How long before they actually eat rather than spit it out?

[cleanandclothed]

Dc2 is 6.5 months. Have been offering food for around 10 days. Banana, bread, lentils, soup, potato, porridge. Mixture of spoon feeding and finger food. Don't think anything has actually been swallowed yet! How long does it take? Can't remember from dc1!

I am afraid that is one of those questions which the only reply can be 'how long is a piece of string'.

The best answer I can give is that 6.5 months is no need for concern. I used to be roomleader in an under 1's room with 24 babies in it, and everyone of them were different.

When you start the weening process, your child will be learning a lot just from what they are currently doing, they are processing new tastes and textures.

One tip I will give is to take the likes of porridge, and try swapping between this and their bottle of milk. This might kick start the idea of swallowing. It doesn't always work. Sometimes all it does is annoy the child that you keep stopping them from having their milk. If this happens I wouldn't push it.

They will do it when they are ready.

DS is 7.5m and some foods he swallows easily and others he gags up. Meat is something he can't handle yet. Breadsticks, porridge, brocolli etc judging from his poo are going down just fine. Although if he's tired most still ends up on the floor, case in point last night's roast. Great fun watching them learn though :)

Like Swivel - dd is 7.5mo, and I'd say it's only in the last 10 days or so that she's properly started swallowing food. Lots still comes straight back out though!

At 6.5m, DD wasn't even interested in putting food anywhere near her mouth.. She's now 10 months but has only started swallowing food in the last month, although only pasta, bread, fish and yoghurt that gets swallowed. Cheerios get carefully moved around her mouth before she spits them out again intact. Likewise most veg and meat, although she does suck the juice out of them.