Introducing Solid Foods... HELP! :-)

I have a great idea and my son is the same age but I've been doing this for months now. The food holder things with a net! I have put everything in them at this point but started off with bananas. by munchkin and other types, baby's are us has some brand there also. These things are amazing!!!! It takes a few days before they get it and it's messy but I bet she will like it!

I don't think it's too early. You just have to keep trying. I was blessed with a son who will eat anything any way so I don't have advise on the feeding... but I also made my own foods. Instead of tossing the food away, though distribute what's left over in an ice cube tray and then you can thaw individual servings. That way you don't have to make food every day. I had 2 trays (fruits & vegis) and then when they were frozen I would put them in a frozen ziplock bag so I could freeze more. Once the baby starts eating more you might have to thaw 2 or 3 and you'll be happy to have the convenience!
Good Luck!

Hi G.,

My now 9 month old was pretty indifferent to solids when we started them at 6 months. I am also (still) breast feeding & added my milk to his rice cereal. We took it slow & responded to his cues. And a side note, mine is allergic to oatmel.. maybe try rice cereal which has a blander flavor. (but i know oatmeal sounds better!) Just remember, at this age, they don't "need" food like they do the milk or formula. It's supposed to be an introduction, so they get used to it. It sounds like you're doing everything right but it sounds like she just isn't ready. From what I've read, if they don't want to do it, put the spoon away for a week or so & then try again. It's an exciting time.. when they're ready! And definitely don't worry.. she'll be eating sooner than you think.. I know thattime has flown with my two boys.. Take care, S.

G.,
as long as she pushes the food out she's not ready for solids. All babies have that reflex. I didn't start solids for my kids before they were between 6 and 8 months old. I wouldn't put any cereal in her bottle she doesn't need it.

If you're buying baby food try to open the jar and just pour out a teaspoon full. You can keep the rest for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

I started my kids on regular food (meaning what we were eating) from the start so luckily I didn't have to deal with that.

My kids are 6, 3, 18 months and 6 weeks old.

Good luck.

Hi G.,

I saw that you got plenty of responses. I have to agree with the mom who thought perhaps your baby just might not be quite ready yet. I'm very big on breastfeeding and did so until my kids were over 2 years old. I was living in Hawaii when my youngest started on solids around 7 or 8 months old.

I started out with mashed bananas and then as is the fashion in Hawaii incorporated avocados to the bananas. I know it sounds crazy, but my baby loved it and it was so fresh and natural. Then I started adding mangoes to the mix along with the organic cereal. I had a very happy and healthy baby and his older brother enjoyed the avocado, banana and mango mixture too!

Good luck.

So great that you're breast feeding. Most pediatricians recommend waiting until 6 months of age before introducing food. I would try feeding her rice cereal only with your breast milk since you know she loves it. Try giving her a little puree every morning to make sure she doesn't have any allergies and adhere to the 4 day rule in between new fruits and veggies. Just be patient. Every little one is different.-www.weelicious.com

I say do not worry about it yet...wait another couple of weeks and then start again. They say it is better to not give them solids until 6 months now anyway. I would definitly not worry about putting it in her bottle- I have been told that it is not of much nutritional value and that cereal is really for them to learn to eat....
Good Luck!

I thought you were supposed to wait until they had teeth to intro solids? Or at least 7 months? I think she is to young and doesn't have the proper muscles/reflexes developed yet to take solids . . . check with your pediatrician.

I tried to start solids when my son was 6 months old, thinking he would surely be ready, but he wasn't. He was gagging and spitting it out - it was so frustrating. I decided to give up and try again later. At 7 months he was more ready, and it wasn't long before he was eating cereal and baby food with no problem.

I would definately not put the cereal in a bottle. It does not have much nutrition, the reason to give it to them is for learning to eat from the spoon. Putting it in the bottle defeats the purpose. At least that is what I have been reading and told by my pediatrician. Sounds like she is not ready for solids yet. Some babies, especially breastfed, don't start until later. My daughter was not ready until a month ago and she is just over 8 months old now. Don't force it, but you can offer it if you want. I would not worry to much unless your doc said she is not gaining appropriate weight or something. Also remember that a baby can reject a food up to 10 times before they are receptive to it. I would not force the issue though, it will become a battle of wills and you will loose! LOL I was persistent at first and my daughter would spray me with it if I kept trying. : ) Keep in mind that eating is a learning process and some babies learn it slower than others. I have a few friends who's babies ate for the first time and banged the table for more so I worried about my little girl at first. Then I talked to a friend who is preggo with her 7th child and she said almost all of her children did not accept solids until they were almost a year old! They should still get all of their nutrition from BM or formula at her age so no worries ma! Good luck! : )

It could be too soon. 6mos is only a guideline/recommendation of when to start. My first didn't take to solids until after turning 1. My second was happy to eat anything/everything offered by 6mos. Since you are still breastfeeding, I'd recommend making that her main source of nutrition until she turns 1, let her experiment/play/get to know solids along the way but I wouldn't push them. Give her a mashed up banana or avocado and a spoon and let her put it to her mouth if she wants it. The longer you can hold off the better as far as allergies go.

I think your daughter is telling you it's too soon. And I wouldn't put cereal in the bottle. Just wait a few more months and try again.

My daughter did NOT like babyfood. I tried making it, different cereals etc etc, just like you and she would do the same thing. push it out or gag on it. She is also BF (she is one now!) My pedi told me that as long as i was BFing her and she was gaining weight she would be fine. He told me that all babies are different and will start eating at different times. He also said that her tummy may not be ready for food and thats maybe why she still has the "pushing out the food" reflux. At 8.5 months my daughter ate a bowl of cereal!!! i was SOOO excited. I never stopping trying, but i wasn't trying so frequently. She is not a big baby food eater. I would steam carrots real soft and she would eat them, she likes to self feed, so i would leave them whole (baby carrots) at trader joes they have veggie sticks...sweet potatoes etc etc... that i would steam for her to eat. She LOVESS them. I sometimes would sprinkle some garlic on them. She also liked soups, rice, whole grain pasta with sauce, shredded chicken or any meat etc etc. I made a pot roast and she devoured it!! everything is so soft and it was perfect! Just some idea's!
But yes your daughter is fine and she WILL eat! Just be patient and remember, you will miss these days once they are gone so soak up it while you can even though it can be frustrating (etc...)
XO
A.

I think it is too soon. I waited until my babies started noticing that everyone else was eating something and trying to reach or grab for it. Right now milk is just fine and if you have allergies in your family it is much better to wait. It is not true that feeding solids will make them sleep better either. Children are amazing and if you let your child be your guide she will let you know when she wants more than your milk. My son - who is a healthy happy 8 did not start eating solids regularly until he was a year. Good luck!

G.,

I had to mix my daughters cereal with breastmilk before I began introducing veggies and fruit then I switched to water. I had to make sure she was just starting to get a little bit hungry in order to feed her solids (about 2 hrs after her last feeding). Then I supplemented with my breastmilk. I began with foods I ate a lot when I was pregnant with her which seemed to work for me. Her favorite is peas. I mix the veggie into the cereal for taste and them put fruit on the side in the same bowl (less cleanup). Once she was able to have a serving of everything I stopped supplementing with breastmilk and gave her a sippy cup of water for hydration. However, I have heard of babies not eating babyfood at all because of the texture. One lady I spoke with said her daughter when straight from breastmilk to finger foods at 10 1/2 mo. because she didn't like the texture of it. Good luck!
M. P

G.,

Well, I can tell you I tried to go by every guideline in the book, especially since my son was a preemie. But, at 4.5 months old he was ready for Baby Food, two months earlier than our doc has anticipated. I attempted to do our own food and it was not a big hit with my son, and he was not a fan of so many things! He didn't take to any veggies, but liked veggies mixed with apple sauce. So, bought organic and mixed 1/4 jar of applesauce with a jar of squash or sweet potatoes, and he took to that fairly well. But, his favorite was cereal with any juice or fruit puree. Earth's Best even makes some cereal with natural flavors. My son's doc said, as long as he'll eat it go with it and not to worry too much about his dislike of everything green, that it would eventually change. And, it did!!

Experiment with whatever you can! It's really just about trial and error, and finding what they'll take even if it's just bananas and applesauce. It can be frustrating but, just have patience and stick to what you're doing!!

deanna

I too am in your situation. My boys are 12 and 10 and my baby girl is 14 months. I would say she is not quite ready yet. That was how Hannah was. She had no interest in food. At about 7 to 8 months I introduced some soft people food. She ended up skipping baby food and going to table foods. Whatever we ate she wanted. So I would make it work for her. She also nursed and still does. You would be amazed at what she would eat with no teeth. She didn't get her first tooth until the week before her first bday. But that did not stop her. She would just gum everything. But I would just wait. What I did was wait about a week or two then try again for a couple days. If still no success, then try again in a week or two. Eventually you will find things she likes or she will be ready and go for it. Good luck. I hope your older ones are as helpful as mine are. It is exciting starting all over. Alot of work but worth it.

I haven't read any of your other responses, sorry if this is repeating!

It sounds like she just isn't ready. Some kids don't want to eat big food until around 7-9 months. And by then, they may be ready for lots more than you would give the typical 5-6 month-old.

One of the signs they say to look for is an interest in what you are eating. That doesn't seem to be there, so you may want to wait a little while until she shows an interest.

HI G.,

You’ve gotten great advice so far so I’ll just add a great book called Child of Mine by Ellyn Satter. You’ll get excellent info about what to offer your child, and you’ll feel much better after you read it. Most kids are not eating a whole lot in the way of solids at this age; most of their nutrition will still be from breastmilk/formula at that point.

Good Luck!
C.

It's a little early to start. I might give it a couple of weeks and try again at 6 months. Especially if she is not responsive to it, she may be telling you she isn't ready. There is a WONDERFUL book for starting out on solids. It is called "Super Baby Food" by Ruth Yaron. You can check it out on Amazon or at any bookstore. http://www.amazon.com/Super-Baby-Food-Ruth-Yaron/dp/09652... I LOVED this book. It has chapters for each month of your baby's life with suggestions about which new foods to introduce when, and how to prepare them. It also has an awesome one page overview chart. That chart lived on my refrigerator for years when my kids were younger! Good luck!

First off, most pediatricians are recommending waiting on introducing solids until 6 mos. Is your pediatrician okay with you giving solids this early? Next, go slowly. Thin it out a little more and just give a couple TINY bites. As soon as she objects, call it quits, and try again at the next meal. Don't force this issue. A few bites here and there will eventually get her used to it. You might want to consider backing off for a few more weeks--give her mouth, tastebuds, etc., more time to mature. It's all new to her and she's still adjusting to the textures, tastes, etc. Personally, I don't see the need to put oatmeal into her bottle. She doesn't need it as there is absolutely no point. Breastmilk (or formula) is a complete food and truly all her body needs right now.

We started feeding our son "solids" at four months with the ok of the pediatrician. He was ready. Many of our friends babies were not till much later. All babies are different. When she's ready she'll let you know. Our son started grabbing at our plates and food at that time and he never really had a tongue thrust. Be patient. On the wasting the food, the trick is to put a little bit of the food in separate plate and use a different spoon to scoop the food into the dish your using. That way any of unused portion is not contaminated and can be used for later, within a few days. Our son, though he liked solids, didn't eat a lot so most of his food would have gone bad if we didn't do a little at a time.
www.askdrsears.com website is very helpful. Their book "The Baby Book" is also great with lots of recommendations and tips on feeding.

A year ago one of my daycare Moms had me introduce baby food to her son because she was having so much trouble at home with it. It took me a few days then I realized it wasn't the food that was the problem it was ME. Once I changed MY attitude and became silly/goofy and started clapping and cheering with each bite, he took to his food like a champ.

~N.

Hi G., I don't think it is to soon, and I think its great that you make your own baby food, she may be tired of the squash and sweet potatoes, try peas, maybe green beans, maybe a little brocoli, and also maybe start her on some fruits. J.

First keep in mind that every child is different. And you need to listen to your baby and follow your heart. You are a good mom who cares and are doing fine :-) Bravo for making your own food!

In our case (now) we started our son on rice cereal at 17 weeks and I unknowingly made it very thick (he is our first). He seemed to take it fine making the expected mess but getting enough down to make me happy. However when my mom and aunt came over to and tried to feed him they made it too thin and runny and he refused it. They were trying to correct me and it turned out they were wrong.

Maybe you could try different textures/thickness. I also never try to feed him if he cries and refuses, we try again later. And it seems to work best after he has had a little bottle first to quench his immediate hunger.

I also am making my own baby food but we started with green (broccli and grean beans) per our Dr. recommendation. She felt anytime around 4 months and up was ok to start and best to start with green. She is the Chief of Pediatrics for our network and I trust her judgement. We are at 22 weeks now and just started carrots. We also mix a little cereal and formula with the green veges or he won't take them.

The baby takes the food fine from me but my husband struggles. I just keep scooping it off his face and putting back in his mouth not giving him time to think about it. Where my husband lets the baby control him and doubts what he is doing is right for the baby.

Good luck!

Hello,

I made my own baby food too. One thing is that when you make the food it has a different texture and is sometimes too thick. One thing to try is to water it down with a little breastmilk until it is a little thinner. It might help a little. My kids liked the thicker stuff and wouldn't eat the store bought stuff because it was too runny. I also read that you need to try a food around 20 times before you rule it out as something your kid just doesn't like. My kids also would only eat the rice cereal when it had apple juice in it. I know that is not the ideal way but if it gets them to eat... it's worth it.

Hi G.,
I have a 7.5 month old and I've been introducing solids to her since she was about 5 months. She doesn't seem to eat very much also and I am constantly throwing away baby food. I also tried making her baby food which she didn't enjoy at all. I've been purchasing the organic baby food (Earth's Best). She seems to enjoy that, although she still only eats maybe a 1/3 of the jar. I just keep trying a little more each day. I noticed that if I mix fruits or veggies into her rice or oatmeal, she'll eat a little more. Be patient, she'll eat more when she's ready. Your breast milk is still her main nutrition. Just keep trying different foods and she will eventually eat more. Each child is different. I also have 2 older boys 9 & 10 and the seem a lot easier than my daughter. Good luck.

In my opinion, she's showing that she's not ready. My son didn't actually swallow solids until he was around 10 months old (always pushed it out/away). It is not necessary for her to eat solids at this point - especially because you are breastfeeding! Keep up the good work, "mama's milk" is the best thing for your daughter for the first 12 months of her life at LEAST!

My son would not eat baby food at all. He was my first and I was hysterical. I was so happy when he finished one jar of baby food, it took the whole day but he finished it. The dr then told me he should be eating at least 2-3 more. Anyway, I was so frustrated, I continued to breastfeed and he continued to gain weight but still couldn't get him to eat babyfood (jars, homemade, cereals nothing). Fortunately he got teeth early and we got him started on finger foods and he seemed to enjoy those much more. He is 5 now and I can count on one hand the amount of babyfood he actually ate (but have lost track of how much I had to throw out). I would breastfeed as long as you can, then hopefully transition to finger foods. Good luck!