6 month old wont eat.

[GoingUpInTheWorld]

Dd is 6 months old, i started weaning 5 days ago, with hippo organic porridge.

Dd didn't seem keen as obviously didn't know what it was, however as the days have gone on, she wont swallow the porridge at all just spits it out.

I rang the health visitor who advised giving dd half a weetabix instead, tried that this morning and dd still wont swallow it.

Also how many of you use baby jars, and how many of you batch cook meals and then freeze for your baby?

How long does it take for babies to accept food and swallow, i naively thought by day 3 dd would start to take it.

I do BLW. I started at 26 weeks. I just put finger food in front of DD and she 'plays' with it. Sometimes it goes in her mouth, sometimes she spits it out, sometimes she swallows it, sometimes she puts it in her hair, sometimes she drops it on the floor.

As far as I know, this is normal. I just give her what we are eating. I have bought baby stock cubes in Boots and I don't add salt during cooking. She seemed to like fillet steak best!

I am using the Gill Rapley Baby-led Weaning Cookbook for meal ideas.

It sounds as though she isn't ready yet. Keep offering food and let her have plenty of milk. DD didn't eat more than a mouthful until she was 9 months old. Just lime with walking and talking, all babies mature at different rates - that goes for eating, too. At the point when she grabs the food from your plate, then you'll know it's time.

The health visitor has told me to give her 2 meals a day as from next week but i don't see the point if shes not having the meal i give her?

Do i just stick to the one meal and then when she starts to eat that, then move onto two meals?

I'd do BLW and ignore the HV. You can't force her to eat (the baby I mean, not the HV).

She is only 6 months, this is totally normal.

Do not stress!

Just offer it lots and lots, if she eats a small piece that is a good start.

Maybe something less minging than porridge like puréed apple might be more of a hit?

Although I did blw too, just presented DS with food and he ate what he wanted. You could try giving her a peeled banana and see what she does with it?

Definitely try something nicer than baby porridge and weetabix. Yuck. Agree with others banana, apple, carrot, parsnip. Either mashed or whole, however you prefer

Agree with other posters. BLW let's them play and investigate new foods textures etc. Then there's less problems later on when trying to introduce lumpier foods etc.

A quote i heard when I was stressing over DS1 weening was a help
'food is for fun until you're 1'

Stupid question but how do i puree apple?

Do i cut it up into small amounts then blend?

I wanted to do blw but dh didnt want me to give dd whole food without blending or mashing it very well so thats why i havent done it

You cookit until soft then blend. You need a baby recipe book or website! There is a MN section on weaning over there ---> which includes some recipes I think.

Why doesn't your DH want you to give unmashed food?

Either give BLW a go, or wait a while. She's obviously not ready right now.

Six months is the guideline for introducing food, not when they 'have' to start. Some just aren't ready.

Don't stress about.

Oh, and ignore HV.

How do i cook it, just boil it in water?

Dh said he felt the stomach had to get used to food that didn't need breaking down first and he was also concerned that some food like cucumber sticks would be too hard on her gums etc and also he was concerned about chocking.

I did ask the hv if i could delay weaning and was told no it had to be 6 months to start. Everyone says different things, you dont know what to believe.

Im going to buy a baby recipe book

All food needs breaking down, doesn't matter whether it is puree or not.

Most people are worried about choking, but especially whilst the tongue thrust reflex is so strong, they are highly unlikely to do so.

Might be worth doing a bit of research on BLW to reassure him?

But seriously, she doesn't sound like she likes it right now, so leave it, and try again in a little while.

My HV said some babies aren't ready until seven months so don't worry.

Can you compromise with dh and do a bit of both? Mashed up main meal and finger foods for lunch?

HV is talking bollocks :)

Search for the BLW thread on here, lots of helpful advice and recipe ideas.

DS is not quite six months and I put the odd sweet potato chip/stick of cheese/finger of toast in front of him and he plays with it. Occasionally he even swallows some. It doesn't matter because their main source of nutrition until they're 12mo is milk (breast/formula).

I would stop weaning for a few days and buy a book. Read it thoroughly.

Apple purée recipes available online. Or lots of BLW advice online.

Your DH is not speaking factually.

Your HV is not giving you good advice.

I feel a bit sorry for you as I do understand how stressful it is!

Porridge and weetabix are tasteless goop. Why would anyone want food if thats what it tasted like?

Try something thats has a taste. If she doesnt want any, dont stress. Shes still getting all she needs from milk so she doesnt need food. Its supposed to be fn.

Don't worry my ds is nearly 9 months and still doesn't have any interest in anything other than milk.

Remember " food before one is just for fun"

please buy the babyled weaning book - it should allay DH's fears.

DD did BLW too - they really don't digest anything to start with, they just learn to chew and manipulate it in their mouth.

they learn to do this quicker if they are BLWd, and it's better for their speech and language development.

have a look at www.babyledweaning.com - i think they sell the book through there.

Pearly - same here - DD was 9-19mo before she actually started realizing the stuff was food!
now she eats everything (she's 16mo)