What a joy !!! ... but help - 8 month-old

[Lulu_france]

What a joy to find this web-site !!!
I've 2 children - a 2.5 yr old girl & a nearly 8 month old boy ... both of whom are completely gorgeous, but both of whom are fussy eaters !!!

I'm really chilled out for my daughter now (not always been, as have other mums here i've been through every emotion and a lot of different attempts at getting her to eat ... and sorry, i don't have the anwers either, but agree very much with lollynewmum's advice to karon ...) and am relatively chilled out for my son too, but he worries me more at the moment ...

The situation with him is that he refuses anything via a spoon. I know he's still little, but anything not through a bottle makes him gag. He's the coolest, smiliest baby going, but doesn't like sitting still, & therefore doesn't like being in his high chair ...

The pediatrician advised that i give him his main meal at lunch - at first i thought he wasn't eating because he was tired at this time - so i tried tea-time & breakfast time - but no difference - as soon as i give him one mouthful via a spoon (even if it's i've literally just coated the spoon in something) he gags & protests ...

he doesn't really like his veg, but if i add a bit of fruit it'll go down if i mix it with water & put it in a bottle ... Fruit no pbs, as long as it's via a bottle!
I've tried really soft finger foods - no go either. I've tried ends of baguette & home made rusks - no go.

I've tried feeding in his high chair, on my knees, on the sofa, in a darkened room, with music or a toy to distract... everything i can think of ! I don't try & feed him via a spoon every day, as i don't want to stress him out, but i do about 3 times a wk.

I always put him in his high chair with us at meal times, even if that only lasts 5 mins - and i always give him an empty spoon to play with - which, of course he immediately puts in his mouth, and chews on !!

And that's about it i think !

So, if any one's got any ideas ... please share !!!

Thanks alot !
Lucy

[Ellie H]

Hello and welcome to the site!

Isabellasmum will probably be able to give the best advice on this so hopefully she'll reply later.

Will he eat purees with his hands? If so I'd say let him carry on, messy but at least he's eating. My son wouldn't take a spoon sometimes and I just let him go for it, I'd rather a messy sloppy messy baby than a stressed out hungry one! Have your tried giving him buttered toast, cucumber, raw fruit and veg?

I'd definitely try not feed him fruit and veg purees from a bottle.

Welcome again and I hope someone can give you some better advice than me!

xxxxx

[EllieJane]

My goodness you must be a saint!
I am sorry not to have any advice, but didn't wanna read and not reply, so just wanted to send you big (((HUGS))) and say welcome!

xXx

[monkie]

Hello

My little boy was exactly the same. I had a really hard time people (in-laws, Health Visitor etc) thinking I just wasnt trying hard enough, but I had actually tried absolutely everything.

One day, when I was out I bought him a puree by Ella's Kitchen - they come in a kind of foil bag with a nozzle at the top - and he was really interested in it, so much so that he ate some of it! And over the next couple of days, he kept eating them (and not just the fruit ones, the veggie ones too). I used to make all the purees for him to try, but he wouldnt eat them off a spoon... he wouldnt eat the Ella's Kitchen one off a spoon either, he liked to suck it out of the pack himself. Eventually I got to him eat thin purees and smoothies with a straw and he started eating bread, bits of pasta and things.

I just wanted to say, dont worry. My LO was 10 months before he started eating really anything and now hes 13 months and he eats EVERYTHING. Finger foods were the way to go, but he did it in his own time. I totally stressed, I was so worried he wasnt getting any nutrients or vitamins, and that he was starving, but now I dont know why I worried, he is the best eater ever! So dont worry, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

[Lulu_france]

Ooh, thanks a lot for your replies !

I know the general uk advice is not in a bottle, but the french (i live in britanny) advice is that whilst it's not ideal, it's better that he gets his veg in a bottle than not at all. (although i agree no principle that bottles not ideal !)

Will see if he will put any purée in his mouth if i just leave him, but to date i've only experimented with that a little & he's literally painted everything - never thought a spoonful of green beans could go so far !!!!

Actually got some of the Ella's kitchen pures when i was last visiting my family a few wks back, but never thought of just giving him the pack - will try & see what that does. Also straws - a good idea !

In any case, thanks again - & Monkie - great to hear i'm not the only one !!!! :-)

[isabellasmum]

My little girl refused anything from a spoon so we did all finger foods.

Stuff like sticks of cucumber, a whole pear, breadsticks, roasted veggies (she loved sweet potato or carrot roasted with butter) and I just used to give her a selection of two or three things and let her explore them.

I would always have mealtimes with lo in their highchair and everyone else sat round the table. Maybe try and make the highchair more fun and have a couple of special toys that he only gets when he's in his chair.

At this age most of his nutrition is still coming from milk so I wouldn't worry about putting veg in bottles etc. There is a high risk of choking giving anything thicker than liquids in bottles and it is better to build on getting lo to enjoy mealtimes and occasionally eating real food.

Hope things start to pick up for you. I know how horrid is it when they won't eat xx

[monkie]

Youre definitely not alone. Actually I'd forgotten how bad it was with my little boy til I read your post - it brought it all back. He would gag at absolutely anything with lumps in, however small, or any fruit or veggies, even baby rice, he wouldnt eat ANYTHING.

I used to offer him the spoon and he would taste the smallest amount and then be immediately sick. Once he just LOOKED at some veggie puree and he was sick! I thought he had a really serious allergy and we had consultations with specialists at the doctors surgery and hospital. But actually, it turns out he was just harder to wean than most babies (he is a little monkie!!) but we got there in the end.

But like your LO he is the smiliest happiest baby ever. So it makes up for lots

I really wouldnt worry - I know its easy to say, but I stressed so much and within two months he went from being sick whatever he ate to eating absolutely anything I put in front of him. And that it a great feeling, I love cooking for him, he eats really really well now.

Good luck, just keep trying and it will happen!

[Lulu_france]

A big thanks to you all for msgs.
Actually, generally not stressed about it, as been through different fussy eating things with my daughter

And yes, the smiliness more than compensates !!

Quick question - finger foods ok as of what age ? - 8 months seems a bit little ? I think with my daughter it was around 9 months, but then she ate with the spoon, so ...

Thanks again !