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Weaning

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

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Original poster

I am an idiot, need help!

10 replies

MrsMuskett · 25/06/2014 09:03

Started weaning at 5.5 months, went great he would eat anything, then he cut his first tooth at 6.5 months and refused to eat anything even milk, after a week he got his appitite back, but stupidly I tried him on the packet dried meals and now he won't eat anything else, he's 1 week off 8 months now and I keep trying different foods, he won't even eat the jars (which I'm glad about really) but he flat refuses home made foods, won't eat anything fresh and will only have bread or rice cakes as finger foods...i don't know what else to try, help?

OP posts:

FromPenToPaper · 25/06/2014 15:54

MrsMuskett, I replied to your post on another thread about this but I'll post here too...

I think the only choice that you have is to keep offering homemade food for each meal and not to offer alternatives if he doesn't eat it. If its taken several weeks to get into this situation, it may take a while to get out of it. If he is still having plenty of breastfeeds (or formula) then he won't starve whilst you sort this out.

The fresh homemade foods are unfamiliar to him. We're all slightly suspicious of foods that aren't familiar to us, and it may take lots of exposure to the new foods for them to become familiar and therefore ok to eat. Let him have a variety of finger foods to handle and play with, but don't worry if he doesn't eat it. Don't force the issue - just offer the food, and if he doesn't eat it, assume he's not hungry. Offer your next planned snack/meal as usual. He will get there eventually.

Original poster

MrsMuskett · 25/06/2014 23:04

I do keep offering him homemade first, he takes a few spoons then spits it out and clamps his mouth shut, then he's cries for food so I make up a packet one and he eats the lot and his fruit/desert/yogurt. I don't know if I can leave him if he doesn't eat it, he needs something. I am worried that if it continues that he'll be a fussy eater. Then I think well its only a few months til he'll be eating our food, then I feel guilty. I'll just keep trying, can really do anything else, I could just kick my self for trying him in the first place!

OP posts:

FromPenToPaper · 26/06/2014 00:31

I would not give him the alternative packet food if he stops eating the home made food you give him. I would however offer the dessert (fruit, yoghurt or whatever) that you had planned as part of the meal. IMO the second course of a meal, if planned, should not be dependant on how much of the first course is eaten.

If you offer solids about an hour after a milk feed then you know he won't be really really hungry, and as long as he is still taking a good number of milk feeds he really won't be starving. A few spoons of homemade food plus a dessert is a reasonable amount of food for each meal, more than some babies will eat at 8 months.

If you keep caving and offering the food he is used to, then he won't have the opportunity to improve. The longer you leave it the worse it will be to change. If you sort this out now, it will be less of an issue than if you leave it till he's older.

BTW, I'm intrigued about what these packet dried foods are, as I have not seen dried baby food anywhere? Are you in the UK?

Original poster

MrsMuskett · 26/06/2014 09:16

Yea, its just cow and gate, aptimil, Heinz etc, cereals, dinners, they say they've got vitamins and minerals etc but its not fresh. His favourite is cauliflower broccoli cheese, if I make it fresh he'll eat a few spoons, so I might try foods in homemade cheese sauces. He loves yogurts so if he doesn't eat much of his meals I can add fresh fruit to the yogurts and try that way too, been thinking about it all night, think I might try mixing blw into it too he might be more open to things if he can feed his self, thanks for ur advise hun x

OP posts:

toffeeboffin · 04/07/2014 02:28

I'Ve just started weaning my 6 month old DS. Been giving him baby porridge and fruit and also veg purees.

However I've just been reading some of the posts on here and other babies are eating toast, cheese cubes, pasta, all sorts of stuff!

Am I being a total scaredy cat? Can you really honestly give a baby stuff like this!?

No need to add that this is DS1 : )

Isabeller · 04/07/2014 02:41

This might sound insultingly obvious but can you mix in a bit of home cooked ie cauliflower cheese with a bit of packet?

I might, for example make up a bit of home made food in one bowl and a bit of packet in another and put a small amount of each mixed together into a 'feeding' bowl. Starting the meal with a few spoons of mostly packet but gradually changing the mix by adding more of the homemade to the 'feeding' bowl as the meal went on.

It would be a faff but might gradually reintroduce the feel and taste of real food and you'd also be in control of the mix so could judge if you needed to veer back towards mainly packet during the meal to prevent conflict.

AnythingNotEverything · 04/07/2014 03:30

Dd is just over 8 months. Yesterday for dinner she had lentil curry, spinach and paneer, and pilau rice. They can definitely eat real food! If you were asking in terms of lumps, every baby is different, but she's been fine with lumps like baked beans, fish pie, and conchiglietti pasta (mini shells) for a couple of months now. Granted, she's a really good eater, but yes, it's perfectly possible.

At nearly 8 months her motor skills should cope fine with softened chip shaped veg and even halved grapes/cherry tomatoes - cut them small enough so they don't plug her airway, but big enough for her to pick up with her pincer grip.

I agree with pp that you should stop offering the food you don't want her to eat any more and just let her eat the food you want her to eat, if only a few spoonfuls. If you prepare baby friendly family foods, then there's much less waste if she doesn't eat it.

AnythingNotEverything · 04/07/2014 03:31

Sorry - I mean "he". Sleep regression addled brain here

OneLittleToddleTerror · 04/07/2014 03:45

toffeeboffin the idea is to introduce normal food and texture. So of course it is fine to have anything as long as they can chew or swallow. Exceptions being honey and whole nuts (or whole grapes ie large choking hazards).

Baby porridge is a con and waste of money. Head to the cereal aisle and get adult porridge. Or if you are lazy like me ready brek and weetabix.

FWIW DD started nursery at 7mo and they gave her the same food as everyone else. It is just very PFB to fuss over this . Don't worry though. Everyone's been there.

rachyconks · 04/07/2014 05:42

My DD would only eat those packet things until about 9mo then she refused to eat off a spoon and just had finger foods from then (normally just what we were eating). She's 19mo now and eats like a horse, loves spicy stuff and anything with garlic. They may not be the best thing to give (but they are tasty!) - but I would try not to worry too much of he is eating and enjoying them. He's tastes will change soon. Obviously I would keep offering the finger foods too.

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