BFing baby scream/cries when we eat...

[ithappened]

My DS is a week over 3 months of age and in the last week has started to cry hysterically every time we eat (e.g. I basically don't get to eat with everyone else because DS is too upset to be put down).

Is it possible he could be ready for taste of things at this age?

Ive read Sears and KellyMom on this and although it seems we should wait a minimum of 6 months to introduce anything but BF I am afraid I might go crazy in the meantime

I am unsure what to do because he is furious- as soon as the food smell starts to travel anywhere near him.. he will not take the boob and I tried pumping to give him a bottle during meal times and that only made him more mad.

Sometimes I can 'pre-feed' him before we eat and he won't fuss but it seems very 50/50.

Any ideas of things we can do or try? Its making meals extremely miserable for me

[Llyra]

My suggestion had been going to be nurse him at the table, but it sounds like you've tried that. The only other suggestion I have is maybe to get him to fall asleep in another room, before mealtime. Will he let you put him down if he is soundly asleep?

Please don't feed such a young baby anything but breastmilk, or formula if you must. Until he's about six months, his digestive system is not ready to handle food. You could be courting allergies and digestive upsets and problems with his GI tract that might not show up until much later. You'll likely know he's ready to eat when he sits steadily on his own without support for more than a minute or two.

Once he can sit up in a highchair with support, though, you might try giving him an empty spoon and cup to play with, or even a sippy cup full of water or breastmilk. He probably won't drink much from the sippy, but it'll make him feel like he's part of the meal experience. My kids could all sit in the highchair reclined a bit, with some blankets to prop them up, around four months old.

If he wants to try spoon-feeding, you can freeze some breastmilk until it's slushy but not frozen solid, and offer that. My DS LOVED that. You can also make breastmilk popsicles-- fill a little paper cup with BM, and put it in the freezer. When it's starting to freeze, stick a popsicle stick in it, and let it finish freezing. Then peel the cup away.

Some people have even had luck making breastmilk yogurt, so if you're feeling ambitious he might enjoy that. I can explain how if you decide you want to try it!

[Therese's Mommy]

My first and third children have been tough at mealtimes. Mostly dh and I switch off who holds the baby while the other eats or he holds her when we both eat. I generally wolf my food down because she wants me. I figure it is just part of being the mom of a baby...someday this will pass.

Beth

[rachelsmama]

Another thing to try is frozen breastmilk cubes in a mesh feeder.

[lifeguard]

Ds started something similar at about 2 months. My Dad swore the smell of food made him hungry 'cause no matter how hard we tried to time supper right ds would always want to eat as soon as I sat down to eat.

I was able to bf at the table most of the time & once he could sit up at the table on his own (in the bumbo or highchair) he was much happier.

Definitely too early for anything other than bm.

[Bokonon]

My DD still does this, and she's old enough to eat solids but doesn't like them at all. She just doesn't like for me to do anything for myself.

[ithappened]

I tried BFing at the table as well as the ice cube trick- both made him more angry. . .

sometimes I can get him to fall asleep far enough from the table he wont wake up from the smell but I fear whats going to happen when we go to travel next month--

can we basically just not go out to eat? any tricks?