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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

6mth old will only eat sweet potato or butternut squash - what should I do?

27 replies

Holymoly321 · 27/05/2008 10:06

Been weaning DD for a few weeks now and it's been very on and off - some days she will eat and others she wont at all. So far she's had carrot, baby rice, sweet potato and butternut squash. Has refused brocoli, parsnip, apple and cauliflower. I don't know what to do next. Should I try and mix say brocoli with the sweet potato? What if she refuses this? Have tried BLW - she's not interested either. Am very worried about iron levels depleting etc!

OP posts:
Baffy · 27/05/2008 10:09

At this age I'm sure babies are still getting most of their nutrients from milk. I really wouldn't worry too much. Just keep trying. And alongside the purees I would keep offering toast etc as finger foods. My ds was really difficult at this stage and now he's a great little eater.

Tommy · 27/05/2008 10:10

keep trying. I made this mistake with DS1 and when he rejected things, I never gave them to him again As a result I have an extremely fussy 6 year old.

Have you tried BLW - just cut the beg inbto finger sized portion, cook them lightly and out them on her high chair tray to serve herslf. She may prefer that way

Baffy · 27/05/2008 10:12

try carrots as they are very sweet - lightly cook them (so that they aren't rock hard but also so they don't turn to mush when she picks them up)

this was one of the few things I could get ds to eat at this age

fluffyanimal · 27/05/2008 10:14

Really don't worry. Try mixing the ingredients, and keep offering every so often, but really really don't worry. Iron levels are actually not an issue just yet. Is she bf or ff? If ff, and if it puts your mind at rest, you could try the follow on milk, although many people think it is just a marketing gimmick and apparently the iron in infant formula is enough anyway. If bf, keep going and again, don't worry!

popsycal · 27/05/2008 10:16

many people dont start weaning until siz months so i really wooudlnt worry
milk should still be the main source of nutrition

Original poster
Holymoly321 · 27/05/2008 10:16

DD won't even pick food up so am at a loss. Will keep trying though. RE the purees - if she doesn't eat them should I offer something else or just give the rest of her breastmilk and forget the solids till the next meal? Thing is this means that she could not be having solids for days

OP posts:
WigWamBam · 27/05/2008 10:16

Iron levels only begin to deplete at six months, they don't suddenly disappear. IIRC, it's not until over 12 months that the iron stores have fully depleted.

She will still be getting plenty of iron from her milk, and that should still be her major source of calories anyway. Plus, as she gets older, cereals and other iron-rich foods are easy to add to her diet.

Go with her for now, just little tastes to get her used to the idea of food that isn't milk. If she doesn't like something, take it away - but try again at a later date. It may just be the strange texture she is rejecting, not the flavour.

Don't stress. As long as she is still getting plenty of milk she won't be short of nutrients.

EffiePerine · 27/05/2008 10:17

Relax. Remember 'food is for fun until they're one'. If you've only been weaning for a few says, she might be a bit overwhelmed - she'll eat more in time

Original poster
Holymoly321 · 27/05/2008 10:34

It's been a few weeks now! I'll try a mix of sweet potato and broc and see how she gets on or do you think I should just stick to one flav at a time, knnowing that the last time I gave her broc she puked it up!

OP posts:
Fingerbobs · 27/05/2008 11:50

Hi icklemonstersmum, I found some reassuring stuff about iron levels on kellymom here:

www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/iron.html

It helped me to chill out a bit, hope it does you too. I'll be interested in any mixing flavours responses, my ds has thrown up sweet potato and shrieked at parsnip so far....

MegBusset · 27/05/2008 12:02

DS never really got on with pureed veg (can't say I blame him), it wasn't until I introduced more interesting flavours/textures that he started liking a few things (although at 15mo he still won't eat a huge variety of things). 6mo is still very early -- we only started at this age and he didn't really eat much until 8/9mo.

Teuch · 27/05/2008 12:06

I tried things like carrot and apple pureed together as it gave the sweetness, but with slightly different textures and flavours. I also added flavours like ginger or cinnamon to purees, again just for variety.

As others have said, it is really just experimenting with flavours rather than 'feeding them up' at this stage!

barnstaple · 27/05/2008 12:24

Pear
Apple
Banana
Beetroot (not the pickled stuff!)

Mix them up a bit.
Don't worry.

When I started weaning dd (now 8) I only introduced new food once a week. I started her on pear, then apple, then sweet potato; after about a month I would give her new food maybe midweek, but if she didn't like it then I'd leave it and try again at the weekend. Take it slow. You have plenty of time. They do say you have to offer a new flavour 20 times before they realise they like it!

firststeps · 27/05/2008 13:21

Hi Icklemonstersmum - could you try introducing new foods in tiny amounts into the purees you know she will eat, so if she has say 4 teaspoons of sweet potato puree stir in less than half a teaspoon of something like parsnip and build it up slowly to give her time to get used to the taste. She probably likes sweet potato and butternut squash on their own as they are naturally sweet - parsnip and broccoli have quite a strong flavour and cauliflower is quite bland so they are probably best mixed with other sweeter veg. Have you tried pear, turnip, carrots they are quite sweet?

sleepycat · 27/05/2008 13:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Holymoly321 · 27/05/2008 13:22

thanks all - and thanks fingerbob for that link - did make me feel a bit better! Well I offered two cubes of sweetpotato with one cube of brocolli and it was all eaten up (!!) so fingers crossed for future efforts!

OP posts:
Original poster
Holymoly321 · 28/05/2008 15:39

well DC didn't eat anything else all day - screamed and blew raspberrys whenever I tried to get a spoon near - and the same thing today. DO't know what to do - feeling pretty crap if truth be told.

OP posts:
solo · 28/05/2008 15:41

Give her time and keep trying different foods. It'll just click.
Oh, and stop stressing over it. IME, they act up on it more if they see it buugging you.

Original poster
Holymoly321 · 28/05/2008 16:00

it just seems that this is the most stressful part of days with her! I think in the past week she's only had three, maybe four meals in total! Just keeps screaming for milk.

OP posts:
beansprout · 28/05/2008 16:04

Perhaps she is not ready for food? Some babies don't want any until a bit later. Ds1 waited until nearly 7 months.

Original poster
Holymoly321 · 28/05/2008 16:11

i know I shouldn't get stressed about it but it's so hard. esp when all I hear from the other mums is how fantastically thier lo's are doing, eating everything in sight etc etc! I don't know whethere I should just give up for a week or two or just keep trying everyday, knowing that she's just oign to screamk, cry ad refuse whatever I've made for her.

OP posts:
solo · 28/05/2008 17:13

Don't worry about your other mummy friends. It's not a competition and anyway, what they tell you and what actually goes on may be two different things.
Why don't you stop trying so hard to get food down her throat and just put her in the high chair when you and dp(?) eat so she can see you and maybe offer her some of your mashed potato or other soft food from your plate. She may not take it, but don't worry if she doesn't. She's still having milk, so she won't be without nourishment. Give her time to adjust to the thought, sight and smells of solid food and just keep trying, but not forcing or stressing over it. Good luck with it all.x
PS Even when they get into an established eating pattern, it doesn't always continue. My Dd would eat, wouldn't eat...never knew with her, still don't!

wasabipeanut · 28/05/2008 17:22

icklemonstersmum - if your dc had 3 cubes at lunchtime that is quite a lot for a 6 mo. She prob just isn't hungry hence screaming whenever you try and feed her again.

Honestly, please try and relax a bit. As far as I remember when my ds was 6 mo we just had a little but of something at lunchtime and that was about it. He wasn't on 3 meals a day until after 7 months and even then it wasn't constant.

You can lead a baby to food but you can't make 'em eat.

Original poster
Holymoly321 · 28/05/2008 17:24

hi solo, DD is in bed when DH gets home so can't really do that. Will try at the weekend though. God this is so frustrating. as if sleepless nnights weren't enough!

OP posts:
ShowOfHands · 28/05/2008 17:24

Oh take no notice of what others are saying. So their babies eat everything in sight. They're probably lying and even if they're not, then so what? It's not a competition. Their babies probably sleep through and play the clarinet too.

She doesn't sound ready. My dd wasn't ready till 7 months and now at 12 months eats a healthy, balanced diet. All you can do is offer. I'd go with offering a bit from your plate at meal times so you're not wasting time pureeing for nothing and getting frustrated. She'll eat when she's good and ready.

Please don't worry and keep offering milk whenever she wants.