Tips on feeding my LO Solids?

Jan312

My LO will be 11 months on February 5.  He eats pureed fruit and veggies, but I have not feed him any solids. I hear everyone talking about how there LOL eats so many different foods. I am nervous about solids in the fear of choking. He doesn't seem interested in eating solids.  I have tried giving him yogurt melts and sweet potato puffs, but he just looks at them I try feeding solid foods to him and he doesn't want them. It's not that he doesn't like the taste, because he won't put them in his mouth to even taste them, but when I spoon feed him pureed foods he loves them. Any tips on how to get him to eat solids?

tardiswho10

My LO had an issue with textures when we first started solids.  He hated that it wasn't all smooth creamy solids.  He used to let the puff touch his tongue then spit it out repeatedly until it was so mushy it was almost exactly like a puree.  His early intervention specialist was actually a little concerned by it, but then one day he just started sticking the puffs in his mouth and eating them.

I would say start off slow.  If it's something new and different he may not be a huge fan.  You said he love his spoon fed purees; how about mixing a puff in a puree scoop?  That way he's getting the two textures?  He may be averse at first but it can't hurt to try.  If he takes to it eventually maybe start to wean away from puree and puffs and just spoon feed the puffs?  Then eventually go to just puffs without the spoon? - I know sometimes the association of something they're familiar with and recognize as good (the spoon in this case) can help. - maybe once he's familiar with just the solid (i.e. the puff with no spoon at all) he will be more open to other solids?

No guarantees or anything, just a suggestion.  Good luck! 

[Deleted User]

Try gradually making his pures a little chunkier. Then you can give him bite sized chunks of the cooked fruit or veg so he can feed himself. Just take it slow and don't stress about it. As long as he's getting plenty of breast milk or formula he'll be getting enough nutrition. And just watch him closely while he's eating. He may gag a little but if the pieces are small enough he shouldn't be able to choke. Reviewing the baby choking first aid steps helped put me more at ease too. :]

526SadieSadie

I agree with the above, make the purees slightly chunkier to start with.  Kids progress at different speeds.  My friend's son is a day younger than my DD and he started refusing purees around Thanksgiving.  Livi has just started (in the last couple of weeks) grabbing at the spoon and demanding to feed herself.  We've been giving her puffs since October, then we tried Cheerios and now the arrowroot cookies.  Other easy hand-held foods are mini carrots (boiled, steamed or otherwise cooked), banana slices, berries - break the skin first so LO can taste the juice inside, diced (& baked) chicken cutlet, boiled & diced sweet potatoes and peas. 

Honestly, if LO is hitting other developmental targets and is happily eating purees, I wouldn't worry too much about the solids just yet - it takes time.

beth2882

I agree with PP's.  The first "real" food DD was ripe banana and she handled it just fine.  Now she prefers feeding herself finger foods.

kmhunt11

Chunkier purees might work, but it wouldn't with my LO.  She can eat a half of a grilled cheese sandwich but if you sneak a puff into her applesauce she spits it out.  She won't do anything solid or chunky in her baby food yet, despite eating many solid foods (cheddar cheese cute into chickpea size cubes, blueberries cut in half, toast crusts or triangles, cooked carrots, peas or green beans, cucumbers... she's a bit of a disposal!)

mcnibz

I have been EBF my son and he hasn't gained much (if any) weight since October. He will eat solids from everybody in the family but me and since I stay home full time with him it has made the transition tough. He is finally to the point where breast milk isn't enough all day and I found the trick to getting him to eat baby food is greek yogurt! He loves plain, full fat greek yogurt mixed with any veggie.( He only like fruits before) I know a lot of people say wait on dairy until he is a year but he is 1 month away from his first birthday so we went for it.

Jan312

I will try all the suggestions. He is definitely hitting his milestones and growing. He is 32 inches and 24 lbs. So he loves to eat...now on to the transition of chunky foods. Thanks everyone.