Author Topic: Should I feed solids until my baby refuses it?  (Read 2051 times)

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Offline Tao

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Should I feed solids until my baby refuses it?
« on: February 08, 2013, 07:01:48 am »
Hi Ladies,

My 11 month old has been waking several times a night and nursing and taking two full breasts each waking so I'm trying to figure out if maybe I'm just not giving her enough. Currently she eats like this:

7:00 wake and nurse
8:00 solid homemade pureed babyfood 4 oz

11:00 wake and nurse
12:00 solid homemade pureed babyfood 4 oz

3:30 wake and nurse
5:30 solid homemade pureed babyfood 8 oz

7:00 quick nurse before bed

The food I make is frozen into 4 oz servings so I just randomly decided to give her one 4-oz portion for breakfast and lunch and then a doubled portion for dinner but I just realized that I'm really not just feeding her until she refuses and acts like she doesn't want anymore. I just feed her until there's no more food and maybe that's why she's waking a lot at night and taking full feedings from the breast.

Is the rule of thumb to feed them solids until they don't take anymore? IS that how I know she's getting enough?

I feel silly for not even noticing this before and thinking now, how I am just randomly picking an amount to feed her and then just stopping...

Thanks for sharing!

Christine

Offline *jazzberry*

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Re: Should I feed solids until my baby refuses it?
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2013, 07:34:34 am »
Sounds to me like she needs to take in more calories during the day. I would offer more food at each sitting, do you give her finger food at all? What food are you giving her? At 11 months mine were eating all sorts, the only things they ate off a spoon would be things like chopped up spaghetti bolognaise or yoghurts etc.

Offline Tao

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Re: Should I feed solids until my baby refuses it?
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2013, 15:05:47 pm »
Hmm... She is still eating all puréed foods by spoon... Carrots yams squash apples avacados bananas all fruits and veggies mainly. I was doing this because she still has no teeth not even one lol!
Christine

Offline creations

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Re: Should I feed solids until my baby refuses it?
« Reply #3 on: February 08, 2013, 15:53:35 pm »
I would introduce finger foods straight away just joining in with the regular family meals.  it's likely to take her some time to adapt if she's only ever known puree food but the sooner you start the sooner she will get used to the new textures and tastes of family food.  It's really nice when they join in the family meals, you can do this straight away, maybe a combo of the puree you usually give her followed by whatever the family are having for her to feed herself (with her fingers or hand her loaded spoon fulls).
They don't need teeth to eat, lots of LOs are given finger food and regular family food at age 6 months and manage to gum it down fine.  Their gums are very hard and capable and can even gum and suck at meat, crackers, raw apples, anything.
Her tummy could be filling with the liquid of the puree rather than the 'food' if you see what I mean, plus she is still getting lots of milk feeds too and by 12 months the focus 'should' be on solid food meals rather than milk meals.
I would also keep offering solids until she is full and refuses more.  Don't try to force her to have more of course.  LOs are good at knowing when they are full and when to stop.
hth


Offline zebstiredmum

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Re: Should I feed solids until my baby refuses it?
« Reply #4 on: February 08, 2013, 18:01:12 pm »
Hi Tao

Yes - agree about upping the calories - you can get LO used to lumpier food too - DD has no teeth (7 1/2 months) and eats more calorific foods - she'll eat well cooked risotto without it being blended, pasta sauce with tuna & veggies chopped very fine, (with baby pasta) - she is trying to finger feed - soft wholemeal bread with cream cheese is a big hit. 

If you aren't veggie get some meat into the diet too - when we eat steak, baked potato and salad we blend it up with a bit of water or milk to a rough / lumpy puree and DD loves it.

If you're veggie go for lentils and other pulses to add protein.

Good luck  :)



Emma

Offline Tao

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Re: Should I feed solids until my baby refuses it?
« Reply #5 on: February 08, 2013, 22:00:44 pm »
This is helpful! Thanks so much everyone! Today at lunch she ate bits of watermelons and some blueberries that I smashed first. I guess I was just always afraid of choking! Do you guys know what foods other than citrus we should try to avoid until after 1 years old?
Christine

Offline creations

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Re: Should I feed solids until my baby refuses it?
« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2013, 00:23:56 am »
I've never heard of citrus being avoided.  There are different guides in different countries.  In the UK we avoid sugar, honey, whole nuts (but smooth peanut butter is fine unless there is allergy in the family), we limit salt, we fully cook eggs (but can give the whole egg from 6 months), oily fish is limited to 2 servings per week for girls, 4 per week for boys.  Hmmm...think that's about it.
LOs who are BLW (baby led weaning) are never given puree and there is no higher risk of choking.  If LO puts the food in her own mouth she is more likely in control of where it goes and what is in there.  Gagging is not the same as choking, gagging is safe and natural although can look uncomfortable, usually LO is not upset in the least, their gag reflex is further forward than an adults to help avoid choking.

If you cook with very little salt or reduce the salt you use in cooking you can just give her exactly what you make for yourself.  Larger pieces are less likely to cause choking, pieces she can grip in her hand rather than be fed off a spoon.


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Re: Should I feed solids until my baby refuses it?
« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2013, 00:46:30 am »
Totally agree with pps, she can be eating all sorts of stuff now. Here are a couple of links that may help
Foods To Avoid
Information on choking and gagging
Spoon Refusal and Finger Food Tips (has some good ideas for introducing finger food>
HTH