6 month old refusing soft/pureed food

[Tabby321]

Hi everyone ! So we tried to start DC who is 6 months and a week on solids using traditional approach (puréed and mushy food)-he was born a month early so I felt this would be safer-I wasn’t sure if he was ready (needed support to sit but can manage well on high chair) but was keen to start (was really excited)-health visitor thought he was ready enough to start. 10 days on, he hasn’t accepted even a spoon (seems to find consistency weird given his expression, may have found taste of rice and other food weird too (tried banana, carrot, rice with formula, dhal). Tried offering finger food couple of times-played with it but that’s it.

From people who have been in this position-is it best to take a break and start in a few days again or should I persist adding in some finger foods as well (but I worry he will become averse to mealtimes-he turns face away and closes mouth when I offer a feed now) ? I understand this is early days but the daily refusal is disheartening and I feel stressed (I know I shouldn’t) !

I can identify with that: it’s frustrating.

I haven’t gone strictly down the baby led weaning approach with DD but I did find she showed enthusiasm for ‘proper’ food. I started her on baby porridge and she hated it but loved boiled egg. She doesn’t seem to like mushy foods so mashed potato (even drowned in cheese) she refuses and porridge …

She seems to be living off cheese, cucumber, egg, a bit of toast and a bit of banana at the moment (she is 10 months) and she also enjoys bolognaise, chilli, she’s sampled some cod (so expensive though) peas … She also likes chocolate as we found out when she ate an Easter egg So I guess you might find he enjoys ‘real’ food a bit more?

Also, it’s a really, really slow start. I know you’ve heard it before but it really is just about tastes at this stage. DD is 10 months and today was

breakfast - boiled egg and quarter of a slice of toast
3 oz formula
lunch was mostly refused, she had a couple of olive breadsticks
snack - bit of banana
4oz formula
dinner - tuna pasta salad with cucumber and sweetcorn, she ate a reasonable amount
5oz formula before bed

she’ll probably have another 5oz formula before I go to bed. So while she’s eating fairly well she’s definitely not eating loads (I know some babies do but not all and there’s absolutely no indication that if they have a dainty appetite as an infant that will continue.) My three year old barely ate until he was around a year and he is a brilliant eater now, eats most things and has a really healthy, balanced diet.

Just keep offering finger food (from your plate) and he will get there.

It can take weeks before anything actually gets eaten.

Sounds like he would really benefit from baby led weaning approach.

If I were you I'd just move the highchair to the table and let them join your family meals. Little folk love to copy and in my experience tend to take great joy taking my food from my plate or even taking things from my fork before i could eat it. At 6 months it's all about exploring the tastes and textures more than anything, the bulk of their nutrition will still come from milk until they're one so just make it a learning experience and minimise the stress of preparing separate things unless you really enjoy the process and have the time. Pasta twirls were very popular with my 3 girls,they're a nice size and shape to hold on to and can be plain, buttered or have different sauces.... We used to offer food when they were mildly hungry rather than starving and have the milk feed after. If you do move to more of a baby lead method rather than spoons and puree read up on the difference between gagging and choking, they have to learn to move the solids around their mouths and swallow and it can be scary at first. As can the first dirty nappy, especially after banana, lol. Good luck!

What time of day are you offering ? My 7 month old has no interest in breakfast or lunch but Is always super keen on trying out dinner

I remember mine happily eating purées and then various food from my husband and I....... just have them around at meal times and let them try bits they are interested in. Try not to feel too much pressure either way but keep persisting.....