[puffelly]

Hi,

My boys are 8 months and up to last week were eating pretty well.
Kilian eats anything you give and always opens his mouth for the spoon and lately has even tried to feed himself.
Bjorgvin Alec on the other hand, just decided this week that he doesn't want to eat. He nurses just fine and eats bananas and tofu when he feels like it.
But won't open his mouth for the spoon and spits food out

: and just seems generally bored with dinner time. The little dude only weighs about 15 lbs and all of a sudden he doesn't want to eat. Not sure what to do

.
Thanks.

 

[kangamom]

Have you tried finger foods yet? All my kids love cheerios or little diced fruit.

 

[sweetpeas]

First, I wouldn't stress about it, in the first year solid foods are only about experimenting anyway, babies should still be getting their nutrition from breastmilk or formula. Also, I would second the pp recommendation of finger foods, from a very early age my girls wanted to feed themselves, the spooning mooshed up stuff into their mouth only lasted about a month, then we were on to whatever they could get into their mouths on their own. And finally, my kids didn't REALLY start eating solids (to the point that they seemed to be a real part of their nutrients) until they were around 18 mo. until then, food was to play with & nursing was what htey wanted when they were hungry.

 

[Gigi2214]

:
My son just turned 11 months and started walking about 2 weeks ago. He has been a real picky eater. He will not open his mouth for anything and has been so picky, that he refuses to drink his milk with nothing but Rice cereal. I became desperate since he uses his little finger to scoop everything out of his mouth so I have started adding #2 baby foods in his bottle. he really likes the Oatmeal with apples and cinnamon. I try to use sweet things at first and now thank god it's going good. Another good one is the Sweet corn casserole.

We went for his Dr. check up and he says his weight is fine (18 lbs.) he's a tall and slim baby. So that was a breathe of fresh air to hear!

I have tried the cheerios when I sit him in the high chair, he eats a few and drops them and looks down at them on the floor. hahhaa

23 yr. old Mom

married to a :cop: 2yr. old daughter

and 11th momies 'lil' boy

:

 

[tikva18]

Tehila is also very picky. She turns her head away from the spoon and pushes my arm away; she'll spit the food right out of her mouth. Our ped. is convinced that at their age (11mo) that the babies need 3 meals a day plus snacks! When she told me that, I told her that they were lucky to get one meal a day and that I'd try to get to two. To me their nutrition is from nursing, anyway. In any case, I tried giving her cheerios and things like that, but as far as I could tell she was only playing with them. I gave her a big break from the high chair (she does not like it and hse hates her bib aswell) and then have been occasionally offering a bit of rice cake or cheerio. I think that she must have been eating something because her diapers are not so much nursing diapers anymore - although I'm not feeding her (nothing like having older siblings in the house and food on the floor! LOL). Anyway, today after a big break, I put her in the high chair and she ate! a few spoons of carrots and then a partial jar of banana which she 'helped' me feed her and she fed herself some cheerios! So maybe give your baby a break.

 

[stacyann_1]

My 8 month old daughter is the same way. You try to spoon feed her and she will not open her mouth at all.. it's tightly shut. My nanny insists she eats for her, but I wonder if it is more of a trick. She likes taking water from a dropper and sometimes you can get some food in when she opens for the dropper.. My doctor said no food in bottles (rice cereal, etc..) and do not force them to eat at all. If they refuse that's fine.. so I'm trying not to worry about it. She's still nursing like crazy.

I haven't tried finger foods, Can I do diced fruit yet? She has 2 teeth on the bottom.

I've tried bananas and avocados and they just mush them in their hands. I've also tried the mesh feeders.

 

[Gigi2214]

I know Dr.'s don't recommend baby food in their bottles. I was always against this. As you mentioned before, the only way my DS would eat is by having him play with anything that catches his attention. When he'd open his mouth is when I'd rush with the spoon of food but it still wasn't enough. He wouldn't eat 1 full complete meal a day. He eats some finger foods, but more like munches on it. Which is fine, it's like an additional snack besides his baby food. As of now he's fine and his weight is fine. He just turned 11ths. and weighs 19 lbs. the Dr. said he couldn't be better, so the baby food in the bottle has definitely worked for me.

 

[puffelly]

Thanks for all the suggestions.
I tried to let the boys feed themselves with finger foods, but I'm not sure there quite ready for that.
Although I think I should try it again.
Bjorgvin seems to have the biggest issue eating when mommy is around, because he knows he'll be nursed.
I guess I'm only worried because he's a little fellow, only 14llbs.
He's a healthy little dude and smart as a whip, so I'm sure it'll be fine.
It's just so frustrating

sometimes, when he clences his mouth and shakes his head, with a very adamant "no, I wanna do it myself or nurse!" attitude and his brother Kilian is looking at me like "I just wanna eat momma, no drama."

 

[cdahlgrd]

The two things that come to mind

1) Teething!! It hurts to chew/gum food!! (perhaps a little tylenol or teething tabs?)

2) Allergies Don't force your kids to eat foods they refuse!! They may be allergic to them and can't tell you.

8 months is too young to worry about solids. Feed them whatever they show interest in, and just continue nursing/formula feeding them. So much pressure can backfire!!

My first had multiple food allergies and was barely eating solids until about 2 years old (crackers and yogurt were about it).

My twins were stealing my bagels at 5 months!! (chewing and swallowing fine, but they had 8 teeth by then!!)

So relax, and follow their lead.