9 month old still not interested in food

[choceyes]

My 9 month old DD still isn't eating much at all. I'd estimate that she has about a tablespoon of food all day long and that's an optimistic estimate.
I'm just so stressed about this.

I want to do BLW so that's what I do. She gums a few things, spits out a lot etc. I even try spoonfeeding her, just incase she prefers that, but she HATES it. She grabs the spoon from me and throws it or just starts crying and I can't even get to her mouth.

She does swallow occasionally judging by her nappies. She still poos only every 4/5 days though just like before solids.

She tried food for a couple of minutes at each mealtime and then she is crying to be taken out from the chair.
I did BLW with my DS, who was much easier and ate a fair amount, enough to drop a feed at this stage, and even if he wasn't interested in eating or had enough, he would sit happily at the table just playing with the food.
DD just cries and I end up having to hold her while my dinner is going cold.

I know everybody says food is just for fun till they are one. Is there any research to back this up?

I'm at the end of my tether and I dont know how much more of this I can take. Every meal time is so stressful.

Anybody else had DCs who were late starters?

Didn't want to let this go unanswered. My only advice is try not to worry about it- she's probably picking up on your stress. Let her eat from your lap perhaps? And carry on as normal if she does eat so its no big deal.

thanks for the reply!

I don't mind if she will stay on my lap or even sit in her high chair playing with her food and not eating. But she just cries and wants to be taken from her chair and when she sits in my lap she just grabs my plate and just wants to play with the plate, not insterested in the food. a lot of the time I end up with my plate on the floor as she is a very good grabber.
feeling really down about the whole thing.

DS is the same,DD was easier she was BLW too.
sometimes DS doesnt eat anything for a day or two...he's still BF on demand,i guess he just prefers milk.

TBH it doesnt bother me in the slightest.

me and DP take turns to hold him if he is fed up,or find him a toy to play with.

i suppose my advice is not to stress about it,the more stressed you are,the more of an issue you make of it,the less likely she is to start eating.
keep offering her food,eventually,she will eat.promise.

Thanks Frigg.

I think i'm comparing DD to DS who was more interested in his food. I don't even mind her not eating as such, but she makes such a fuss when it's mealtimes.

i also bf on demand. Thanksfully she won't be going to nursery for anther 4 months, otherwise I really will be tearing my hair out!

well,if your BF on demand,and shes got 4 months to start eating,she really,honestly,will be FINE!

food before one is just for FUN!
let her play with it,view it as a teether toy.eventually,she'll realize its yummy

Dc3 didn't start eating properly til about 9.5m. She's now 10.5 months and eats loads. I stopped making purees and just gave her easy stuff ( for me ) like cheese on toast or rice cakes and cream cheese or pear or banana. She hates spoons and likes to feed herself and now she's eating she's trying lots of different stuff.

don't worry, your dd is absolutely normal.
food before one is just for fun - and repeat :)

she will get the hang of it eventually, main nutrition should still be her milk anyway.
my dd was like that as well but now at 17m she sometimes eats more than her 4y old brother!

My son suddenly started eating around 10 or 10.5 months. We did BLW too. I'd say before that he ingested less than a teaspoon of food a day.

But the transition happened very quickly - literally within a week or so he was eating a bowlful of pasta. He is nearly 2 now and LOVES his food.

Try not to worry - she'll get there

Choceyes - I could have written this your message myself. DS is 9 months next week and he just will not eat. I find is SO stressful I am often in tears. He has about 24 oz of milk a day and on a good day a fromage frais and a few baby crisps. That is all he will eat. We moved to BLW due to spoon refusal and he was doing quite well but has now totally regressed. He had his 8 month check today (month late) and suprisingly he is still on his line for weight (50th) and he is on the 90th for length!

The doctor told me to try not to worry and that his eating would come and he is fine on his milk until then. He also commented on how long he was and said he is very happy with him :) This made me think that perhaps DS knows what he is doing and to keep offering food but if he rejects it then to just go with it.

I hope this in some way helps :)