Torn about Solids (vent)

NYBride0813

DS is almost 9 months, and everyday, I really don't look forward to offering solids (which I know aren't so important now anyway). I started at 6 months, taking day or week long breaks in the beginning. DS never really liked purees. He only wants to feed himself, which is fine. Basically, all he does is pick up food and drop it on the floor. An amazing solids day for us would be 5 TEASPOONS of yogurt, 3 peas and a bite or two of sweet potatoes, for example. He has no issue eating snacks like puffs or crackers, but I only offer that if we stop at the park or something.

I know about Baby-Led Weaning, which makes sense, but its annoying preparing all this food and just seeing it on the floor. Its also annoying hearing other moms complain that their babies don't eat solids and then feed them only one jar and half a mozzerella stick instead of two jars. Some days, I don't even feel like offering solids (we nurse on demand and he nurses all day and all nights). Basically, I just want to hear if there are any other moms who were in this situation and when/how did it turn around?

jen_and_tom

NYBride0813:

its annoying preparing all this food and just seeing it on the floor.

 This is still my life. Super annoying. 

DD didn't really turn the corner on being interested in solids until around 11 months and what seemed to make the difference was the fact that we spent two different weeks, close together, with other babies close in age that were good eaters.  She eats better at daycare than at home and better for DH than for me.  We did things like all sitting down to eat together, with her at the table (no tray on the hc), gave her her own spoon, bowl and cup and offered solids for one or two meals a day before nursing.  She didn't really drop a milk feeding until 13 months and that was because she had moved into a classroom at daycare that didn't accomodate bottles.  She's still not a great eater but I never was as a kid either.  I think genetics are a factor and also strong independence.  She does better with whole apples than slices, self feeding things that seem too challenging: cereal with milk, using a fork, etc than us feeding her.  I think persistence, patience and continually trying new things and retrying old things were what worked for us.  ...if you can call it working.

KimberJEB

Jack was pretty much (ok, still is) like your DC.  He HATED HATED HATED purees, and wanted to feed himself.  So, I stopped solids for a while, then at 7.5 or 8 months started just giving him whatever we were having.  He still has not dropped ANY nursings (ok, sometimes we skip the middle of the day, 'cause he'll take cow milk in a sippy w/ lunch if we're in public), but, I like nursing, so it works:) 

 I don't make anything special for him, normally, I just give him whatever we have.  AND it's making me eat healthier since I don't want to give him junk.  

 (and except for hotdogs on the rare occasion that he's had then - 2x, I don't cut things up any smaller than I would for me.  I just let him eat them.  He's gagged twice, but only for a second and never been close to choking.)

ncbelle

We did BLW - for the first 2 months he was pretty inconsistent about how much he would eat and we rarely did 3 meals a day.  For the last month, he's been going at his food pretty good - suddenly he was really eating a meal instead of just experimenting.  After the first month, I started giving him mostly what we were having so that cut down on the feeling of waste.

I wouldn't worry too much - just keep offering him bits of things when you are eating and it will click for him soon.

dmogmo

I wrote about my frustration with this process in my blog. Granted we just started, but I feel kind of clueless right now.

tmp-214118062502913

We have been doing BLW for three months and up until maybe a couple weeks ago we had the SAME exact experience.

The BLW book even mentions that your child may not really consume anything until around 9 months, before it's a bit of playing.  And our dogs were getting really fat from the whole experience.

But now, she really eats.  We also found that more interesting things were more likely consumed (she likes to throw most plain fruit and veggies on the floor, but like slightly warmed/steamed apple slices with a bit of cinnamon or sticks of zucchini in tomato sauce will be devoured).  We give her a real variety of things - tortilla with melted cheese and spinach cut up into little pieces, some cut up grapes, a bit of broccoli and a couple slightly steamed baby carrots.  We place it all in front of her so she has choices and variety.  Also if I eat a piece in front of her, she is more likely to eat the same thing.

Another thing we found VERY successful just by chance is WHERE she eats.  We originally were using a seat that either sits on a chair or clips to the table, or have her in our lap.  Then a friend gave us a hand-me-down walker thing that looks like a car and has a tray on the front (she is actually in it in my siggy pic).  Now we feed her in there and she LOVES it.  She motors all over the house chomping on broccoli and when we eat, we will eat at the coffee table so we are at her level and she will choose to "drive" up to where we are and plant herself at the table next to us and eat with us.  I think it's giving her the control and freedom, it makes her more interested in eating and being part of the dining experience.