Baby won't open mouth for spoon!

[cheshiremama89]

DS is 6m tomorrow!
We have been weaning since mid June!!!

He is breastfed and I try a bit of Purée 2/3 times a day.

He opens his mouth for finger food and little bits of what I'm having no problem.

However when I try and spoon feed him he is just not interested and I have even tried sweeter things such as yoghurt etc and even that doesn't entice him!

Can anyone help??? I'm feeling pretty terrible about it!

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies, yes terrible reflux and total bottle refusal.

He has been able to sit up for quite some time and so the paediatrician advised weaning early!

It seems he is just destined to be hard work!

Well if he is sitting up and capable of getting food to his mouth then I would just put the food in his reach and let him get on with it

DD doesn't like being fed, likes to feed herself. Mashed potato was our saviour. Mashed potato on its own, mashed potato with stuff stirred into it (tuna, chicken, vegetables etc). It's thick enough to grab and stuff in but soft enough not to need to chew. We never did spoons or puree and she's a pretty independent eater at 9 months

Been a while since my youngest weaned, now 7, but she enjoyed a thing that was called a nuby nibbler. It was like a little net you could put things into with a handle to hold onto and she sucked/ gummed them through the net. Great for avoiding everything on the floor. It meant i could give slightly mushier foods without cutting up.

She wasnt keen on the spoon to start with either but started using one herself at about 18minths from memory. She is still a very independant girl, but manages a knife and fork just fine.

I had total bottle refusal and just let ds self feed porridge and yoghurt. It was messy but not for long, he got the hang pretty quick.
I actually think his bottle refusing and spoon feeding refusal were linked. He wanted control.

My rd wouldn't touch puree. I tried so many times when she was 6 m to spoon feed her and she resisted. So I'll used to put in front of her little bits of food she could hold herself and stick in her mouth. Worked very well. And much less faff than purees.

Can I ask what type of spoon you are using?

Some babies don't like certain spoons eg metal. Try different plastics and sizes or a bamboo. It might be the actual spoon. I used to give them a spoon to suck on and they soon learn to dip. It might be that he is getting teeth and the spoon has knocked the gum which may have been painful and put him off.

The important thing about feeding is not to get het up about it.

I used to give them a bowl and a spoon with a little of what we were eating, if appropriate, let them make mess. I had them in the high chair in the kitchen on tiled floor so that they could experiment and then I bathed the child and washed the floor afterwards. All mine learnt to eat by themselves quite quickly and they were good eaters. DD always refused chicken. She is a vegan now😄

@museumum that is so interesting! I wonder if it is linked!!

@Bowerbird5 we have just tried several plastic "baby spoons"

Ok perhaps it is just the texture then. Perhaps he just doesn't like the texture of purée or it could be that he is very independent. I have photos of DD sitting up really well using a spoon at 6 months. I was training as a Nursery Nurse so I used them for evidence. So glad that I took them now as it takes me right back to that moment.
When I was in a hurry I used to spread the local broadsheet on the floor under the high chair and roll it up when she finished so I didn't have to wash the floor every 5 mins.
Have you tried him with a bit of mashed potato with something through it? She loved a bit of mince and mash.
Otherwise just give finger food and don't worry too much.

If it’s reflux fruit puree could actually cause more pain- fruit can be quite acidic if his oesophagus is sore. Plus with it being fairly liquid it can still reflux easily.

I was also told to wean early due to reflux. I didn’t, as I didn’t feel it would help that early.

Best thing i found was plain rice cakes. Bland, bulky and he could hold and suck them to mush. Soaked up any stomach acid and heavy enough to stay down. I only gave those from 5-6 m, then introduced proper meals from 6m as advised. Toast, chunks of potato, anything starchy.