Weaning…any tips for when it’s not going great?!

[Sarahvid]

I have a 6 month old who has just started weaning. Trying the baby led approach with finger foods but also offering purée at the same time. Using Charlotte Sterling’s book. Currently just on one meal a day. Baby is just not into it, barely touches the finger food, puts them in her mouth but doesn’t seem to chew much or get much in. Same with purée, happy to chew on spoon but I think that’s for her teething(!), just a coincidence there is food on the spoon. She takes a few small mouthfuls and then is done. Gets agitated easily so I get her out highchair and give her milk and despite eating some food, she seems to down her milk. I’ve tried timing her solid meal a fair bit of time before her milk feed so she’s not starving when trying solids, doesn’t seem to have helped.
Do I just keep going with it, trying new foods each day? Just feel if anything she’s wanting more milk where she is growing, but I thought food would start filling her and she would decrease milk slowly. You see videos of babies munching on broccoli sticks and eating loads of purée, and reality hasn’t been like that.
Any tips/advice? TIA

Just keep going is the only advice I have really! It was probably close to 8 months before my DS really started to eat. It was frustrating as other babies were wolfing down things from the off as you say!

Posted too soon....

She will get there is her own time. DS is 18 months now and eats everything in sight.

I hated introducing solids. Everyone else was banging on about how much their children loved their food when all mine wanted to do was fling it. He ate almost nothing until way past his first birthday. The health visitors gave helpful "advice" like stopping breastfeeding to make him hungry. It didn't work. It just made him angry.

If I had my time again I'd scale back to 1 or 2 tiny plates of food a day. No point preparing and chucking away too much food. Offer solids 30-40 minutes after a milk feed so they are comfortable and patient enough to explore food. If they are too hungry they will want the easy milk option. Stop caring. If they eat, they eat, if they don't, it doesn't matter. They will one day.

I would say don't compare too much cause that was my downfall 🙈 like you I was watching videos of 7 month olds wolfing down 2/3 meals a day and think why isn't my DD doing the same.
Turns out, she just wanted to do it in her own time. She didn't really take to food till about 9/10 months old and kept it simple like veggies, mash, picky food, some meat, sandwiches, homemade hummus and few Ella pouches for ease. I have 2 cook books that I barely use because she is a fussy baby. Hates onion, eggs, banana and curries which is actually a lot in some books. I'm just happy she really loves her boiled veg so just kept it as much she likes it.
You're not doing anything wrong, its early days with weaning. I would just keep calm, try different things and even look at different spoons (I used boots weaning spoons if I want to spoon feed her but I also got a pack of small baby weaning spoons if she wants to feed herself). NHS have some helpful weaning recipes starting from 6 months old, but don't feel down if they're start to throw it off their plate or squish in their hands. Just experimenting texture I think?
If you haven't already I would also invest in a splash mat, big saver from the tomato stained meals 🙈

We've always done meals 30 minutes after milk so they're not too hungry and don't get frustrated.

All babies are different - DS was wolfing down curries at 6 months, DD didn't eat anything till nearly 8months.

Beginning of weaning is about exploration rather than actual eating-things actually reaching the mouth is a success! Most of the food ended up on the floor with us (much to dogs delight). Learning to bite, chew, swallow solids takes some time. Would recommend the books by Gill Rapley

Thanks all, super helpful. I haven’t tried solids 30/40 mins after milk so I might give that a go and see if she takes to it a little more! If not, I’ll just go with it and try not to worry!