9 month only wants pureed foods!!! HELP

[Swirl]

Hello,
My 9 month old son will only eat foods that are pureed. If there is any
texture he gags. Also he won't touch his food. I will put finger foods in a plate and he won't touch it and if I try to put it near his mouth he REFUSES. It seems like he doesn't like to get his hands dirty??? Yet he will put everything else in his mouth?
The finger foods I've tried are banana's, peas, teething buscuits,cheese...he will not touch it. Even if I put a bowl of his cereal in front of him he will dip his one finger in it slowly and is disgusted with the feeling?
Any suggestions will greatly be appreciated.
Thanks,
Diana

[HeatherC]

I can promise, promise, promise you that you are not alone.  In fact, I have posted the same thing, and there is another post in here somewhere with many pages about this particular situation. 
The first finger foods we started with were Gerber Veggie Puffs.  Gerber also makes Fruit Puffs.  I started those around 7 months, and dd is just now accepting new finger foods, but extremely slowly.  She is still on stage 2 jar foods.  What I do with the finger/table foods is to put it down at least once a day.  I don't make a fuss whether she eats it or not.  I try to pretend like I'm not even watching and she has done much better that way.  I will still give the veggie puffs, but right now she's also taking cereal/fruit bars and toast.  However, it has taken well over a month for her to even try these.  She, too, wouldn't even put her hands on them at first, and if she did she just squished it up.  If I put something new in her mouth, she gags and carries on like I'm killing her. 
All I can say is to try over and over, and it will eventually click for you lo. I'm much more at ease now knowing that she will at least try things now because she's always trying to snag a bite of what I'm eating these days.  But like our ped said, once they start feeding themselves, be prepared for meals to last a very long time.

Edited to add this link:
http://www.babywhisperer.com/forum/1-vt37083.html?postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

[Susie-Q]

Oh I can totally relate.  The only thing I can say is not to get yourself too worked up over it.  We started the gerber puffs at like 8 months (only half a puff, mind you).  It seemed to take forever before he stopped gagging on them.  Now he's a little over 9 months and he can get like 4 of them in his mouth. 

He also likes the little gerber vegetable crackers broken up into 4 pieces.  Loves them!!

And little bits of banana he will eat off my finger. 

And that was it!  That's it!  Little cooked carrots, bits of sweet potato, bits of pasta or pancake, even pastina - all those "1st" finger foods that kids should love - was having nothing to do with it.  Still not having anything to do with it.  I gave him a stage 3 food not too long ago that had little bits of pasta in it.  He had the 1st spoonfull and literally threw up.  Just threw up.  Unbelievable. 

I'm a bit encouraged because he's taken to the gerber cereal bars that I break up into teeny tiny pieces.   Like the previous poster said, I just ignore it.  I don't make a big deal out of it.  I just keep trying.  I keep trying the little ditalini pasta's.  If he tries it, he tries it.  But something will always be on his tray.   

So he's over 9 months and all he'll eat are gerber puffs, crackers, banana and cereal bars.  And he's not a big fan of the purees either so if your son is at least chowing down on that, consider yourself lucky.   I still have to give my DS a bottle in the middle of the night because he's hungry. 

Hey, they dont eat the purees forever so something has to eventually click in their little brains, right??

[HeatherC]

Susie-Q, you just absolutely cracked me up, and I needed a good laugh right at this moment.     Our lo's are extremely similar.  I wish I could get the gagging and carrying on on tape.  It's priceless!

[notenoughshelfspace]

Thank god, I was having visions of my teenager eating all her food through a straw. No interest in putting things i her mouth at all. She is now just starting to put rice crackers in her mouth, so that is progress at least. You have given me hope, thank you and I shall just keep trying.

[Hsmum]

I can relate with the "teenager feeding through a straw" thoughts!! My 8-month-old gags on baby rice if it's not like soup so I'm relieved that he's not the only one! Just gotta give him time I s'pose!  :wink:

[MrsKirky]

I'm with you ladies!  DS will only occaisionally eat foods with texture - usually has to be disguised in some kind of sweet veggie or fruit puree'.  He will eat the fruit and veggie puffs, but not cheerios.  He'll eat any kind of teething cookie.  He gags with meats and cheeses, but will try bread.  HATES oatmeal.  I am trying (with some success) to add mini pasta "o's" that I cooked very soft to his fruit, yogurt, veggies, etc.  I've been doing this for about 4 days now and he's getting better.  (I found the "o's" on the bottom shelf in the grocery - they are even smaller than alphabet noodles, but I bet those would work too.)  I've been concerned because I don't want him to have any speech impediments, etc.!  Isn't that silly???  He's not even a year old!  LOL.  I guess I'm just a worrier - it's always something.   :roll:

  Our Dear Little Aidan