I'm really struggling.

[Lottiebugz22]

Hi everyone.

My daughter is just over 7 months now and she still isn't eating much. I tried purees she ate bits of it for a while. I tried toast and finger foods which she does eat bits of but mostly messes around with it.
She point blank refuses the spoon now.
I just feel totally exasperated now as she isn't eating anything and it's worrying me sk much now.

Hey, I'm not an expert but from my own experience and advice from HV I wouldn't worry about it too much at 7 months.

As long as she is still having plenty of breast milk or formula and is gaining weight.

If she is refusing the spoon I would just keep offering finger foods at meal times, try not to worry if most of it ends up on the floor, she is still experimenting.

Good luck.xx

I know it’s not popular on mumsnet but have you tried her on ellas, the organic mixes they do in boots etc? Mine liked those better than the lovingly made purées. The baby porridges were good too. Mine are both really good eaters and love food.

I really wouldn't worry, as long as she's playing with the food and putting it in her mouth then she's doing what she's supposed to. Eating food is still all very new to her. Don't make food into an issue, try and eat at the same time as her of you're not doing so already, put the food in front of her and leave her to it. When you say she's refusing the spoon I assume you're spoon feeding her? Can you not also give her a spoon to also try and feed herself at the same time? She might eat off the spoon as a result if she gets a go to.

Ive mainly just left pieces of food like toast fingers, carrots, pieces of pasta on her highchair tray. She will nibble the toast a bit but everything else will just get mashed so she's not really taking much in. My health visitor told me to try spoon feeding her instead but she rarely took those and yes I've tried the ellas stuff. She sits with us at meal times and she feeds us but not herself lol.

"Food is fun until their one"
Don't worry about it. It's all about just trying tastes and textures. They should be getting all of the nutrients from their formula or breast milk. My DD wasn't too good at that age either. I only tried her with food at lunch time when she was the most rested and alert. We used the Ella's pouches (I didn't care what anyone else's opinions were on here.) and finger foods. She's a great little eater at the moment and will try any food you give her, especially fruit and scrambled eggs.

*they're not their!

Yes plum too - those food companies must test their products as mine distinctly preferred them and didn’t experience any issues with texture problems etc

Neither of mine were interested in food until they were about 8-9 months. They had small amounts but just weren't bothered. They gradually ate more as they got older. They're now 4 and 2 and neither have huge appetites but do eat (4 year old is currently eating sausages and peas for her tea). I just kept offering (and did use Ella's and similar because when they don't eat they're easy to seal up and save so saves on wastage).

It took mine a while to get into it. He was a firm spoon refuser so we did BLW which was brilliant. He loved things with a strong flavour so really enjoyed things like curry and chilli as well as cheese cubes and yogurt. Messy but worth the clean up.

I made her eggy bread and put some salmon on her tray while we all ate our tea but she didn't touch it :(

Maybe look up baby led weaning, it's been fab for my two. But mainly repeat the mantra, food is for fun until they're one!

I wouldn't bother to be make her something special personally, it's just a waste of time, effort and food! Just give her what you're having.

Seriously don't worry, she's still so young! At this stage it's really just about her learning about food and the process of eating, it doesn't really matter if she swallows anything or if sometimes she doesn't want to put anything in her mouth.

Hi OP, I posted a similar thread not long ago. I am just doing BLW but my dd wasn’t putting anything in her mouth. Anyway, it’s a couple of weeks on and basically now she is! So try not to stress (I know not easy) keep doing what you’re doing - let her join in at meal times and one day she will get it. I did place the food in my DDs hand and guide her hand to her mouth a bit and that seemed to help her get it.

I’ve just seen the health visitor about DS who wasn’t eating much and she pointed out that he is snacking all day long on breast milk and simply isn’t hungry when it comes to meal times. I am trying to breastfeed after his solids to see if that might help, but it’s really hard when I am used to feeding every two hours or more!

Thank you for all the replies they have made me feel better. I really hope gets it soon. I do worry about iron levels etc x

You can easily get the liquid vitamin drops for that, it’s a good idea

Yeah I will get those. It will give me piece of mind.

They’re recommended anyway from 6 months so no harm

Only one of my four was actually ready to wean at 6 months.
First, now 19 was weaned at 4 months under duress from the HV which was a miserable experience and the other two just weren't interested until a little over 8 months but once they were it was plain sailing
until the fussiness kicked in at 2-3.

There is really no need to worry, there isn't a magic moment about this. I agree with going at her pace and not cooking special food. She can try from your plate . She needs to learn how to transfer food to her mouth and then how to macerate and swallow it. She Alan has to learn that not only is there pleasure to be gained by the taste and texture but that also she will get a nice feeling of a satisfied full tummy. At the moment she knows that milk will do this and probably can't see the point of a piece of toast or whatever but that is normal. She will get there. As pp said different children get there at different times but luckily it doesn't matter at all if she isn't keen for another few months.

Are you giving her milk before the finger food? As she might be full up.

Just keep trying different things, baby led weaning was a great book and helped me be more confident in what I could give DS.

Food is fun until their one is definitely what you should think in the back of your mind. The aim isn't to fill them up with a big shepherds pie, but to expose them to the sorts of food you and your partner eat every day so when they are 2 they will be eating dinner with you.

Try to avoid lots of sweet food and make them hunger for them as they can't just eat sweet foods when they are older. Cut what you can into baton type shapes so they can hold it. Cucumber, meat, toast with marmite, peppers, carrot.

I loved watching him love stuff and spit stuff out in disgust it was funny watching his taste developing. Just relax and have fun watching them try things it should be a fun playtime type thing, not an anxious time. She will pick up on your anxiety and pressure to eat and it may put her off.

Also a Nuby as great as it has a net to put things like banana in for them to suck it through and a ha doe they can hold. Worked from 6-8 months for us.

When mine were little long ago, I used too cook a spoon full of mixed veg bright coloured, and say do you want sweeties.
I always left it on the tray no plate and let them mess with it while making food...

Yes I definitely need to relax more and enjoy the experience as I'm not enjoying it and you're right she is probably sensing this. I'll try one of those nuby net things they sound great. Thank you.