Please help!! Weaning issues.

[Kathrynlouise]

Hi,

I am getting a little desperate now trying to wean my 8mth old son James.  I am still breastfeeding James and at 6 months I decided to try to wean him, by giving him baby rice for breakfast - then at lunch and dinner.  That was successful so I tried a little carrot. 

We seemed to get into a pattern then after about a week and a half he started refusing the spoon altogether.  I had noticed that he found it difficult to swallow the food.  He wasn't used to the texture and it just sat at the back of his tongue.  Eventually he would gag and bring anything sat on his stomach back again.

Obviously we're at the teething stage and everything goes into his mouth.  I gave him a spoon to have in his hand and when that went to his mouth, I managed to get in some food.  I would have to do this for about the first few spoonfuls then he would finish the rest of the serving.  But now he's refusing the spoon altogether - unless it's Petit Filous!  I really want to give him a well-balanced diet and am getting so stressed that we're nowhere near being weaned.

Every time I pick up a book for guidance all I'm faced with are stages that we've never reached - and they're for babies from four months old!  The hv has raised the issue of iron intake that is missing from my breastmilk after 6months and the other day read somewhere that iron difficieny can lead to problematic brain development later in his infant years! 

I really don't know where to start.  He's such a pleasant little boy but the last two days I've noticed he's 'moaning' for food a lot more than before yet he's not taking anything from a spoon and his feeds are not usually full feeds when he gets like this.  I'm still giving him his normal feed so maybe that's the issue.

Also, I've bought Tracy's latest book - which led me to the site actually.  James isn't really on any proper kind of schedule.  I demand fed for the first 6 months and followed his cues re sleep.  He still wakes at around 10ish then at around 1.30 then he's wide awake at 6ish. 

Any advice would be fantastic.

Is this the longest post on the site?!  Sorry x


Thank you so much for your help - I'm new here by the way!x

Kathryn
x

[J&Jsmom]

have you tried just giving him finger foods?  Like some pieces of lightly buttered toast or some vegetable sticks that have been cooked so that they're soft? It might be that he just likes to be in control.

[gretchengator]

Hi Kathryn- Thanks for your post and welcome.  I also have an 8mth old son and feedings seem to be a continual question mark for me so you're not alone!  Jack too is refusing the spoon and I'm learning that he prefers finger foods and so I am cutting up small pieces of cooked veggies, fruits, etc. I know it can be hard because we read all these books and get all this advice on how to feed our sweet babes and it doesn't seem like our babes are following what the books or commercials say!  Jack is very inconsistent when it comes to eating solids.  Some days he'll eat up to 10 oz. of solids throughout the day and others it may be just 5 oz.  He is teething like crazy and I need to keep that in consideration and sometimes what helps me to just relax is knowing that he is only 8 months old and he is in a continual learning process, just like us moms, and he is figuring out how to eat, what he likes, dislikes... I also have a 3 year old and I have learned that things like this just seem to work themselves out- not to sound trite- but they do.  You're doing a great job!  Perhaps you can post his schedule and we can take a better look at his day and how/when he is eating?  Take care- Gretchen