8 mth old isn't interested in solids?

[awallrising]

So I have a baby who has been exclusively breastfed until about a 4-6 weeks ago.  He seems to hate everything I give him, makes horrible faces at homemade organic pear sauce, apple sauce, sweet potatoes (he liked them a little for a bit), bananas etc.  I don't want to go the traditional route of rice cereal b/c I don't think (just my opinion) that it's part of a hunter-gatherer diet.

I don't want to give him any dairy but am thinking that maybe Goat's milk would be ok.

Yes, I could go on exclusively breastfeeding him but I need other options. STBX just left me & the boys & I can't always pump enough milk.  It's so stressful being the baby's only source of food esp. with all the other stress in my life.

Any ideas on what I should try?

[purplerose]

i'm sorry to hear what you're going through :(

my daughter makes faces some but wants it anyway. i give crushed ice in this netting thing for teething and she makes weird grimaces like it's awful but will tantrum if you take it from her. does your son keep eating any foods or just refuse it completely? is it jarred or homemade? my daughter had a time eating the sweet potato bc of the strings. she loved it but the texture of the strings had her making gagging faces. try flavoring some foods (cinnamon w/ applesauce maybe?). i really don't have other ideas, sorry. good luck.

[cristeen]

Have you tried feeding your babe off your plate?  Has babe showed any interest in eating/grabbing what you're eating? 

Some kids just aren't ready for food yet.  I know some aren't ready until closer to a year (or even after).  And if that's the case, there's not a whole lot you can do about it.  Forcing the issue can lead to aversions. 

I would not introduce goat's milk at this point.  Breastmilk still needs to be primary - if you can't pump enough, then formula needs to be secondary.  At 8 months, the bulk of calories still needs to be coming in a liquid source.  Not until after 12 mos are babies ready to start depending on solids for their caloric intake, nor are they ready to start being transitioned to plain milk until then.  Heck, my little guy is 2.5 and still isn't ready to give up his formula/milk - he needs the extra calories he's getting from it. 

As for rice cereal - it serves no real purpose, and can in fact cause problems.  Definitely skip it. 

[SundayCrepes]

Your baby needs breastmilk. It sounds like that's a little overwhelming for you right now, but anything less than that is not so good for your baby.

At this stage, solids are just exploration. However, some kids do eat more than others. Here's some information on child led weaning. http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/babyledweaning.htm

My kids never did baby food. Actually, I just tried some for an unrelated reason. Wow does it taste awful. Glad I didn't subject my kids to that.

[awallrising]

Yes, I know my baby needs breastmilk, I'm just looking for some alternatives so I can leave the house occasionally without having to rush back & not feel such enormous pressure.

He's very interested in what we're eating/drinking.

I make homemade & strain it to make sure there are no strings or whatever.  I do use some jarred food, but usually stuff like applesauce that tastes good.  Fruit tends to be ok, veggies not so much in jarred. I won't feed my baby something I wouldn't eat myself.

Formula? really? There is no way I'd give my baby formula, the choices are cow or soy...don't think a baby this young should eat dairy & never unfermented GMO soy.  Blech!

[ashleyhaugh]

Check out that link on baby led weaning. We did that with ds and it was great. No jars or purees. Baby wants banana? Just give him a banana, lol. He loved steamed sweet potato "fries".

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by awallrising 
Formula? really? There is no way I'd give my baby formula, the choices are cow or soy...don't think a baby this young should eat dairy & never unfermented GMO soy.  Blech!

You can be judgmental all you like.  The fact is that at 8 mos, depending on solids for his caloric intake is not a good or safe choice.  Formula is a better one.  If you don't want to buy it, you can look at the formula recipes on the WAPF website, there is one that is meat based if you're up to making it.  But there are also several organic formulas that don't contain any GMO ingredients.  If you're having difficulty pumping sufficient BM for him, then formula is the 2nd best choice at this point.

And if you don't think a baby should be eating dairy at this age, then why did you suggest it in your OP?

The fact is that he is showing interest in your food, that's good.  But he's rejecting the purees.  He may not like the texture.  My little guy has always been very texture driven.  Even at 2.5, eating applesauce is hit or miss.  At that age, chunks of banana, roasted sweet potatoes, chunks of "overcooked" broccoli or asparagus were all hits, as were stone fruits (apricots, peaches, etc.) when they were in season.  Try branching away from purees and see if he's more receptive.  Just keep in mind that you don't want to force the issue because that's how life-long problems can be started. 

[rnra]

Do you have a breast pump?  If not, is there someone you can borrow one from (be sure to sterilize it)?  Or, is there any chance you'll qualify for WICC--if so, they may supply a pump.  Having a breastfed baby doesn't have to mean that you are with the child all the time.

[1love4ever]

I wouldnt give my baby formula no matter what either unless it was home made with ingredients that I chose and trusted, thats great that you feel that way!  Fruits and veggies arent necessarily the best first foods for babies, and certainly not grains!  I would go a soft-boiled egg yolk, smashed with either some breastmilk, or at this point I might even do kefir(made with kefir grains) made from raw goats milk to mix with the yolk.  Remember how important fats are in the diets of infants and toddlers, and fruits and veggies dont have it.  Make sure that the egg is organic and free range, peferably local so its as fresh (therefore more nutrients) as possible.

But, like a PP said, ay 8 months, they dont actually need solids, so that may be why your little guy isnt interested yet.  Other things you could try besides feeding him from your plate might include offering a chicken bone with a little meat, fat, grease, or whatever on it, he'll only get a tiny amount of anything from it but it is a start, it gives him the taste and gives his system a try of the food.  You could try a little bit of pureed liver, this is very nutrient dense and has healthy fat for him.  Make sure its organic and grass fed of course.

[Honey693]

My kids were never big on baby food, but love the applesauce in the pouches.  Target has some that are just apples.  They're kind of pricey, but it was worth the extra time I could spend out if I needed it.

[Brambleberry]

Many EBB babies around that age and even younger will turn down breast milk in a bottle during the workday and just wait for Mom.  So not being able to pump enough shouldn't be a major issue for being away for 8 hours or less.  But do be aware that it may mean that you will be nursing every 2 hours at night instead.  Homemade bone broth in a bottle might be a good option to tide baby over at day care until he can nurse, in addition to offering other solids to give him options.  

My DD did not eat any significant amount of solids until 12 months, but I work from home and was able to nurse on demand.  It's normal and healthy.

[1love4ever]

Good suggestion Brambleberry.  It would worry me that my baby wouldnt be getting any BM all day (this is just how I am!) so if I were to go this route I would mix some BM with the bone broth in the bottle (please use organically raised, grass-fed bones!)

[positivemovment]

When I say I can understand you I really do. I am tandem nursing an 8mo old and a 21mo old. DS (8mo) is not interested in solids at all! He gags and even throws up! DD is only partially interested in solids! I have not slept longer than 4 hours straight since she was born! They both nurse to sleep and nurse to nap. I can barely sit down and one is at my knees giving me that look.

And I say that to say this...we are taking on the greatest role and doing it a little different than the majority of our peers now a days. Being successful at nursing your babies is something we should be thankful for now since we are pushed so heavily the opposite way. And it isn't an easy job to do in this type of mobile, busy world. But it's just that in reality...our job. We are women. Our breasts make this "magical" perfect food for our babies to grow confident, strong and healthy. In other times we, as women, would have the support of a community of women doing the same thing, having done the same thing and preparing to do the same thing. It is more difficult for us, women in these days and times, isolated from a large community of women choosing to live in a similar manner. But it is our job. Just as much as giving birth. Do we as individuals have to accept the responsibilities? Of course not. And all choices must be respected and appreciated as we all live our own experience. But if you accept the responsibilities of nursing your baby, you have to really try to give it all the positive energy you can muster up...sleep deprived and isolated and even bored at times.  I get to the point some days after sleeping a whole night of cat naps that I want to lose it! But I look into their faces, I remind myself that my milk is the best choice for my children and I pull my shirt to the side and just let it happen. 

So this may not be any help to you. But I wanted to send loving, supportive and understanding energy to you! Although it may feel like it at times, maybe a lot of times....you are not alone! There are countless moms all around this amazing planet having experiences so similar to ours. The internet is amazing at connecting us, even if only through words on a page. I hope continue to do what feels right to you. If giving your baby others milk sources doesn't feel right, then you must just keep giving him your milk. He will, guaranteed, get to the point within his own self, his own spirit...on his time :) that he will want to eat the delicious, healthy foods you will provide to him. Until then, just breath deeply, know it is ALL temporary and pull your shirt to the side :) big hugs 

ps i am truly sleep deprived...so if this runs long or doesn't make total sense please forgive. ;) hopefully you understand the message behind i!

[erigeron]

My daughter didn't much go for purees, but we've had good luck with baby-led weaning. A friend told me,  back when I was starting solids, that she started with rice cereal just because it didn't have much taste on its own, so rice cereal mixed with breastmilk gave the baby a chance to get used to the new texture without having to also get used to a new flavor. Which I think makes sense. We didn't end up doing much rice cereal either. Anyway, at 9 1/2 months now, she eats pretty much everything we eat. She is the arbiter of how much she eats, and has been gradually increasing this quantity--initially she'd eat only a few nibbles, but she's eating more now.

[sunma]

My babe was exclusively breastfed til she was 9 months. She liked the idea of food then, but she really wasn't eating much. She was 13 months old when she really started eating (it was on a Sunday. I still remember it.) Until that time, I was her food source. It's exhausting, just like parenting :)  But think of it this way, that's only a few more months. Totally worth it. In a few months, you'll be on the other side of this and grateful you stuck through it. Sending joyful energy your way :)

[snowfaeriemama]

My daughter is 14months and just last month became interested in solids. She was exclusively breastfed and I too, am single. I tried offering her all sorts of food from 6 months on and she took no serious liking to them. I felt desperate for a break and I ~totally feel you~ in your current dilemma. Ultimately I had to just be at peace with the fact that she and I are so very attached. I would leave her for only a few hours at a time and just make the most of those. I have two great caregivers for her who know and support her solely nursing. That was huge for me to have that support. It was hard to leave when other caregivers wanted to have "something" to give her. Even if I left pumped milk, she would refuse a bottle. She would cry, drink lots of water, the caregivers would hold and love her...and when I returned she would nurse and we would reconnect. She is still a great nurser and I tried goats milk last month, she turned it down. She loves food with flavor, soups, curry! roasted seaweed that just melts in her mouth, very ripe fruit with spices on it, and smoothies. Just keep trying. And remember through this transition and stressful time, your babe probably needs you more than ever. Each time you nurse love hormones that reduce stress are flooding the both of you* pretty lovely if you ask me. Before you know it this too shall pass... all the best to you.

[KristyDi]

My DD wanted nothing to do with purees, no matter what I did to them or how I offered them.  She did much better with the small chunks or french fry shaped pieces of stuff a la baby led weaning.  She liked oven baked sweet potato fries, lightly steamed carrot or apple sticks, pretty much any fruit,  steamed broccoli, even dark meat chicken or turkey.