Does anyone else find weaning a real PITA?

[blushingmare]

....or is it just me? In RL it seems to be! The world is full of either BLWers, who have "fantastic messy fun" or more conventional weaners whose babies are "scoffing loads and loving it".

We only started 2 weeks ago, so I know we're in the early stages. Planned to do BLW, had a bit of a moment of thinking it wasn't going to work as she doesn't seem to have the necessary hand-eye coordination and wasn't interested in the food - just swiping it onto the floor. So tried spoon feeding her and discovered that she's not having any of it - cries if I try to spoon feed and grabs the spoon and wants to feed herself. So now I'm doing a mix by making her purees, which she self-feeds on rice crackers or handing her a loaded spoon. Also giving her finger foods that she can manage with each meal.

It's just so hit and miss - sometimes she likes the purees, sometimes she likes the finger foods, other times she's having none of it and just cries at the sight of it.

She hates being changed of any description, so whether I go for bibs, aprons or just babygrow, there's going to be a fuss about changing at some point. Ditto for hating having her hands and face wiped.

She's not keen on her highchair, so sits on me and I end up covered in food every time. I am constantly going out in public with banana mushed into my jumper and bits of rice cracker in my hair and feel like such a mess!

She often cries and makes a fuss at meal times. She's such a cheery happy baby the rest of the time and I hate the fact that this is making her cross. I really liked the BLW idea of food being fun and no pressure etc, but it just doesn't seem to be working out like that.

I feel like I spend all my time either making her food or clearing it up these days, while she has to amuse herself on a mat in the kitchen. No time for playtime with her anymore It's all very well saying "they eat what you eat", but she's normally asleep when I eat and she just doesn't seem ready for the "hardcore" BLW "give them anything" approach and I probably don't eat healthily enough food to give her it And then when I've made her special food it all just goes on the floor on on my jeans so what's the point.

I don't know what I'm asking here exactly, but just need a rant! I feel like I'm the only one who finds this weaning mollarky a right PITA. Am I making heavy weather of it all? Or is the fact that it's also coincided with a terrible sleep regression, just making it all seem harder....?

[FredFredGeorge]

Um, chill out, she doesn't sound very interested, so wait a bit and try again. Can you not move when you eat until she's awake, or move when she sleeps so she can eat with you.

But basically it's not that important if they even eat, let alone how much or when or anything else at their age. Just offer some food, whatever is easiest for you (as long as it's not inappropriate), and if they eat it, great, if they don't try again later. It needn't take any time away from playing.

[aimingtobeaperfectionist]

I am with you. Sleep regression means I have no patience and she's not even that bothered about food. A few mouthfuls and she's done. I got really worked up about It the other week but now I just think, she's getting plenty of milk so what she chooses to eat (or not as the case may be) is fine. She just gets mini versions of my breakfast and lunch and I save a small portion from evening meals for her to have the next day.
Don't beat yourself up over it. It's meant to be 'fun till they're one' and everyones entitled to change their plan if it doesn't work out.
DD also hates having face wiped, no idea about that one!

[notcitrus]

Can you sit her in a Bumbo or just on the floor? And just give her bits to play with while you enjoy your food? Dd really wasn't interested in food until 8mo, when she started packing it away. She got a spoon of my porridge, bits of lunch, and sometimes I made dinner, and I tried to keep it as low effort as possible.

Also she only got dressed after breakfast. And wiped at the end of each meal, once.

[SwivelHips]

We've also just started blw and its going fine. He had a meltdown with roast beef, I think he got a fright when a large chunk went into his mouth, que screaming.
He either has what I'm having, nothing, or a banana or yogurt. Not a chance I'd make him his own food as total waste of time. I don't think he's ever had 3 meals with me. He also screams when face wiping, getting changed etc I'm hoping the phase will pass quickly.

[nickelbabylyinginamanger]

yeah, don't worry. :)

dd didn't care much for food to start with.

she would play with it, mainly, or just ignore it.

we put her on a towel on the floor and give her big chunks of stuff to play with/chew on.

best idea.
just keep watching her and let her find her own way.

[nickelbabylyinginamanger]

when you say she cries at mealtimes, what do you class as mealtimes?

you should still be giving her her normal milk at the same times/quantities and treat food as playtime.

[Nellycats]

I think some babies do better with BLW and some benefit from spoonfeeding. My son was soon a keen eater, refused being fed and so I thought we'd have a similar style with it daughter. Wrong! She refused spoons but also mainly threw her food away. At around a year old I stopped stressing and started spoonfeeding her on top of her own finger foods. Because the all night breastfeeding was sustaining her but was driving me mad. Only now, at 14 months has she started eating a bit more!

So, what I mean to say is that being evangelical about any feeding method is pointless because babies also have their own preferences.

It's early days, don't worry, milk really is her main source f nutrition and fruit purée is not really benefitting her that much...

She'll gradually start getting interested, so smile and, as long as she's having her milk, try to relax!

[blushingmare]

nickel I mean she cries when I put food in front of her! However, have had a better few days. She is now self-feeding herself yoghurt, and only yoghurt although what she doesn't know is mummy is gradually mixing purée in with the yoghurt It's so strange because the first week of weaning went pretty well - she was curious, grabbing everything and having a good go at eating, then she changed quite suddenly to not wanting it at all. Have cut to one "meal" a day - she only takes a couple of spoonfuls of purée mixed with yoghurt, but I'm not pushing it and most of the tears have stopped. It feels a world away from the finger foods we started with and like it'll take forever to get her eating, but would rather that than try to force her.

[VisualiseAHorse]

I feel your pain.

I've got an 8 month old boy. He does love food, will try anything put in front of him. But sometimes he literally has one mouthful and then he's done. Sometimes I try to 'entertain' him to eat, sing songs, make silly faces etc, but he just clamps his little mouth shut, or chucks everything on the floor. And he makes this God awful noise that makes me just want to shut him in his room. It goes like this 'uuuurrrrrrnggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh' on repeat. Drives me bloody crazy. He was eating very well a month ago, 3 square meals, lots of variety etc, and then he popped two teeth and his sleep/naps went bad, and since then it's been a real battle.
I feel like I spend a lot of time worrying about his food intake.

I try to remind myself that as long as he has his three bottles of milk a day, he's fine. But sometimes he'll refuse food and then guzzle a bottle down, like he doesn't realise that food will fill him up to.