CARE Fertility Bulletin Board

Dixie · 27 May 2007

My DS is a healthy 16lbs 3oz at 6 months, 2 weeks. However when we tried to give him puree at 6 months he gagged. The same thing happened the following couple of days and since then he refuses to open his mouth for puree & cries when we offer it to him & moves his face away. We've also tried baby led weaning - putting chunks of all sorts of fruit/veg on his tray. He touches these & occasionally puts them to his lips but doesn't put them in his mouth to suck them whereas if it was a toy it'd be straight in.

The health visitor said keep persevering but its hard to do this when he's clearly so unhappy about it. The fact his smaller twin is next to him scoffing away happily on anything that's offered doesn't encourage him one bit.

I'm hoping his early gagging experiences haven't put him off for ever! Anyone else experienced anything similar?

Dixie

Rachel R · 30 Mar 2006

We didn't have the problem, but please try not to worry. He's probably just not ready yet. Perhaps just leave it for a few days and try again. He'll eat when he's ready for it.
I must say we did Baby-Led and it was really good. I'd keep with the babyled as he won't feel any pressure to eat until he's ready, and that will help him gain confidence.
You don't need to worry about what he gets - he really doesn't need anything other than milk just yet. Let him watch his twin and in time his curiousity will gain the upper hand and he'll have a go.

Good luck!

Flossy & Eric · 20 Dec 2005

F is the same, he just doesn't seem interested at all. He gums toast some days and a rice cake if we a lucky but he's just not into it. We are going to keep offering and eventually he'll decide when he wants to start to eat. We do BLW by the way.

I keep reassuring myself that all he needs is milk for the time being.

xxx

Rallygirl · 06 Mar 2006

Yep! My HV wanted me to wait till my pair were 6 months corrected age, which was actually 7.5 months old. I wasn't able to stretch Paul out that long, he was starving! We had already been on 2 hourly feeds for a while. I was tired, he was hungry and 2 hourly feeds is not easy when you have another baby to look after too!

I started weaning at 26 weeks exactly. Paul loved his food. Mika refused any and every thing we offered. I kept on trying him every day for 2 weeks. We were then due to go on holiday and Paul was up to two meals a day. Mika would actually scream if you tried to bring the spoon near him. While we were on holiday, we just went with the flow and fed Paul only, for an easy life and relaxing holiday. I carried on doing the same when we got home too, as Mika was much happier with this.

At exactly 7.5 months, we went out for a photo session in the morning. Came back at lunch time to feed Paul (pear and broccoli, weird I know, but he loved the mix!) and Mika went nuts! He was getting all stressed, yelling at us, straining to get to the food! He ate the lot and never looked back, has always eaten more than Paul and more variety too, ever since.

Hope this helps,

Jo xx

CCRR · 23 Feb 2008

Hi,

We're blw here too. I know it doesn't feel right sometimes but it really is all about exploring food smell, texture etc at this stage. Don't expect them to eat too much to begin with, like Rachel said, milk is all they really need at that age. He will 'get it' but in his own time and with no pressure, after all you don't hear of many babies starving themselves.

The blw book by gill rapley is a great read whether you decide the blw route or not, makes you think about weaning in a whole new light and will really help take the pressure of yourself. Also explains the physiological reasoning behind babies ability to eat.

My ds is now 13 months and i don't regret for one minute going the blw route, would recommend to everyone and def go that way again if we're lucky enough to have another.

Carly

Dixie · 27 May 2007

Thanks for your posts ladies. Will try not to stress about it, might give it a few days off then start again next week. Carly I like your piccy, I'm guessing that's a strawberry or a red pepper?!

daisyblue · 02 Oct 2005

Dixie, l'd say don't worry and try again next week, a week is a long time to babies isn't it as they change so quickly? Leo was never a great eater and his appetite only really kicked in about a year ago!

Carly, yes what is it Adam is eating l've always tried to guess! Laughing

d xx

keeley · 12 Apr 2008

Dylan will eat anything & i mean anything Darcie is funny with solids (lazy) she has got better in time when starting weaning i thought Darcie was ready more so than Dylan they proved me wrong lol xx

CCRR · 23 Feb 2008

Glad to hear you're feeling more relaxed about it all.
That was actually his first solids meal. It's a rather large strawberry, he ate 3 of them and never eaten one since!

Carly x