Refusing solids

[Anonymous]

This is not related to the reflux, but does anyone have advice for a baby who just won’t take solids? My daughter is 10 months old but like a 7-month old developmentally as she was a preemie. So her drs said to try solids a couple months ago. I have been trying ever since to give her pureed foods. At first, I tried once a week, now I’m trying once every day. She clamps her mouth shut, takes the spoon, throws it or chews on it, tries to climb out of the high chair. She is a very vocal, active, strong-willed baby in general. She takes plenty from the bottle, but good grief, to be 20 pounds and still only taking a bottle… I’ve told her doctor and was not given much advice. Is this normal for a 7 month old? Should I just wait it out and hope she will take solids later? (tried finger foods – she’s not quite coordinated enough to get small pieces up to her mouth) Any suggestions for finger foods to try at this stage? It is so frustrating to get everything ready and try for a half hour and clean it all up and not accomplish anything!

Thanks for any advice.

[Anonymous]

I forgot to say, she has cut 7 teeth in the last two months, so I’m sure that has something to do with it. She has more coming in too… But tylenol or motrin before meals does nothing to help with the solids issue.

[Anonymous]

Do you try the solids before her bottle, or after?

The worst thing you could do is let her know you are frustrated, especially if she is strong willed like you say she is. If she senses your frustration she may continue to refuse just to assert herself. So try to be as casual as you possibly can be about it.

I’m pretty sure the American Academy of Pediatrics says that a baby can be exclusively breast fed for the first year. I would think that applies equally to bottle fed babies. The idea is really to introduce them to different tastes and textures while they are still getting most of their nutrition through breast milk or formula. So, I wouldn’t be too concerned about her nutritionally. Just keep offering the solids with a casual approach and she will likely surprise you one day!

And like you mentioned, developmentally she is only 7 months old. Many babies are just starting solids at six months, so she’s not really that far behind the norm or average. The one preemie baby I took care of as a nanny didn’t eat solids until she was almost a year old, but once she started she loved them!

[hellbennt]

marysmom wrote: (tried finger foods – she’s not quite coordinated enough to get small pieces up to her mouth) Any suggestions for finger foods to try at this stage? It is so frustrating to get everything ready and try for a half hour and clean it all up and not accomplish anything!

Thanks for any advice.

I’d just keep putting finger foods out for her and not pushing them…some babies skip right to table foods and don’t want pureed baby food…try dissolvable foods like cheerios, rice puffs, gerber puffs, etc

& here are a lot more ideas

Finger foods: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1653

Toddler foods-mspi safe& otherwise: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2599&a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;PN=1

but I also agree that she just might not be ready…so hard to tell…so at the same time, keep offering purees, etc…

hellbennt2006-5-11 20:36:18

[Anonymous]

Hi, funny… I was just going to post because I am having the same problem. It’s like she hasn’t figured out that the baby food will fill her up like her bottle. Does Mary seem interested in the food you are eating? DD wants what we are eating, so I think it is a texture thing. But everything gives her a stomach ache and poop problems. Also, she is cutting teeth and won’t put much into her mouth lately. We did do the feeding therapy, it worked for a little while so we gave it up. They said to let her play in her food, offer a variety of foods, and give plenty of praise. Just depends on the mood they are in at the time though. We love the gerber corn puffs. They are old enough to use the finger pinch to pick one up and they melt very fast in their mouths. They are enhanced with iron and vitamins so I guess those are the solids she will be living off of for a while! Good luck, I’m sure our little ones will come around soon!

[Anonymous]

We had that problem with Isaac until he was almost 10 months old. He just wasn’t interested at all. I would say just to keep offering it and eventually she will change her mind. Isaac was an early teether with lots of teeth too and I feel that had a lot to do with the I hate solids streak! I hope she starts eating more soon!

[Anonymous]

Thanks everybody. After reading more about this online, I found that many moms have this problem at this stage. I’m not going to worry about it for the time being. I think I was stressed about it because her doctors were really pushing solids starting at 5 months adjusted age so I thought there was something wrong since she rejected them. Sounds like some babies want solids at 4 months and others don’t want them until a year old! We just saw the dr today and again they said she should be showing more of an interest. I’m not going to force her. She has enough other things to concentrate on.

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