My 8 month old DS is ANGRY when being spoon-fed!

[Haleana]

Hi,

My DS is nearly 8 months old and was quite happily being spoon-fed up until the last couple of days. He is now getting really angry and frustrated and is refusing to take from the spoon now. Instead he's constantly trying to grab the spoon or bowl from me and gets angry if I don't let him have it. Trouble is, when I do let him have it, he just chucks the food everywhere and then gets angry again.

Not sure what to do with him. He seems happy when feeding himself a rusk or maize stick. I'm just so scared of him choking and am baby-led weaning has me nervous (as I don't really understand what's okay and what isn't).

Arrrgh! Dinner times are becoming DIFFICULT!!

(He's also teething at the moment if that has anything to do with it).

Can anyone advise?

To be honest, it sounds like your DS has decided that baby-led weaning is the way to go! NHS guidelines are finger food from 6 months. It is a very good idea to know what to do if he chokes but it's not that far on from a rusk (yuck from so much sugar) or maize stick. Try roasted or steamed chip-shapes of veg, or chunks of chicken?

When I make DS something he can't easily feed himself I find the 3 spoon approach works well.

Grabs first spoon in one hand, second in other - third one remains in my hand and often manages to get food to his mouth.

Also depends on what you're feeding him - e.g. if it's a casserole of some sort, put some chunks of it on the tray for him to play with and spoon in inbetween.

However I now mostly just dump whatever it is on the tray in front of him and he shovels it in and sucks his fingers clean

Baby led weaning.

Google it and you're away.

With your hands free.

Look at www.babyledweaning.com, and also learn some basic infant first aid - it's always a really good idea to know what to do if a baby chokes, however you're feeding them. To get him used to self-feeding with a spoon, load it up with something that sticks quite well - thick porridge, for example, and just put a couple of loaded spoons in front of him, (so you don't lose a whole bowlful!) and let him have a go.

How are you doing, btw, Haleana? I remember you having a tough time a while ago.

Mix of baby led weaning and spoons, whatever he will accept

Both mine always wanted something in their hands, ie breadstick, rice cake, their own spoon etc, then would have a few spoons fed to them as well. My theory was to just offer food every which way and see what they wanted (ie extremely baby led!). And always give up if they're getting upset.

If he's teething then he may well be off his solids for a few days, nothing to worry about.

Ps it's extremely hard for them to actually choke - the cough/gag reflex is very protective, so don't panic if he coughs on solids, just try to calmly reassure until they've brought it up or swallowed it down. It's all part of the learning process (even if it is heart stopping for you!).

Hi! Thanks everyone. I've been giving him all sorts! Had to deal with a difficult situation last night though as I had my husband's Mum, Dad, Nanna and Auntie all shouting at me because he was gagging on a sausage. He was fine, I knew he was, as just a little bit came out. (Protective gag reflex and all). However, they were all implying I had no idea what I was doing, one of them even intervened and ripped the sausage into tiny pieces (which I thought was actually worse than giving it to him whole)??

May not do that in front of them again. I think they expect him to be on puree until he's 18!

Yes, little bits worse, in general. Perhaps when people are around stick to foods that others may find less disconcerting!