7m baby hates weaning - HELP!

[Groovy5678]

My baby is almost 7 months and weaning is not going well! We started weaning a few days before he turned 6 months as he’s been sitting well since 5.5 months, loves watching us eat, had been leaning towards and trying to grab our food for ages but as soon as we tried solids (purée and finger food) he just looked disgusted and gagged on every tiny bit that entered his mouth. We’ve tried avocado, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, broccoli, apple etc. No allergens yet as he’s not really swallowing much!

He’s recently started turning away from the spoon immediately and won’t even put the finger food to his mouth. Then he cries until we take him out of the high chair.

At first he’d play a little with the finger food and suck a bit of purée off my finger or a spoon (have tried spoon feeding him and letting him play with the spoon with purée on). We’ve tried whilst we’ve been eating and on his own. We always try to do it half an hour after a BF (can’t wait much longer as he BF every 1.5-2 hours 😅) and try not to do it too close to a nap either as he gets cranky.

I think he might still have the tongue thrust reflex as if you touch his lip, he immediately pokes his tongue out? Maybe this is why he’s struggling to not gag on every little bit?

I know it’s still fairly early days but I can’t help but feel anxious about it as it seems to be getting worse, not better. I’d relax if I could see a tiny bit of progress.

Does anyone have any tips for a reluctant weaner?

Just stop for a bit. He’s finding food stressful. And he doesn’t need it yet. Food is fun until 1. My youngest ate nothing till 9 months and is fine. Leave it a couple of weeks and then try again very casually. Maybe just leaving finger food where he can reach it rather than a soon which it sounds like is too much pressure for him.

Leave it. Seriously 😆

Have him on your lap sometimes when you’re eating something baby appropriate (ie most things) and when he grabs, let him. They put everything in their mouths eventually, he’ll start trying things in his own time.

Give it a month and them try again with purées if that’s what you’d rather feed him. But honestly there us literally no rush.

@Wnikat is right. He doesn't need food right now. It is better to wait.

Like pp said, leave a couple of weeks. We had to abandon once with dc1. Started up a few weeks later and then he took to it. Think he was 7 months, then finally 8 when he took to it (slowly)

In my limited (one child!) experience, it took my DS a while (2/3 months) to "get" what eating was all about. Like yours he was ready - sitting, showing interest in food - and so we started at 5.5 months too. I tried to follow Charlotte Stirling-Reed's book as that seemed healthy and sensible but he refused all finger food and purees - I was bewildered and worried so much when I went out for some lunch with my NCT friends and so many (albeit 1-2 months older) were already eating beautifully. Our lovely HV was very supportive and said to just keep trying, without pressure, so we just kept offering food at each meal (wondering if I was going to have to breastfeed him til he was an adult!) and when he was 7 months he finally accepted some yoghurt. A week or so of just yoghurt and then he was happy to try other foods. By 8 months he was on three little meals a day and he was really good by 12 months, and is fine now. Hope it may be similar for you? Easy for me to say I know but try not to worry - also if the high chair is stressing him out maybe hold him on your knee?

Agree with others, leave it for now.
when you reintroduce it keep it as low pressure as possible, try complete BLW so there are no spoons coming towards his mouth if he finds that stressful. Just be completely casual whilst he touches and gets used to the food, it’s a sensory experience too so he might just need time to explore what’s in front of him first.
it also sounds like he still breastfeeds very frequently so he’s obviously being fed well so I wouldn’t worry for now.