Need Feeding Advice

[cuca_]

DD is 5 months old and has been eating solids for about three weeks. She seems to enjoy them, and gets very excited when I am about to feed her. However, for the past few days she spends most of the feeding putting her bib and/or hand in her mouth as she eats. I find this very cute, however she makes quite a mess in doing it. I tried giving her a toy to distract her and it didn't work. Is there anything I can do to stop this (not discipline wise, as I think she is too young, but something to distract her or so), or should I just expect to have a very dirty baby for the next couple of months. TIA.

Let me clarify that she is eating, and seems to suck on her food as she does this. I was even thinking that she might be doing this to help herself swallow, although it is a new thing and she used to eat well without doing this.

Thanks!

[billysmommy]

Billy does this sometimes....usually if he really likes what he's eating and I'm not giving it to him fast enough..LOL..
Usually I can distract him by showing him the spoon with food on it and he will take his hand/bib/whatever else out and open up wide for the food. HTH

[Jen in Chicago]

Jude allows me to block one of his arms while I feed him, so we have 1/2 the mess. I let him get messy then bathe him. I did notice a bit of oatmeal caked on his eye brow this am when he left for daycare. I guess I missed a spot.

After reading other posts, I think we need to be thankful our children are eatting the cereal without any issues.

Avocado this weekend!

[vpalmer]

We have been feeding Eva rice cereal for about two weeks and she loves it as well. It is too funny that she has started doing the same thing as your DD. I try to distract her by giving her a spoon of her very own. Sometimes this work and she puts the spoon in her mouth which makes less of a mess and I figure is better that her hands. However, a lot of the time she just drops the spoon and puts her hands in her mouth again! I asked our pediatrician about it and the Dr. said that it was normal, but normal is still messy!

Jude's Mom - We are going to use avocado as Eva's second food as well although we are about two weeks behind you. Let us know how it goes.

Veronica
Mom to Eva 6-12-03

[cuca_]

Thanks for the replies. It's nice to know that there are others out there with messy babies! This morning I had to wipe it off her eyelashes. Iguess I'll have to do laundry more often! I am grateful that she has taken well tosolids, though, so no more complaining.

[lisams]

I think I read in "Child of Mine" or some other feeding book that it is very normal and it actually helps babies to swallow the food by sucking on their fist. I'm sure it's just a phase. But, there's always another phase that seems even messier than the one before :)

Lisa

[jubilee]

Chalk Logan up to doing the same thing! I try to hold his right hand while I feed him, but he still sometimes finds his left thumb!