DS2 11 months won't do finger food

[countrylover]

Has anyone else had this problem? Indeed is it a problem anyway and should I just stop worrying about it?

He will only take food from a spoon held by the person feeding him. He will have it quite lumpy though so he's not lump adverse.

However a few months ago whenever we started with finger food he would gag and puke everytime. He's now almost 'scared' of anything I put on his tray. He physically recoils if I put anything in his hand and he even gags if any food goes anywhere near his mouth if it's not on a spoon.

Bizzarely he will eat the mini rice cakes with his own hands but nothing else.

Any advice?

I wouldn't worry too much. As long as he's eating and is healthy. All children develop in different orders and at different rates. As he gets more confident and experienced, I'm sure he'll start eating finger foods at some point. Keep offering them to him and giving him the opportunity to try them, but don't force them on him and don't stress about it. He's still only 11 months so solids are still quite new to him. He'll be fine.

Another one in the 'don't worry' camp. One of my kids, bizarrely, didn't put anything (except her thumb) in her mouth until well over a year old, killing the general theory that babies explore the world thorough their mouths! She would just open her mouth like a baby bird for me to place food in. She finally cracked when faced with chocolate money, post Christmas, which I had carelessly left within reach working on the (as it turned out incorrect) theory that she wouldn't be interested. In fact she managed to not only eat it, but unwrap it very neatly so that only the smears round her mouth gave her away.....

Help I am stressing about finger foods, my son is 11months old. He only eats from the spoon, when I try to encourage him to explore the food in the bowl he seems to freak. He's quite happy to eat fruit from his tray himself, but to eat any dinner he gets stressed. I know babies all develop at different rates, I know you shouldn't judge your baby to another, but I get stressed more when we go to baby groups when we have snack times, as I feel as if I am a rubbish mum when another baby is happily picking up everything. Please help.

ajm don't worry really. My HV is pro BLW and in our postnatal classes she told us stories about toddlers who can't eat lumps and still on smooth purees at 1.5years. And how there is a short window of opportunity till 9mo to get them to eat lumpy finger foods.

I personally think its a bunch of nonsense. Have you met any kids in primary still eating puréed veg? Don't get scared from all this thou must do this before x or it's doomed talk. He will be ready when he is.