ds just doesn't want food :(

[knicknack]

ds2 is very nearly 6 months old so in the last week i have tried to start weaning him as he is wanting the boob more often. The problem is he doesn't want ANYTHING i have given him, so far i have tried baby porridge, rusks mixed with breastmilk, petit filous, puree potatoe, puree carrot, mushed to a pulp banana and pureed apple. Every time i strap him in the highchair he cries so bad and looks so distraught esp when i start feeding him. I get excited with him, talk to him about it, eat some myself (except bits with bm in) and try and make it fun but after a few mouthfuls (often spat back out) end up giving in and getting him out and bf him then he falls asleep. Ds1 was never like this he loved everything i gave him when we started so really i just need some advice on how to encourage him more so that he wants to eat, thanks

DD1 was weaned around 4 months as she turned her nose up at either breast or bottle feeding. DD2 was breast fed + bottle top ups and would not eat solids until she was 13 or 14 months and could feed herself with a spoon. She did knaw on the odd banana, crust, carrot, etc and would accept very runny, say apple puree, soup or custard, from a sippy cup.

Both are now grown up - Mummies themselves, with no eating problems.

I'd say just go with the flow, no two babies are the same, he will not starve himself. (I'd add a few more cliches but can't think of any more at the mo!)

i don't totally get the blw thing tbh would he not choke if he managed to get a lump of anything off? and granny i'd like to believe he wouldn't starve himself but surely his little growing body will need more than just the bm? really runny purree or a soup in a sippy cup sounds good to get something into him though

Breastmilk is nutritionally designed for babies, thinking about it logically - what has a few spoonfuls of puree got in it that breastmilk hasn't??

Don't worry ds2 wasn't in the least bit interested in food until he was about 8 months old. He was a really big baby too so I thought he'd love. He continued to grow and put on weight even without food.

I know at a young age breastmilk is far better for babies then any puree but ds is almost 6 months and i worry that his growth will be affected if he's not eating solids too. Ds1 loved his food when he was a baby and so i havn't experienced this before and didn't know if it was ok? thanks for replies

I understand your concern and although I am a new mum, I am a biological scientist. The way evolution designed all baby animals to survive was by consuming its mothers milk. You are asking when is this no longer adequate? Weaning of all animals generally occurs (if left in the wild without human intervention) when the mother has another offspring in the next season. That would mean that the very, very earliest a baby would need solid food supplimentaion in around 10/11 months. Your son really is 100% fine on BM at the moment. However from a constructive point of veiw, could you not wait for him to wake up from a nap have a BF and then offer something?

Also the idea of BLW is that they will not push anything past their gag reflex, as that is a reason the gag reflex is there. However if you are happy with purees then carry on. Try different times of the day and maybe stop the moment he starts to get distressed no there is no bad associations?

HTH Good luck!

Have you tried giving him little amounts of food when he isn't starving (ie halfway through milk feed?), perhaps on your lap and not in a high chair. I wouldn't worry about it yet, he'll no doubt soon be gobbling up everything in sight! In the meantime just let him feed more frequently if thats what he seems to want

also slight hijack,but seeing as its your thread!)
Thought you were going to pick another name a few weeks, otherwise v v confusing for everyone as your name is almost identical to mine!