BLW/F -- Eight Months and Not Leading Nor Feeding

[Evie P.]

I just read the Peach post, so I think i know what everyone's response will be, but I think I crave the comfort of hearing it from the Mamas' Mouths --

My 8-mo girl doesn't want ANY food and can't really pick things up, or at least has no interest in picking up food, though she will suck on a few things if I hold them for her -- chicken bone, some steak, large cherry tomato, dried apricot. ONce she sucked on some broccoli. But overall, she chokes or even throws up if I try other stuff, and she isn't holding anything, just starting to pick up toys and such. Her brother was devouring everything at 6 months, but I was pureeing in those days before I knew about this way and the fellow still won't touch meat at age four and is getting pickier and pickier. I started this way with her after you ladies showed me the light and it's the only way I get her to even taste stuff, but I am usually holding it up to her lips for her even to get her to lick it.

Because of all this, I am really casual about the food with her and often don't even try feeding her. A couple days will go by and I'll think that i should be preparing her chicken bones everyday since that's all she wants, but the truth is she doesn't truly go at it, she just does a minute of heaving licking if I hold it for her.

She was 3 weeks early and is pretty tiny still at 8 months (I call her the Dainty Lady), and people are of course starting to make comments, esp because I admit that she is not sleeping ever. So maybe I just have to tell everyone she eats like a pig and sleep through the night so I don't have to hear the comments, and keep being patient?

[Abraisme]

Sounds like you're doing everything just perfect. Some babies really aren't ready to eat until 12+ months.

[Pookietooth]

Are there food sensitivities in your family? Or sensory integration issues?

[kriket]

my almost 8m old is just now starting to think about eating a piece of cheese. We give him chunks of soft apples or those puff things but 1 in 900 actually makes it in his face.

They will eat when they are ready.

[mckittre]

It seems reasonable that a baby on the later end for picking stuff up will be on the later end for eating too, given that the same kind of coordination is required. I'm sure she's not starving.

[JMJ]

Nurse her. Nurse her. Nurse her. Tell people that she eats a lot. Don't tell them that it's all from you. Don't talk about food with her pediatrician. If she was a bit of a preemie, it just makes sense that she's going to need her nutrition from you for longer.

[nukuspot]

Even though I say my 8mo DD is "eating" I still think that 99% of it ends up on the floor. So don't worry! As long as you are nursing just as much as before she is fine.....My only suggestions would be to try sweet potato and soft pear. Even if DD plays with the other food, she loves those 2 things and will actually swallow them and actively try to eat it all. I hold the pear slices up to her mouth and she takes teeny bites. The sweet potato I mush and roll into little balls on her tray and she picks them up by trying the pincer but also just letting them stick to her fingers and gets them in that way...

[bjorker]

My daughter wouldn't pick up bits of food until over a year old, so we didn't really feed her much until then. She was fine, and still is at almost 5, she just had little interest in eating until later on. I would just keep nursing as much as she wants and try not to worry about it. Feed her more when she seems ready. People can mind their own business.

[LadyCatherine185]

DS could self feed by 6 months. He had all readiness signs by 5 months. We introduced food at 6 months, but he really just played with it, and would put maybe a bite or two in his mouth until about 9 months. Then he took a little more interest, but only in things like crackers and cheerios, which I did not offer often. He has just in the last month or two (at age 14/15 months) been actually EATING regular meals. He is a very happy, healthy 28 lbs on mostly Mama milk. Most babies are not ready for solids until a year +.

[JessieBird]

We just celebrated my DS's first birthday and he just started having his first small meals in the last two weeks or so. He hardly showed any interest until about a month ago. He nursed and didn't care about anything else. I started offering more structured meals (as opposed to casually offering here and there) around 10 mos old because I felt like our days needed a bit more routine and it was a nice thing for us to do together but until recently he just played or fed it all to the dog as soon as I'd look away. Quite frankly, I found it really handy! I didn't have to worry about skipping a meal or packing snacks when we went out like all my friends did. And by the time he was interested in food, he'd developed his hand skills by playing with his toys, etc, so could manage finger foods without difficulty.

I agree with pp who suggested that you just not discuss food with your pedi or other people who may put pressure on you to get solids into your baby. From reading here on MDC, I've learned that lots of babies are MUCH later to come around to solids than the 4 or 6 or whatever month rule.

Listen to your instincts though - if anything about your baby's health causes you concern, then talk to your pedi or an experienced mom who you trust not to judge.