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?

He can’t sit @Abracadabra1 - that’s why I do think waiting might be sensible. I’ve booked on a course so I’ll hold off until after that.

My daughter didn't engage with weaning until 13 months. Our high chair also goes to a toddler sized table and chairs and she ate better if she was at floor level with just the high chair. I had to sit next to her but I had to sit at an angle and look like I was ignoring her. I usually played a game on my phone so she didn't realise I was watching her.

If he isn't eating any solids I'd start him on iron and a multivitamin

If he's kicking some, he'll get nutrients. If not, enough isn't got from breastmilk and their iron stores esp are beginning to deplete. Hence the saying 'food before 1 is just for fun' isn't accurate. Milk doesn't provide enough iron & vits anymore. I wouldn't worry tho, just get iron & multivitamin drops and offer finger food 1ce a day (breadsticks, fingers of Cheddar & a whole banana offered to his mouth the same way you'd eat it were favs of my daughter at 6 months, who isn't into that much food)

This isn’t true. By 6 months a baby’s iron stores will be diminished and weaning is an important part of developing facial muscles to get ready for talking.

Could he sit up supported by cushions and just let him play with the food as a first step?

Put baby on your lap at meal times.

Eat your food.

Baby will be tempted to pick food from your plate and play with it.

Eventually, baby will put it in their mouth and taste it.

They will spit it out and gag, all this is normal.

Eventually they will start to chew and then swallow bits of food.

Make sure your food on your plate is suitable, ie no spicy strong foods, no tiny bones etc.

I’d never be able to hang onto him and eat. And he isn’t interested, which does make me think he’s not ready.

The discussion above is why I get confused … he needs solids but it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t take solids!

Give him iron and multivitamins for the moment, to take the pressure off, keep offering in different ways, and if you are still in the same boat a month from now, get some medical advice to rule out texture/swallowing issues (he is probably fine, but you will feel less worried if you have ruled out problems).

They do need food after 6mo for iron, zinc and a whole bunch of other things, because they need to develop their facial muscles for speech, to ensure they don’t miss window periods in terms of getting used to textures and swallowing solids, and for exposure to allergens to reduce the risk of food allergies. The risk of allergies goes up if you wait too long.

Can people please stop the “food before one is just for fun” bollocks? It is a silly internet jingle which has no medical backing whatsoever.

My dd wasn't really ready till 8 months. We did try from 6 months but didnt get anywhere till 8. Like op's dc, dd couldn't quite sit upright by herself at 6 months. Every baby is different and develops at different rates.

No one bats an eyelid when some kids are walking at 11 months but others aren't walking till 14 months. So why do we feel that weaning must happen at 6 months on the dot? No earlier, no later? It isn't common sense.

Op your instinct is that your dc isn't ready, as he can't sit upright independently. I think waiting till next month is very reasonable.

Erm to young for a high chair that's what he won't like..ours were in bouncer or sat on floor on a blanket

My little one just turned 6 months old and we have been giving her porridge for a few weeks and she has just now taken to it

I won't be doing baby led weaning. I didn't do it with my first and she's almost 2 and eats absolutely everything.

Don't put pressure on yourself.

Everything my little one ate until she was 1 was blended within an inch of its life as I was worried about choking. 😂

If it makes you feel any better, I conpletely forgot to wean DS2 until he was well past 8 months, at which point he grabbed a chip out of my hand, stuffed it in his mouth and held his mouth open for more.

He's 9 now and eats more than the 12 year old.

I haven't found baby led weaning works whatsoever and both parent and baby often gets frustrated. Have you tried purees? My eight month old demolishes them. Most babies love fruit and veg plus things like Weetabix. I don't worry about meat at all but have also found things like lentil and rice mixed with chopped tomatoes work well as do soft scrambled egg.

I’ve tried purées. I haven’t really gone down the baby led weaning approach because of the complete lack of interest. My first was the same and I think if I’d done BLW I’d still be waiting for her to eat!

I’ll hold off until confidently able to sit independently .

DT’s were weaned on pouches - fed from a spoon. I didn’t want to do baby led weaning. We worked our way through the ranges of pouches - some weeks successfully, others less so. It introduced them to different textures and flavours - worked really well.

Feeding from a spoon and he just spits it out. Maybe he hasn’t lost the ‘tongue thrust’ yet?

This!

DS2 is now ten months and doing well with weaning but I had to stop entirely for a month or two. He wasn't interested or ready until more like 8/9 months and now I feel we are back on track.

If he isn't interested and gaining weight etc then I'd take the pressure off for a bit. They should be grabbing for food and visibly interested at the point of weaning. This is so different for different babies.

We have doctors and hospital dieticians in the family. Food IS fun before 1. Ie it's all about moving towards eating with the family but there shouldn't be pressure. You've got to play the long game that food and mealtimes are a wonderful part of family life and not a source of stress.

We also had issues with the high chair. I sometimes do snacks with DS2 on the floor or on my lap. He has only just started to be ok in the high chair.

It's fine if he spits it out. That's still him learning.

Keep trying and he'll get it.

He isn’t opening his mouth though … I think I should have waited for interest in food. Argghh always mess feeding up!

You seem to putting a ton of pressure on yourself!
Offer food and if he takes it or doesn't don't stress about it. Keep offering with no expectations. You'll be fine. 💝

I know but it is hard. I don’t want to force but I do want to encourage. He hates it and I hate it!

I vowed I wouldn’t get stressed this time round but not eating at all does seem a bit unusual. I would have expected not much but not nothing at all.

You could try giving him yoghurt on a spoon so he gets use to the texture and to receiving food via a spoon.

He’s had Ella’s kitchen pouches like that (and from a finger) and no luck. It’s early days i know. My first was the same and just wouldn’t eat for ages and it’s so stressful, I hate it!

Can I ask what you find so stressful about it?

Is it that you're concerned about his health or is it him refusing is irritating? Or both? Or something else?

My LO seemed to have an aversion to the high chair. So i ended up having to let her sit on my lap at the table and let her have a taste that way. The more confident she got i could sit her in high chair in short stints, first without the tray and spooned a couple bits of porridge. She is 10 months now and happier in high chair and self feeding from tray. If she gets fussy i stroke her leg and she calms for a bit more. Then take her out if she really cant cope in it.

Maybe you could put a bit of LO food on your plate when your eating and see if they start reaching for it?