What To Do About DD Not Interested In Solids

[randomkid]

DD is 7 months old and I know it is still early, but she does not seem to like anything we give her. When we first started with bananas, she went crazy for them and was eating great from a spoon (put the spoon in front of her and she would lean forward, open her mouth, take the food and happily swallow). We tried to introduce a new food and she hated it - avocado. Ever since then, she doesn't want anything, even the bananas she seemed to love so much. We have tried several things, both fresh and baby food, thin and with a little texture. Our latest attempts have been to mix applesauce with rice cereal (and I was totally opposed to cereal, but she seems to like it a little better). I've tried feeding her with my finger and just letting her eat it off the plate, putting her hands in it, etc. so she doesn't feel forced. We always try several times with the same food before trying another one and I've gone several days with no solids, then tried again. I should mention that she is on Nutramigen and I'm wondering if the horrible taste of that has anything to do with her rejecting better tasting foods(?).

I'm not really stressed about it right now, but have read enough posts about DCs that refuse solids after 8 months and have also read that if your DC is not taking solids by 8 months or so, it gets harder to introduce them.

I know they say the longer you wait, the better which is why I'm not stressed...yet. I just want to avoid a possible problem down the road.

Any opinions/suggestions? What is your experience with this? Why so excited at first (for about 10 days), then not interested at all?

TIA,

[jennifer_r]

Unfortunately, I have no advice to give you (just support) - my DD is still very picky at almost a year and we also went through the same stuff as you (she too really like bananas at first and then it went downhill). It sounds like you are doing the right things and try not to get too stressed about it (sounds easier than it is, I know!). However, I know that other mothers on this board have posted that their babies who refused solids for quite awhile, started eating them well. It's almost like a switch goes off. Your baby's switch just has not gone "off" yet.

Jennifer

Mom to:
Christopher 12/29/89
Adelaide 8/23/04
And another DD arriving end of October!

[DebbieJ]

I say follow her lead. Some babies are just ready sooner than others.

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/10029.gif

[mudder17]

My suggestion is to just wait a couple weeks--give her and yourself a little break. We actually started with plain oatmeal cereal (better on her digestive system than rice cereal) and she seemed to really relish the plain taste of it. Stronger flavors just didn't seem to interest her. We tried introducing other stuff as well, but Oatmeal was definitely her favorite, so I didn't push it and it actually took us a couple months to get her to eat more than mostly oatmeal. :) Yes, she did eat other stuff, but never a huge amount. I don't know what Nutramigen tastes like, but maybe with your DD, it's better to start with some plain tasting foods first (like Oatmeal or rice). If you're opposed to cereal because it's not quite as nutritious, you might consider the oatmeal because I think it has a little bit more stuff than the rice. Plus, in our case, the oatmeal is not binding the way rice was.

Around 14 or so months is when Kaya started preferring more flavorful foods. Before, it was sweet potatoes (plain), plain cold tofu, plain peas, plain oatmeal...she did like yobaby mixed 1:2 with plain yogurt though.

I would definitely say follow your DD's lead. If she doesn't like foods right now, don't push it and just wait a little while and try again in 2 weeks and see how she does. I wouldn't worry about the 8 month cut-off period. I think several moms here have introduced foods after 8 months because of digestive issues or what have you, and they haven't run into more problems because of it (probably less because their kiddo has outgrown the issues).

Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 17 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_4_Kaya+is.png

[californiagirl]

It took DD a couple months to get into the whole solids things (she now is a big eater). Some of it was finding out what she likes (she likes strong tastes, and she just doesn't like the texture of most baby food -- even now she won't eat mashed potatoes), but some of it was just time, I think.