Weaning nightmare

[Iusuallylovecake]

Really need advice about 10 month old. Started at 6 months, slow going but ds got the idea. All went well, moved onto 7 month pouches (please don't judge, work full time and crap cook!!!) Ds started nursery, ate everything in sight. Then hit 9 months and food started dropping off. Some days ate ok but the poor amounts started creeping up. Now at 10 months basically refusing most food. Throws finger foods, used to suck/eat them. Refuses spoon but won't use on own.
Been told it could be teeth - can that last this long? He's had an awful cold, can it be that?
Really worried that we've gone backwards. The only food he will take is totally smooth. Refusing textures that he did love. What's gone wrong? What do I do? Have made gp apt but it's not for 3 weeks and by then we're nearly 11 months and I thought food was pretty essential by 12 months . . .

Don't worry, he'll eat eventually.

I'm also a working mum/shit cook who relied heavily on pouches btw! No shame!

How much milk is he taking?

I find there are periods when DS barely seems to eat anything, then others when he packs it away like it's going out of fashion. Maybe his intake will pick up at his next growth spurt.

No advice but we’re in the same position worth our nearly 11 month old DS and been told the same thing. Ours barely drinks any milk either though. The only thing that occasionally works for us is if we try something brand new that he’s never had, he’ll eat some of it, but most of the other stuff it’s like he’s bored of it already. He’ll also usually eat lots of fruit, it might be worth a try with your DS?

Everyone keeps saying he’ll grow out of it so we’re trying not to worry, but it’s so hard and frustrating.

Sorry to hear you’re going through the same thing, hopefully it doesn’t last too much longer.

Is he at nursery or a childminder? Are they helping with weaning? As DS is in nursery full time, they were a big help, they practically did it for us!

I have heard, though, that it's not uncommon for babies to start rejecting food at some point. Just keep at it!

My 14 month old still isn't a great eater...we are just going with it now as it became too frustrating to keep stressing over it.

Thanks all for words of wisdom, it is some relief that we're not alone!
He does take milk, on a bad day about 15 fl oz, on a normal day about 20 - 25 fl oz. Not sure if should cut this but if he won't eat don't want him missing nutrients.
He does like fruit, prefers puree fruit to actual (lazy!) but will eat grapes, banana, strawberry etc.
Nursery say he's really difficult if he doesn't like the taste/texture there's no persuading him!!!! He always manages pudding tho!!!!
Just feel like we've failed - I know it's ridiculous but think I've created problems that are going to be long lasting by letting him have these veg/fruit mixed pouches.
Don't know whether to go blw now and let him take control or what!! Aaargh!!!!

You definitely haven’t failed, I wouldn’t reduce his milk. He sounds like he’s getting a normal amount. Much more than my DS doesn’t if that jhelps!

I think you just have to roll with it for now- you don’t want him to see food as something traumatising or upsetting and I know it’s easy to worry that he’ll still be on purées in a years time but he won’t be. So when giving him fruits do you purée or just give them in pieces? Just keep up with the purees and try him with blw at the same time- put a few pieces of something on his highchair and feed him his normal dinner (or whatever he’ll have of it), let him play with it. Eventually he’ll put things in his mouth.

Oh, don’t know if this helps but we find that if he’s fussy, waiting 10 minutes or my DS likes to be fed sometimes whilst he’s pottering about in his walker or playing. Whatever gets some food into him!

You’re doing great, please try not to worry. I think this is a phase most babies go through and it definitely isn’t because you give him pouches. Again, if it helps I do around a 70/30 mix of homemade and purees and my son has been fussy for about a month now where he wasn’t previously.

Thanks humv really does help to know we're not alone. We tried totally finger foods for tea today and he loved it!!!! Not saying he ate loads but a chunk of banana, some pepper, sweetcorn, a tiny bit of toast and a little biscuit are a big improvement!!!! Probably a v odd tea but it was literally what I could throw together!!!! More importantly his little face!!! He thought he was so grown up!!! BLW here we go by the looks of it!! Hope he stays with it! Good luck to you all with feeding journeys, hopefully it's not too stressful!!!!!

Well done! You must feel so relieved, keep up the good work!

One step forward and two steps back!!!! He mushed food at lunchtime but barely ate. Grrrrrr!!!! Hoping this is normal!!!

Haha in the same boat here! He had a couple of bites of lunch and refused anything else. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out’

They like to keep us on our toes!!! I'm trying to take heart from the fact that he's willing to touch/play/experiment with food. Small steps etc!

Sounds just like mine!!

Exclusively breastfed (refused bottle) until 6 months, then started solids at 6 months (mix of baby lead weaning and feeding), was a great eater and would eat almost anything, and finally started taking a bottle. We had a blip at 7 months when his first teeth came through, then back on track, then off and on.

Apparently milk is supposed to be their main source of nutrition for a year anyway. He seems to be happy enough so I’m not worried.

I usually try and do a mix of spoon feeding and letting him feed himself. Some days he still just plays with his food (or feeds it to the dog!), some days he’ll eat everything in sight. He especially enjoys taking from my plate so I often put stuff on the side specifically for him to grab.

I also use pouches as well as cooking, and often throw together random things so he can just try stuff. I think that’s far more important than what they actually eat at this age!

BLW winners for us have been toast, healthy baby pancakes, homemade croquettes, banana French toast, omelette, penne pasta and cheese.

Spoon fed meal winners have been tomato pasta (that tiny stuff), veggies and lentils and any EK pouch going. He likes to have his own spoon too. Messy, but hilarious.

More helpfully, he’s 10 months next week. No sign of more teeth either, even though I keep thinking that might account for fussiness!

Thanks, any similar stories give me hope!!! Feel like it's two step forwards and three (four, five, six!!) back!
Yesterday was brill! Today . . . he's eaten nothing on his own! Why?????!!!!! Aaargh!
So worried as we're ever nearer 1yr old when milk won't provide everything he needs. What do I do then????

Just to add to the general time of ‘don’t panic’! What he eats averaged over a week is more important than day-to-day. I would say most important thing is to avoid making food a battleground. My DS would barely touch solids until 8 months, no real enthusiasm until 10 and not on 3 meals until nearer 18! Also have a friend who has done everything super naturally, slow intro of dairy and gluten, lots of finger food, all Home made, no processed sugar. Her son will currently only eat things that are beige Try and just roll with it (so much easier to say to other people than yourself I know!)

what do I do then

Exactly what you are doing now. If he is still having formula then it has vits and minerals added, you don't have to stop that at 1 just because that's when the guidelines say they can move on to cows milk.

This is just what weaning is like for some babies, and milk should still be their main source of nutrition until they are one so don't worry too much about reducing it just yet. You will be amazed how much things will change in the space of the next two months.

At 10 months DD was having bits and pieces of finger foods, some lots pouches and still about 24-30oz of milk a day. At 12 months she was using a spoon and eating yoghurts and stuff out of bowls fairly independently but still using her fingers a lot and at 14 months she pretty much eats smaller portions of what we are having with a fork/spoon as appropriate.

He will get there in his own time.

There's no big switch at 12 months, milk stops providing everything they need from 6 months.
Are you giving a vitamin?
If he's only eating small amounts just try to pack as much nutrition as possible into it, scrambled egg, nut butters etc rather than just lots of pureed fruit and cereal. I have one picky eater and used to stir things like Greek yoghurt, lentils or spinach into all kinds of random foods
Also try looking at what they eat over a week rather than a day. So long as they are getting some protein, carbs, fruit/veg, fat over the week don't worry if its not very varied.

My DS was a bit like this at a similar age with teething, he'd really go off his food for ages so I reckon that could be the cause as I seem to remember lots of teeth coming through around that age! He gradually got better and did eat through teething, now he's just turned 2 and eats like a horse, in fact I sometimes worry he eats too much! Can't win as a mum 🙈

Another vote for giving him a vitamin supplement and looking at what he eats over a week rather than a meal. Mine would eat like sparrows sone days then polish everything off and be begging for more other days. It sort of evens out in the end. As long as he’s tracking his centiles and meeting his milestones, he’s fine

Thanks all! I'll definitely look into vitamin drops. We're definitely doing better than when we started blw but I think he could still eat more quite a few days. Not yet seen a day when he eats everything! He's just been weighed and he's tracking at 75th centile so HV happy! Guess we just carry on! Anyone got any good/easy/quick recipes that have been a success??

Mine loved the “bits lunch” which is what yiu basically did the other day in giving bits from the fridge and cupboard. DD devoured eggy bread and DS still loves these cheese straws. At the weekend we sometimes all have Blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Your LO might also like porridge fingers.

Basically though anything can be a finger food. DD had a roast dinner almost straightaway. If you ant to minimise the mess try putting a cheap shower curtain on the floor and buy a couple of long sleeved bibs

Oh and fishcakes. They both loved homemade fishcakes