Weaning advice please

[Vics128]

Hi, was wondering if you could help me please.
My 5 month old was breast fed, and waking 4 times a night, so I started giving him 3 bottles a day and a bit of baby rice at lunch time as well as the other breast feeds.
the nights have improved to just one night feed now, and I spoke to my HV who suggested stepping up the weaning. So I gave him some carrot. He either hasnt got the hang of eating, or he hates it all! I have since tried him on carrot, swede, squash, apple,and some baby porridge, and he turns his nose up at it all. He started opening his mouth for swede, but that was only yesterday, so dont know it that was a fluke or not!!
Do you think I should give it up and start again in a week or two, keep perserving with the veggies iv given him untill he gets the hang of it, or keep trying new stuff untill I find somehting he likes... He is 24 weeks
Thanks in advance.

[Vics128]

forgot to mention, he is very interested in what we eat, is always trying to grab at our food, and is licking his lips when food comes.

[tigwig]

I would just keep on trying with the various veggies. It often takes babies ages to decide they do like something and just because they are spitting it out doesn't necessarliy mean they don't like it. Eating off a spoon is a whole new skill for a baby to learn and whilst some babies do it straight away and eat anything, others take a while. If you aren't against using the packet or jar baby foods you could try those and see if there's any difference. Also baby yoghurts are usually popular I would say your baby is old enough to try them now. If he still doesn't eat very much don't worry, milk will still be his main form of nutrition until he is older. There is no reason why a baby of this age should still need feeding in the night though, I would try baby rice before bed to discourage this if it were me! You don't want to be up in the night feeding when he is 1 and if you don't stop it soon it will be a habit thats hard to break. Good luck!

[Vics128]

thanks for that, but its not that he is spitting it out, more that he wont open his mouth, turns his head away, and bats the spoon away with his hand!
iv just tried him on a jar of food, with the same results!!
id love to give him rice b4 bed, but he wont take it, and although i want to stop the night feeds, im so full by the time he wakes, evan if i could get him back to sleep, i wouldnt be able too!!!

[mumof3angels]

Hi- you say that hea was having baby rice at lunch- is he still taking that or will he basically not have any thing off a spoon. I agree with tigwig about baby yoghurts. My 3 all loved them. Baby Danone yoghurts are good. I wouldn't try too many flavours one after each other- I thinks it's best to give one thing for a few days until he gets used to it. What about the little jars of fruit puree. They're quite sweet and babies usually love them. Have you tried some rusk with some of his milk. They go really mushy and easy to swallow.

[Vics128]

hi, no he wont take anything off a spoon. He hadnt really got the hang of the baby rice, we only started on fruit and veg cos the HV said we should.
I might try the rusk or yoghurt, but would be a bit worried he wont eat anything savoury..
Thanks everyone though!!

[redcrx]

i read once that it takes 20 offerings of a food before baby will decide if they like it or not. Keep trying. Perhaps give him something to hold in his hands whilst you feed him to distract him.

baby rice is bland, maybe try something like the powdered mixes, my two both started on banana porrige and because you make it you can make it very runny to start and just make tiny amounts.

also make sure youre using a soft spoon, not a hard plastic one as if hes teething that may hurt his gums.

good luck

[natalie_1982]

I started weaning my little girl at around the same age and found that she wasn't keen on any of the vegetables that the HV and friends had suggested (sweet potato, potato, carrot, sweed, etc). I quickly learnt though that she would eat anything as long as banana was mixed with it lol! She is now 7months and although is stillnot big on vegetables, she will eat pretty much anything else - fish, beef, chicken, pasta, rice, all types of fruit - she hasn't turned on down yet!

I would keep persevering, and eventually he will learn to take from a spoon. It does seem to take a while and then before you know it they are on three meals a day and eating you out of house and home.

As an added bonus for me my daughter began nursery at 6omnths and due to all the coughs, colds and bugs she caught she totally went off solids for 4-5weeks and I had to re-wean her twice. She started eating again two days ago though and now is eating me out of house and home, so I would say that it might take them a while to learn but once they WANT to eat, by God, they will!

Also, although I always make the food myself for my little girl I do keep a couple of jars of Hipp ruit puree in the cupboard to mix in with youghurt or custard if she is having an off food day.

If you haven't tried banana then give that a go - it's cheap, easy to prepare (mash - and hey presto!) and sweet so they seem to go for it. Then once he has the concept of taking from a spoon perhaps work other tastes in. Good luck xx

[naflharrison]

to be honest i really never had a problem with my 2 on the eating front as the are hungry hounds and have been on spoon feed since they were 13wks. if he is really interested in your food why not just make him food that he can hold for now, like carrot sticks steamed so he can hold them and cauliflower and broccolli florets etc and just leave a spoon by his plate see how he goes, would be great for him to learn how to feed with his own hands also plus he will still get the benefit of a health meal from it.