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Weaning

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

8 month old will only eat porridge

5 replies

Mip · 09/03/2009 21:36

Started to introduce vegetable purees when my son was 5 months and being breastfed. He absolutely loved his lunch time teaspoons of puree and I was careful to give him mainly veg rather than fruit.

At 6 months I started to introduce porridge. In Sweden where I live porridge is one of the main baby foods, enriched with iron, vitamins etc. A lot of people stop breastfeeding and don't even give formula if the baby is eating porridge and drinking välling (a more liquid milky version drunk from a bottle) because it's so enriched.

Soon he started to refuse the purees and eventually I stopped trying as lunch time was becoming a battle and I was worried he was going hungry (he's a slim baby so I have to keep an eye on his weight). So it was porridge for breakfast, lunch and supper. I was comforted by the fact that on his morning porridge I put 4 or 5 tablespoons of different fruit puree and he seemed very happy to eat that.

A couple of weeks ago he got a really bad cold and would only drink milk (he is now on the whole only getting bottles, having slowly weaned him to only nightfeeds over the months from turning 6 months). Now he is back on his porridge (though hardly eats any at lunch or supper, prefers his milk) but refuses it if there's any fruit puree on.

Tried with a simple carrot and sweetcorn puree today in case it is the 'older' purees he doesn't like but he hated that too.

Am so worried that he will soon start refusing his porridge too. Surely an 8 month old needs more than formula milk and a bowl, max two, of porridge each day!

Btw, have tried with bread which he seems happy to eat but just clumps in his mouth. He likes wafer biscuits and corn snacks (look like Wotsits but are made purely of corn) but other finger foods like carrot are left firmly alone.

Sorry for epic message and thank you in advance!

OP posts:
ButtercupWafflehead · 09/03/2009 21:37

Will he eat fruit puree stirred into the porridge?

You could start off with a tiny bit and then up the proporton!

Mip · 09/03/2009 21:47

Hi Buttercup. Haven't tried stirring it in yet. When it worked before I was giving him a spoonful of porridge, a spoonful of puree and then a bit of both on same spoon (sorry, are you still awake?!). Today just had a trace of puree on the spoon (having got rid of the puree because he didn't want it) and he tasted it there and wrinkled his nose. Perhaps though that was because he knew it was there. Will try mixing it in from the start without him seeing (he recognises the dreaded baby food jars!). Have been worried to try that in case he then doesn't eat any breakfast at all as it's the only meal he does eat properly.

OP posts:
ButtercupWafflehead · 12/03/2009 09:05

Hi Mip,

Ah it can be so frustrating! I hope you're seeing some success, it's hard at this age when you're so desperate to "get it right".

Will he share a bit of yours if you and your DH are enjoying something in front of him? My DS would eat many things if they were on someone else's plate!? Good luck!

ButtercupWafflehead · 12/03/2009 09:07

PS When he gets a bit better with bread, you can spread it with apple puree or something to get him a bit more used to the taste.

(I actually did this with carrot puree, in my desperation! DS would eat it so a triumph all-round, though I wouldn't serve it at a party!)

MrsJamin · 12/03/2009 10:49

toast doesn't clump in the mouth like bread does - have you tried toast?

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