How long does it take for a baby to learn spoon feeding?

[TwoLittleTerrors]

With DD1, I started weaning her at 24 weeks and tried spoon feeding. Gave up around 26/27 weeks and went BLW. She never took a single spoonful of food and would actively turn her head away from the spoon.

DD2 is now 25 weeks. I started weaning at 22 weeks due to dropping off the growth chart (on GP advice). No joy with the spoon after 3 weeks. She gets really really cross and have her mouth tight shut. Still hasn't taken a spoonful unless tricked into opening her mouth. Because she's so tiny, I would prefer her to take the pureed food as you can get more into them faster.

Everyone else's baby seem to love their spooned food except mine. How long does it take for yours to learn food on a spoon is good? Or should I just give up and left DD2 feed herself after nearly 4 weeks of non progress?

My dd used to let me spoon feed her from the word go. I weaned at exactly 6 months. However when she turned 10 months she suddenly stopped taking food from the spoon and would turn her head.

I used to leave the bowl in front of her an se would eat with her hands.

She used to make a right mess every single mealtime.

She mastered spoon feeding herself at around 18 months.

If your baby is not taking food from you, then i would give them the spoon and bowl and let them get on with it

counting I already know deep down DD2 is also a stubborn spoon refuser I guess I just need some reassurance that I am not giving up prematurely.

Can't believe I have two spoon refusers! I didn't worry so much with DD1 as she followed her growth curve well.

I've got two too! No real words of advice as you've done BLW before, beyond saying that I don't think you're giving up prematurely. I gave it two weeks with DD after making myself miserable by persevering with a spoon with DS for weeks. Just go with it, and know that you're not alone .

I know your pain! My DD was also a spoon refuser - the only baby I knew who was! We had to go BLW. Everyone else I knew seemed to have the opposite problem and would smugly say to me "Oh X/Y/Z doesn't like to get his hands dirty and messy, so he eats so well from the spoon." Arghh! It was like feeding time in the monkey enclosure in our kitchen after every mealtime (and still is even now DD is two ) She never took a single spoon despite me trying repeatedly - even ate yoghurt with her hands - until she could use the spoon herself!

Let her feed herself. "more in faster" or even tidily isn't a goal, but learning about eating, textures, tastes, foods is. You're doing fab x