This whole 'food is fun until they're one' thing...

[Tinkjon]

Saw HV today and she said that DS (8.5mo) should be on more solids. I said "but surely milk is their main source of nutrition until they're 1 and food is just to get them used to the idea of new flavours and textures?" and she said no, they definitely do need food as well after about 6 months. I couldn't be bothered to argue with her so I came home and Googled to try and find some official evidence that I could take back to her, agreeing with MNers that food is fun until they're 1. But you know what? I can't find a darned thing

So my question is, where has this 'food is fun etc.' idea come from?! Is there anywhere official that agrees with it, or are people just deciding for themselves that it's ok, with nothing official to back it up?

am gonna watch this thread like a hawk!

I had exactly the same thing when ds2 was 8.5mo. But when someone telss me that I should cut down on the breastfeeds to get a perfectly healthy, good weight, mobile baby to take solids...well, I wasn't too sure about that. I'm not sure of the sources (Kellymom is always a good site for bfing info) but I followed my instincts, and MN advice, and did not cut down the feeds. Ds2 developed his interest in solids at his own pace. He did, as it happens, begin to become more interested in 'food' at about 8-9m, but even now, at 19m, his appetite is hugely variable. His weight, however, is not - he gains!

Here, for starters.

I think everyone would agree that babies go at their own pace with weaning - some take to solids quicker than others. As long as solid food is being offered frequently, I think the whole point of the 'fun till they're one' thing is to help mums not stress too much if their child doesn't want to eat much yet.

if the HV is just saying you should offer solids more often, that's one thing. but if she's saying 'your baby should eat more' and you're offering solids three times a day, well, how are you meant to force it into a reluctant baby? that's just daft.

BTW I don't mean that 'fun till they're one' isn't based on science - I just mean that the saying is a handy way of helping us deal with the stress of weaning.

Hi Meg - we both seem to be hanging out on the 'my baby is crap at eating' threads

PrettyCandles, ds still gains weight but he has dropped right down in his centile line and HV said he needs vitamin drops. He just about gets his pint a day, but only by the skin of his teeth - or should that be gums? I'm not so worried about his weight, it's his nutrition that I'm bothered about and of course the scales can't measure that. I have always taken HV advice with a pinch of salt since one told me to give DD chocolate pudding when she was about 6 months old but I'm not one who likes to go against official advice. So to find nothing supporting the 'food is fun' theory was a bit unsettling!

well DS3 has only recently become interested in solids - strangely since moving from FF to cow milk at just over 11 months old!!!

There's no hard-and-fast rule that a baby must stick to his centile line. They can plateau, they can go up and they can go down. As long as they are gradually growing, and aren't plummetting down (or up) the lines, anything really is fine. All of my 3 plateaued at one point or another. TBH, I avoided getting ds2 weighed when he was tiny because I didn't want to get agro about him having to stay on his birht centile - FGS he was born on the 99.9th centile! Naturally he ended up on the 75th, after spending a few moths on the 50th between about 6-8mo.

DS dropped down the centiles as well, and I got the 'he must eat more' lecture too - he's now a happy and healthy 2 year old who eats tons when he's hungry and little when he's not. We never did vitamin drops, either.

If your LO is happy, healthy and doing everything they should be at this age, then doesn't sound like there's much to worry about.

ps my HV suggested really sweet puddings too - trying to rot his tiny teeth before he's even used them once! Not sure I agree with this 'weight at any price' approach

Pretty candles, that link doesn't say anything about it that I can see...? It says that some GPs recommened allergy-prone babies are excl. bf until 1, but can't see anything else.

Tinkjon we may need to start our own club but if we left the little ones in a room with food they'd probably manage.

its just wonering if there is more i could/should do, am i doing the right thing spinning round in my head

This one might help?

Washersaurus, fantastic, thank you! (So I wonder why the UK disagrees with that? Or are we just a bit behind in our advice, perhaps). Now, have I got the courage to print that out and show it to HV?

course you have tinkjon and i'll take it to mine when she next lynchs me!

I did find another article on an irish site by a dietician that says the same here