Is weaning necessary at 7 months?

[Lotsofmessandstuff]

I have a 7 month old who hasn’t taken to weaning at all, and I’m wondering if it’s necessary. Online advice is confusing as says he doesn’t need anything other than milk until 12 months but other advice is he does.

I am finding it pretty stressful as he isn’t engaging with food at all not even playing with it and cries after just a minute or two in the high chair. I’m wondering whether it might be best just to hold off until he does actually need it or whether wait until he’s closer to 1 as I’m concerned he’s getting negative associations with food?

If you have a look at Solid Starts (they have a website and an Instagram page) they have some really helpful advice for getting your child interested in solids, helped me loads!

I think it's more about exposure at this point not necessarily actual eating x

don’t give up

just scale it back and make it very relaxed and not worry if days pass and only a mouthful or two consumed

but to stop entirely doesn’t really make sense

it isn’t about consumption at this stage

and it is about introducing new tastes and textures

Food before one is just for fun. I would keep offering every couple of days but keep it low pressure and if he isn’t interested yet, that’s fine.

Mouthful or two would be great, we’ve yet to get to that point. I’ve looked at solid starts but can’t remember what they said, will have another look. It just seems to be all about letting them play with food but he just stares at it then cries to get down.

@GodspeedJune i think this is my worry as neither of us are finding it fun!

It doesn’t need to be in a high chair. You can put some finger foods on a plate on the floor, or a low table and just leave him to explore it at his own convenience when he is playing. And perhaps bring him on your lap at your own mealtimes to get used to seeing you eat

He can’t sit quite independently @ElevenSeven . Maybe be best to wait until then? At the moment it feels really stupid as twice a day he’s put before food he shows no interest in and then cries and is taken down. I guess part of me is wondering what the point to that is! And NHS says he doesn’t need it but unicef says he does. There’s lots of advice about why you shouldn’t wean babies early but I can’t find much about what happens if you wait until 9/10 months, if that’s a bad thing or not. I just don’t know.

Once a day only, don’t bother making anything special, just give him a bit of something appropriate like avocado stick or spoon of yoghurt. If he doesn’t want it take him away, eventually he will! Make sure it’s an hour or two after milk so he’s a bit peckish. Don’t stop, you want him to be fully eating at one, not just getting started. Mine didn’t eat till 10 months then suddenly ate loads so I sympathise!

Are you having meals at the same time? My second wasn't interested at all, we popped just her in the highchair at the table during family meal time, with a little of what we were having in front of her and eventually she started trying food.

I’ll try just once a day. I was trying with just some porridge in the morning but he just doesn’t seem bothered at all. If he was happy to sit there that would be different but he hates it and so it just feels like a really unnecessarily pointless ritual!

I Have tried eating with him but he doesn’t seem to notice!

If you haven't already, put him in the high chair while you're having meals. You don't have to give him anything until he starts showing an interest. I think we had about 10 days(?) of sitting with us at mealtimes. When I was alone with him I would exaggerate chewing and making yum, omm, etc sounds.

When he started showing an interest in food (watching it carefully, reaching for plate) I gave him one piece of food to play with while we ate. Eventually he started trying stuff but was retching at most things and not actually eating anything. Then he did. Now we're having 2-3 meals per day. This has taken about 3 months.

What are his nappies like?

Normal milk ones, definitely isn’t eating any solids. I think I’ll leave for a month the have another go.

DS1 didn't eat solids until he was one, he was referred to a nutritionist in the end as he would only have yoghurt (or a few things that were a similar texture). Apparently there's a point about 9/10 months where they learn to move food around their mouth and he was missing that skill, so I definitely wouldn't just give up.

We did everything by the book in terms of weaning and I went along to a lot of council run support sessions (our local council was amazing, TBF, and sorted out the referral in the end). God knows what the issue with DS1 actually was - probably some sensory issues, possibly some lingering physical problems with his jaw from an earlier issue.

The main recommendation from the dietician was messy/sensory play. Ideally things that he could eat, but not necessarily. DS1 utterly refused to do this, but what did help him were those dissolvable snacks - like the Ella's kitchen fake wotsits. There's something about them that teaches how to move food around the mouth without having gagging issues.

DS2 had different health issues that meant he was under the speech and language team and they recommended the dissolvable things too. Thankfully he's a much different child and is very keen to eat!

And during the month, pop him in his high chair for every meal you eat.

Glad it worked out for you. I guess I’m just worried it’s starting to be stressful and upsetting for us both, so I think it might be best to pause for now at least, as he’s just not engaging with it.

The NHS advice is quite useful on weaning Your baby's first solid foods - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Given your baby is already 7 months I would suggest pressing on in as low key a way as you can - maybe just give some food each time you're eating so he continues to get some exposure?

Is the high chair part of the problem? We had a couple of high chair toys (with a suction cup so they stuck to the tray) - would something like that make him happier while he gets used to being strapped in the chair? Or can you hold him on your lap while you eat (easier for some food than others!), then maybe try giving him some food to play with?

If you sit him on your lap while you're eating at the table, does he show any sign of interest in your food? Mine didn't like the highchair at first but he wanted to grab everything out of my hand.

Food before one is just for fun. Try again next month, take the pressure off!

He’ll grab my phone charger and glasses but not food! No chance holding him, it’s all I can do to stop him squirming out of my arms with two hands.

NHS does say food is about getting then used to the idea of eating but that’s not happening either

I wouldn’t stop now, I don’t think it’s as optional as say potty training at 2 or whatever.

Hard as it is, I would just do whatever you can to try and relax yourself, do positive self talk if you understand me. It sounds like the stress of it is getting to you but if you keep your expectations low, that might help. Eg baby picked up some food and threw it. Great! They are interacting with it.

They might not like the feeling of food and so little bits of exposure are helpful.

Is your DC getting a multivitamin if breastfed? Not an issue if formula fed but bf babies start to lack iron after 6m from memory.

But he doesn’t @pjani … it’s literally just stares at it. If you feed him he spits it out.

Keep offering food, if he doesn't put it in his mouth that's ok, if he doesn't like the highchair sit him on the floor and pop some food down for him to start to feel with his hands. He will eventually put it in his mouth. At 7 months I wouldn't stop offering, they are developing chewing skills around 8 months and if you miss that window it can be tricky. Expose him to as many textures as you can, if he puts his hands on the food that's the first step. You will get there.