Solid Foods and Weaning

[civilspouse]

DD will be one in a couple of days. I started to try to introduce solids around 8 or 9 months and it didn't go well. I've kept working on it and we've made some progress but she still isn't really eating solids. She doesn't like pureed baby food. She'll eat a few bites if it's something she likes but after that she spits it out or won't open her mouth. I've started giving her puffs, those yogurt dot things, and teething biscuits which she'll eat. She seems to like stuff she can pick up herself better but when I give her something like avocado or diced squash she just smashes it in her hands and nothing really goes into her mouth. I've tried small pieces of fruit (peaches, pears) but she just spits them out. Even the things she will eat, she doesn't eat much of it and she often just mashes it around in her mouth and then spits it out.

At her 9 mo appointment she had fallen off her curve a little bit. I wasn't worried then, but I'm starting to get worried. We will be seeing a new doc for her 12 mo appointment since we've moved and I'm a little nervous (won't be till August though so I can also do DS's appt at the same time). She can't live on breastmilk forever. I weaned DS right around his first birthday but I don't see an end in sight for DD. She still wakes up to nurse several times a night. She would never take a pacifier and she only goes to sleep for me if I nurse her or I'm wearing her in a carrier. I've read through the other threads and know other people have struggled with solids. Any thoughts or advice? Thanks.

[ladymoreta]

It was a little different, but DS had a really strong gag reflex up until almost his first birthday. I made purees for him really thin, mixing in water or occasionally breastmilk. Maybe she can eat the thinner ones better? I'm so sorry; I know it's probably a different issue. It's so frustrating and scary when they're not eating like they should.

[Urowife]

She can live on just breastmilk for a while. (Not that it makes it any easier on you!) my DD was the same way. She started to eat more between ages 1 and 2 when she could feed herself and chew things up. I didn't wean her completely until 23 months, but she was down to only nursing 2-3 times a day by 18 months, so I could have done it earlier. (At age 1, she still nursed several times a day). I'd say to keep trying different finger foods, something will catch on. Focus on foods that have iron which they don't get as much of from breastmilk, I think. Good luck, it isn't easy!

[ides]

I introduced solids at 9 months. He ate very little and mostly nursed. He ate a few finger foods- diced steamed carrots, O's, and yogurt with a banana mashed into it. He had a strong gag reflex pretty much until we weaned just after two years. He continued to have somewhat of a gag reflex for about a year-but he was a late talker as well. I wouldn't worry yet.

[samssugarmomma]

Do you eat with her? Is she interested in what you are eating? One of mine skipped "baby food" all together and ate right off of my plate. I was all ' no, you have to eat this purée/mushy food' and she was like ' give me some real food'.

[oceanchild]

This advice isn't for everyone, but I'd try to get rid of the night feedings. It might incentivize better day eating (not to mention getting you more sleep). We eliminated night feedings one at a time by gradually making them shorter and shorter. It was slow going and involved a few tears (not many, really), but it did work.

[civilspouse]

Thanks. Your responses have helped me feel better. I no longer feel like I'm starving her. We'll just keep offering her things. We do eat at the same time and I have been trying to offer her some of what we're eating when appropriate. Some days she eats more than others. She did seem to have a strong gag reflex when we started, but it seems to be getting better. I just had the arbitrary date of one year in my mind that she needed to have solids figured out. Hopefully everything looks good with her growth at her next appointment.