Fed up of 8mo DS screaming at every meal

[Lightofthemoon]

I started weaning at 6 mo and it's been going reasonably well so far, some meals he chomps up, others not so interested. However, in the last week or two he's just started screaming as soon as I try and feed him. I've tried walking him round to calm him down, sometimes going into the garden helps but I'm getting fed up of trying to 'persuade' him to eat. I don't have a proper high chair yet which might not be helping, I either put him in the bumbo which he tries to get out of or I hold him and he's wriggling to get free.

I'm doing the Anabel carmel meals and feel so disheartened that my efforts are being refused - we went away at the weekend and I took his food in a cool bag but he hardly ate any of it and I ended up throwing most of it away, is so soul destroying.

He's drinking the recommended amount of milk between feeds (about 20 oz) no problem so should I just stop stressing and assume he will eat when he wants to?

We all have many years if this to look forward to I remember reading somewhere the reason why toddlers go fussy over food is because it's the first thing they find they have control over their parents. Of course I am not suggesting a 8mo is doing that at all. Maybe he's teething. Maybe it's one if those growth spurts. But don't get all upset about it. He's getting all he needs to grow from his milk.

Just in the off chance, is he growing an aversion to being spoon fed? Will he eat finger foods?

Thanks lilham, I haven't tried finger foods yet so maybe that's an idea.

Has he got a sore throat? DS started doing this (would only eat smooth things all of a sudden) and I found out a few days later he had hand, foot and mouth.

I was going to suggest finger food too. It really is soul destroying trying to feed an unwilling baby, I feel your pain as my DD is a spoon (and often food) refuser!

As always I should take my own advice, but try not to get stressed about it. I can vouch for the fact they do survive without eating 3 meals a day!

If you're thinking of getting a high chair at some point, then maybe now is the time to get one. Put a few bits of food on his tray and see how he gets on (and you can get on and eat your meal while he's at it). DD's current favourite are Oatibix bites soaked in a teeny bit of milk.

The other option is to let him have a try with the spoon, it's not terribly efficient but he may enjoy being in control.

My 9mo has done this on-and-off for the past couple of months and I do think it coincides with teething. She much prefers finger foods during this time and this evening when she refused to be spoon-fed, I put the spoon on her tray and she miraculously just picked it up and fed herself!

I really didn't think she would be coordinated enough to do this yet and bye I'm kicking myself for not trying it earlier as she then polished off her entire meal with any fuss. It was a right mess though :)

Thanks for all the advice, I have decided not to stress, he's drinking his milk so that's the main thing. I've ordered a high chair and will definitely try finger foods on the tray and giving him the bowl and spoon to try himself.

Maybe just the spoon lightofthemoon. Load it for him and see if he'll put it in his mouth himself. I suspect if he has the bowl too you'll be wiping the floor/walls/table/him/you etc :)