Help!! My LO still not interested in solids/purees. Just wants his bottle!

roscoe1009

Wanting to see if I can get some advice/support from fellow mamas who are or have struggled to to get their babes to eat solids. My son just turned 10 months (he was 2.5 weeks early) and I'm freaking out about solids. The only thing he really takes is baby oatmeal and rice cereal which he gets at daycare in the morning. I started trying when he was five months old. In the afternoon we try purees which are hit or miss, usually a miss. Sometimes he'll eat a few bites of purees (we've tried all sorts) but usually he turns his head, fusses, and just refuses all together, like he thinks its poison or something. We've tried puffs and mum-mums with no luck either. He's never put a puff in his mouth, just plays with it.  We've also recently tried to do some BLW, but every time I give him a piece of BLW appropriate food he just squishes it in hands and eventually throws it off his high chair. But of course everything else, including germ ridden objects he manages to grab, go straight to his mouth! I'm to the point that I don't even care if what he eats is healthy, I just want him to eat something, so I put cake with whipped cream in front of him and still nothing! The other weird thing is he usually eats much better for the daycare teachers than he does at home. With us he recently won't even eat the baby oatmeal which he almost always takes at daycare. I can't even get him to open his mouth to accept any food. I'm also trying to find the right balance between not forcing him to eat but also being adequately persistent. I'm really scared of creating a bigger problem by forcing him but also hesitant to stop trying from the first time he turns his head from the spoon. It seems like he is almost scared of flavor or putting food in his mouth because when I try to put a puff his mouth he starts to fuss and seals his lips shut. Anyone else had a similar problem? He's the only kid in his daycare class that struggles so much with food! I'm at a loss, I feel like I've tried everything, and crying every day over this. 

MamanBee

Hi there,

At this age most solids are just for practice. Most of their nutrition should still be from breast milk or formula until the age of 1. Some babies don't show am interest until after age one. Let your LO play with the food. Playing with it means they are learning about it. Eventually he will put it the mouth to investigate it. I suggest putting some of whatever you are eating on his plate or highchair and just let him have fun. Making eating fun is a great way to encourage him to try it. Give him time He will eat solids eventually

MamanBee

Also side note, trying to force him may make it more stressful for him and he will continue to refuse it. O know it's supper frustrating. My 9 moth old recently started refusing solids but they go throw phases. It's important not to make it a power struggle or stressful. 

yasandson

Agree with @MamanBee Forcing baby is not a good idea. They decided then when and how much even lol... My baby also recently went through a phase where food he used to go nuts for wouldnt interest him at all. Nothing to do but enjoy those sore boobs lol

roscoe1009

Thank you @MamanBee and @yasandson. I’ve been letting him play quite a bit and he certainly seems interested in exploring different textures with his fingers, but when he’s exploring real food it rarely gets anywhere near his mouth. I’m wondering if I should just give up on purées altogether.  He just will not open his mouth for a spoon. I know I need to calm down over this but I just feel so scared that he just has zero interest in any real food and I’ve been trying so long. Just feel like I’ve failed at a mother that I haven’t been able to teach him to eat and he just wants his bottle.   He seems to do better with foods that are more crunchy and dry rather than squishy and slimy so trying more of those. I know I shouldn’t force him but I must admit sometime I trick him and get him to laugh and sneak a bite in his mouth. Once he starts fussing I stop but if he continues to laugh I sometimes try again. I am just feel so desperate to get him to try something and sometimes I think if he tries it he might like it.   Ugh. Hopefully one day when he’s a teenage wolfing down food I’ll look back at this stress and laugh. 

yasandson

Just try to make it a fun experience for your baby. Yes, maybe give up purées and try different things. When your baby will be ready he'll eat you haven't failed at all, come on ❤️