At the end of my tether- 10 month old weaning stress!

[Alicia870]

Dd has always been a bit of a difficult baby to wean. I've tried so hard, read all the books, blogs, watched the videos, follow the Instagram accounts, and still at 10 months old, she is a terrible eater and mealtimes are becoming beyond stressful.

We've tended to lean more towards blw only because she has reused the spoon a lot. Just doesn't want to be fed, turns her head if I come near her with anything on a spoon. I still try to offer but every morning, the cereal goes in the bin. It's at the point that I just feel like I've completely failed and I'm not sure where I went wrong.

When I put her in her high chair, she arches her back, yaps and cries straight away. I've tried to make meal times not stressful but don't know where this has come from. I offer her food from a spoon but it is always refused before she even tries it. I've given her her own spoon but she just throws it on the floor. So i put down various bits of food- baby potatoes, lots of veg, small bits of meat, egg muffins, pasta etc. She barely tries it anymore- just cries until I take her out of the high chair!
She's now at a point where she only will eat fruit chopped up, rice cakes, cheese.
It's really really stressful to be trying so hard, making food for her 3 times a day and it all gets thrown in the bin.
What am I doing wrong? I feel like she's not getting proper nutrition and don't know where to go from here

I know she's only 10 months but can you let her pick out her own spoon and bowl? And can you perch her in the kitchen or carry her on you hip so she can see what you're cooking? My daughter always eats more when she's involved in the prep.
Don't make loads at mealtimes it'll drive you mad- my daughter had two bites of eggy bread this morning at breakfast and she's nearly 2!
How's her milk intake? Could you cut it down or offer food before milk or a few hours after so she's hungry?
BLW is good but if they're not good at chewing and gumming food yet a few sloppy foods might be easier for her to eat? We had a phase of eating lots of soup.
Sometimes I get strict and don't offer fruit or pudding if my daughter isn't eating any savoury food until she's had some savoury food at the next meal or the next day as she has a terrible sweet tooth.

Mines never really wanted spoon fed but would scoop her own stuff and make an massive mess but then use her hands for the rest. I was occasionally allowed to help out with a small yoghurt, etc.

Have you tried putting using formula in cereal then switching up to cows milk eventually? I used to use expressed milk so might work the same.

It's very stressful! Being at the 12 month mark now and after trying soooo hard, I do think they key is to persevere and not stop offering foods they refuse. If they are independent like mine then encouraging self feeding is really helpful and giving her lots of praise seems to help.
I still think we have a long frustrating road ahead with food but it is getting better and she's dropping formula amount hugely so probably giving her more of an appetite. I feel for anyone going through the same frustration!! And the mess is

Just wanted to update, ladies. Since the other day when I posted little missy has come on leaps and bounds. I feel like we've turned a corner but hope I don't jinx myself!!
But since I've bought her an angled spoon, and put down the suction bowl in front of her and let her try herself, she's eating so much more than before. It's messy but it was always messy with her. I help her try to load her spoon and she is doing really well.
It's like a different child!! She's one next week so it could be her age too and the fact we're weaning her from
Formula so maybe she's just hungrier!! But it looks like there is definitely hope!

That's great OP! There is hope!