7 month old too tired for meals when out, weaning routine advice?

[LovingGoose]

Hi, im looking for some advice.
My little boy is 7 months old, the health visitor gave us the go ahead at 6 months to start his weaning onto food.
Weve started weaning him since 6 months, recently circumstances have changed meaning he has a morning bottle then goes out with me. (He used to have some breakfast then bottle before going anywhere.)

By the time he would have lunch hes too tired and only wants bottle. Then come dinner time hes too tired too or throws it. Recently hes been having one meal whereas before he had 2 and that seemed perfect for him and his routine.

I feel like im failing as recently some days he has no meals, i know hes only 7 months but it feels like im failing him.

Any advice would be great, thank you

Do you have to be out every single day?
And what do you mean by too tired?
What do you do between his first bottle and lunch time?
Can’t you do a soup in a thermos container and you feed him at 11.30 before his nap?

You have a short window to help a baby accept a wider diet and introduce a variety of vegetables. You are developing food preferences that will shape his diet as a child and adult.

What’s changed? Are you going out more, has he dropped a nap?

I would do what you can to fit into a routine that suits your baby so that he is at home for the meals he needs.

At 7 months they only need to be having 1 lot of solids a day. You slowly build up the 3 meals over a few months so work out which meal is best and focus on that. And at 7m its mostly for them to explore and taste so no great pressure for them to each much. Until 12m, milk is still their main source of nutrition

Would you like to give us a bit more idea of timings @LovingGoose?

At the moment, its food.
If breakfast at 2pm, lunch at 11.30 and dinner at 5.30 works, go for it. Don't stress about it been at the "right" time.

You have plenty of time to get to the work. The worst thing is to bring stress into the issue. My children didn’t wean till closer to 9 months. I used to have them at the table each time I eat with some food next to them.

it will happen

Weaning isn't linear, all kinds on things get in the way of it including teething and colds. Just keep offering food when you are sat together at mealtimes. Don't stress too much about shaping what his adult diet will be like either. I was weaned on baby rice at three months and had a diet of mostly jars of pureed fruit according to my mum. As an adult I have a good diet and love bitter green vegetables!

No, not every day but we have to drop other children off at school monday - thursday. Friday the dad drops them off as the other days hes unable to.
By time we get back he just wants a bottle and to go to sleep anf then after he wakes up i try and give him lunch but half the time he just wants to go back to sleep.

That helps me not worry as much then, thank you

Thank you, hes now 7 months and is still on puree because if its not a puree he wont eat it and just spits it out and gags

You're doing great. The gagging and spitting is part of the learning and he doesn't need to actually consume anything. I used to offer food around naps. It doesn't have to be at meal times

I think puree is best for really young babies like him not -everyone has to do baby leg weaning. My kids never did and they eat well now lots of veg, they are 4 and 2.

I can understand him wanting to have a bottle and go to sleep after the school run.

Do the other DC have breakfast? Could you plonk him in his high charity and offer him something like a banana whilst they all eat?

Don't' worry about set meal times, just offer it once or twice a day when he is awake and has had a while since a bottle. He's barely started, food is just for fun - if you have other kids, get him at the table with them when they eat, and give him the same food. It's fine he's gagging, that's a protective mechanism.