7 month old refuses to eat anything!

[Luckymum87]

I am at a complete loss and would appreciate any advice. My 7 month old ds has been weaning since just before he was 6 months old. It started well he was happy to try different foods, banana, veg purees etc. He is now refusing to eat anything at all apart from melon and yoghurt! He clamps his lips together and turns his head. I tried to offer him finger foods instead and he just picks these up and drops them on the floor. We have tried all foods you can think of, he may eat something for example a rusk with milk one day and then totally refuse to eat it again.

I really don't know what to do next the HV said to keep offering and wasn't worried as hes still breast feeding well and gaining weight. It is just so frustrating making and offering all these foods he just will not eat.

Has anyone else had a baby like this that can offer me some hope that he will one day eat something?! or what I could try next? Its not the highchair as he has one that clips onto the table and is very happy to sit and play in it he just refuses to eat unless its melon or yoghurt!

i agree with the HV. just relax about it. offer finger foods, that way if he wants to eat he can.

maybe take a look at this book if you're really worried. but i'm sure he'll be just fine :)

Thank you for the reassurance spottydolphin I just worry when I hear of babies all enjoying weaning and mine point blank refuses!

It's totally normal for babies and children to scoff something one day and refuse it the next. If he refuses any food you offer, just clear away when you've finished eating, assume he's not hungry and offer something different next time.

At this age its more about exploring taste and texture, he will be getting everything he needs from his milk so there is no need to worry if he is refusing some solids.

If you are offering lunch today could you both have the same? Try something like sharing an omelette. That way you can concentrate on eating your food and chatting reading while he eats plays with his food. If he doesn't eat any of it, just don't offer an alternative

Try to offer food just once or twice a day and relax like your HV says

Forgot to say, if he likes yoghurt, try to offer plain or natural yoghurt with fruit. Some of the yoghurts aimed at babies is very sugary.

Thanks JiltedJohnsJulie will defiantly try and relax about it! Will simply keep on offering and sharing is a great idea, as for the yoghurt yes it's the natural yoghurt no sugar here!

That's good. Did you offer any lunch? How did it go?

I gave him some cheesy mash adapted from what I had he wouldn't take it off the spoon just clamps his lips together! I put some infront of him so he did eat a bit off his fingers but not much, then had a bit of yoghurt he just makes it so much hard work!

It's not an issue in terms of his health, so I would relax there, but I remember well how frustrating and upsetting it is to make umpteen foods that are rejected. My advice: simplify, so that you are offering him healthy foods and a variety, but with minimal effort. I did this and it kept me on an even keel emotionally. Or you get so worked up that your anxiety colours the whole exercise and creates a problem where probably there was none. DD went through all sorts of phases with food - I worked hard to let it wash over me and now at 20 months she eats like a hog

Other suggestion - have him at the table eating with you, and offer him (suitable) food from your plate. Babies love socialising, and copying.

I put some infront of him so he did eat a bit off his fingers. That's really good. All he really needs is a taste

Is the melon chilled? My HV told me that teething babies sometimes go through a spell of only wanting cool, soft/smooth foods like yoghurt if their gums are bothering them. If this is the case, maybe try other cooled, soothing foods or mix fruit purée with yoghurt until gums settle?

He will eat melon, plum and apricot plus yoghurt it's now getting to the point where he won't open his mouth for anything incase it is something he doesn't like. It's really getting me down

It will change, and soon. I know it's hard but try to detach a bit.

It sounds as though you're still trying to feed him / spoon feed him? I had stopped that totally with DD by 7mo, she just hated it (but happily learned to feed herself). She hates being fed to this day, but eats terrifyingly enormous meals (20mo).

That's really interesting rootypig did she just feed herself then? What did you give her?

Yes, she just fed herself. Trying to spoon feed her just meant the whole thing ended in tears, so I quickly learned to stop. What did I feed her - trying to remember! chunks of fruit, and whole soft fruit. The first thing she really, properly ate, was about half a punnet of blackberries at 9mo. Steamed and roasted veggies. Eggs - omelette type stuff. Fish, poached and checked for bones. Avocado, initially on toast fingers.

She just wanted to play, I realised that soon enough. She was tasting, and exploring, doing lots of absorbing of different tastes, colours and textures. So I set about making it as varied as possible, thinking of bright colours (beets, roasted red peppers, steamed broccoli), different textures (spaghetti, yoghurt, well cooked rice), and resigned myself to the mess. I was always at a loss for what to do with her so once I realised this was play I was so relieved. Great! she can play with food for an hour . I never went the road of making lots of elaborate finger foods because invariably she wouldn't like it and I'd struggle with that. So I stuck to simple, easy to prepare things.

DD is just a really headstrong character, she hates having things done for her. She still goes mad if you mess with her food!