My 7 mo will only have porridge/cereal

[shellsyd]

Hi, I have been having a hard time with weaning. I started 2 weeks before my lo turned 6 mo. He spit out most or all of his first foods...baby rice, carrots, sw potato, potato, apple, banana. I decided to take a break, and after two wks my hv suggested porridge and he liked it! I kept this up for two or so weeks and also added apple sauce which he liked. But when I tried carrot and potato again he spits it out and outright refuses it.

What do I do? Keep trying veg hoping he'll give in? Or give him what he likes? Any suggestions?

[Samuel's mum]

I personally would keep adding stuff to the porridge (pears, butternut squash) and play around with ratios. So porridge, some apple, a bit of squash.
At this point it is about first tastes but it is about experiences and tastes so I would keep going. But don't stress if it takes a while. It will get there in the end.
I would also try some finger food/ baby-led weaning on the side as he might prefer that (see the special threads). If he can 'see' it's something different and is visually stimulated by it too he may try something new. You could eat alongside him too so he sees you doing it.

[shellsyd]

Thanks for ur response. I will try to add some other stuff. Do u think I can add carrot and potato to porridge/cereal? I have so much in the freezer for him.

I have also tried the finger foods with him. Carrot and potato sticks. When he sees me try it, he tastes it, but then spits it out and drops the rest. I guess I need to experiment with other veggies.

One of my other concerns is that he won't like veg. Plus his poo is getting a bit hard now that he's having porridge/cereal and the occasional 1-2 ounces of formula. He used to love water from a cup, but only takes a few sips per day now.

[Samuel's mum]

I would definitely add veggies. Sam had veggies mixed with his cereals.

[Freya'sMum]

Ds is still very young, so I wouldn't worry if he actually swallows little, as he doesn't really need the food for nutrition as long as he's having lots of babymilk (his pre-solids quantity would still be good) - if you think about it, he's only been having solid foods for 6 weeks, one fifth of his lifetime so far, and he's got 80 or so years to eat all sorts of foods, so there's no rush !

I would keep offering ds a variety of foods, purees or finger foods, one at a time and accept his response to them, never pressuring him or yourself that he has to swallow them, just allowing him to play with them, learning what they are and how how he can use them.

Eating together is also a great idea, because it makes the whole experience of eating so normal and much more pleasurable, and also teaches the social aspect of eating!

Ax

[shellsyd]

Thnx Ax, that's very reassuring, I guess I was a bit worried as my hv told me that by 8 months my lo should be on lumpy foods to ensure a good speech development.

[baba]

shellsyd, i didnt know that limpy foods ensures a good speech development. is that really true.

[shellsyd]

This is what my hv told me. So many people tell u different things. If anyone can qualify, clarify or refute this idea, please let me know, thnx.

[Freya'sMum]

I'm not sure how accurate the chewing/speech development thing is - I would suspect, as with all things, that it is not as simple as that, and that there are many other variables involved! The theory, I believe, is that if babies don't have to chew, their oral muscles don't develop so well, but I would suggest that a direct link is tenuous because speech development isn't just about oral muscles and how strong they are!

Don't be phased, however, by the idea of introducing less than smooth purees - if you want your los to chew, offer some finger foods, there are some great ideas in the Finger Foods for Young Babies thread in the Recipes section - some parents find that their babies don't tolerate lumpy purees very well from a spoon, and actually transition better from smooth purees straight to finger foods - there's no reason that you can't be doing a combination of both right from the start if you want to!

Ax