Feeding Solids - Help

[hollysmum]

Help - my bub is just over 5 months old, and I am trying to start her on solids, as recommended by the Child Health Nurse. I have been breast feeding and the CHN felt that she was no longer getting enough milk from me (small weight gains, problems sleeping at night) hence the starting solids suggestion. However, I have tried and tried, rice cereal, apple, pumpkin and if i can get it in her mouth then she screws up her face and gags and most of the time spits it right back out. And after the first mouthful she wont even open her mouth, she just clamps it shut and the whole thing just ends with her crying. So now I dont know what to do, I dont want to make the whole eating process unpleasant for her which is how is turning out at the moment, but I have been persisting for two weeks now and its not getting any better. Has anyone else had this problem?

[drewid]

Hi

My little one has been on solids for about a month now (he's almost 6 months) but its only just the past week that he has really taken to it. In the beginning I just offered a bit of rice cereal every so often, just as an experiment really. He didn't eat it, so much as just taste it and see what it was like.

I followed all the advice I'd been given, the biggest one being to offer the solids AFTER a breastfeed. After weeks of doing this and Andrew not ever taking more than a teaspoon or so of cereal, I decided to change things about. Now, he has his cereal about half an hour BEFORE his breastfeed (second feed of the day) and he eats it with gusto!! Probably about a tablespoon now. He is also having a tablespoon of pureed pears at lunch time, also before his regular feed.

He loves it! It has made such a difference, he's really interested in it, and trying to feed himself with the spoon.

THe biggest advice that i actually paid attention to, was to offer and see what happened. If it was welcomed, to try again. If it wasn't, to stop, and try again in a few days. I did this with Andrew, sometimes having a few days break from it and trying again. As time went by, he get more interested and less freaked out by the concept.

I also read that it can sometimes take up to 10 goes before a food is accepted. So just becuase bub spits it back out every time, don't get discouraged.

I think it just takes some bubs time to get used to the idea. In the beginning its not really meant to be their food source, just an intro to the idea.

Don't get wound up about it!! Just take it really slowly. It will come in time.

(another hint too - andrew didn't really like rice cereal, so i started him on pears. he loved it....as soon as he was eating pears well, i then re-introduced the cereal and now he loves it)

Anyway hope some of this helped!

[hollysmum]

Hi Nicole,

Thanks heaps for your response. I think the best piece of advice you just offered me was to not stress about it too much, I mean really, its not like you see teenagers who cant eat food. :)

I think I will just leave it for a few days and then try again. I guess I just worried because she wasnt putting on much weight, but on the other hand shes not about to fade away to nothing just yet. Perhaps she just wasnt quite ready when we first started, really they should come with an instruction manual. :)

Thanks again, have a good day.

[drewid]

I agree, an instruction manual would be awesome!

Like its said, teenagers are walking, talking and eating, so we really shouldnt' stress so much about these things when they are so young! Plenty of time for them to get with the program :)

[Chickadee]

Young babies have an automatic reflex to spit things out that are put in their mouth. It protects them when young. Most babies lose this reflex by 5 or 6 months, some earlier, some a bit later. If Holly is gagging badly then it may just be that she hasn't lost the reflex yet. If you wait a week and try again you may have better luck.

My other suggestion is to make the cereal (or whatever) very very runny. It should drip off the spoon.

[xkwzit]

Hi
Your CHN really should have told you about the tongue thrust reflex, some kids have it until they are 8months old. If she's no ready, she's not ready and you can't force her. Just wait a few weeks and try again.

Cheers

[sasholi]

I agree with MarthaM. My little one is just just just starting solids. And the only way I am getting him to eat is to make things quite runny. He had a gagging/vomiting episode yesterday where he did a proper hurl vomit for the first time in his tiny six months (yes, mum held it together very well, smiling and being very calm so as not to freak out little one) and I realised I wasn't mixing the rice cereal up enough and he was getting a bit caught up on the lumpy bits in it (sometimes I think I have no brains for a mother - really!). So I made it much much runnier and tried to get that stuff smoother consistency and it worked for me.

But just keep it relaxed. If your bub just won't have a bar of it, then play with her a little bit in her high chair or chair. Keep it light and playful, relax, play some nice music you both love and just go from there. Guide her, but also take her cues. There are days where it just won't work for my little one but other days are great.

Hang in there!! :)

[lil monkey]

We have just started tayla on solids the past week and a half and she started with one teaspoon and is now up to several.

The first few days was pulling a sour lemon face but now she opens her mouth when offered. We tried when she was just over 5 months and she spat it out and really wasnt interested so we held off for a few more weeks.

Oh, by the way, have you tried rice cereal? YUK! So, we do a mix now of rice cereal with a little bit of pear in it and it works wonders!!!

We will then move her onto vegies (pumpkin, potatoe and carrot) in the next few days but also with a bit of pear in it so she can pick up that familiar sweet taste and gradually we won't have to put the pear in!