10mo hates touching food

[Firsttimemummyworries]

Hey,
Looking for advice.. started weaning my 10mo baby girl on purées and BLW (mainly purées) & now trying to introduce more finger foods for her to self feed. She won’t touch food.. she looks at it and she’s like “no thanks”
if it’s a snack (melty sticks; wafers, grated cheese) she’s no problem she will eat them. And if I give her a pouch/jar she will have that and really enjoys it
i think it’s my own fault for spoon feeding her so much due to my own anxieties etc (mum guilt) :( but obviously can’t go back in time..
any advice on how to get past this and get her to pick food up?
Thank you

No pressure food play.
Imagine you are in a foreign country and are offered pig’s ears, cow’s hoof, scorpion kebabs and eyeballs. You would work up to touching them. Then it might be a poke, very gradually you would gain confidence to explore them. You might smell or bring to your lips. You might put something in your mouth and then spit it back out. This is how some babies react to food.

So you want lots of opportunities to play with food but I’d start with what is tolerated. So melty sticks and wafers- try Skips, cheese straws, wafer biscuits, cheerios. Cheese, try it in different shapes and colours.

Think dry foods for now. Gradually introduce wetter foods.

Be aware that ‘mixed’ foods can be a huge sensory challenge so baked beans might be easier than bolognese.

Try utensils- let her have bowls to tip and pour. Spoons to stir.

Great that she will eat purée. Give her her own spoon every time. Always put a tiny dab of purée on the tray or a bowl so she can have a go on her own terms.

Always respond to her cues. Don’t start coercing as it will have the opposite effect.