6 m baby WANTS my food

[Punchy Kaby]

DD is just 6 months and I am in the camp of delaying solids as long as possible but she has other ideas. She YELLS for our food. I have started to give her food to 'play' with while we eat. (she frequently is in her high chair for all 3 meals). I will give her a banana or an apple and she gums it. I also got a mesh feeder. But she is much more interested in the food that we are eating. I don't know what to do. Should I just give her tastes of our food? DS had all sorts of rashes so I was extremely careful about what he ate and when it was introduced. DD has no problems at all, so far.

It was so much easier to avoid food with only one baby! What do people do when there are multiple older children?

[Fiverdoe]

I would just give her food.... that is age appropriate. THere is a book I read called 'super baby food'. At the beginning of each chapter there are several foods listed to introduce that month. For example: a six month old should only have sweet potatoes. a seven month old can have added avacado.... etc.. I don't remember exactly what the foods are but I remember my DD responded well to the suggestions. And the book is awesome becasue it gives recipes and ideas for feeding toddlers and children too....

[honeyhaze]

My son was very similar at six months! He would try to pick up food from our plates/forks, he stared at our meals and drooled, he yelled while we were eating, etc.

I tried the mesh feeder with some apple or peas, but he seemed put off by the feeling of the mesh in his mouth. What worked for us was introducing oatmeal and a few steamed/pureed fruits and veggies. We were planning to delay solids until 7-8 months, but Quinn made it clearly known when he was ready to start eating. His tongue-thrust reflex was gone by six months, he'd been sitting up on his own for a long time, he didn't gag and had no trouble swallowing, he knew how to gum the food, and he started waking up hungry in the middle of the night (he slept through the night from six weeks old to 5.5 months). He also had a voracious appetite from the beginning; there was no coaxing him into solids, he gobbled them up the first chance he had. Well, except for broccoli... teehee

So at six months, I'd say introduce a few simple organic foods if you feel your baby is ready. Your baby will let you know if it's too soon (by gagging, tongue-thrusting, or developing rashes), so take it slow and see how it goes

[ledzepplon]

With my dd, I was able to delay solids until she was close to a year old--she wasn't interested in our food at all. But ds was going crazy for what was on our plates by the time he was five months old. I gave in an started giving him little bits of whatever we were having.

[tanyalynn]

At that age, I'd either have kiddo sit in my lap and make little bits of my food that are the right size/shape for an infant, or if baby likes a high chair better, put some of my food on the tray.

[sunshynbaby]

I wonder if she would be happy to play with a spoon... I was just reading in the Dr. Sears book that some babies are just interested in the utensils, not the food Just an idea!

[dividedsky]

i say give the babe a taste of your age-appropriate foods. i think delaying solids is fine if baby isn't interested in solids.... but if she is, i don't think it's cool to hold out!

a nibble of sweet potato or banana or even a teensy taste of what you're eating can't hurt. just use the 3-day rule.

[Cherry Alive]

We held off, and would just give DD fruits and veggies when she hit around 6 months. But now at 8 months, she wants to try EVERYTHING we eat...

Well, we often give in.

She even eats some things that are allergens...like freeze-dried slices of strawberries. Last night she had a small piece of bread with the tomato sauce from our pasta.

I am staying away from things that are heavily processed foods and refined sugars. I also am not doing tons of grains (maybe a once in a while thing) until she hits one, but she seems so much happier to be sharing our meals now. It's her second favorite thing (breastfeeding is still number one), and I can't imagine making her eat foods separately from us at dinner. It just feels right that we experience it together as a family...like cosleeping.

Last night I tried to feed her a small piece of bread she forgot on her tray. She pushed my hand away, grabbed it out of my, and put it in her mouth. She looked so happy with herself!

[Natsuki]

Give her the food that you're eating (provided it is healthy, low-sodium [bad for baby's kidneys to have salt], and not something allergenic.

I am a huge fan of www.babyled.com when it comes to starting solids. Her book is bf-supportive (even extended bfing!) and of going at the baby's pace. I have done it with my DD since she started showing an interest in foods and it's awesome. At 9 months she eats whatever we eat and has no issues with different flavors/textures. She's never been spoon fed purees.

I believe that learning to eat solids is a developmental milestone that should go at the baby's own pace - at 6 months old it is developmentally appropriate to let a baby feed themselves if they are interested. A baby won't feed themselves and swallow food unless their bodies are ready for it.

I see no reason to 'delay solids as long as possible' when your baby is clearly communicating otherwise - trust your baby's instincts in this area! AP is about communicating with and knowing our baby's cues. When a baby starts cueing to start solids, listen to them .

[_betsy_]

My DD2, now 10 months old, LOVES food! She has wanted what we were eating since about 4 months. We held off until about 7 months, and then she had some bad reactions (we think she's gluten (wheat) and white rice intolerant, so we avoid those). Since she has had stomach issues, we also haven't given her any dairy.

We just steam some whole veggies (peas, green beans are faves) and give her a couple/few at a time on her high chair tray. If she eats them, fine. If she plays with them, fine. She also loves meat, so we give her little tiny pieces of whatever we're eating.

So far, she's done just fine. Some times she just plays, but at least she's occupied and happy!

Oh, and some babies don't REALLY want to eat, they just want to be involved with what you're doing.

[JMJ]

If she wants the food that you're eating, pick some that you're comfortable letting her eat and give it to her. Start with large chunks that are too big to choke on to let her control her own bite sizes.

[mamadelbosque]

My DS1 started solids ~7.5 months when he was sitting on my lap and grabbed a handful of stuff from my tacos and stuck it in his mouth From that day on we just gave him bits of whatever we were eating I'd just let her sample your food and assuming you don't see any reactions don't worry. If you do see a reaction sure, cut back and figure out what it was... but if not, just let her have it it

[Punchy Kaby]

Thanks for the link Natsuki! My Ds was so different, he had so many allergy issues we didn't really have a choice with what he could eat, or rather finding a food that didn't get a reaction was a challenge.

[LilMomma83]

I would follow her lead... I intended to delay with both of mine and the opposite occurred...still, DS1 didn't eat everyday until around 9mos and didn't eat nutritionally until about 13mos and didn't eat a lot when I was around until 28mos (I also significantly cut back boob time at 28mos lol). Oh, DS1 loved everything in it's "purist" form...so pieces of banana, cheerios, whole carrots (still his favorite lol), apple slices etc...he would just naw. DS2 seems to prefer pureed food with a spoon so far...I threw out the mesh feeder because DS1 didn't like it but I think I might buy another and try that.

OH- breastmilk popsicles or frozen BM in a mesh feeder is another yummy "eating" idea if you don't want to introduce solids...DS1 loved those snacks...in fact my sister (9yrs at the time) wanted to try one LOL

[lil_miss_understood]

yes thanks for the link Natsuki