10 Month Old Won't Eat Solids

Hi! Okay, the one thing I have learned from my REALLY picky eater is to not make a big deal about food. The more you press it, the more they reject it. Plus, you want food to be a fun experience, not invoke tears. I know it's frustrating, but just keep trying stuff. IF she won't eat it, don't press it. Sometimes kids just need time to get used to things. Let them explore different foods by touching it or pushing it around with a spoon. I've just talked to an occupational therapist about my daughter's picky eating and here's what he had to say:

1. Food has so many sensory things tied in with it: temperature, taste, texture, smell, that it is often the thing that kids struggle with the most.

2. there's many steps that lead to eating something. How do they respond to food? Will they touch it? Will they push it with a spoon? Do they smear it around? Once a kid touches something, they'll be more likely to try putting it in their mouth. So at this early stage of eating, its okay to let your kid play with food. Its their way of exploring it, and eventually, it just might lead to eating it. So, put a bunch of stuff on her tray and let her explore it with no pressure to eat it. See how she reacts to stuff. I've been doing this just for a few days and it's AMAZING how much stuff that she would have nothing to do with before, my daughter will actually touch it if I don't pressure her to eat it.

3. Let your daughter decide when she's done eating. IF she doesn't want to eat anymore, let her get out of the high chair. Kids will not starve, especially since she's getting good amounts of formula.

4. If she's adverse to the high chair, maybe let her do something fun that she enjoys in the high chair - like play with her fav. toy or something while you're making her a meal. Also, be sure to offer the formula AFTER eating and wait a good while after a bottle before you try to get her to eat. Maybe she's just not hungry because she's just had a bottle???? Offer the formula afterward.

Anyway, hope that helps. Good eating habits can be so rough, but just keep at it. I can't tell you how much food I've wasted (grrr) because my daughter wouldn't eat it. Sucks, but its all worth it one day when they pick up that piece of broccoli and devour it!

Good luck!
J.

My son gave up baby food at this age completely.
I just started giving him whatever we were eating.
I also cheated and gave him peanut butter before the year mark as we have no food allergies. I would dice up in tiny bites pb&J for him, cheese sandwiches, pizza (diced up), chicken nuggets cut up, yogurt,cheese, lunch meats diced up, frozen peas, steamed green beans, even baked potatoes with cheese on them. Just continue to offer her things, have her sit down with you at meals and serve her her version of whatever you are eating. Do not cave with just favorites, offering her variety and different flavors and spices will reduce her being picky in toddlerhood.
Instead of cheerios, try wheat chex, rice chex, even special K flakes with more nutrition in them.
Put her in a booster seat up to the table and buckle her in if she doesn't like her high chair.
Don't let her snack aimlessly but at the same time at her age don't expect her to want to sit down for a meal either every time.
I gave my son cottage cheese with diced tiny tomatoes in it at that age and HE LOVED IT! :)
I personally think it is a fun age and fun to try new things with them.
Scrambled eggs were always a huge hit and still are! :) even a buttered piece of whole grain toast to gnaw on was a favorite around here.
Good luck, take into consideration the amount of teeth she has, her ability to chew well enough and just go for it! :)
As long as she has no allergies or none in the family go for it.

My sister's daughter is the same age and was breastfed until a month ago. She is refusing food too. She'd rather just put a bottle in her mouth and drink her meals.

My son did this also, although he was always bottle fed. What I finally had to do was cut down on the bottle intake and then he got hungry for whatever I put in front of him.

I don't mean starve the child, I just mean don't fill her up with so much formula. Good luck!!!

I agree with all the other responses, but wanted to add (my daughter is just a month older than yours, we still bf am/pm and do formula in between)- my baby is immediately interested in eating something if we eat it too. Her tastes are just beginning to change- she'll like something one day, throw it on the floor the next. I've found that adding melted cheese to anything really helps! Quesadillas, with refried beans or veggies inside, with cheese are a big hit. For breakfast we'll do toast or frozen organic waffles with jam. Basically, again, if I eat it after putting some on her "plate" and go, "mmmm" she watches me intently and then eats it herself.

Just keep trying interesting finger foods...avocado, ground beef, cheese, baby crackers, Gerber Puffs, frozen peas, Kix, anything you eat cut into small peices (aside from nuts and other allergy causing foods). I would put her in the high chair for a few minutes, and if she is unhappy, take her out. Don't force her; she will take interest eventually. They also make toys that suction cup onto the tray of the high chair--maybe you could get her interested in sitting there with one of those, and the food canbe an afterthought...

she will be fine. she has her whole life ahead of her to eat. let her drink instead. i would continue to offer other foods new and old and not make a big deal about it. you might be able to slit the nipple a little and add some yogert or fuuit to her formula. good luck and god bless

There's nothing even remotely unusual about a ten-mo-old who's not ready to eat solids. It's not like she's misbehaving -- you don't have to punish her. She's not a miniature adult and she's not doing this on purpose to make you angry.

She's just a little, tiny, tiny kid who's not 100% there yet on this particular developmental stage.

I used to put the baby food in the bottle with formula and cereal. If you cut the whole a little bigger in the nipple and make sure it isn't to thick she will most likely drink it. I wouldn't worry about it though. My daughter was very picky as well. She went from eating a variety of things to eating the same things over and over again without change. In fact she is seven now and still continues this routine and refuses to eat new and different things. She is healthy and as long as she is that, I continue to let her eat peanut butter and jelly every night for supper.

check to see if your daughter might be teething. if her mouth hurts, sh won't want to eat. also, has she been sick at all lately, like with a runny nose? runny noses have been going around lately and if she has one she might be getting drainage to her stomach which might be making her tummy feel yucky. most likely if you just keep offering the solid food she'll start eating it again soon. good luck