Weaning Problems Please Help I'm Desperate?

Question

I have a daughter who will be 10 months old on the 22nd this month. problem is I cant get her to eat mashed food. I have practically starved her yesterday (milk only) and most of today. She will have a taste once she knows its mashed she just constantly fights me. She also retches and gets sick all the time. My health visitor has said cut her bottles right down and leave her until she eats mashed food and let her get sick. Any ideas I'm getting so worried I've tried everything. It did take me a while to get her to eat pureed food I thought she was just a slow weaner, now I feel like a failure. Please help me!

Answer 1

I don't think your health visitor has given you good advice, at 10 months you shouldn't really be cutting her milk down that much.

Also if she will eat pureed food but not mashed either she's doesn't like the texture or she's not ready or unable to swallow it easily.

I would bypass the health visitor and take her straight to the GP A.S.A.P to rule out any problems with her swallow, especially since she's wretches a lot. Make sure you also tell them what the health visitor said because her advice wasn't very professional.

If the doctor says everything is fine with her swallow you'll just have to keep trying try to get her to have just a little a day and build it up from there.

Hope everything goes OK

Answer 2

you have a texture eater on your hands. Mine was the opposite she didn't like the pureed.Don't know what to tell you accept what everyone has said she wont starve her self...but it makes it so hard on the mom.But you have to break her of it. Milk is very filling so don't give her any till she eats. Good luck

Answer 3

First of all, just relax a little! This is a very common problem in babies this age.

We are all encouraged to be changing our babies from pureed to lumpier food at a certain time, but some babies are just not ready for it until they are a bit older.

My son didn't eat a single lump until he was over a year. Like you, I got upset and worried about it and didn't know what to do. My son would find a little lump in his food, retch and then refuse to eat anything. After worrying myself sick, I just gave up and went back to purees for a bit, and carried on offering him finger foods and he just eventually got the hang of it. Even now (at 15 months) he eats normal adult food, but still hates food that is of a mashed texture. He won't eat the 'stage 2' weaning foods with little lumps but he will happily chew on a bit of steak! And if you think about it, lumpy foods aren't that nice. How horrible is lumpy mashed potato - when you expect it to be smooth and find a lump! There are loads of children's foods out there like yogurts which proudly state they have 'no bits or lumps'  - this is because lots of children don't like lumps in food!

I did lots of research and found that in other European countries they say NO lumps until over a year! Your daughter is not going to suffer if she remains on purees for a little longer. Don't starve her. She needs her nutrients at this age far more than she needs lumps. I promise you she will get there in the end (how many adults do you know who only eat purees!). Just give her a little more time. She might also benefit from trying some of the softer finger foods such as the Organix gingerbread men and carrot stix. These melt in the mouth so she won't gag on them, but they will help her get the hang of chewing.

Answer 4

She doesn't like the texture of the mashed.  Give her a little more time.  Keep giving her the bottles or maybe try in a sippy cup, don't let her get sick.  Also keep giving her the pureed and maybe slowly make it a little more lumpy all along. Just keep trying cause a lot of babies take time to get use to something new and no it is not your fault.  I would say if after she turns a year and she still retches, look in to whether she has sensory issues.

Answer 5

I agree that it sounds like dreadful advice from your HV - not only producing more stress for your baby, but also for you.  I seem to remember being in a similar situation to you when weaning, and I got very anxious about it, and I wouldn't believe friends and family who told me that it could be my anxiety that was contributing to the problems we had at mealtimes.  I wouldn't worry if she is progressing to mashed food at a slower rate than her peers or more slowly than you would expect her to.  There is still the same nutrients in pureed food as mashed, so what's the rush?  I'm not sure if you're in the UK or not, but I am, and I remember still feeding my daughter the Ella's kitchen pots of puree on her first birthday because she loved them, and it was one of the few things she would happily eat.  I don't even really remember a stage where I mashed her food, it just sort of 'happened' that she progressed onto other foods.  Another thing to bear in mind is that some health visitors are of the opinion that any food before the age of 1 is just for practice anyway - the majority of calories and nutrients your baby takes in should still be coming from milk anyway, but not sure if this is 100% true or not.  Have you checked her weight gain lately to see if everythign is moving in the right direction?  I would check this before bothering to speak to a doctor to check if there is a medical reason why she prefers purees.  If she is managing to eat puree, then I'm not sure there would be a medical reason why she wasnt progressing to more solid foods - it sounds behavioural to me - she just doesn't want them, but I'm sure that she will one day - and probably will just surprise you one day by chowing down on something you have left on your plate.  As long as her weight gain is ok, then I would just carry on with what you are doing, and make the biggest effort to not be anxious in front of her - easier said than doen I know - but my daughter's eating improved trmendously when I just chilled out and let her enjoy what she wanted at mealtimes - even if she does just eat toast for three days on the run sometimes.  Good luck!

Answer 6

It's not easy for a baby to learn to eat, and certainly not easy for a Mommy either.  If you are using baby food from a jar, try adding a little salt or sugar or butter (just a little) and try a little warmer or a little cooler.  Also try adding a little formula or breastmilk or whatever she likes in her bottle.  If she doesn't get water from a bottle, put some water in a bottle so she realizes what's on the spoon may be tastier than her bottle.  It's important to continue to try different things even though it can be frustrating, and I would never let the baby go hungry.  Good luck!

Answer 7

Could you not thicken her puree a little each day so gradually it gets thicker without her really noticing, that is what my wife did with our children, although none of them were being sick when eating; advice wise i'd go to your gp rathen than your health visitor.

Answer 8

She is obviously NOT ready yet!!!  My daughter (3rd child) didnt want to eat for a long time, she was over a year before she wanted to eat meals. She is now 3 and is always eating, she raids the fridge and fruit bowl all day.

Answer 9

Have you tried mashed and pureed foods? They don't taste so good. Why can't your daughter just eat normal table food? Give her some cheerios or some cut up pieces of banana or avacado and see how she does.

Answer 10

Don't worry, it's humans instinct to eat food once she's too hungry she'll eat it. Feed her nothing for the whole day and only offer her mashed foods, she doesn't eat it well sucks for her. She'll at it soon, I bet she won't even last a whole day without food and I bet she'll go for that mashed food within the day. Don't be a marshmallow!

Answer 11

no reason to feel like a failure!!! talk to your doctor and make sure she has no allergies. then dont let her have the bottle until she has a couple of bites of food first. each time make her eat a little more food before the bottle. you could try the bannana rice cereal vs real food. it is a little sweet but not overpowering. good luck.

Answer 12

Don't stop giving her milk until she's atleast 1 year old. She needs the nutrients that it supplies. Ever think she just doesn't like what you're giving her? Are you giving her baby food or adult food? My son is working on 10 1/2 months and he won't touch baby food unless it's cereal or fruit. We have gotten him used to chewing and started him on toddler and adult food. I would suggest not forcing her to eat something she doesn't want. That'll only give her a negative aspect on eating and she'll never want to cooperate. Give her foods that taste good to you and maybe even some with some dimension to it, like a peice of green bean or a cracker. If she doesn't know how to chew yet, you're going to have to teach her how to before she can start with the good stuff. I started my son out with a biter biscuit from Gerber. It disolved in his mouth yet it taught him to use his jaw. Be patient. Some babies just don't like change, and the older they get the worse that gets. Best wishes.

Answer 13

If you fill her up on milk she will never eat!  Offer pureed food at meal times with water only and stick to it.  When she is hungry she will eat.

Answer 14

I dont think starving her, and making her sick is the answer.  Im sorry but your health visitor sounds like they dont know what they are talking about but thats just my opinion.  Mix some mashed and pureed food together so the mashed food is somewhat smoother and try to give it it her.  Its going to take some time.  Start with her fav fruit and veggie and go from there.  Does she eat table foods? If so you can just skip the whole baby food thing and feed her table foods.  My 8 month old already eats fruits, soft veggies, cheese and yogurt.  Dont feel like a failure, it takes time for some things.  Your not a bad mom at all.

Answer 15

Will she feed herself off your plate?

Has she been evaluated for problems with her gag reflex, chewing, etc

There is no award for getting  your child onto table food the fastest, just keep on trying without making it stressful.  This is really the problem with starting with pureed foods but remember no one ever went off to college eating pureed baby food.

Just keep her on formula until her diet is good enough to do without it.

http://askdrsears.com/html/0/T000100.asp...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/676279...

http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedselintro...

Answer 16

Any health visitor that advocates starving a child and letting them be sick should be sacked, and you are well within your right to ask for another health visitor, just go to your doctor and explain the situation, they will organise another. Have you thought that maybe she's just not ready? Why not carry on with pureed foor for another month and try her with her favourite food mashed again then. As long as she's eating I cant see why it would matter, there's no rush. Just remember every child is different, and it definatly doesnt make you a failure, I think your a great mother for caring so much. If you need someone to talk to you can always email me =) Just sit down and relax, it's really no a huge problem even if it feels like it at the time!

Answer 17

Please don't feel like a failure

Take her her to see your doctor to make sure there is no medical reason why she won't keep the food down

Good luck