Early days of weaning - baby just not interested

[Chococroc]

My baby is 6 months old and we started weaning just over a week ago. We're going down the traditional weaning route with purees and plan to introduce finger foods alongside. I know baby's don't eat much initially, but baby just seems totally uninterested in food, will rarely open his mouth, and most of what goes in gets spat straight back out. After a few minutes of this he'll get fed up and start screaming to come out of his chair.
Is this normal, or should I worry that he's got no interest? He's showing all the other signs of readiness and as he's 6 months I really feel we should be weaning now.

I would say that's completely normal. If you are purée weaning, I'd offer 2-3 spoonfuls at breakfast for the first week. If no luck swap to dinner time. They have to learn to open their mouths for the food, it's not an automatic thing. If you offer too much your baby may become frustrated and be put off.

Can the baby sit unaided or almost unaided? Have they lost their tongue thrust? (Poking tongue out when food it out in their mouth) if not I'd wait another couple of weeks.

My baby just wasn't bothered. She barely ate anything until she was about 8 months and wouldn't eat anything that wasn't puréed until about 10 months. She's 13 months now and eats fine, we just offered but didn't push it if she refused.

Completely normal. It's a big change from just having milk to drink, there's a lot to get used to - new texture, taste, plastic spoon. Babies don't understand what food is or why they need to eat. Many prefer smearing their hands in it :-)

Try jot to get disheartened. He'll get there.

My ds wasn't interested until older than 6 months either, similar timescales to NerrSnerr. I wouldn't sweat it, they all get there in the end!

Two of mine liked their food to the point where they would be grabbing mines and expected anyone eating anything to share! My middle two were never bothered at all esp dd2 she ate literally nothing till she was about two just wanted to breastfeed constantly! Just look at these next few months as practice don't worry about how much is actually being eaten!

Thanks everyone, just needed some reassurance I think!

Maybe start with finger food instead so he has the chance to 'explore' what's going in before he gets a taste of it.

I tried a mixture of finger foods and puréed things and it wasn't until 8 or 9 months that my dd really started eating. It was even longer until she ate enough to drop feeds. Don't worry too much, they're all different but they all get there eventually.

Even now at 14 months my dd would prefer to just be breastfed all day long! I know she'll grow out of it though. (Well I've not met an adult who still breast or bottle feeds yet!)

I started weaning DD1 at 5 months as was the advice then.

She wouldn't open her mouth, spat everything straight out and started to get upset.

I stopped offering solids for a month, much to the HV's disgust, and then reintroduced it. She was much happier second time around and was a good eater from then on.

my dd was not interested in solids till around 7 or 8 months. I did try her before then but she didnt like it. Her brothers were on meals by that time.

until a year they should really be mainly milk anyway, solids are just extra till then

I wouldn't worry too much.

You say he screams to get out of his highchair. Perhaps a whole new approach would help? Take him out of the highchair, sit him on your knee or on the floor with you and have a picnic. Let him play with some food, watch you eat, join in. You might find it feels more natural for him than the probably strange being strapped in a plastic contraption and having more plastic contraptions pushed towards his mouth. I mean, it's probably just a bit weird at first and babies don't tend to like new, weird things. What are his usual observations of food? Is it something sociable and inclusive? He might prefer to just be part of normal mealtimes.

My DS hated highchairs in the same way he hated the carseat. He just felt restricted and constrained. Mealtimes at first were him sitting on my knee and joining in that way.

I also had two babies who never, ever accepted another person feeding them.

No harm in waiting a couple of weeks if you want to pursue the highchair/puree route and he's just not quite ready for it.

So normal. I remember when DD was 7 months it seemed like food was the only thing she didn't want to put in her mouth. The first 6 weeks of solids she couldn't be less bothered. 8-10 months, ate ok but a bit take or leave. 10 months, reduced her milk intake and Bob's your uncle, 3 square meals a day. Basically she got there in her own time and now at 18 months she eats like she's training for a marathon.