Any-one had a baby who was slow to like solids and it turned out fine.

[LemonRobin]

The health visitors say baby should be on 3 meals at 9 months but she just isnt interested.
She would occasionally open her mouth happily for spoon feeding but hasnt even done that for a month and has stopped putting food in her mouth herself. BLW has had zero success, she just plays with the food.
Does any-one have a baby who just took to solids late and everything was fine? I’d love to here some reassuring stories.
Seeing community health worker about it but tried everything they’ve suggested.

One of mine didn't start eating much at all til well after 1.

If she's reluctant I'd definitely stick with BLW. Playing with her food is success! She's exploring and curious. Mine did same. Food started to go down after 1. But I ate same food as her every day, with her, and just kept offering. It'll come.

Do not start offering unhealthy options just to get any food in her.

And I know easier said than done, but don't stress with her. Food shouldn't be about power or worry. Offer her healthy options, let her watch you eat, it'll come.

My 13 year old was like this, it wasn't till he was about 18 months that he started to eat solids properly.

He's now 6 ft 4" so don't worry!

Yep, my eldest was like this. At 9 months I had an HV flapping at me, but by 12 months she was eating. Not sure if it makes a difference but she was 25th centile, and is still on the small side for her age, but she does eat pretty well, isn't too fussy and is perfectly healthy.

If you'd told my eldest at 10 months that we were giving up on solids and going back to milk only he'd have been thrilled! Not too long after it just clicked for him and he became a brilliant eater - it was just about perseverance and trying as best as possible not to get stressed and pressure him. (He's now a toddler and would live on nuggets if you let him, but I'm sure we'll get back to the days of him loving my nice homemade family meals one day...)

What's her sitting like? What type of high chair is she in?

Middle one was like this. Eldest had been like a poster child for baby led weaning, picking up and eating everything at 6 months, so was weird. He suddenly started eating at about 11 months and is 15 and 6 foot and eats and eats nowadays

Yes mine wasn't arsed at all until at least 9 months. She has a really good palate now as a teen and eats pretty much anything/has no issues with food (including too much or not enough).

Our youngest was like this. Only played with food and wouldn’t eat anything till about 9-10 months old and didn’t properly eat till over a year. If they’d been my first, I would have been distraught. I did run it through with health visitor but no other signs of concern so I just waited.

Yes. DD was never interested in food at that age. She was then a fussy eater for years. She grew up watching cookery shows with me and finally began to realise that food was fun and delicious and now, at 24, she is a fantastic and very imaginative cook.

She is vegetarian, but likes most vegetables. She told me the other day that when she gave up meat then fish as a teenager that I had told her that if she chose to restrict her diet she couldn't afford to be fussy.

Another success story here. I have twins who did not allow any solids past their lips until they were over a year old. It was so frustrating making or buying things to try to tempt them. We ended up in feeding clinics and all sorts. Everything got spat out.
Then around the 12 to 14 months, everything changed.
They are now happy healthy teenagers with a great attitude to food.
I wish I had not stressed about it so much back then. Easy to say now!
Good luck.

A friend had a son who ate only baby foods till he was 3. She would always put ‘proper’ food in front of him and one day he just picked up a chicken leg and was off.

Don't worry. Everyone ends up eating normally. Don't stress it.

It's like stressing about late walking. Everyone walks eventually.

Baby in my NCT was like this. Didn't eat more than a mouthful or 2 until after his first birthday. And he was really tall too. He was fine after that, not fussy at all.

He had quite low muscle tone, couldn't walk until fairly late or even sit independently but again it all sort of worked out well. His mum said she was a late eater too.

DC4 refused pretty much all food until 9 months and even then took a while to eat meals rather than tastes. He ate loads between about 18 months and 2 then ate not much more than bread, yogurt, fish fingers and grapes for a year.
I think because he was number four we were really relaxed about it and just let him eat or not eat. Now at 13 he eats a wider range of foods than me, I think the only foods he doesn't like are bacon, fudge and cheesecake.

Yes. Both my sons were slow to embrace food until around 1. But they were bf and very chubby, so they were getting what they needed from me! As soon as I started to cut back bf (they didn't just drop it) they got very into food. Now it's a feeding frenzy at home - they eat huge quantities (18 months and 4) and a wide range of food and no fussiness at all.

Food is fun until one - try not to stress about it. It's just about giving them the opportunity to try things if they'd like.

My first was on 3 solid meals the moment he started weaning, my second wasn’t bothered by food until nearer 1 year. Both eat with gusto now.

DD was a bit like this, at about 14 months I made an appointment with the HV as I had concerns about her eating. Typically, by the time the appointment came around, DD was eating really well suddenly.

9 months is still very little, I wouldn’t worry at the moment. Just keep offering a variety of foods and let them do what they like.

My oldest didn’t start eating solids until he was 2! And then he tried everything

hes now 23 and eats a variety of things but, typically of most 23 year olds, mostly ready meals

Just plop food on the tray and let her play and take the pressure off. If you’re doing BLW, this is normal progression, not slow. Mine didn’t eat much until 10 months and then was eating huge amounts (like an entire adult bowl of porridge plus a banana for breakfast). It isn’t slow, that’s just how long it takes.

My first was into food instantly and loved it. My second is 1 next week and only recently started eating decent amounts. Up until then he was rarely interested. I wouldn't worry if she’s otherwise well.

I had one that was eager and easy to wean and another that was very reluctant. While you don't need to worry, I think it is good to take some action with a reluctant eater. My second developed anaemia by 12 months from not eating enough and it took about 6 months to get him back where he should be, plus he needed dental treatment to remove the staining of the iron supplement from his teeth. Anaemia reduces appetite so it prevents the exact thing you need to do to fix it.
What I wish I had done earlier: make some swaps to add more iron to the diet, even if he only eats a little (some types of bread have more than others, sweet potatoes are a good source etc.). Add a source of vitamin C to each meal (needed to absorb iron). Exclude dairy when giving iron-rich food as it prevents iron absorption (so I kept meals dairy free and gave yoghurts as snacks). I also should have left him with others more so that he was forced to eat rather than breastfeed. I know his personality better now and in retrospect see that I was much too laid back with him (he has my personality so I really should have realised).

I'm sure you already are, but make meals a social activity - sit with them and eat the same sorts of foods. Have some on her plate/tray and some on your plate, demonstrate how you touch and taste the food on your plate and then do the same with the food on her plate, it may encourage her to copy you. And taking some of mummy's food is always more fun than your own. Even now with a friend's 4yo he eats much better if he steals food from our plates!

Food before 1 is just for fun

Always the motto I heard when mine were babies. They are now at primary school, no problems.

Mine! She just wasn't interested at that age and I used to get really stressed about it- going to baby groups and hearing how well other kids were eating didn't help either. She gradually got better with it- although she's now 8 and I STILL have to nag her to eat dinner as she forgets otherwise. Just the way she is. We did nothing different weaning her younger sister but she took to it much quicker and still has a much better appetite. I feel for you though- weaning is really stressful when you've got a reluctant eater. At my lowest ebb, I remember fashioning a snowman out of mashed potato and beans and then being distraught because she wouldn't eat it :)

Just to balance out what 'fine' might mean... I had a baby who rejected all food. Severe ARFID which went on for years. It massively affected his height. He is tiny for an adult male. He has a gorgeous girlfriend, loads of friends, a good degree, a job he loves, a hobby he is passionate about. So even if food issues do lead to physical problems, that doesn't mean things won't turn out fine.