Baby refusing solids

[Lhh25]

Just posting to hopefully get some advice, tips, hear if people were in a similar situation and how you overcame it!

My LO is 6 months and 2 weeks old and we have just started weaning when she turned 6 months. We have started with finger foods of veg, banana and some snacky things like carrots and also first taste purées but she is absolutely refusing everything and would rather just have her bottles. When I try to put the spoon near her mouth she freaks out turns away and closes her mouth.

I know we have just started but I am starting to get really frustrated and worried (I feel like everyone else’s babies around me wolf down their food no problems!).

if anyone has been in a similar situation and their baby eventually got there would be so lovely to hear! X

If she's refusing to be spoon fed, is she picking up the finger foods and having a go with them?

Eat as a family, let her feed herself, no coaxing, no pressure. If she doesn’t eat then fine, just take it away when you’re done.
Keep it relaxed and fun, but keep offering, even if she doesn’t try it, and don’t react either way, so no praise either.

We had this with our (now 7 month old) DD. She had went through a phase of not being that great at taking her bottles for a couple of weeks before that, then we started offering solids and it was suddenly like bottles were the greatest thing since sliced bread and all solids were refused and met with crying! I kept offering them though and sat her with us for meals and didn’t make a big thing of it and she did start experimenting then. She’s a much better eater now even just a month later I let her see me eating an item, for example I would take a bite of it then put it on her highchair tray and just turn to my own meal, and out of the corner of my eye I’d see her pick it up slowly, examine it and taste it herself lol

It is often like this at first, just make sure you are offering food regularly and not putting too much focus or stress on it. If she shows an interest in what's on your plate, let her try a little as long as it's not too salty or spicy.

DD had one of those dummy net things that I'd put banana, kiwi or strawberries in and she'd gnaw on it, she also loved bread and butter fingers which often ended up as little piles of gummed up spitty goop but she enjoyed the process 😂

https://www.tommeetippee.com/en-gb/product/teethe-n-feed-fresh-food-feeder?gclid=Cj0KCQiAsdKbBhDHARIsANJ6-jfLFbKZM3kiuM0J1Jfjh8EuF6bxD0FbdYQF4GNQTeHu2tJKlaxBhUaAiLDEALww_wcB

Please don't worry too much. My now almost 3 year old (who loves her food) didn't start eating solids until 11m. I started weaning her at 6m.
Brought her to two paediatricians to help - what a waste of money, nothing they could do! It's hard to find that much info online about kids who wean later but it's not that uncommon when you speak to people. So if it takes your LO a little longer really don't worry. It will happen.

DS wouldn't take anything until 10 months. Apparently this is within the bounds of normal.

This goes counter to what you think given all the stuff about 'waiting until they are 6 months old'. This fallacy made me feel enormously pressured and as if I was doing something wrong, when I wasn't.

So don't feel like you need to rush. And try not to get stressed about it (like I did)

They say "fun until one". Keep offering, don't make a big deal of it and see how you go

Thank you so much for your replies. I feel better just knowing other babies are the same I felt like mine was the only one not eating. I’m wondering if she’s starting to pick up on my stress and that’s affecting the whole experience! I will go in to it with a new head and hopefully see a difference.

Yes she does pick up finger foods and have a wee taste!

My DD was mostly on milk until after 12 months - she would pick up & play with food/eat some, but nothing you would call a meal. I felt really stressed while friends’ babies were “eating properly” but you can’t force it any more than you can force them to walk/talk etc.

Don’t stress, put some food in front of her while you’re eating/let her take off your plate & let her explore it in her own time.

My youngest didn’t eat anything until 9 months.

The worst thing you can do is get frustrated and try to force the issue. Food is fun til one. Just put food in front of her, and leave whether she eats it up to her

Definitely not a problem at her age - she’s still getting her calories through milk at this stage. Agree with others saying out some finger foods in front of her when you’re eating. I never puréed a thing and only spoon fed weetabix - we just gave small bits of what we were eating. It’s called “baby led weaning” which sounds very grand, but is for lazy parents!

Yeah I agree with PP just put the same food you’re eating in front of her, without added salt and sugar and appropriately cut (see solid starts website for how to safely cut food), we also started with one meal and added an extra meal every 2 weeks until she was having breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can put the food straight on the high chair tray but I liked having suction bamboo plates that she couldn’t throw off!