Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Weaning

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

Eight month old CAN eat solids, but won't

14 replies

QuantumPanic · 01/10/2025 15:27

Started giving food to taste at around four-five months and properly weaning at six. We're at the stage now where we don't have to prepare anything specially for her - she has an ok pincer grip, can chew everything, will spit something out if she can't swallow it, eats a variety of textures, flavours, etc.

The trouble is, she doesn't want to! Occasionally (maybe once a week) she'll absolutely demolish a plate of curry or pasta (exactly the same as what we eat) but mostly everything goes on the floor. She happily ate toast and dippy eggs a couple of weeks ago, but has totally rejected them since.

I tend to replace whatever goes on the floor with more food. Maybe this is the wrong thing to do? Should I give her a set amount, so that she learns that when it's gone, it's gone?

Its also very hard to know when she's hungry - often I'll offer the breast and she won't want it, but then ten minutes later she will. Maybe I'm mis-timing my food offerings?

I know the answer to this is probably just to persist and wait for improvement, but alternative advice is also appreciated!

OP posts:
bluebunnyblue · 01/10/2025 19:30

Eight months is still very little, solid food will be hit and miss for a few months yet in my experience. Also, remember breast feeding is not just about the milk, it's also comfort and bonding etc so there's often no rhyme or reason as to when they'll accept and when they won't!

Needspaceforlego · 01/10/2025 19:37

Don't stress, she'll eat eventually.

Have you tried giving her some of yours, it might be more appealing than hers, even if its exactly the same thing from the same pot!!

JaneEyre40 · 01/10/2025 19:39

Following as same here.

SlipperyLizard · 01/10/2025 19:43

My DD barely ate any solids from months 6-12, despite our efforts, she was a total milk monster. Just keep going, she’ll get it eventually.

hyggetyggedotorg · 01/10/2025 21:12

Does she eat things just once then not again?

For example, will she enjoy egg & soldiers once? Or once every few weeks?

I’m wondering if there are allergies/Coeliac maybe? So she loves it the first time but then it hurts her tummy so she won’t eat it again until she forgets about that?

I had my DCs in the days of weaning at 12 weeks so an 8 month old not eating food seems very unusual to me.

Superfrog3 · 01/10/2025 21:16

Up until a year old at least your babies source of nutrition is their milk. Food should be offered but I wouldn't bank on them eating it, some babies will, some won't, some pick and chose. Its more of a sensory and developing eating skills at this stage rather than for nourishment. Keep going and make it varied and a joyful experience for them 💛

BunnyRuddington · 02/10/2025 07:51

Is she with you all of the time? Mine took a goid while to realise that food can help them out with hunger.

Are you planning on going back to work soon?

QuantumPanic · 03/10/2025 08:09

Needspaceforlego · 01/10/2025 19:37

Don't stress, she'll eat eventually.

Have you tried giving her some of yours, it might be more appealing than hers, even if its exactly the same thing from the same pot!!

Yes, we eat from the same plate. Well, I eat, she throws.

OP posts:
QuantumPanic · 03/10/2025 08:14

hyggetyggedotorg · 01/10/2025 21:12

Does she eat things just once then not again?

For example, will she enjoy egg & soldiers once? Or once every few weeks?

I’m wondering if there are allergies/Coeliac maybe? So she loves it the first time but then it hurts her tummy so she won’t eat it again until she forgets about that?

I had my DCs in the days of weaning at 12 weeks so an 8 month old not eating food seems very unusual to me.

It seems unusual to me, too! She's a big baby and still spends a lot of time on the breast and I'm keen to move away from that. I didn't imagine that I'd still be so physically tethered to her at this age.

I wonder if I should stop offering milk so much, but obviously I don't want her to go hungry!

OP posts:
Normandy144 · 03/10/2025 08:23

Sounds pretty normal to me for an 8 month old. Just keep serving the food and accept that she'll either eat it or not so keep portions small to avoid too much waste. It's not a massive deal at this stage of she's not eating much. She will be getting on good practice though at how to eat which is just as important. Just because she ate eggs 2 weeks ago doesn't mean she will eat them again 2 weeks later, but also it doesn't mean she doesn't like eggs either, she might the next day. Weaning and feeding children in general is such a "long game", like years long. Just keep serving a good variety of foods up and rotating them. That's your job to make sure they get exposed to a good variety. Aside from allergies/intolerances and severe cases of food refusal they do generally get there. I have a ten year old who has had a love/hate relationship with vegetables but she still gets served them and some days she'll eat them and some she won't but we're getting there. That's what I mean about it being a long game😂

QuantumPanic · 03/10/2025 08:36

@hyggetyggedotorg Yes, she'll eat something and then refuse it the next few times (in the case of egg, seemingly forever, now.) I hadn't considered intolerances. She doesn't seem in any pain and her stools are normal, but I guess it's still possible. I'll keep an eye out for any patterns.

I guess it's also possible that she just doesn't like it. We tried porridge every morning for a solid month before finally accepting that it's just not for her.

OP posts:
QuantumPanic · 03/10/2025 08:38

BunnyRuddington · 02/10/2025 07:51

Is she with you all of the time? Mine took a goid while to realise that food can help them out with hunger.

Are you planning on going back to work soon?

Yes, I do all mealtimes. I hadn't thought about this - I'll go out this weekend and see if her dad has more luck without me there. Thanks!

OP posts:
Mischance · 03/10/2025 11:40

She's normal .... and has the rest of her life to eat solid food! Just go with the flow.......

BunnyRuddington · 04/10/2025 10:51

QuantumPanic · 03/10/2025 08:38

Yes, I do all mealtimes. I hadn't thought about this - I'll go out this weekend and see if her dad has more luck without me there. Thanks!

Yes definitely start to leave her for periods with her DF and sone food. It gives you a nice break too Smile

New posts on this thread. Refresh page