Weaning

[mammaneedshelp]

My LO is 7 months old, we started weaning at 6 months with pureed and the occasional finger food as long as it can be squished. Trouble is, she hates it. Pulls faces as soon as it touches her lips. Gags. Refuses to eat after a spoon and starts crying. She’s even gone as far as coughing till she pukes (bearing in mind there’s maybe the tiniest bit of food on the tip of her tongue). I’m at my wits end I’ve tried all sorts, veg, fruit, egg, bread, pasta, hot, cold, pureed, finger food. Before bottled, a couple of hours after a bottle. Nothing works and ends in a tantrum! Health visitor said persevere 🙃

Sounds pretty normal to me, don’t stress. Just keep offering, let baby play with food, I know it’s messy but it’s so important. Model eating by sitting with baby and eating your own meal. Stay calm and positive. It’s taken my daughter to nearly 12 months to really start eating. It’s all brand new, it’s going to take some time

Thank you. I see so many posts of people’s babies taking to food straight away and I feel like I’m getting nowhere, then the coughing till puking really got to me 😩

Yeah it’s really frustrating and worrying when you’re going through it, particularly when all the other NCT babies are guzzling their lunches. My first son took to weaning really well but now is as fussy as they come. My second son didn’t actually swallow anything at all until he was 9 months old, but now eats 5 meals a day (breakfast before nursery, nursery breakfast lunch tea, and then dinner).
Try to be patient. I know it’s really hard! They’ll get there

Was there anything you changed for your son to start eating or totally random? I remember looking forward to weaning and now I’m not sure why!

Sounds pretty normal to me too. My second hated purées and mush, she only wanted what we were having.

So like others have said, stop worrying. I’d also a stop trying to feed her and twice a day, maybe when you eat breakfast and lunch, sit her in her high chair, put something on her tray like a sandwich or cheese on toast and some quartered cherry tomatoes and blithely igorne her whilst you eat.

Honestly don't believe it on social media, they'll only post if it's going "well", won't they! Also pretty much all babies get fussy with food and eat less after 12 months, so let anyone around you be too smug if their baby is eating quickly. Food before 12 months is for fun, learning and exploration, milk is providing their calories. Put baby in highchair when you're having your meals, and share bits with her, just put them on the tray and eat your own meal.

I’m actually glad I had mine ages ago before the prevalence of SM. It was bad enough comparing how much or how little they ate at things like baby groups or out with friends. Especially with DC2 who seemed to survive on fresh air for a few days then eat a lot for the next few days.

Sorry only just seen this.
It wasn’t intentional as such but I gave up making bespoke baby appropriate things that my first son had enjoyed, because I found it too frustrating when he didn’t eat it.
I remember one of the first meals he really went for was an incredibly rich salty beef ragu in a red wine sauce. He still loves ragu with pasta or lasagne etc.
Maybe try changing up the menu?

Just keep offering, my second didn't really show any interest in food until she was 8-9 months. She's now a great eater unlike my first who's quite picky yet was interested in food from the get go!