Not making much progress with solid food

[toomuchwetweather]

Baby is now 9 months and at first was having tiny tiny amounts - fine but three months later it’s the same. I’m conscious he should be really subsisting milk feeds for food at this point and we are nowhere near. It’s starting to concern me a bit. Any tips?

I don’t have any advice but just to say my 9 month old daughter is exactly the same. She hasn’t reduced her breastfeeds at all (not a problem in my book - hopefully will keep my period away longer 😂), and only eats a mouthful here and there of food. If we hand feed her (not with a spoon, with our literal hand), then she will sometimes eat a decent amount of cheese or scrambled egg. She will also eat yoghurt or fruit puree from a pouch (straight from the pouch, not on a spoon) about 70% of the time. But not much, we’re talking a third of one of those small Ella’s kitchen yoghurt pouches. I just keep reminding myself that she will eat more when she is ready to, and for now they get the majority of their nutrients from milk anyway.

Can you tell us a bit more @toomuchwetweather like which milk she's on and what your normal day looks like for food and milk?

My 9 month old is only becoming interested in food the last few days and is still feeding like a newborn with milk. Nights continue to be hard core. Hoping she'll start dropping more feeds soon

My daughter was 13 months before she engaged with weaning and was 20 months before she could wean off formula. She was under a dietician for multiple food allergies and reflux so had lots of reassurance that she would get there in her own time. She mostly has, still isn't the best eater but is able to maintain the 25th percentile for weight some times of not a lot of food at all!

I find she’s far better with BLW type snacks - like a whole strawberry or a rice cake or slices of avocado or pasta. She still doesn’t each huge amounts but she definitely finds it more interesting. Maybe try little and often with interesting snacks?

At what times are you doing food & milk? Mine really struggled to eat much as I was timing it wrong, as soon as I offered food before milk he started eating more!

Thank you. I was feeling a bit down as she’d barely eaten when I posted.

Normally in the morning she has a boiled egg and toast. Usually she loves the egg, but was a bit reluctant today, lots of fussing and crying. She sucks on toast

She refused lunch but then did have a bit of banana after her nap and she had a decent dinner so I’m probably just fretting.. and wanting her to sleep through lol

She refused lunch but then did have a bit of banana after her nap and she had a decent dinner so I’m probably just fretting.. and wanting her to sleep through lol

She's probably having the 9 month sleep regression so probably woukd t sleep through if she ate everything in sight

"Food is fun until you're one"

Milk is main source until age 1. Don't worry.

I’m conscious he should be really subsisting milk feeds for food at this point

"Food before one is just for fun"

He is doing absolutely fine, milk is the main nutrition source at 9 months.

If it makes you feel better a good day at 9 months for us was 1-2 spoons of Weetabix and a couple of peas!

Offering food three times a day is brilliant some days they will eat all others none. Engagement is the main thing and looking at habits over a few days

My daughter is 3 now still has weeks of barely anything. Days where she only eats plain pasta and olive oil other days where it's chicken and nothing else other day or copious amounts of broad beans and frozen peas. It all averages out over time! Kids don't regulate their diets in the same way we do where each meal has the various proportions of what we need to grow you have to take a step back sometimes and look at the big picture!

They also need a lot of energy at 9 months. My daughter only gained 200g between 7 and 13 months. She kept her milk intake fairly consistent but didn't eat so just had enough calories to maintain her weight and slowly creep up. Learning to walk and talk is demanding so it very much could be the case that food and milk is needed for a while. Our HV and paediatrician said it's quite common for babies to have slower weight gain at this point if they have a mismatch in intake and activity levels. My daughters intake took a while to catch up with her activity and it was only when she was on 1-3 meals a day plus 20-25oz of formula that she started properly gaining weight again.