2 weeks into weaning - refusing food

[DecafSkinnySausage]

Started weaning just over 2 weeks ago with DS at just over 5 months as seemed to be getting hungrier and hungrier despite more milk. To begin with all went well, he ate all the baby rice/purees I offered him and we went up to 2 meals a day, but over the last week or so he's become less and less interested and now pretty much refusing anything, with occasional crying fits in the highchair. I've tried giving him loaded spoons which sometimes he gets on well with and other times doesn't.

I've nosied around on this topic a bit and discovered that this "regression" (poor baby) is probably normal - esp as we've been away a couple of times and various other new things happening in his life. I'm just wondering what the best next step would be - keep offering 1/2 meals a day and just wait for him to be interested again? Give it a rest altogether for a few days/until 6 months? Switch to BLW (not sure if I can do this before 6 months, haven't read the book yet)?

I would give it a rest for the time being, you don't want him to develop negative associations with food.

It's possible to BLW before 6 months if the baby is ready - sitting well, can pick up food and get it to their mouth, has lost the tongue thrust reflex. Maybe it would be worth taking the pressure off a bit for both of you and just sitting him on your lap at lunch time with a few suitable finger foods within reach?

I agree with Rita give it a rest- it'll be stressful for you both otherwise and when he's 6mths try BLW. When my DD was 6 months her BLW was purees and being fed finger food as she wasn't any good at picking stiff up, but really wanted the food. 4 weeks of successful meals she suddenly started refusing meals. We switched to proper BLW, no purees and its going really well. She's just 8 months old and her fine motor skills are really good.

I wouldn't stop but I would take a few steps back. Loaded spoons is a food idea. Maybe put food on the high chair tray in blobs and let him get messy and get his fingers in it. Above all at such an early stage don't worry. You both have plenty of time to progress.

Does he want to feed himself? I wasn't sure what you meant by loaded spoons. My DD could use a spoon from the offset and wanted to control the spoon herself and went into a frenzy if I tried to feed her. Instead I would pass her the spoon about 15cm from her and most of it eventually went in. She liked to explore the food first aswell, so hands in the bowl etc. Then throw it around too of course to see how sticky it is .

Thanks, we pretty much skipped dinner last night and just gave him some strips of courgette to play with - eventually had a bit of a chew! Will play it by ear but just go slowly I think.