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Weaning

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

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Original poster

9m old DS, One tiny tooth and lots of willpower! Any advice?

12 replies

ummadam · 28/10/2008 14:28

Hiya,

DS is a healthy 9.5m and has been thriving on spoon fed mashed foods with finger foods for fun (toast with various purees as spread, satsuma segments, raisons, peas, the occasional chip if we are out, bits of my sandwich etc).

He has finally started teething (a glimmer of his first tooth but nothing else) and no longer wants to eat anything on a spoon. He will happily take the spoon off you and put it in his mouth but it all falls off onroute and he isn't really getting enough calories by finger foods alone - can't really get any protein in as he can't chew all that well. The poor thing is very frustrated and isn't interested in taking more milk either (he dropped most of his milk feeds and was eating great up til now - only has milk twice a day - sometimes three times).

I'm not sure what to do now. if I give him the spoon and leave him too it how long is it liekly to take him to work it out? he is happy to play with mashed food but gets frustrated and hungry as not a lot goes in!

OP posts:

pudding25 · 29/10/2008 13:08

Could you give him some mashed up egg/bits of cheese etc which he can pick up with his hands and feed himself?

angel1976 · 29/10/2008 13:37

Hi ummadam, my DS has just gone 8 months and we have the same problem! Except my DS has been ill to boot and these two days he has been completely off his solids. I would sneak a couple of spoonfuls into his mouth by tricking him and then he cottons on and that's it. He's even refused finger food like cream cheese on toast which he normally gobbles. I am so scared he is going to starve as he is off his milk as well! We managed to get him to take 4 ozs at 11pm last night when he woke and another 3 ozs at 3am as his sleep has gone t* up since the illness / teething as well. He also just got his first tooth. I have no idea when it would end!!! Just wanted to say you are not the only one... Might try the egg and cheese route tonight... Fingers crossed!

Original poster

ummadam · 29/10/2008 14:06

Thanks pudding - and I'm with you angel! will try egg/cheese tonight too and report back!

We have had a bit of a breakthrough in a way as my MIL came round for lunch and he ate beautifully for her! I think there may be an element of 'testing the boundaries' going on here so if he can't manage the egg and cheese and won't take a spoon he can find out what hungry feels like!

Angel - with my doctor-hat on rather than my mummy-hat I wouldn't be too worried if he is off food and milk for a couple of days due to illness. I don't feel much like eating when I am poorly either . Keep offering the milk, if he won't take it offer water instead and hopefully he will want more when he is feeling better - hope that is soon for you both

OP posts:

bumbleweed · 29/10/2008 19:07

My 10m old ds is same - doesnt like to be spoon fed but will eat off spoon if I load it up for him and leave it resting in his bowl so he can then pick it up and put in mouth.

I have just had to make the food thicker so it doesnt fall off so easily - eg porridge or mashed potato/veg with cheese sauce or pasta. Yes it makes a mess and a fair bit goes across the room as well as down him but thats part of the learning process.

Will your ds eat small soft pieces of veg with his fingers just off his high chair tray? High calorie ones include squash and sweet potato.

Other good finger foods for protein - chick peas cooked in a tomato sauce, baked beans or just cannelini beans out of a tin, cubes of tofu, small pasta coated in sauce (asda do some great kids wholemeal pasta shells).

Hth

Reallytired · 29/10/2008 19:15

He has gums and I bet those gums can be fercious. Let him try finger foods, but watch for choking.

I would also let him have the spoon. Yes it will be very messy, but children don't learn to feed themselves unless they try. I would recommend getting a bib which covers the arms and protecting the floor with a plastic sheet.

angel1976 · 29/10/2008 19:29

Argh! For dinner, I offered DS:

Boiled egg, cut up
Cream cheese
Toasted wholemeal pitta, cut up

I also had some chicken sweetcorn soup puree I made on standby... He took a couple of bites off the pitta, took one disdainful bite from the egg and spit it out and flat out refused everything else. Just sat in his chair throwing things on the floor. I am sooooooo tired of this! On a brighter side, he does seem better today, not coughing as much though he still has a touch of diarrhea. The gum next to his one tooth does feel very hard so hopefully that will come through soon. I am so sick of seeing all these good food go to waste! Please tell me it is a phase. He just usually loves his food so much.

My DH comes home to me whinging and he said 'Oh, he's under the weather, we know he loves his food when he is well so don't worry too much, he will eat when he is better. He won't waste away!' I KNOW that logically so why can't I be more relaxed about all this!

Original poster

ummadam · 30/10/2008 09:59

it is hard angel - I'm a dr and have done enough paediatrics to know that DS is fine and healthy and just learning - but it is still so hard and I go into PFB mode and panic! you are doing well, keep offering - it really is just a phase

thanks for the advice everyone

his gums are pretty good but with the teeth coming through he isn't using his gums to his full advantage either so it is tricky for him. Meat isn't being handled at all and he just gags and spits it out, am going to try him on fingerfed fish tonight as it is softer but he isn't a huge fan of fish so we will see - will try a thick cheese sauce to tempt him! .

He loved the egg and cheese - but only as projectiles. huge handfulls taken and chucked with a gleeful grin. It was hard to keep my stern face on as it was actually really funny!

This morning I pulled his antilop right up to the table and took the tray off. I don't know if it was novelty value but he was much better. Ate a small bit of toast with fruit puree on it, then half a satsuma and then let me spoon feed him some porridge. Less than he normally has but I wonder if he is also in a slow growth phase so isn't needing so much as he didn't seem too hungry either.

OP posts:

MamaChris · 30/10/2008 10:12

When ds wouldn't eat much, I have found sitting him on my knee and finger feeding him (using my fingers) small bits from my plate has worked well. Another good finger food for ds to feed himself is very soft pasta with melted cheese.

Good luck!

wendyh · 30/10/2008 12:26

Just wanted to add that my DD went off her food and milk at 7.5 months for 10 days. I think it was all related to a sore throat. It worried me to death but she got better and her weight didn't dip from the line she's following in her red book. Horrible when you're in the middle of it all ladies but your little ones will eat again when they're feeling ready, you're doing great jobs! xx

JeffGoldblumiscreepyinTheFly · 30/10/2008 12:46

I've found with DS's teething that he just won't eat (milk or solids) when he's in pain. If he's really suffering and I can tell he's hungry, I give him a little bonjela so he can start eating again within 15-20 minutes. Faster acting than nurofen and seems to allow him to get back to munching happily.

Also, a tip for pita - my DS loves a bit of cheese and beany spread (broad beans, onion, courgette, aubergine, rosemary, garlic, olive oil) grilled in a pita. Gets some calories in them before they know it! Plus, I think the pita gets a bit tougher under the grill, so it feels nice to chew on.

angel1976 · 30/10/2008 14:13

Unmadam, I have an antilop too! ;) Aren't they the best? Might try pulling off the tray (am I being stupid or is the tray once on, it's a little hard to get the damn thing off!) tonight and do what you did. We had a bit of a breakthrough. We went to a friend's for lunch and I brought a small pot of spaghetti bolognaise. I don't know if it's a novelty or what but my LO actually opened his mouth for his food! He ate pretty much all of it (minus one spoonful, oh, don't they love to tease you!), had a small rice cake, a couple of carrot sticks (the organix cracker) and even a pot of apple and mango puree! He also ate quite a few strands of noodle from my lunch... I am so happy! I really hope this ain't a one-off...

I was just reading something about a ear infection and I wonder if my DS has had one. He has had a runny nose, cough and been tugging at his ear and had a temperature a few days ago too and was really quite subdued for the last couple of days. He's perked up a bit today. Thanks everyone for their re-assurance. I hope dinner goes well tonight! Fingers crossed.

Habbibu · 30/10/2008 14:23

I would type a long answer but atm my fingers are very cold... Teething usually puts my human hoover of a dd off food too. Aitch's blog (www.babyledweaning.com) has stacks and stacks of ideas of what babies can feed themselves, and how you can adapt food you eat to make it easier for self-feeding. Finger foods will help practice chewing - was quite disconcerted to see just how well dd managed chicken etc with just gums.

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