtime bottle until about 18 months. In the nicest possible way, you need to chill 😁 And don't give him chocolate, he doesn't need sugary stuff yet. Try plain yogurt and mushed up banana, they're always popular.

I didn’t even start weaning until around 7 months as my baby was showing no signs of readiness. You are definitely worrying about nothing
Not to be rude but why are you giving a 7 month old ice cream and chocolate? (of course he will be more interested in that than a stick of broccoli or carrot I mean who wouldn’t be )

I’m not - it’s his blinking dad! He eats it and then when ds tries to grab it he lets him which is annoying.

@silvergoldstars

Thanks.

He does try to grab the spoon and waves it about but doesn’t really put it in his mouth!

I’ve tried

Broccoli
Carrot
Parsnip
Potato
Courgette
Avocado
Cauliflower
Mango and melon
Banana
Porridge
Scrambled egg
Toast

He just doesn’t seem to want anything, apart from chocolate or ice cream which is a bit of a worry.

@silvergoldstars You need tell his Dad to stop with the ice cream and chocolate. Formula and breast milk are sweet so babies have a natural preference for sweet foods. Feeding him chocolate and ice cream is going to make it 10x harder to get him to take to veggies etc. Can you forget the spoon just now and just let him use his hands? Or dip a melty puff in some purée and see if he’ll taste it that way. I really wouldn’t worry about it at this stage though...some babies take to it quickly and others take a bit longer, just like with everything else 😊 just give him plenty of opportunity to explore and he’ll do it in his own time 😊

I posted previously to say we are struggling but over the last few days have had some success with cheesy things. Broc and cauli cheese purée and Mac n cheese purée. Might be worth a shot..

Like others say, try not to worry. Took mine until about 8.5 months to be bothered and I made myself quite sad and worried in that time.
You could try giving spare spoons to your baby to wave while you feed him with one if he likes playing with them?

My daughter really didn’t take to solids till almost a year - from 6 months we fairly quickly built up to 3 ‘meals’ a day but she just licked and nibbled at stuff and threw it around, she didn’t seem to get the concept of eating in large quantities! At a year it suddenly clicked and she realised food filled her tummy and was delicious and started eating much bigger portions.