8 month old refusing food? help!

[fairimum]

My DD is now 8 months, we started weaning about 5 months due to severe reflux problems, hospital wanted us to start at 3 months but decided that was way to early - she didnt really show an interest in eating until 6 months anyway and progressed through smooth and onto lumpy food quite quickly, now at almost 8 months she is refusing everything, opens her mouth for the food and then just spits it out, this had been going on for about 3 weeks and she just isnt taking enough in - she will eat finger foods, generally whatever we are having but is hungry and gets frustrated easily and not really getting much in - she wont take much milk at all and is then up all night hungry, but wont eat! HV and GP say is a phase and just to keep trying... think is probably connected to her teething - bottom two have just come through last week... assume this is a normal thing but how likely is it to last? i dont mind if she lets me feed her or feeds herself or a combination i just need her to take some more in! help!

Sounds like teething to me! My DS would be off food for a couple of weeks at a time sometimes, then suddenly be starving. Try not to panic, she will eat!

My instinct is stick with finger foods if she seems to be preferring those at the mo, the worst thing you can do at this point is create stressy meal times. I found cucumber sticks good for teething as they're cool on the gums. Also, rather bizarrely, my DS will only eat breadsticks when teething and not at any other time. You could look on the baby led weaning site for ideas, even if you're not doing BLW... here

Is she ff? If so have you tried giving her milk in a cup rather than bottle? I've heard that the teats do stress them out if their gums are sore.

HTH

Thank you - I have lots of BLW info - wanted to do it, but then she was early and had some problems so didn't go quite to plan - am beginning to do more BLW type foods now and just loading the spoon for her!

fingers crossed it is just teething!
thank you

Hi Fairimum, Im also experiencing weaning troubles......I may not be of any help, but just thought Id share my thoughts with you! My 6 1/2 month old HATES food. Ive been trying since around 22 weeks, she sometimes takes a spoonfull, then tries to grab her bib off and throws he head around, clamps her mouth shut, then just cries. My baby is not a small one, but I do worry if she is geting all she needs now with milk alone. I do have an older daughter, she took to food v well, so It's very different for me this time round. Hope things get better for both of us