8 month old struggles with food

[Chocolat]

Been weaning my son since he was 5.5 months as he was showing all the signs of readiness. It’s always been a bit of a struggle but has had the odd week where he’s been great and eaten plenty. We started with a mix of spoon feeding and finger foods. This last week has been such a struggle. With finger foods he will maybe have a bite or so before throwing it and loses interest quickly. He has always struggled with toast and even the soft bread I tried once. He doesn’t have teeth. Hell be fine eating purées and yoghurts /soft desserts but struggles with texture. I don’t force feed him but I do put a lot of effort into it for example singing, eating the food myself, making train noises etc which lead to him opening his mouth for food. He has also been gagging a lot and bringing up food even purées and I don’t feel like I feed him large spoonfuls. He does keep food in his mouth for a while and doesn’t do much with it.
I just feel sad for him as he looks so uncomfortable eating, kicking his legs about despite having a foot rest, making uncomfortable noises etc.

Hes breast fed 6-8x a day and even 2-3 of those feeds he’s not really interested in. He’s also only fed single sided his whole life.

I haven’t weighed him in a while but he was around the 25th centile last time I checked.

Any advice on what I should do/anything that can help?

I have an almost 8 month old who sounds similar to your son. He loves his yogurts, fruit purées and puddings but refuses savoury purées, lumpy purées etc.

Finger foods are hit and miss and he usually doesn’t even pick it up from his plate / tray.

It’s hard not to compare him to other babies his age or younger. A friends baby eats a lot more than my son and he’s 6 months.

I would remove all pressures and external distractions like train noises, signing etc as baby is only opening his mouth due to being distracted and doesn’t actually want the food.

I myself have realised I subtly pressure baby and I’ve decided to step right back.

I would say just keep offering purées he likes and once a day put some finger food on a tray and see what he does with it. One day he will get it. Babies don’t need food until they’re 1 really, some babies don’t even have any interest until older.

I always remind myself that when he’s a bit older he will be eating me out of house and home. He is still so little x

Yes it’s so hard not to compare. Thanks I needed to hear that, you’re right, I should stop with the distractions which I will do and just hope one day he’ll get it. I know food is just for fun but it does help him sleep and I do want him to plump up a little 🥲.

@Chocolat I know what you mean. Our son has got into a good routine and naps longer after feeding.

He was having fruit / yougurt / porridge for breakfast and for dinner having a fruit and veg pouch as he wouldn’t touch any savoury

I think that is partly to blame for why he won’t eat any finger foods / savoury as he knows he will get nice sweet foods!

So we are making sure dinner is savoury only no more fruit and veg mixes and see how he goes

I don't have much advice but I am dealing with the same problem with my 6.5 month old, previously EBF. Only likes very smooth purees and not savoury food at all-although he did eat fish and sour cream mashed together a night ago! My problem is that he does not even like porridge most of the time and the HV is worried that he is not following his weight curve. She recommended more mealtimes. I feel desperate to get any food down him because of this, even if it is pure sugar smoothies.

I cannot get him interested in nursing often during the day and he is so active.

I do wonder how much is personality. I have two older ones, one very picky even to this day (6) and the other more adventurous with food. The picky one never eats very much even now. Both were BF until 10-11 months.

Sorry I cannot offer much advice, but would love to hear from others if they have any experience with gaining weight for picky babies.

@Chocolat
how are you getting on? Been reading the posts we are 8 months BLW initially was touching food very little to his mouth we have offered some pre loaded spoons and let him
lead to the spoon we have noticed especially this last two weeks since being unwell he will not really touch much food … and is getting extremely upset in the highchair it is very hard to deal with. I often end meals or talk to him really positively to try and distract and make him Happy. Extremely hard

any luck with how anyone is getting on @Readerforlife @Younghearts @

@Seeema2902 am following as I can't get mine 7.5 months to eat at all. He has occasionally nibbled something from my
Plate but gets really upset in a high chair. I've tried every food I can think of, finger food, purees and even pouches. Nothing works. Keen to hear any tips!

@Janefx40 snap,

struggling it’s so emotional and taxing. I’ve tried whilst im holding him in my arms to offer some
food off my hand or whilst i cooking and trying myself. Sometimes he’ll look interested and try out of interest of looking. This isn’t always the case and after one sniff usually pulls away x sending my love and hugs x

@Seeema2902 well good to know we're not the only ones but I'm sorry you've got the same problem. Mine is breastfed as as he had weight issues, I feed him totally on demand so it is like I still have a newborn. It's exhausting but I need to try a bit more of a solid food routine - as he keeps rejecting food, I've got a bit lazy about giving it to him. Am hoping to get into a better routine this week now my DD is back at school

@Janefx40 superhard when you’ve done other children, I live in the hope that he will go to nursery in May and peer in pressure will help. The hope is we will increase days once my second son starts school. The balance is hard and it’s exhausting doing all the feeds then then prepping food too only for no consumption. Hate the weaning stage x

@Seeema2902 have had a bit of a breakthrough these past few days so thought I would update.. I think maybe it's about timing so have been following a vague pattern which seems to leave him ready to try food around 11:45am. Nap 9 to 10-10:30, breastfeed then try foods at 11:45. 2 days he sat in his high chair and tried the food. One he sat on my lap. He tried cucumber, bread, an Ella's pouch and a plum. Not eating much of it but definitely trying and looking interested. I think it's a mix of him suddenly being more interested and my timing being better. A long way to go but an improvement at least!

How are you getting on?

@Janefx40 were pretty much the same
very distressed in the highchair leading to meals ending quickly … feels horrid. Feel like I’ve completely messed this one up. Not sure what to do or how to do it.

we’ve played lots with timings close to milk feed further from the milk feed but he just seems to want to be stuck to me. I’ve offered my lap but this is very very short lived x

so pleased you are making progress keep checking in, it’s nice to chat to people albeit virtually x

@Seeema2902 you absolutely haven't messed this up! You are clearly doing a great job. He probably just isn't ready yet. They say that the nutrition isn't important at this stage anyway. He will eat eventually...they all do...anyway I'm not counting my chickens just because mine picked up some cucumber! X

Ah didn’t realise this thread was still active. We have been having our good weeks and bad weeks. Currently struggling again. Today wasn’t too bad, breakfast was fine but lunch he was not interested in me giving it to him before he even tasted it. Didn’t even touch finger food. My OH came and he started eating?! Not sure how but maybe he needed 2 people to try the food to confirm it was not poison? Also if I eat something right infront of him he will take it off me and eat it sometimes. Have to really exaggerated how delicious it is lol.

Its sooo emotionally taxing I agree with you guys, the frustration is real and it had made me feel low for a while.

How are you all getting on?

@Chocolat we combi wean so half purées and half finger foods. I feel like I go through phases where I find weaning stressful and then I have phases where I enjoy weaning my baby. He is very wary of new foods but he does have quite a few safe foods that he could eat unlimited amounts of… I find the lack of interest in new foods hard, he won’t even try most new bits I give him, very frustrating as how will he know if he likes it or not if he doesn’t want to try…

He is on 3 meals a day though and is progressing, also enjoys his water. HV happy with how his weaning is going.