8 mo old will not eat

My dd is the same way. I thought something was wrong at first, but it didn't take me long to realize that there is nothing wrong. She is very healthy, and so says our doc. My breast milk is doing just fine for her right now, and I'm sure from the way it sounds that yours is too. Think of it this way. If the food has to be pureed to liquid, shouldn't the baby just have liquid?

I now give dd yogurt from Yo' Baby and I feed it to her with a spoon that I would use, and finger foods that she can feed herself. I give her bites from my plate when appropriate and I haven't salted my food. I also try to eat at the same time as she does. She likes that. Still she doesn't eat as much as a lot of kids that go to our playgroup.

I'm not going to pressure her to eat, and if a babe cries you should take the food away from them immediately. I've even decided not to buy anymore babyfood. Basically, it is pointless for us. Our milk is meant to be sufficient for our babes. Also, if babe isn't sick, their body tells them what to eat and how much and when. It could be that your babe is just getting plenty. The most important thing is nursing. That is the best nutrients a dc can receive. Don't withhold the breast! Your baby will eat when ready. Also, if babe gained a lot of weight in the beginning his metabolism could be evening out that weight. We have to remember to encourage a healthy relationship to food.

I hope this helps. I was nervous for a long time too. There really is no need to be.

Yup. Solids are just for fun before baby turns one! Do not withhold your milk or try to get him to "get hungrier" -- that's awful. In fact, I'd say, Get a new pediatrician, or at least try to educate the one you have!. The World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatricians both advise exclusive breastfeeding for the first year.

HTH, mama. Keep on nursing and your baby will let you know when he wants to try something new.

I wouldn't worry.

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http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/faqs/faq038.asp

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http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/so...ay-solids.html

Oops! Not EBFing. they both recommended BFing *and* solids:

http://www.breastfeedingbasics.org/c...endations.html

My bad. But they do both support BFing for at leastone (AAP) or two (WHO) years. My son was another one who didn't touch anything solid, save teh stray Oatio here and there, until well after a year. He just wasn't ready. Of course some kids are; all I meant to convey was that EBFing for a year is just fine and dandy, and that the OP shouldn't worry that her DC isn't eating solids yet.

My dd is 14 months and still won't eat solids, except crackers and mighty bites Some days she does have interest... but then she decides she would rather throw the food, or chew it up then spit it back out!

I had to wean due to meds around 13 months.. but she gets a primarily liquid diet for now with some smoothies.

I'm not too concerned just yet. I think that maybe she is just taking her sweet old time. I have seen her eat, and I know she can... it's just a matter of whether she feels like it or not. Hopefully when she gets older she will gain a little more interest!

ETA: When dd was 8 months old she wasn't even on solids yet. She had zero interest in them... we tried to give her a couple of things, and she just didn't want it. She was EBF until at least 10 months... then she started eating some oatios and mighty bites... and today, that's still about all she'll eat!

This might seem a little obvious, but just a thought I had...when you say you've tried before and after nursing, how long before or after? If you're trying right at the time he wants to nurse or immediately after he has finished, he might be either *too hungry* or *too full.*
Also, I don't know if you're doing this or not, but my son won't eat right after he wakes up, he needs 20 minutes or so to 'wake up' first. And he's 18 months old and LOVES food.
Same with a bottle, if he's just had a bottle of milk, might as well not bother offering food for at least 30-45 minutes.

If you haven't tried this already, I'd suggest trying in-between nursing times, at least half an hour after he's finished nursing. You might find that he's just hungry enough to try it, but not *so hungry* that he's getting mad because he's not getting what he *really* wants. and maybe don't do the purees, my son didn't like them by 8 months, we did tiny chunks of banana, fork-mashed or tiny chunks of avocado, fork-mashed sweet potato, regular jarred organic applesauce. etc. I also gave my son things like a celery stick (in a restaurant when I was desperate LOL) or a giant chunk of cucumber to suck on, big enough that he couldn't possibly actually get anything off it. Now at 18 months, cucumbers are one of his *favorite* veggies. I started Cheerios at this age too, and toast, cut up tiny. I used to mash avocado and spread it on there just because I couldn't come up with anything else he could have and he liked that. (I didn't want jelly due to the sugar, he couldn't have butter, and obviously not PB.)
Oh, and that rice cereal plain is Almost everyone I've known has either skipped it entirely or mixed mushed up bananas or something in it because their kids didn't like it. Try oatmeal instead maybe--I know my son and my friend's little girl love it, I recommend fork-mashed banana for a 'sweetener.'

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Please don't. The whole first year you should always nurse first. Baby needs to fill up on the GOOD stuff. Solids are just for practice. There is NO REASON to encourage a baby under a year to eat more solids. There are plenty of reasons to encourage them to nurse more.

-Angela