ds, 25wks, not interested in food, help!

[lucykate]

ds is 25wks. tried to start weaning 2 weeks ago but have been a bit thwarted by him having a bad cold/ear infection. i'm still trying the solids (have weaned before with dd so know a bit about how it all works, tried pureed apple, banana, carrot so far) at lunch time but he's showing no interest and won't even open his mouth. he's never been a good feeder, only has 4-5ozs milk every 4hrs and to even get that into him is a battle, hence not bf anymore. his weight gain has been steady until the last month, now its really dropping and hv says to wean. but if he won't open his mouth, how do i get the food in?? has anyone else come across this?

ps, if you want to see him, look under member profiles, lucykates ds in glasses (can't do links)

I wouldn't fight him. It will just irritate him.

Despite what your HV says, your DS doesn't need solids now. He'll take them when he's ready.

Also, you can offer finger foods. They might go down better? I didn't offer solids to DS2 until around 25 weeks, and he never really took to purees, just went straight to finger foods.

I agree. Don't make it a battle. Why did you stop breastfeeding? Did you want to?

Reccommended start time for solids is around the middle of the first year (around 26 weeks) so you have nothing to worry about if your ds is not wanting solids. Some babies don;t show much interest in solids until nearly a year which is fine as well. Most of his nutrients will come from milk until the first year and solids are just for tasters & extras. Your ds is not opening his mouth becasue he is not developmentally ready to cope with solid matter - ie he cannot move food around his mouth, chew or swallow yet. I would leave solids for a few weeks to avoid any kind of battle as this may cause problems later with food. The more relaxed the better where food is concernced IMO.

Your HV is naughty for suggesting that you wean for weight issues. Firstly weight gain normally slowes around this time and as your ds is still gaining I really don;t see a problem. Secondly if there were a problem with weight then solids is the last thing he should be having as they have less calories than milk and will therefore make the weight problem worse as well as taking up valuable space in the stomach for the more nutrient rich milk.

I would maybe not offer pureed solids at all for a few weeks but maybe give him a few vegetable sticks (steamed carrots or broccoli spears) to play with. He will feel a part of meals and you will know when he is ready to start solids as he will simply pick one up & start sucking/muching on it! There have been a few threads recently about self weaning/baby led weaning/self feeding (all the same thing - just different names) whihc you may find interesting.

thanks for the advice, it has all been very helpful. went to our baby clinic this afternoon to get him weighed and with him having been so ill recently, he's lost a whole pound in 2 weeks. the hv who said to wean him was a stand in as usual lady was poorly. so today's advice was to forget weaning for a bit as, like you've all said, he's just not ready for it yet. more importantly now is to get his weight back on track with milk. but, as a result of him being on antibiotics for his ear infection, he's got thrush on his bottom and possibly in his mouth too, which is another reason why he will have been refusing food. i feel so bad for not spotting the thrush, the hv diagnosed it straight away.

A suggestion would be to add a little flavour to his milk, may not make any difference but could encourage more to go in. A little crusha milk shake liquid / vailla, cinnimon coffee flavours / ribena.

Have seen it work wonders with a SN baby who didn't drink well and was recommended by her dietitian.

Ds didn't want any food until 7 months. They start eating when they are ready. Leave it for a bit and try again. That's what I did and now ds eats everything and anything (he is 13months).
Your ds will get all he needs from milk and if you just go with that for now, it will feel a lot easier, I promise. And btw, ds was born big and has stayed big and that was never an issue, mik was still enough for him.

Oh, and one last bit of advice - most hvs are insane

Oh and please, please, don't start adding sugar and additives to his milk as matnanplus suggested. I'm sorry, but that's just an awful thing to do at 25 weeks.

Blimey, I have heard it all now. Adding Crusha to a 6 month old baby's milk. That's a new one on me.

Actually, it's reallly upsetting to think that someone would do that. Reminds me of the baby that died as it's parents fed it way too much salt (gravy powder and stuff). Babies aren't mini versions of us, they have v specific nutritional needs.

Sorry but i said a little let my make it even plainer 5ml per 5ozs was the recommended dose by the dietitian.

VERY sorry if that offends some people.

But what age was the child? Surely not 25 weeks?

I started offering solids at 6 months but my baby has only really begun tucking in in earnest in the past couple of weeks. (He's ten months old now).
I agree with those who say don't rush it. After all, IME, it's not like it helps them sleep longer or anything exciting like that.

Recommended by a dietician to a SN child, under special circumstances, is one thing.

For other people to do this because their child is under the weather, with some infections etc that have ended, or being healed, would be silly.

Of course it is going to offend people, matnan! For a dietician to allegedly advise it, in a situation we know nothing about, is one thing, for you to come on this thread and advise anyone with feeding problems to try it, is totally irresponsible.

NQC, cross posted, but glad I am not the only one who thinks this is barking.

Cinnamon flavoured coffee with milk for a 26 week baby And ribena !! Its not recommended on the bottle for under 12 months !!
This is absolutely terrible advice.....!!
Please don't do this anyone.....

thanks again for all the advice, think i'll give the crusha a miss though, but i actually have heard of that before.

i'm quite intrigued by the baby-led weaning idea though and am going to give those threads a read. something tells me that this might be the way forward with ds. i'm quite happy to leave weaning until he's more up for it!

matnanplus- your a maternity nanny too !! please tell me you dont give children in your care coffee and crusha in their milk !!!!?

Lucykate- My ds2 is 5 months today, and Im waiting for him to tell me when he is ready too.He is already eying up my lunches. !!!!
Good luck

see lockets, we have no experience of teething, dd was never bothered by her teeth until one weekend when she had 5 come through at once (her's were all late plus she was a very demanding/irritable/bad sleeping baby anyway)

i did think he might have been ready, we went out for a chinese meal and he grabbed a spare rib from my hand and tried to chew on it!

Bless !!! he's such a cutie in his photo too !!

doh!, i was being a bit thick wasn't i

i can be excused, with ds having been so poorly, not had much sleep lately