6 month old refusing solids

[Daisysimply]

Hi,

I started weaning my baby with purées 3 weeks ago when she turned 6 months. She started off fine having a few mouthfuls a couple times a day of fruit or veg purée but for the past week has started refusing any kind of food. I’ve tried purées of different flavours and textures and even some finger foods in case she was getting fed up with spoon feeding but she just turns her head away or cries. She’s also refusing to drink any water which she was getting on really well with before. I’m worried she’s not getting enough food in a day.

any ideas why she’s suddenly stopped eating and how to encourage her to eat again? Stressing me out!

I would just take a break make sure she’s having enough milk and re start in a few weeks. Maybe she’s just not ready yet. Initial weaning isn’t supposed to replace milk but teach them how to eat and introduce flavours etc so take the pressure off you both for a bit if you have ongoing issues speak to your hv.

They will go off and on food for a while some days will need a second load of purée sometimes barely have two spoonfuls. It is exhausting so don’t beat yourself up just keep offering and if they find something they like keep it offered as a safe food.

Agree with Shopper. Just stop offering for a while, even if it's only a week and then start again, just once a day.

Her milk will be more than enough nutrition at this age. If you are BFing or if her formula dips below 20 floz a day she should be having a daily vitamin anyway.

A break will give you both a break and she may be more interested in a couple of weeks.

There's a good guide here which gives suggestions of first foods to try.

They don't actually need the nutrients in food until they are about a year. This is just the process to learn how to eat. It's fine to stop it for a week or so.

Also, my DD refused purees, she did like little finger foods so you can try that.

Scrap that last sentence, I see that you did that.

Thanks for the advice everyone! Weaning just seems to be upsetting her right now so she probably just isn’t ready. Will give her a break for a week and give it another go!

Yes I thought food was meant to just be for fun under 1 until I read a book that kept on about the importance of them getting the nutrients from 6 months and how they can get iron deficiency from not eating enough. Probably a load of nonsense just to stress us out more than we already are!

Does your DD have a temperature or could she be poorly? My DS went off food and started to refuse solids a few weeks into weaning. It turned out that he had a bad ear infection and it hurt him to chew/swallow. First symptom was solid food refusal although he breast fed well enough. In the end his eardrums burst and we needed antibiotics and hearing checks. Don’t want to alarm you though.

I wouldn't worry about the book just yet. You haven't said if you're FFing or BFing. If you are Ff as long as she gets at least 20 floz a day she'll be fine for nutrients.

If you are BFing have a read of this on iron and this on starting solids.

Once you've both had a bit of a break and relaxed a little, try some of these suggestions for first foods to try.

Also, she could be unwell as mentioned by a PP or she might just not like Purée? My DC2 refused them almost completely and wanted to have finger foods so we had to do BLW whether we wanted to or not

If your baby is being formula fed then she’ll be getting enough iron. If she’s being breastfed then you need to supplement after 6 months. I’ve been using the Vitabiotics Wellbaby Multivitamin drops.

No, they do need iron supplemented before 1.

6 months is still young so do not worry- nothing ‘bad’ will happen, but ensuring their iron stores are high will give them the best chances in the future. Iron is also very important to future memory, and this links to learning. The world’s IQ would go up considerably if all babies had sufficient iron. If she is not enjoying solids by about 8 months I would definitely add a multivitamin to ensure she has enough iron.

Take a break with the weaning- mine had a similar issues, on and off food until about 10 months when they really started enjoying it.

Something I will suggest is make sure what you are offering is actually delicious.

I’d throw bland puréed broccoli on the floor as well. Butter is delicious, adds fat and flavour- so add to veggies. Same for cheese! Avoid salt- but spices and herbs also add flavour. Make little pancakes with bananas and raspberries for sweetness. Strips of steak and corn on the cob are nice for them to gum on to get used to the idea of things being in their mouth.

Black beans mashed with some herbs and a bit of sour cream are iron rich and a favourite in my house :)

good luck! Please don’t stress too much, it’s a journey.

Don’t let it stress you out.
My DS started really well at 6 months and then after a few weeks wouldn’t touch food again until about 8 months. Leave it for a few days and then just offer things but don’t stress if it’s rejected.

At 6 months their main food is breast or bottle milk. Food is just for practice/fun/experimentation at this stage. Worry about the quantity and variety once they reach 1 Year.

At six months there will be all sorts of things happening inside her mouth with her teeth coming through, maybe at the moment she is associating those feelings with food and isn’t happy with it! Just back off as others have said, she is getting all the nutrition she needs from milk, she will soon start chewing and gnawing on hard things to get those teeth, and maybe then she will cotton on to the idea of food.

Take a pause then restart with baby-led weaning.

Maybe baby was given a spoonful of a puree blend they didn't like and it made them suspicious of all purees. Carrot puree Vs sweet potato puree for example - if baby likes one and thought that was what she was getting, then took a mouthful and it wasn't the one she liked but it looked exactly the same, I'd be dubious too!

Thanks everyone! She’s breastfed and I’ve been giving her the wellbaby multivitamin for past few weeks also. One of her teeth have cut through over the past few days so suspect that may not have helped!

I did also offer her some egg last week which I was worried she might have had a bit of a reaction to as she had a rash all over her face the next day and was unsettled for several days afterwards. Just wasn’t sure if she was unsettled due to something she ate or because she was teething! Maybe might have put her off if it caused her some sort of pain or discomfort :(

They don't need to eat proper foods at this age. They know their bodies more than us! I would just offer it if she asks to have some of your food or starts licking her lips seeing your food. All kids are so different. A little lick or suck of your food here and there is fine, providing it's child friendly of course.

I would make sure you have some piriton (liquid) in the house just in case for next time you try egg OP.

I’m not sure an allergic reaction would be so delayed, but it’s good to have it in the house anyway.

Allergic reactions can be immediate (IGE or anaphylactic) or delayed (non-IGE).