Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Weaning

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

Flip

1 2

Original poster

almost 8 months old and still not eating

46 replies

nappyaddict · 15/02/2007 22:40

is there anything i can do to encourage him? i know it is ok for him to still be on milk alone until he is 12 months old but i wonder if i could be doing more to get him on solids.

i always put food in front of him when we eat and try to give him food off my plate but he just won't do anything with it. he has so far picked one thing up for himself - a yorkshire pudding. he put it on his forehead then dropped it on the floor.

i have also tried putting the food straight into his hand. so far he has had biscuits chips again and banana. however he just keeps holding it until it squishes or he drops it.

have also tried moving his hand towards his mouth whilst hiding the food but to no effect.

i am thinking because he managed to pick the yorkie up and can pick up 2 of his toys off the floor which are like this for some reason he can only pick things up that are high off the surface iyswim.

any ideas?

OP posts:

terramum · 16/02/2007 11:26

SaucyMoo - Why shouldnt she be obstinate about her methods - it her child!

Original poster

nappyaddict · 16/02/2007 11:47

i just worry if i start feeding him myself it will delay him learning to do it himself as he is quite a lazy boy.

he's pretty slow with everything. the only thing he did well from the start was hold his head up. he's not sitting yet and can roll over but doesn't really bother. its not surprising as both his parents are quite lazy as you can probably tell i don't want to be sitting there for 30 mins putting stuff in his mouth so ican't eat my own meal. i think meal times should be about interaction and all eating together, something we can't do if i have to feed ds first and then eat my own after.

i just think if i keep putting the food in his mouth for him he will let me do it forever. i don't want him to be one of these childs who is still being fed at the age of 5.

also i read somewhere if the baby can't sit up and doesn't have the coordination to feed himself then it means the gut isnt matured enough for food or something?

i really didn't mean to start a debate i was just looking for a bit of advice.

oh and that "until they are one food is for fun" quote was on a previous thread of mine. for once my hv has actually agreed with this. she said if they were worried about iron level after 9 months they would give him a blood test and give him something for it if need be, but as he is ff she said it shouldn't be an issue. sometimes at that age bf babies are lacking in iron and i think it was vitamin d she said.

she also said as milk has far more calories than most food, especially as the majority of food babies have is fruit and veg which have hardly any at all, losing weight and not growing is a bit of a myth. people assume food will make them grow more but in actual fact milk does. surely its not coincidence that when they start solids their growth starts slowing down? however i could be talking out my arse

sorry its so long, i think that's everything covered.

OP posts:

readyandwaiting · 16/02/2007 11:57

hi haven't read all the thread as don't want to get into BLW v spoon debabte but wanted to say my ds was about 8.5 mo before he got to grips with 'finger food' he just wasn't interested but i used to pop bits into his mouth or hold somethings like bread and banana for him to nibble on and let him play and now he's great (he's only just 9mo so its all just clicked in 2 weeks) he still won't eat small bits of food but i'm sure it won't be long

to start with he loved anything chip shaped which i had to put directly in his hand - especially organix carrot favoured corn chips (they melted in his mouth and i think he was just really lazy! then we all know boys are lazy its just we don't like to say it about our lo's )

be strong, you know your baby and keep trying, its almost like all of a sudden the pieces just fall togther for them - hope that helps

readyandwaiting · 16/02/2007 12:03

oh just posted at same time as you - I am a slow typer!

btw my ds also very lazy and still has no inclination to crawl - just started signing to me so i know he's not stupid but can't be bothered with the physical stuff

for the meal thing i used to do a bit of eating my own and then encouraging him and then eat a bit more of mine - even if he doesn't eat at same time as you the fact he's at the table with you at your meal times is a huge plus because he's getting the social aspect of eating by watching you (and hopefully seeing how its done!)

Original poster

nappyaddict · 16/02/2007 12:46

that's pretty much what i am doing at the moment. it just takes so long keep putting the food in his mouth. that's given me some reassurance though thanks

OP posts:

SaucyMoo · 16/02/2007 14:37

Maybe that wasnt the right word, i mean rigid? A lot of people have preconceived ideas about lots of baby related things and when they have a baby they have to rethink cos in reality it can be really different-point being if something is not working that well for your baby, maybe try something else. You are right though terramum, its her baby!

3LoveHeartsAndNoMore · 16/02/2007 18:32

Aitch
"yeah but what's the rush? if milk is okay, then it's okay, 3andnomore. if it isn't (and Rapley is the asst director of the Unicef child friendly programme so i take it she's read the literature), then that's different, but easily supplemented with a multivit if necessary. (not something i kow about, i should say). "
What do you mean...does anyone actually say that one shouldn't be starting weaning at 6 month then? ( and I honestly don't mean...oh Baby is 6 m on the hour must wean...but nappys Baby is nearer 8 month)....surely if we accept and are happy to state weaning guidelines that one should hold off to 6 month , then we also have to accept that from then on one probably should be starting teh Baby's solids, as after 6 month milk isn't enough!I really don't think that that is such a contraverse idea, tbh! I shall try if I can lay my hands on teh statistics , etc...!
Also, I am not saying that the guidelines by who may well have changed, as it is 2 years since I done my "personal research" iykwim...although who doesn't tend to hop every year or so in their advice, as they tend to seen a lot of research to get to their guidelines.

"and i take your point about the non-pureeing, enid. but i think her gist was that she doesn't want to spoon feed. and i think that the 'shove a spoon of mashed-up stuff when you can' is really not good advice."
I don't think anyone has implied that it's a "shove a spoon of mash in their gob" approach is the right one...just that Babyled weaning should be an approach that means that "BAbyled" not Mother led...i.e. one could also say, it's wrong NOT to offer food on the spoon from 6 month plus if the Baby is unable to feed themselfs chunks for whatever reason...surely that isn't being Babyled minded????

Original poster

nappyaddict · 16/02/2007 18:49

i thought if baby was unable to sit and unable to feed themselves then it probably meant they weren't yet ready for food? i was going along the lines of most babies bodies being ready for food at 6 months, but some might be ready earlier/later. also i think i read somewhere that if allergies are likely then the baby refuses food cos they know they would be allergic to it or something like that. don't remember where i read that though. coincidentally allergies are in my family.

OP posts:

3LoveHeartsAndNoMore · 16/02/2007 19:05

Nappy had no idea he wasn't sitting yet, etc....must admit that I, wrongly, just assumed that he was....not saying you should be worried about him, not, lol!

Like I said, I did Babyled weaning, my 3. ds was not that interested in food from 6-12 month, i.e. would eat some (not loads if fed, would play with teh fingerfood bits, etc..., by no means did I ever pressure him about to eat...if he didn't open the mouth then it was pretty obvious, if he was sitting open beaked he obviously wanted something, even though he may have not made an attemtpt to feed himself, if that makes sense...with things like porridge, Yoghurts, etc....I would always also give him his own spoons (yup, one in each hand, loaded with some food, lol...and you know what, at 12+ month he fed himself quite happily all by himself and was capable to use a fork and spoon perfectly as well as using his hands...indeed, he was in that respect the eaarliest achieving this...he also went from not being all that fussed about food (and being a boobymonster) to being a greedy lil so and so....!
I can see why spoon feeding doesn't appeal, and it is a bit hassle, although, it doesn't mean, in my experience, that you load spoon after spoon...the way I did it was, I would load his spoons and also offer him some myself with a spoon and that always gave him plenty of time learning, plenty of chance to have food if he wanted it, and still gave me plenty of chance to eat my own food.

3LoveHeartsAndNoMore · 16/02/2007 19:24

if it says anything about it in the WHO guidelines it would probably say it
somewhere in here however, I do not posses the will trying to find it in that document, sorry!
I know it's about exclusive bf, so, no idea how it would translate to a FF Baby

Original poster

nappyaddict · 16/02/2007 19:24

in response to your question about should we actualy be delaying weaning until 12 months ... no but ds' paeditrician has said he wouldn't be concerned until 12 months. food between 6-12 months is just for exploration really but itsn't actually needed. it is more for the exploration aspect that i would like to get him interested in food as opposed to him needing it. i felt that by allowing him to do blw then that would let him explore, but i didn't really see how by me putting food in his mouth would allow him to do this.

OP posts:

3LoveHeartsAndNoMore · 16/02/2007 19:30

I assume you have read the DoH leaflat on weaning....

3LoveHeartsAndNoMore · 16/02/2007 19:33

Well, it is always said though that Milkfeeds are the sole nourishment for 6 month, but that after that time they need more...but tbh...obviously you are in contact with doctors and HP's...and if they say it's fine, then who is anyone else to question that, eh!
Best of luck anyway.

AitchTwoOh · 16/02/2007 19:53

3andnomore, i've just read the leaflet, was there something other than the eminently sensible 'enjoy it, encourage it, don't force it' mantra that you wished us to pick up on?

with regards to the 'shoving', if you read the thread you'll find i was actually quoting from taylormama's earlier "Try to offer a variety of bread, crackers, pasta, cheese, vegggies all as finger foods ... and shove in a spoon of mashed up stuff when you can." in your hast to disagree with my utterly reasonable post you must've missed it.

and i don't think anyone's saying not to wean from 6 months, all they're saying it that you've got a further 6 months to get them onto solids before any sane doctor would start worrying, so what's the rush?

isn't this boring the tits off everyone now?

AitchTwoOh · 16/02/2007 19:55

x-posted. i don't think it is said, other than by misinformed HVs that they 'need' anything more than milk for the second six months of their lives. there is the hotly-debated iron in BM thing, i suppose, but even that's a red herring if you're an FF.

PigeonPie · 16/02/2007 19:59

Nappies, I just wanted to say try not to worry unduly (and I really know that's difficult). My DS (now 15 months) didn't really pick up or eat anything for the first two months and I was starting to wonder if I had done the right thing, and yes, getting quite frustrated until I realised that it didn't matter.

I think that you may well be right that your DS isn't yet ready for it as you say that he isn't sitting up. They're all different and yes, do develop at different times.

DS gradually did start picking up what I put in front of him and now eats very well (to the extent today when he ate more for lunch than his six year old cousin!).

Just keep putting the food in front of him. Have you tried things like fruit, rather than just veg, or plain rice cakes (I broke them in half to start with), or those Organix carrot sticks?

Use Aitch's blog and the yahoo group too.

3andnomore · 16/02/2007 20:22

don't blame you that you didn't read the who lot then...but it does mention that after 6 month most children will need more then Milkfeeds in order to thrive, although some may thrive adequately!
I agree, this discussion is not going to get anywhere...but am surprised that people are happy to quote DoH and WHO if making their point about wenaing not before 6 month, and then are quite happy not to take it so serious after that...but weaning isn't the only time this happens...know so many people that will reenforce their believe about weaning not before 6 month, quoting WHO, but if they happen to be anti immunisation then quoting WHO and their research suddenly becomes invalid and is just as poopoo'ed by those, that got cross if it was poo poo'ed by others about the weaning...I suppose we have always the right to pick and choose...
nto talking about anyone in specific, just a general observation, that is all!
Sorry, if I "jumped" on you about the shoving part...misunderstanding on my side! So, do apologise for that

AitchTwoOh · 16/02/2007 22:14

apology accepted. where did it say that about the after 6 months by the way, i couldn't see it and i'd be interested to read it and see the references as it's pretty important.

3andnomore · 16/02/2007 23:17

It may have been section 2 page 8...but, tbh, I am to drunk and tired right now to give you a positive confirmation right now, lol!
If you don't find it, then I shall look tomorrow when I am sober and awake and give you the bit that I was talking about!

3andnomore · 16/02/2007 23:19

however, if you read and interprete the part differently, when you do, please let me kow...I always believew that we can all learn!
Like I said, when I properly looked into it, it was when my ys was the weaning age, 6 month...and that is 2 years ago, so, I do realise things change!

Original poster

nappyaddict · 25/02/2007 16:04

we have progress ... ds is now at least picking the food up. not gone in his mouth yet mind you!

OP posts:

Flip

1 2