Baby not taking to this at all :(

[madmaxine33]

Dd is 6 months and a few weeks and should be well on the way with weaning now. But she's just not bothered. We've tried a range of oats, porridge, different fruits and veg and she hates them all. Spoon feeding is pointless, she just shuts her mouth entirely or spits things back out. On the off chance something does go in she'll gag and sometimes even be sick.

Slightly more success with baby led stuff in that she will pick up a stick of something and have a suck but still doesn't actually seem to be getting anything down. She takes her bottles fine but I'm a bit worried that she could be missing out on other nutrients she now needs at her age. Does anyone have any experience or tips?

Relax. Honestly, it really, really doesn't matter. Keep feeding milk as you always have done, add vitamin drops if you can get baby to take them, and keep offering solids in a social setting. Baby at the table with you, having some of what you're having, and don't worry about how much is going in.

At 6 months, even at 10 months, maybe even at 1 year, the whole point of weaning is to help baby develop the skills to eat (hand to food, hand to mouth, moving tongue around food etc) and exposing baby to taste and texture. You're doing a great job.

take the monkey see monkey do approach .Stick with baby led ,eat at the dinner table with them.Let them watch you eat,make a routine of mealtimes.They will be fine with milk just encourage by giving loads of variety .

So for example

breakfast

dry cereal ,chopped two fruits and milk in sippy cup or toast with two chopped fruits just place in front of them

lunch

two chopped veg,1 carbohydrate ,chopped chicken ham or fish ,1 chopped fruit.Just let them play with it for a wile

dinner

what ever your eating just no added salt ,let them play

at this stage its mostly playing with food just let them watch you eat .Take the stress off ,just watch .Keep it soft foods or larger easy to grip chunks

Chill out about it is my number one tip. Food before one is just for fun. If she’s not ready, she’s not ready. Keep putting bits out on her high chair tray and let her touch and feel them, she’ll put some things in her mouth and start to familiarise herself with textures and new unfamiliar flavours.

At her age all of her nutrition still comes from milk, anything else is a bonus, over the next 6 months I’m sure she’ll make great progress.

Thank you guys. I was just starting to worry that she's missing out on something. My other dc was a real guzzler and took to weaning straight away so I'm just out of my depth with dd.

She won’t be missing out on anything. Keep up her normal feeds and offer the food as fun/play at adult meal times. No need to be stressed about it, all babies are different, you could always chat to your health visitor, but I think they’ll say the same thing.

Food is fun until they're 1!

Keep offering. At only 6 months it's all about texture and exploring. Milk is all they need at the moment.

She's fine, especially if she's on formula as I believe it's iron supplemented so she won't be short.

Just go low pressure and stick with the BLW type stuff if she's taking well to it. It's very very early days.

Just put a bit of whatever you're having in front of her at each meal and relax. Let her develop her motor skills by lifting it, touching, tasting, smelling. She'll eat when she's ready.

As everyone says it's nothing to worry about at that age. I think my DS was on a multivitamin at 6 months though - wellbaby liquid - so if you're concerned about nutrients that's an easy fix. I just put it in his bottle.

I'd agree with PP. Food for fun till they are one. Some children like food, some children like to play with food , some just like to tip it on the floor or throw it about. Just give a little bit of what you have or have some go to foods that are easy. Frozen mash, a little bit of cooked salmon from the fridge a bit of veg and it's ready in two minutes.

Do not spend hours slaving over weaning recipes. I find a childs interest in food is inversely proportionate to the amount of time and effort that went into making it.

Ha, second part is so spot on. My kids' favourite dinner is tinned macaroni cheese, not my lovingly prepared, home cooked meals, which apparently taste gross.

My first and third ate like they'd been waiting to for months. They demolished everything. Second was another story all together! She didn't put anything in her mouth that wasn't milk until she was almost 8 months. Wouldn't take purees ever. When she started eating she was incredibly picky. She still is to an extent at the age of 6. Won't eat anything she doesn't like at all but does eat lots of different things now. She doesn't have the appetite her siblings have though. Tbf she's been the contrary one out of the three all along. 🤣🤦🏼‍♀️

I completely understand the anxiety around this. My son was just like your little one- not interested in weaning at all until around 12-18 months, and even then until about 2.5 he literally didn't eat anything other than ridiculously priced Ella's Kitchen pouches/ sticks, yoghurt, bread and cheese. He's now 5 and eata completely 'normally'. Our second child was completely the opposite and has been food obsessed from 6 months. (She's now 18 months and some days eats more than her brother). I can remember feeling really worried about my son at the time, and with the benefit of hindsight:

1. Food before one REALLY IS for fun. It's not necessary at all nutritionally-speaking as she'll be getting all her nutrients from milk. All this weaning stuff is just about getting used to different smells, tastes, textures and practising.

2. There's a danger that by pushing it all too much you'll end up with a baby who's put off food (not to mention a seriously stressed and burnt out mumma!)

3. Comparison is not your friend 😅 I just remember being surrounded by mum friends whose babies were happily scoffing anything and everything around them. This is fine. My son just gave me evil looks as if I'd mortally offended him by offering him food and screamed for me to take it away. This is also fine 😅 Run your own race!

4. Might not feel like it all the time, but you've got this. 😊

Yes, another advocate for 'Food is fun until they're one' here.

BLW saved my sanity, I highly recommend. Don't stress yourself out spoon feeding or pureeing stuff. Put normal food she can get hold of on her tray and just let her play. If it's what you're eating too, so much the better.

You'll know when she's started eating more by what turns up in her nappy!

She doesn't need the extra nutrients until she is one.

My child wouldn't eat anything from a spoon but would play with food with her own hands. It took ages (well after 1yo) before she would eat from a spoon. Can you try finger food? Or feeding by hand?