7mth old DD finger foods and spoon fed foods conundrum

[charrowell]

Hi everyone
I was hoping someone could give me a little advice. Basically I started weaning my DD around 5-6weeks ago with baby foods from jars, packets etc (was kinda pushed into it as MIL kept going on about it and bought loads of pre-packed rubbish) Anyway, this was going well, i was still BF as much as my baby wanted and DD was embracing the different foods I was giving her and seemed content. BUT about two weeks ago I came across information that totally turned me off giving pre-packed food in jars and packets and so I decided on making my own purees and introducing finger foods. (BTW I still feed DD pre-dried baby cereals to which i add water as she loves them, and i also wouldn't know what else i could offer her for breakfast)
Thing is, baby doesn't seem to eat much of the finger foods I'm trying her with even though I'm trying a good variety with her (she sucks at them and spits out most of it!) She loves the fruit I purée for her and obviously still wants breast milk but she cries for other puréed food such as the packet and jar stuff she started with and Ive given in a couple of times and given it to her. I've tried making my own puréed lunches and dinners but as yet she hasn't liked any of them! I desperately want her to lead the way with finger foods but I'm worried that she has got a liking for being spoon fed and won't eat any other way. What can I do?

Thank you in advance.

Claire

Hi,

I'm by no means the expert when it comes to BLW but for what it's worth i'd say time, time and time.

DS is 9m now and has only recently started showing a proper interest with finger foods and I have friends who have solely BLW and they've said the same.

Work on the idea that 'food is fun until one' so, let her play with whatever she likes, finger and mushy (believe me, it's worth letting them get messy in mush, i've worked with some kids who really can't deal with any kind of mess on their hands)
As she plays she'll start to taste and then eat. Offer her as much milk as she wants and gradually the food will increase and the milk will decrease. 7m is still very young for her to be 'eating' chunks as such - don't worry.

DS nearly got to the age of 1 before he was really eating anything (we did BLW because he utterly rejected spoons). DD decided against finger foods and demanded to be spoonfed around 8 months. Babies don't seem to have read the guidelines on how to wean!

She is young, she will get there, try not to panic. Don't feel you are starving her by not giving her the pre packaged stuff (although I always liked Ella's Kitchen stuff for convenience!).

None of mine really took to finger foods before 10 months, they wanted food though so I just mashed things and fed it to them