Weaning problems!

[Malsmum]

This may be a stupid question, but I hope someone can help or let me know that this is just another thing that babies do to make mummy anxious! I started weaning my 6 months and 1 week old a couple of weeks ago, and he seemed to be doing ok (took a couple of teaspoons of pear, then squash etc once a day and then twice a day). Now he won't have anything, and turns his head away and flails his little arms around whenever I go near him with a spoon. He will chew on the spoon himself if it has nothing on it.

At the same time as he's started not wanting his purees, he seems to be more hungry and is polishing off his bottles really quickly (240mls in 5 mins just now). Before that he had been really fussy with his bottles!

I don't know whether to leave the solids for a few days, or just keep trying. Also (sorry this is so long), has anyone got advice on when to offer the solids???? He won't entertain it before his bottle, and after he's finished he's not interested either (guess he's full). I've tried stopping him part way through his bottle, but that really upsets him too (he likes to have what he wants in one go). Does anyone offer the solids in between bottles? He has a bottle 5 times a day, about every 4 hours (I wake him for the last one at about 11, and am thinking of cutting that down so that maybe he's hungrier in the day, but don't know what that'll do for night-times).

Any advice??!

[CorrieDale]

I certainly wouldn't push it with him - no faster way to create a fussy eater IMHO! You could try finger foods - he may have more interest if he's in control of teh situation and he's old enough now to cope with them, after a bit of gagging.

[barefeete]

I have a similar problem. My ds is now 6 months and turns his head away and closes his mouth when the spoon comes near him. I have been offering more finger foods but have been feeling quite frustrated with the whole thing. He can chew now and has proved that a fews times when given jam on his bread!
I have been feeding him once at about 10:30 (half an hour before his milk feed) and also at 5 pm an hour or so before his milk feed. These 2 times seem to work on an off. If he is desperate for his milk at 10:30 and won't feed i have started giving him some of his milk in a feeder bottle in the high chair. Worked today but don't know if it is right.
Don't know if this is right as i am making it up as i go on.

[EEP]

My 7 month old son now thinks that I am the evil lady with the spoon! We have the same problem, started ok and now he much prefers his milk and is not interested in food! I have tried to give bottle first but as you say its hard to take it away mid feed as you find yourself trying to calm a screaming child! I've also hidden the bottle and tried to give solids first, worked a bit but he's cottoned on now so still refuses! Fruit is a bit no no! He doesn't like sweet things! A friend of mine with two kids suggested introducing jars to get him used to the spoon and they are quite bland. This did seem to work but he is so fussy that he is now refusing those that he previously tolerated! All very frustrating but we all persevere til they are good and ready! I am in contact with my HV to try and see if they have any pearls of wisdom, we live in hope!

[MrsBadger]

[runs in, screams 'finger food! finger food!' and runs out again]

seriously, they want to be in charge of their own eating - let them!

[AitchTwoOh]

lol at MrsBadger, the running voice of reason. seriously, ladies, have a look at www.babyledweaning.com if you're short on ideas for finger food.

[ruddynorah]

[runs in, screams 'ditch the spoons!! and runs out again, waving to aitch]

[AitchTwoOh]

[callmeovercautious]

Aitches blog is great but if you want to continue spoon feeding until you are more confident they are able to handle finger foods then space the feeds more.

I BF DD and this is what I did at first:

After Morning nap milk I left it one hour then offered a few sppons of veg/rice/fruit (whatever you are introducing that day) then just milk feeds. After 1/2 weeks I also put in "tea" one hour after afternoon nap milk.

Then a few weeks later we started on Breakfast an hour after milk.

Any closer to milk time she messed about.

By the time I was on 3 meals of a few spoons each I had discovered BLW and Aitches blog. DD took to carrot stick like she was pre-programmed to eat them and we have not looked back. She now feeds herself from a spoon at 14m. God help me if I try to help her!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AitchTwoOh]

thanks CMOC.

[MotherBean1]

I need help! My daugther is 6 months old next week. She has always been a bit of a problem feeder. First 2 months she vomited all the time after that she just started to refuse feeds. It turns out she has reflux. Meanwhile, she's started taking her milk again (a bit hit or miss) and I started to wean her 3 weeks ago. At the moment she's having one meal a day and I can't get more than half an ice cube of puree down her. I am really getting to the end of my tether. My first child was a dream..... ate everything I ever gave him and still does! Please someboday, I need advice!!!!

[Jef83]

Hi Everyone, I hope that someone will have some pearls of wisdom for me, as I am at the end of my tether. My son is 6 months old today, and has breastfed well since birth. He gained weight rapidly, and is quite big for his age (both in length and weight), he currently weighs 20lbs. I introduced homemade purees to my son when he was four months old, as he appeared to be constantly hungry, and started waking to feed every hour throughout the night, when he previously slept through until morning. At first he accepted various purees of veg and fruit, and also loved Cow & Gate creamed porridge and baby rice. In the last few weeks, eveything has changed, and he closes his mouth, becomes distressed during feeding, and gags frequently, often resulting in vomiting. He seems to gag very very easily, and often gags when breastfeeding too, although more now than ever. My biggest concern, is that he was weighed at baby clinic last week, and had lost 1oz. He has gained 12oz a fortnight (minimum!) since birth, and the weight loss has really shaken me. I am convinced it is because he won't eat, and I don't know what to do. I have tried finger food, which only resulted in vomiting again. I feel the HV's have not been very supportive.

PLEASE HELP!!

[nannynz]

Has he a sore throat/ears or is he teething? It could be reason why he not eating or BFing.

I would stop offering solids for a few days and concentrate on BFing. When introducing solids again just introduce one food once a day for at least five days. I would make sure it is at least 45 mins after a BF but not to close to a time when he is feeling hungry. I would also add in plenty of finger foods. Any time you are eating give him something to munch away with as well.

The best thing to do is not to worry about it as he'll very easily pick up on it and it will be harder to make any progress.

Since he has been a good weight gainer for his whole life I wouldn't be to concerned as perhaps he's just evening out for a bit.

Good luck and don't stress.

[MrsMuzza]

Glad I'm not the only one having problems. I have 6 and half month old triplets. I started offering solids at 4 months because one of my girls was constantly hungry, she's taken to eating like a dream, half a weetabix for breakfast, then 6 oz milk, about the equivalent of a jar of something I've made and a yoghurt at lunch time (no milk), some fruit and another 6oz bottle at tea time and then a rusk and a 7oz bottle at supper. I then wake them as I go to bed for a last feed.

The other two however, are a nightmare. They started off really well, taking less than 'the big one' but they were eating. I've been taking things at their pace, not pushing them because they were so young. Started off with a little bit at lunch, when that was established I started offering some breakfast, when that was established, I started offering some rusk at supper. After about two weeks of them eating a little at each meal, I tried introducing a yoghurt or some fruit at tea time. Since then I've been struggling to get them to eat or take a bottle. Today I've decided I'm going to start from scratch with them and go back to just trying lunch.

Finger foods don't work - I've tried and they just don't know what to do with them. They were 7 weeks prem, so some of their development is a little behind, but I keep trying.

My biggest problem is organising feed times because they are all at different stages!

[mamanddad]

Our chap had similar problems, but I think it was down to boredom in his chair or sitting still.

In the end we had to bring his toys to the table while he eat. He would then take a few bites while he played.

[Tinkjon]

Yes, I usually give solids in between milk. After breakfast (which is very hit & miss and no particular routine) we do a bottle at about 11am, then solids at 12.30, bottle at 3.30, solids at 5ish, then bedtime milk at 6.30ish.

[ODA18]

Can anyone help with my 6 and 1/2 month old son. I have been trying to wean for the last 5 weeks and he is getting on well with it, it's just that his body doesn't seem to tolerate anything other than baby rice. As soon as i introduce one flavour it makes him constantly sick and gives him LOTS of very runny nappies. I then have to take him back to just baby rice until his tummy settles then try to introduce another flavour and have the same trouble. He is not gaining weight as he should because of this.

[tek78]

My little girl is 6 months old this week and I've been weaning her since she was 5 months. First thing I started her on was pear. She absolutely loved it. Then tried veg - she wasn't so keen but I kept trucking and she's fine with simple veg but she's not liking protein at all. Tried her on baby led weaning tonight after reading this and she got really frustrated that the food wasn't actually going into her stomach - she was just getting the taste but not the calories so I think I'll still keep going with a combination of both.

Here's the routine we implement if it's helpful to anyone:

Bottle at 7am
Creamy porridge and fruit at 8am (food)
Sleep at 8.30 to 10am
Bottle at 11am
Lunch at 12.00 (food)
Sleep at 12.30 to 2pm
Bottle 3pm
Feed at 5.30pm (food)
Bath at 6.15
Bottle at 6.45
Bed at 7pm

It may be regimented but it works for us and we get 12 hours sleep! I say that she's probably going to wake up tonight ;-)

[stoker2011]

Hi,

I started weaning about 2 weeks ago (18 weeks old) because she started waking up for an extra feed at midnight. We had a really good start I started her off on baby rice and porridge which she seemed to really like. I started giving her pureed veg like carrotts, butternet squash which she seemed to enjoy but one day this week I gave her carrott again she didnt want it at all but I have realised she seems to enjoy rice, porridge and rusk becuase they are quiet watery and milky and I suppose she is still getting used to taking the food off the spoon and maybe its a bit overwhelming for her with all the new flavours so for the past week I have kept her on porridge with pear in the morning, baby rice for lunch and a rusk with some of her milk at teatime and then a full bottle early in the morning and a full bottle about 9pm at night and it seems to be working well at the moment she'll sleep through to about 5am or longer sometimes. When I give her solids I make sure I use some of the milk from her bottle to make up the solids so shes not having more than 180ml and that way she's not too full to have her solids because for some reason she wont have her solids first or in between her milk feeds she just keeps screaming until I giver her milk first then she's quite happy to have her solids! Babies are very fickle!!! Im going to try her on pureed veggies again next week but perhaps making them with more water. Im finding it all a bit of a mind game to be honest. Everyone keeps going on about Annabel Karmel book but whenever I try anything from her book my baby just clamps her mouth so now I just go with the Cow and Gate weaning book or try my own ideas. I tried her on papaya the other day really well mashed that seemed to work. I think it gets easier as the weeks go on but to be honest Im finding it really hard work and very frustrating and especially because I dont have any family nearby for some support either. :)
x

[naturalbaby]

eat something at the same time as them - preferably something they can eat. my baby is a bit older but screamed the house down earlier because he was having mush and we were having sandwiches. i gave him a piece of bread like we had and he polished off the lot, and i managed to get the mush in inbetween mouthfulls!

i also distract with toys although you shouldn't really, you should follow their lead and if they don't want it then don't push it but with a baby waking up starving several times a night i pushed it. once he's had a mouthful or two then he seems to realise it's not that bad and gets going.

[HappyCamel]

Try baby led weaning

[fififrog]

Anyone noticed this thread is 4 years old! Guess OP and early posters' babies are all happily weaned now ;-)