Weaning going nowhere. Help!

[Dontfencemein]

My DS is just over 6 months old and has been EBF. I started offering food a week ago, once a day. I have tried to catch that magic moment when he is not too hungry, not too full and not tired, and have experimented with different times of day. He has good head control and will happily sit in his highchair to play. He is well able to take things to his mouth and give them a good lick. He has two teeth.

The problem is, he just doesn't seem interested in food. The lips are pursed shut when anything approaches him, and if I persist, he starts to push my hand away, turns his head and moans, eventually crying. I have tried to slip the spoon in his mouth, but do not want to force it. I have tried a spoon, my finger, his finger...He has been offered home made carrot purée, crust of toast, different fruit purées from a pouch, baby rice mixed with breast milk...Food sits on his lips without so much as a lick of curiosity. I have given him the blessed spoon to play with at other times so that it might not be threatening.

He gagged on carrot once and I was delighted because it meant there was something in his mouth, but from his nappies, he does not seem to have ingested anything at all. Meals only last a few minutes because I don't want food to become an issue.

I know it has only been a week but am worried. All my NCT friends' babies seem to be devouring food without a hitch. Am I doing something wrong? Is this normal?

Don't stress! They all take to it eventually. If he picks up your anxiety it will make mealtimes a negative experience.

When you have your own meals, sit him in his highchair with some food and let him either try it or play with it. Don't worry if he doesn't eat it. He has no idea yet that food stops you being hungry. As far as he is concerned that is what boobs are for. He is still getting what he needs from your milk.

Don't stress! They all take to it eventually. If he picks up your anxiety it will make mealtimes a negative experience.

When you have your own meals, sit him in his highchair with some food and let him either try it or play with it. Don't worry if he doesn't eat it. He has no idea yet that food stops you being hungry. As far as he is concerned that is what boobs are for. He is still getting what he needs from your milk.

Maybe he's just not ready yet? Ds2 wasn't bothered until around 7 months, and only if he could feed himself.

Has he ever actually shown interest in your food? My eldest was trying to steal food off my plate at 4 months, but ds2 had no interest at all.

Oh, and don't compare with your friends?

Completely agree that he's maybe not ready yet. The six months thing is a guide but some babies will be ready before that and some after. My friends son is born the same day as mine, at six months my son couldn't sit up in his highchair so we'd have to sit him on our lap, but he was incredibly interested in food and wolfed it away quite happily.

Her son was sitting unaided at 6 months but had no interest in food at all, kept spitting it out, she'd take a break for a few days then try again. One day, just before he turned 7 months he wolfed everything down and has been eating well since then. Keep offering him stuff, but don't
panic if he doesn't eat it, he'll get there in his own time (honest!).

No advice but lots of empathy! DD is nearly 8mo, refuses to be spoon fed & shows no interest in fruit or lovingly prepared vegetables and omelets. However, she will scoff Organic rice cakes & Plum wafers - I'm guessing she likes the texture.

Just wanted to add that my baby who is now nearly 9 months has only really started to eat bits in the past month so was feeling exactly like you for a while. He was ebf for first 6 months too and I was desperate for him to take to food because he bf a lot! Just continued to offer both finger food and food on a spoon at breakfast and dinner (impossible to get ting right so just went with when I was eating in the end!) then added lunch when he actually started to eat. Tried to offer modified version of what we were eating so it wasn't completely soul destroying him wasting food that was specifically prepared for him. He's actually come on loads in last few weeks being able to get food to his mouth really well on his own but I do also offer on a spoon, usually pureed fruit for pud (though he loves the Ella's kitchen smoothies loads more than the purées I make!) there are still some meals where he doesn't eat but he usually has at least something now. He was also last in Nct group to eat so know how hard if is not to compare!

Anyway, guess I'm just adding to the hang in there message and try not to get too stressed about it.

Good luck!
Xxx

Yep DS is 7.5 months and will only really eat breakfast. He eats an entire Weetabix or a similar amount of porridge (and i mix in fruit puree) but not too interested in other foods or at other times of day yet.

I'm finding it difficult to get the timing right too, apart from breakfast which i give him first thing before his first bottle.

Ive been weaning for about 8 weeks and feel like its going nowhere too, but i just keep telling myself he will want it eventually!