7 Month Old disinterested in solids (purees) & causing night waking??

[JayLeigh]

My LO started rice at 4 1/2 months old and we are on to all sorts of purees, but I have found that he is mostly disinterested in them! There is nothing that he outright refuses, but after a couple spoon-fulls he zips his lips! He does have favorites that I can get away with feeding him more of, but I am lucky If I can get him to eat 1/2 jar for each meal. I am also BF 4x per day in between.

I am pretty convinced that he is not getting enough calories during the day because he has started night waking. He was night waking even when I was doing a dream feed (which we weaned). But last night he BF so eagerly like he was starving. Could his disinterest in purees be causing hunger in the night?

I noticed that while I was feeding him, I was eating Mac & cheese, which he seemed VERY interested and eagerly gnawed on a couple pieces of macaroni, and waited for more. So I think he is ready to move on, it's tough because we just went through a bout of constipation, NOT fun. Anyone have any suggestions on mixing solids and purees that might interest a 7-month old?

[okinawamama]

I don't know about it causing the NW, but my son too started to show disinterest in puree's so one day I just started to give him more "chunks" of things. So rather than giving mashed bananas he gets chunks of the banana cut up. I make all his baby food so I still steam/cook his food (peaches, sweet potatoes, squash....) but rather than puree it I just cut it in chunks and freeze it and thaw what I need for each meal.

Sorry I can't help with the sleeping, but good luck on the feeding.

[Mimi 2]

IT sounds like he may be ready to move beyond the puree stage.  How is he with the mac and cheese?  If he is fine with the texture then try introducing more firmer options.  Finger food can be introduced.  Start with something that is soft and tender.  Have a look at these threads for some great finger food ideas.

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=95978.0

I agree that his disinterest in puree is not the cause of the NWs.  Are you feeding him at night other than the df?

[JayLeigh]

Thanks! It helps to have an outside perspective. He is a big boy, over 19 lbs and he is 7 months. So I think he must just need a graduated form of food. He did great with the mac and cheese, so much so that I have been mincing noodles and putting them in with his purees and he is eating a little better, he hasn't gagged at all, and he loves the rice puffs. It just seems like that food stage went so fast!

He will wake up closer to 5am if I do a DF, which I have not been doing. He wakes up around 2:30 without one. So either way he wakes in the middle of the night, why bother with DF.

[Mimi 2]

Some babies just don't take to the DF so don't sweat over it.  DD was good with it but ds wasn't so I didn't bothered after trying for a week.  So don't worry.

[LizzieN]

Hey sweetie,
Sounds to me, like pps have said that your LO is ready for finger foods, having his own spoon (messy but they love it) and to be eating similarly to you!!  I found that Dyllan progressed pretty quickly to lumps, mashes, finger foods, meats etc.

Try eating together and eating the same things (just a little babied down) and see how you go, you can only try...if he finds it too hard, take a step backwards!

Also a lot of bf babies wake overnight for a feed up until about 12 months from what I can gather, I'm not sure that it's "essential" but my LO stopped doing it of his own accord around then and I have quite a few friends who found the same thing!!

HTH
xxLizzie