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Weaning

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

Original poster

6 month old won’t eat homemade food?

31 replies

MilaMaceyRome · 29/01/2020 21:31

So I’m a first time mum and I’ve just started to wean... attempting to wean. I’ve been pureeing sweet potato, cauliflower, cauliflower and apple, carrots, potato, broccoli, the list goes on. Same reaction every time from my 6 month old girl, purses lips and turning her head.
I decided to try out an Ella’s kitchen ouch of carrots, apple and parsnip. Wolfed down the lot.
What am I doing wrong? Why isn’t she eating my homemade purée?
Any advice will be appreciated!

OP posts:
DillBaby · 29/01/2020 21:34

Mine wouldn’t eat homemade food either. Scoffed the supermarket ready made pouches though! In the end I just gave up and let him have the pouches.

PopcornAndWine · 29/01/2020 21:36

Following as in the same boat! She will sometimes eat homemade but as often as not refuses and definitely seems to prefer Ella's Kitchen.

Have been doing some finger foods too and she definitely also seems to prefer feeding herself to being fed with a spoon but concerned she isn't really getting much in as she is not very efficient at it yet.

yikesanotherbooboo · 29/01/2020 21:39

She is still very young, I would just continue milk feeds and offering tastes of whatever you are eating.

TeddyIsaHe · 29/01/2020 21:41

It’s because it’s sweet and babies are used to sweet breastmilk or formula.

Keep going! She’ll get it eventually. Try giving her some steamed veggies as well to chomp on as they usually mesmerised by them and forget the taste.

foodiefil · 29/01/2020 21:41

Is she feeding from the pouch?

meow1989 · 29/01/2020 21:43

The pouches and jars are notoriously quite sweet thus babies take them quite nicely. Shes only 6 months so yet main source of nutrition is her milk. I would put the home made stuff in a bowl and let her prod it, smush it etc, if any goes in then it's a bonus at this age! I would also offer some foods such as soft cooked broccolli or carrot sticks, banana, apple, etc so that she can practice finger foods as theres not any particular need to puree at this age. Let her explore, she will get there.

BikeRunSki · 29/01/2020 21:46

Either - she likes holding the pouch and feeding herself (if this is what she does)

Or - Ella’s pouches usually have something sweet in them, and she likes the taste!

Sheld0r · 29/01/2020 21:49

Just keep offering a variety of food. It's still very early. It's all about getting used to the taste and texture of food at this age. My DD didn't really start to eat anything I offered to her until about 8 months old. She 19 months now and is unstoppable with her love of food!

minnie465 · 29/01/2020 21:49

Use a bit of her usual milk when puréeing the veg. Try mixing some apple or pear purée with sweet potato or butternut squash

YouJustDoYou · 29/01/2020 21:50

Mine wouldn't really until he was 6 years old. They're little individual souls, and sometimes even as young as they are they have their own likes and dislikes.

Redwinestillfine · 29/01/2020 21:52

Mine was the opposite. Ate the homemade stuff, refused the pouches, just spat it out!

justasking111 · 29/01/2020 21:52

I would go with baby led weaning she may not like the texture of pureed food. Just put some bits on her high chair tray and let her pick up and try food for herself.

justasking111 · 29/01/2020 21:53

There is plenty of info. in books and you tube tutorials.

Tinyhumansurvivalist · 29/01/2020 21:57

Honestly there are better things to fuss over... She may not be ready to wean. Myy dd flatly refused all form of weaning until she was nearly 9 months. My cream sofa was an array of colours of spat out food.

Try her with shop bought, maybe its slnit thin enough for her or she just doesn't like the foods... If that doesn't work give up and try again in a few weeks. At her age it's about learning not nutrition. She will be getting her 'food' from milk not any blended stuff you give her.

ItIsAllChange · 29/01/2020 21:58

I’d suggest putting the purée on toast or pasta and let her play with the food.

AnneLovesGilbert · 29/01/2020 22:10

Have you tried her on easy finger foods like sticks of cucumber, steamed chunks of broccoli or sticks of courgette? She might like to hold and gum on them and it would introduce different flavours. Cucumber is my DD’s favourite and I mostly give her savoury things - raw or steamed vegetables, scrambled eggs, plain Greek yogurt, plain porridge, root veg soup with garlic and onions in (that we’re having anyway) and a bit of fruit as she’ll naturally enjoy sweet flavours so I’d rather she got to grips with savoury and she eats really well.

Honestly, I didn’t have any clue about how I wanted to do it, people get very tribal about weaning and I just went with my gut so I gave it a few days of pureeing and watching her purse her lips before giving her a chunk of the end off a loaf of decent bread and some cucumber, which she went mad for, and then some yogurt, and we were off.

Grobagsforever · 29/01/2020 22:51

Would you eat puréed carrots or cauliflower? No, because they are disgusting. Just give her finger foods, expecting babies to eat foods we would never tough is an odd phenomenon.

Grobagsforever · 29/01/2020 22:56

On a less flippant note. Neither of my kids would touch pureed food. DD1 ate some purées fruit and yoghurt but little else. She existed on milk til age one more or less. She ate some toast, rice cakes and other easy finger foods. Zero puréed vege. Age one she ate normal food, gradually!

DD2 never touched anything puréed, just swiped food from her sister's plate from age 5 months. Both kids eat normally now (5 and 9).

Just offer your DD stuff that's actually nice and ignore the puree culture. I'm convinced it exists to tie women to the kitchen sink anyway!

rosydreams · 29/01/2020 23:02

As long as its soft and cut up,no salt and low fat just give it to her.Place the food just a few cut up bits at a time and leave her to it.She will eat when she is ready and the milk will provide till she is ready.I wish i had known this with my first baby so much stress trying to get her to eat purees and for what she became such a fussy eater.

This time around its been so much easier were all eating dinner round the table as a family.She feeds her self ,heres some examples

I make a large plate as she drops a load give her a few bits at a time my daughter is 7months.Lunch prawns,avocado,beetroot,kiwi and dinner baked cod,mashed potato and steamed veg

justasking111 · 29/01/2020 23:03

The texture of pureed food makes me gag. When we eat out and the chef has pureed whatever and piped it onto food I put it to one side. I have never been able to eat porridge or soggy cereal as a child it was something I just could not touch.

justasking111 · 29/01/2020 23:05

@rosydreams that pasta picture cracked me up I remember it well, the other food looks so appetising I could eat it. Flowers for mama.

goldenorbspider · 29/01/2020 23:08

Stick with what your doing and give purées a wide birth. Start on them and preference develops.

rosydreams · 29/01/2020 23:13

lol she has so much fun its a pleasure to see.I made her the same spaghetti as the rest of the family. Just added some extra veggies to hers.I make sure i always give her at least two chopped up veggies on her plate .

Tonight i made chilli but i cooked hers separate so it was much milder she scoffed it.We had to wash a very orange baby lol

Grobagsforever · 29/01/2020 23:20

@rosy - Babies NEED fat Grin, FGS don't get your baby on 'low fat' foods.

MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 29/01/2020 23:31

I wouldn't purée at 6 months. She's too old to start like that. Just offer small bits of your food and let her eat what she wants and keep with milk. DD didn't start eating properly till 8m