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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

7.5mths old not mouthing objects not putting food to mouth, should I be concerned?

35 replies

JaneyY123 · 09/04/2014 11:27

Hello there. My second dd is so different to my first who grabbed food and ate it herself at 6 months, I did baby-led weaning that worked well for us. My second dd is now 7 and a half months old and she won't even mouth toys let alone food so I have tried to spoon food in. She will take baby porridge but not much else. I really want to do baby-led weaning so can I wait until she shows signs of mouthing objects (delay solids)? Should I be concerned that she isn't mouthing objects? Anyone with a similar experience? Thanks.

OP posts:
Lcolch · 03/06/2025 23:29

Potatohead2 · 03/06/2025 19:53

Hi, would you mind letting me know how your DD’s doing as my 7mo DD is doing exactly the same thing. No mouthing objects, completely refusing spoon and solid foods. She also doesn’t do any Ba Da sound. She has a posterior tongue tie which we were told that won’t affect her speech and it’s up to us if we want to have it removed privately because she’s passed the age the NHS would do it.

Show quote history

Hi get the tongue tie done! My son got to 8 months and was losing weight I was tearing my hair out he couldn’t eat or take a bottle and the breast just wasn’t enough for him at this point. Everyone kept saying to me tongue tie won’t be a problem because he’s breast feeding, there are lots of medical professionals who are dismissive of tongue tie, so it can be hard to feel heard. Lots of gas, colic, reflux can be put down to tongue ties wish I’d known sooner as would have saved my son lots of discomfort and me lots of sleepless nights.

I took him to dr Levinkind in London who does laser and it transformed my child within a few weeks, it was night and day a month after the tongue tie was done he was happily eating food and drinking from a bottle, they have to relearn how to use their tongue when they have it done which takes longer the older they are. Couldn’t recommend dr levinkind more if you are in the UK. Good luck.

Potatohead2 · 04/06/2025 17:59

Lcolch · 03/06/2025 23:29

Hi get the tongue tie done! My son got to 8 months and was losing weight I was tearing my hair out he couldn’t eat or take a bottle and the breast just wasn’t enough for him at this point. Everyone kept saying to me tongue tie won’t be a problem because he’s breast feeding, there are lots of medical professionals who are dismissive of tongue tie, so it can be hard to feel heard. Lots of gas, colic, reflux can be put down to tongue ties wish I’d known sooner as would have saved my son lots of discomfort and me lots of sleepless nights.

I took him to dr Levinkind in London who does laser and it transformed my child within a few weeks, it was night and day a month after the tongue tie was done he was happily eating food and drinking from a bottle, they have to relearn how to use their tongue when they have it done which takes longer the older they are. Couldn’t recommend dr levinkind more if you are in the UK. Good luck.

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Hi thank you for your advice. How much did it cost you for his tongue tie to be done? I was looking at Dr Levinkinds website the other day but couldn’t find the cost. The other place I look at was around £600 which is a bit too much for us at the moment 😥.

Lcolch · 04/06/2025 20:06

Potatohead2 · 04/06/2025 17:59

Hi thank you for your advice. How much did it cost you for his tongue tie to be done? I was looking at Dr Levinkinds website the other day but couldn’t find the cost. The other place I look at was around £600 which is a bit too much for us at the moment 😥.

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Yes unfortunately that is around the price of dr levinkind. It was obviously 4 years ago now so can’t remember exactly but I think it’s around that. Not cheap at all, try and see if the NHS can do anything for you. Sadly tongue tie really isn’t taken seriously enough.

Atsss · 07/02/2026 20:30

lm4868 · 24/07/2023 16:42

Hi there, just came across your message on this thread. I’d love to know how your daughter is doing now? I have the same problem with my nearly 9mo. He won’t mouth any toys or put food to his mouth. He loves his food but will only be spoon fed and has a melt down when I try to leave him to it, or for example if I partially put a piece of bread in his mouth so that he can push the rest in with his hands. I’m a bit worried! Thanks

Hi there . Same boat.. how is the baby doing now?

Carmel25 · 03/03/2026 15:32

Hi, i know this is years later but im going through the same thing with my 7.5 month old and want to know if there's light at the end of the tunnel.
She doesn't put anything to her mouth at all. Tried to start feeding purees but she won't open her mouth, and if she does she just pushes it straight out with her tongue. Finger food isn't an option so im at a loss. No other worries, she babbles, she rolls, she sits up and explores with her hands- moving things from one to another. Please tell me it just clicks one day.

Lcolch · 03/03/2026 22:11

Carmel25 · 03/03/2026 15:32

Hi, i know this is years later but im going through the same thing with my 7.5 month old and want to know if there's light at the end of the tunnel.
She doesn't put anything to her mouth at all. Tried to start feeding purees but she won't open her mouth, and if she does she just pushes it straight out with her tongue. Finger food isn't an option so im at a loss. No other worries, she babbles, she rolls, she sits up and explores with her hands- moving things from one to another. Please tell me it just clicks one day.

Hi, I'm sorry I know it can be really stressful, have you checked for tongue tie? Does baby take a bottle or breastfeed ok? Mine with the issue could breastfeed but couldn't take a bottle. He then didn't put anything toys or food near his mouth, and when i did get puree in him he would just hang his mouth down. NHS and health visitors all said tongue tie wasn't the problem but getting it lasered by Dr Levinkind was the best thing I did. Within two weeks he was eating as normal.
That said that was my experience and some babies do just take longer to take to food. Mine was very hungry all the time and my breast supply was dwindling/couldn't cope with his demand (largely because he relied on my let down which the longer you breastfeed for the less this tended to happen for me) and he was losing weight, and couldn't take a bottle, so it felt more pressing to get to the bottom of what was going on.
A friend recently went through the stress of her baby not being interested in food and she just took ages to get into it (not until she was just shy of 1). It can be disheartening especially when you see other babies shovelling food in. I've had three babies and all of them have done things differently and at different times. Good luck!

Carmel25 · 27/03/2026 21:16

We went private for a tongue tie assessment because the NHS wait was so long and it turns out she had a 75% tie which has been cut now. She still has no interest in food and doesnt put anything to her mouth but I do have a speech and language therapist appointment for April. Shes bottle fed and has a love hate relationship.. some weeks she feeds great and others are horrible. Really hoping it just clicks and she decides to eat soon

Potatohead2 · 28/03/2026 01:03

Carmel25 · 27/03/2026 21:16

We went private for a tongue tie assessment because the NHS wait was so long and it turns out she had a 75% tie which has been cut now. She still has no interest in food and doesnt put anything to her mouth but I do have a speech and language therapist appointment for April. Shes bottle fed and has a love hate relationship.. some weeks she feeds great and others are horrible. Really hoping it just clicks and she decides to eat soon

Was it an anterior tongue tie or posterior tongue tie? My LO is 16 months now and is showing more interests in foods, but still struggling to swallow. She tends to shovel a lot of foods in her mouth then chew then spit them out. Occasionally she would swallow some but very little. We also have speech and language therapy booked next month.

development wise, she seems to reach all her milestones, apart from being on and off the 9th centile. She’s walking, talking and understanding so I’ve kind of accepted that she is just a very small baby and picky eater. I have decided to stop stressing about this and just hope that one day something will click and she will eat.

i do have an issue though, I’m sending her to a childminder for a full day from April and dont even know what foods I should pack with her because she doesn’t even eat.

Lcolch · 28/03/2026 06:14

Carmel25 · 27/03/2026 21:16

We went private for a tongue tie assessment because the NHS wait was so long and it turns out she had a 75% tie which has been cut now. She still has no interest in food and doesnt put anything to her mouth but I do have a speech and language therapist appointment for April. Shes bottle fed and has a love hate relationship.. some weeks she feeds great and others are horrible. Really hoping it just clicks and she decides to eat soon

That’s great I’m glad you checked. Also don’t stress about not putting things in yet, they are effectively square one and need a minute to figure out how to use the new tongue. Mine never put toys in his mouth even after tongue tie was done but he did start eating after a few weeks, just purees or finger foods, keep offering. It takes a bit for them to mentally trust food again because they couldn’t manoeuvre it down before. It was a while ago but I think there are tongue exercises you can do to get them moving it around. Maybe YouTube will have something to offer or insta. Good luck.

Carmel25 · 29/03/2026 06:01

Potatohead2 · 28/03/2026 01:03

Was it an anterior tongue tie or posterior tongue tie? My LO is 16 months now and is showing more interests in foods, but still struggling to swallow. She tends to shovel a lot of foods in her mouth then chew then spit them out. Occasionally she would swallow some but very little. We also have speech and language therapy booked next month.

development wise, she seems to reach all her milestones, apart from being on and off the 9th centile. She’s walking, talking and understanding so I’ve kind of accepted that she is just a very small baby and picky eater. I have decided to stop stressing about this and just hope that one day something will click and she will eat.

i do have an issue though, I’m sending her to a childminder for a full day from April and dont even know what foods I should pack with her because she doesn’t even eat.

Show quote history

Im not sure on the type of tongue tie. She could move her tongue in and out but not side to side.
Im the same though, trying not to stress and hoping it will click at some point. Speech and language therapist might be really helpful .. I had a really long conversation with them and they spoke about swallow quite a lot so hopfully they will be able to help you!
Im worried about childcare too.. Shes due to go to nursery at 1 (I know its a few months off) but if she's not weaned by then im too scared to send her incase she chokes etc... told my mum she will have to retire to look after her 🤣

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