Solids. Not sure where to post.

[Ambivalent Dreams]

So, I decided I didn't want to buy baby food this time.  It just seemed so unnecessary.  I decided I would just cook whatever I usually cook for supper and if my L.O. can handle some of the food, great.  If not, then he just must not be ready.

So, at 6 months I thought I'd give him so "food" to play with to see what he thought of it.  I washed a carrot, peeled it to bring out the taste and gave it to him raw to chew on and play with.  (He has no teeth.)  He just pounded it on the excersaucer and stuck it in his mouth like he would any 'ole toy.  He seemed to have no idea it was food whatsoever.

Several days/weeks went by and I decided to give him some veggies off my plate.  I picked up a piece of something (can't remember what) smashed it to mush between my fingers. I offered it to him.  He just rolled it around in his mouth until it fell out - not like the tongue thrust reflex deal... just rolled it around absentmindedly until it fell out.  No expression at all.  Again, it seemed like he didn't know it was even supposed to be food.

Several days/weeks went by again.  I was making a carrot souffle so I had some pureed carrot in the food processor.  I took out a teeny bit and gave it to him.  He grimaced hugely and shuttered.  Then he threw up the milk he had nursed earlier.

More time went by.  A friend of ours offered him a bit of broccoli smashed on her finger.  He took it, he grimaced, he gagged and then he threw up.

He is 7 months old.  What should I do?  Just say forget it and try again in several weeks?  How long should I wait before I try again?

Or, do I instead need to resort to rice cereal mixed with breast milk?  I really don't want to do that again, but if I need to, I guess I will.  I'm just lost at what to do.  My older DC took right to her very first bite and proceeded to eat a whole jar of food on her first try.

I really don't want to go the baby food route again but this doesn't seem to be working.  Is he just not ready?  Will waiting too long cause me problems down the road?

[Mommy2Austin]

DS2 was EBF until almost a year old. He had no interest in other food whatsoever. DD1 was BF/FF until about 11 months. I started her on solids because I knew we'd be switching her to cow's milk soonish. Both children ate with a fervor when we did start. I tried solids sooner, but like your DS they showed no interest/dislike for it. He's still a baby. No need to rush :)

[Erin77]

To me, it seems like he's just not ready. My 7 month old grabs things like carrots and chunks of food, pops them in his mouth and mows down on them- seems like a far cry from what your son does. I'd just keep trying every couple days, casually. Just hand him some of whatever you're eating. It's not a big deal, I don't think. Most full term babies have plenty of iron stores to last 6 months to a year and if he's nursing, he's getting some iron from you and if he's formula fed, there's plenty of iron in the fortified formula.