DS refusing both spoon feeding and won't entertain finger foods.... help!

[LankyLegs]

Hello - I was wondeing if anyone had any advice!

DS is 25 weeks old (6 months on Saturday) and I have over the last few days stried to spoon feed some purees/baby rice/baby porridge I made.... his lips remained tighly shut and would then start crying so I didn't push the matter.

So I started down the finger foods/blw and popped a few veggies on his high chair. He just looked at them and started crying so I had to remove them. I was eating alongside him and everything.

Not sure what to do. He shows all the signs of weaning - sits up, good head support, stares at me eating... is a very big boy and thought he would lap up the food.

Trying not to stress but wondering if anyone else had the same problem? Should I wait another week and see if he is more receptable. Or should I peservere? Am worried that I have put him off already with the fact that he knew that I put 'food' on his high chair for him to try.

Thanks in advance

I'd just go with sitting him on your lap while you are eating, and let him make the decision to grab things off your plate/fork/hand as he chooses. No rush or pressure for him to eat anything - foods for fun till he's one remember

well i would just not push it. if he isn't ready then he isn't ready.

i'd continue to have him up in the highchair while you all eat, and give him some things to play with, maybe including a few bits of food.

he'll eat when he is ready to

it's fine.
don't worry.

just keep offering him a few bits on a plate at the same time you have dinner.
if he doesn't eat them, it doesn't matter (you can eat them instead)

he might also be hungry at your meal times - make sure that he has had his milk feed before you sit down, and don't make any fuss of the food.
maybe put a toy down too? DD has a plastic spoon she plays with.

it doesn't matter how long it takes to get the hang of it - "food is for fun until they're one"

DD is 8months next week, and she's "got the hang of it" about 3 times so far.
she has fun playing, and gets upset if she wants milk.

Thanks everyone... lots of useful advice. I think i will keep offering a few bits to play with and eventually he should try something! I have tried not to fuss at all as well... fingers crossed!

:)

it's fun, really - the first time DD sat there and got stuck in i was really chuffed

she seems to do it properly when there are more people around :)
(social thing i suppose)

I hope so nikel!! It has not been fun at all to this point! I take renewed hope with me though!

Lanky - my DD will turn 6 months next week and I am in exactly the same boat as you. I thought she was looking interested in food and she has been more unsettled at night recently so started trying her with food at the weekend but she is having none of it! I have offered her purees (fruit and veg) and also a few bits of finger food but she doesn't want to eat anything. She is happy to play with it all though and will put a spoon/piece of food to her mouth but just not actually eat anything. My DS (who is now almost 4) was weaned at 22 weeks and took to it immediately, wolfing down everything in sight, so this is all new to me! I guess she is just not that hungry. I have decided today after more food refusal at lunchtime to wait a few days and offer her something again next week and see what happens then. Like you, I don't want to make her upset about the whole process so will wait a few days so we are both more relaxed again! I'm sure our babies will start eating soon!

Does he join in at meal times or is it just him in the high chair while you watch? That's no fun!

Sit down for all meals and offer him food that way instead. DD(my second) sits with us and is part of the family. I don't like feeding her seperatly which is what I did with DS (although soon started eating my meals with him as was nicer).

Also I'd just put the food in DD's tray and she could do with it whatever she fancied.

bcmummy so pleased to hear from someone else in the same boat! I dont get it too..baffled esp since DS is a milk fiend. Anyway...i am offering the odd thing daily (finger foods) but keeping it relaxed and any sign of crying i take it away. I might give it a break for a few days as well. Keep me posted on how you get on and any miraculous feeding tips you might have stumbled across!

Remember: up until 1 its just for fun. At this age milk is their most important source of nutrition. Keep putting some finger foods on his tray, sit him next to you when you're eating. Don't rush him or push him or attempt to spoon feed him if he doesn't want it- this could cause anxieties. Just let him explore and try things in his own time. Good Luck and embrace the mess!

Iggly i sit with him and eat something normally at lunch or tea time. Dont have dinner together as its was too late for him. I do exactly that...just pop it on the high chair and he just looks at it and cries! Maybe i need to move the highchair to be at the table...will try anything at this stage....

Do you mean he's left on his own in the highchair, all alone? FWIW, DD doesn't like the idea being on her own in the highchair at nursery. She insisted on sitting on a chair with the older children from around 13/14mo. And she's hardly on her own in a highchair at nursery, as they group all the babies in highchairs together during meal times.

At home, Her highchair is pushed right to the table, with her sitting at the head of the table.

ah, see, the best way to do it is have him in the highchair at the table.
ours has a removable tray, so we pull it right up to the table and put her food on a mat (not a plate, because she tips it up!) on the table.

She sees us eating and joins in (when she wants to!)

He needs to see mealtimes as a family occasion, so if you can't all eat dinner together on a week night, you can still do breakfast and lunch, and everyone at saturday/sunday mealtimes.

If he won't go in the highchair (DD won't all the time - she sits and rubs her arms against the straps ) then sit him on your lap and let him grab at your food

Yes have him at the table!! DD sits with us and she watches us eat, she grabs some of mine, eats some of hers, DS feeds her some of his etc. it's a nice time meal time!