She's 7 1/2 months and seems to *hate* food. (Plus the pressure from family...)

[Beauchamp]

We've given DD chunks (BLW style) of sweet potato and avocado. I also tried pureed sweet potato, avocado, apple, and also organic whole grain brown rice cereal, mixed with breastmilk and then water.

She seemed to hate all of it--- she makes these yyyyeeeuuucccchhhh sounds when anything gets in her mouth whether she puts it there or I do. I'm not sure if she's just "getting used to swallowing" as my SIL says, or if she's not ready, or what??

My mom, MIL and SMIL are all pressuring me to make her eat food in any form because "she has to have a meal"..."she needs to learn to eat food"...etc. (You know the "tone" of their comments, I'm sure!)

And I must admit, this constant barrage of comments is starting to get to me, making me a little anxious about why she doesn't seem to like eating. SIL's baby "loves her food" and "inhales two jars of baby food in 5 minutes."

[blumooned]

My DS is only 9mos, so I don't have a lot more experience than you, but . . .

I think it sounds like you are doing everything right. You have given your LO options as far as taste, texture, and whether she feeds herself or you do. You can't force a person (even a baby) to eat. As long as she is still nursing, she is "having a meal." Yes, she does need to "learn to eat food," but she has many months ahead of her to do so. I'm sure you know this, but it can be hard to listen to yourself when others keep telling you what "should" be happening.

My feeding suggestions would be to make sure you are giving your LO enough time to get used to the new taste/texture. DS just really started liking some foods that he's been trying for months. Keep offering them, it is up to her to try them. Also, pears were the biggest hit in our house - they are still DS's favorite food. Keep in mind too that babies all have their own time tables - your LO will eat solids eventually.

As far as the comments from family go - I practice smiling & nodding a lot. They have to see that she is not eating even when you offer it, so you're not starving her! I know it is hard - just keep listening to yourself!

[LadyCatherine185]

At 7.5 months my DS ate maybe one bite of food every couple days. He weighed 22 lbs and was very healthy. At one year old he weighed 27 lbs and ate maybe a bite of food per meal. Still very healthy/active/early milestones, etc.

It is normal for babies not to be very interested (or in our case, more interested in playing with) in solids until 12 months+. You need to ignore your family and follow what your baby is telling you, which is that she clearly is not ready for solids. You can still offer (at this point I would just offer little pieces of whatever you are eating, while you are eating) but don't force it, and don't worry if she doesn't eat. Breastmilk is all she needs to be healthy.

Around 15 months my DS finally started actually consuming a significant amount of solids, and now at almost 17 months will ask for "snack" 5-6 times a day (in addition to nursing 6-7 times a day). He also is not a picky eater, and will eat all kinds of food. My friends who have babies of similar age, who spoon fed their babies from a young age, have very picky eaters.

Just my experience/opinion!

[listipton]

Ds wasn't interested in food at all until he was old enough to have 'big boy bites' (after his 1st birthday). If it's pureed, he wouldn't/won't touch it . As long as your babe is hitting milestones and not losing weight, it is perfectly acceptable to delay solids until your lo is ready. As for family comments, I'd gently suggest that all babes are different and quickly change the subject.

[blumooned]

I had another thought - is she teething? When my LO is teething he has very little interest in solid food. I think the solids are more uncomfortable in the mouth than breast milk.

[claddaghmom]

Listen to your baby, not them! She matters, they can deal with it. Imagine how bad it must feel, not only physically if she is unready, but also psychologically, to be force fed something that you don't want and that might be causing pain.

[EdnaMarie]

Wow! I will just share my experience, which is that neither of my fat little 95th % babies showed any interest in food until 7.5 months and neither had more than a bite or two, if that, until nine or ten months. My second had a pretty wicked gag reflex until very recently.

Six months is the EARLIEST you can TRY to even START solids, according to the WHO and AAP. Solids at your child's age are supposed to be just experimentation, not nutrition. The bulk of a child's nutrition at your child's age should come from mother's milk, or if medically necessary, infant formula.

It is hard to stand up to family pressure but in your situation, I'd print out the feeding information from the WHO and AAP.

My first didn't have a "meal" of anything but bits of fruit until she was 13 months, and she remains above the 75th percentile for everything. (Physically, I mean... LOL.)

SIL's baby "loves her food" and "inhales two jars of baby food in 5 minutes."

That's great. Maybe her baby has unlimited access to nummy mommy's milk, maybe she doesn't, but what works for them is not going to necessarily work for you. I know you know that, I'm just trying to reinforce it.

[kdtmom2be]

I'll agree with everyone here, your DD is perfectly fine and normal.

I have two very different children on my hands. DD wouldn't touch food until about 9 months, and then it was just little bits here and there. She wasn't eating enough at a year for me to go back to work (she wouldn't take a bottle or drink from a sippy or regular cup, mama's milk all the way!). She was still nursing heavily when I got pregnant with DS when she was 15 months, but the milk dried up, mostly, and she HAD to eat more solids, and she did. DS is now just 8 months and will eat anything you put in front of him and LOVES it.

Also wanted to add that DD, who took forever to get on to solids is 95% height and 75% weight, DS is struggling to stay in the 25%ile for weight (also 95% for height).

[frontierpsych]

Totally normal. DS refused solids until about 13 months, and now at 16.5 months will only sometimes eat small snacks or a jar of purees, but doesn't really eat 'meals' yet. He is small for his age (under 20 lbs) but fine development-wise, and way ahead in gross motor skills. Kids all develop SO differently, just pay attention to YOURS and not what other people are saying. You will know if it's becoming a problem.

[BunnySlippers]

My dd started eating around 9 months- like 1 rice puff at a time with a max of 3 per day and maybe a 1/4 baby spoon of avacado or cereal .
We got those comments too
my dd was very very chubby, glowed with health and was alert, so I just smiled at dd when people would make those comments and go, "oh dear, you must look like you are wasting away, how trajic!" or something silly along those lines.

She'll eat when shes ready

[prothyraia]

When she's ready to eat, she'll eat. Your job is just to offer her food. Her job is to decide when/what she wants to eat.

[KatWrangler]

Totally normal. She is just not ready. She doesn't need a meal at 7 1/2 months of age. Give me a break. Give her a couple of weeks and try again.

[Icehockey18]

I agree with pp. Ds is exactly the same! I've tried everything, pears, avocado, carrots, banana, cereal (earth's best) and he will not even swallow it if some gets on his lips he spits it out (it's kinda funny ). We try every couple days, but don't force. I've stopped trying to feed him I with a spoon and just put a little on his tray, and let him play. So far he's not interested, but we'll keep offering....
I also agree with pp, just tell your mom and mil that mommy's milk is all the APA recommend for the first year. As long as your lo is gaining and meeting milestones you are doing the right thing! It is hard though when others are telling you how much their lo's eat. My friend has a baby 10 wks older than ds and she's been devouring food for months. She practically grabs the food out of her moms hand! Every baby is different! Keep your head high, you are meeting your baby's needs, and that's all that matters!

[Beauchamp]

OP here. Thanks for all the reassurance. I am so glad I have the MDC or else I think I'd cave into a lot of what my mom/MIL/SMIL think we should do.

Do you think I should keep giving her little bits, or just wait a month or so to try again? I say this thinking about the whole sweet potato I steamed for her which DH ended up eating, i.e. we don't normally eat steamed veggies (I guess we should...) and it's kind of a waste. I bought a Sprouts brand little bag of roasted pears to try. Maybe I'll wait on those. I don't want to force her if she doesn't want it.

Aren't all the "comments" a total PITA? And the fact that they coming from (supposedly loving) familt really irks me. The first time MIL saw DD (seriously she didn't even unpack her suitcase before) she asked me when I was going to *stop* BFing. (DD was 4 weeks old at the time.) (...same MIL also asked me why I don't give a pacifier..."is it because you think she'll love *it* more than *you*?" Ah, family.

[Beauchamp]

Originally Posted by KatWrangler

Give her a couple of weeks and try again.

Thanks. I think I will.

p.s. I forgot to add that my MIL also said something to DH about it...along the lines of "I know you guys are doing things *old school*, but don't you think you should get a second opinion?"

[lkmiscnet]

I've been going through the experience of introducing solids to my 7 month old DS for the past two weeks.

I started with organic rice cereal, then after a few days, added in oatmeal for babies, and finally multi-grain cereal, all mixed with breastmilk.

It was hit-or-miss to get him to easily eat.

One thing I just figured out in the past two days was that when I made the cereal thicker, he would not accept it as readily. I did that because it was easier for me to not have it drip down his face, etc. However, I fed him one meal that was less thick and had a much easier time getting him to eat it. We are now 4 meals in a row that he has actually opened his mouth in anticipation of the spoon. So, all I can guess is that he did not know what to make of the new thick texture in his mouth and didn't like it. The thinner cereal is much more like what he is used to with breastmilk and I've found the sweet spot where it's not too thin, but thick enough to cling to the spoon a bit.

You might try experimenting with the thickness of what you are feeding.

As an aside, I tried introducing mashed avocado and he made gagging noises and wrinkled his face. Made for a cute home movie though!

Linda

[marge234]

I know it's a cop out but I shamelessly invoke "our pediatrician says..." when dealing with well meaning but ignorant relatives. To the extent they're genuinely concerned, being told we're following doctor's orders in delaying solids eases their minds. And it ends the conversation.

[April Dawn]

My DS is exactly the same age, 7.5 months, and he's the same way, he hates anything but breastmilk, and spits it out and makes a "yuck" face! I take it as a compliment - mama makes the good stuff! Anyways, I think your baby is totally normal and healthy, and you're doing great by not rushing her! As far as "needing" a meal, breastmilk is more nutrionally complete than anything else she'll eat at that age, so she's fine!

[Beauchamp]

Originally Posted by marge234

I know it's a cop out but I shamelessly invoke "our pediatrician says..." when dealing with well meaning but ignorant relatives.

Me, too. I say "our doctor" and I mean Dr. Sears, because my ped has been pushing "meals" of cereal since 4 months.

[journeymom]

Originally Posted by Beauchamp

Thanks. I think I will.

p.s. I forgot to add that my MIL also said something to DH about it...along the lines of "I know you guys are doing things *old school*, but don't you think you should get a second opinion?"

You could ask her the same thing...

Originally Posted by marge234

I know it's a cop out but I shamelessly invoke "our pediatrician says..." when dealing with well meaning but ignorant relatives. To the extent they're genuinely concerned, being told we're following doctor's orders in delaying solids eases their minds. And it ends the conversation.

I figured out my kids ready for solids when they became interested in my food. If I was holding them while I was eating my own meal (so convenient and good for my digestion, that one-handed meal!) they would watch my fork intently, from plate to mouth. Wiggle excitedly. Reeaach out. If what I happened to be eating was appropriate, baby got some: mushed potatoes, fruit or veggies.