7 Month Old Refusing Solids

By the sounds of it - she is a very healthy girl!! Oh my goodness. Definately continue to breast feed as often as she/you want to, but how about breast feeding after you offer solids??

They say you can exclusively breastfeed until a year.... so I wouldnt stress too much if she isnt into solids. She doesnt need them yet. She is CLEARLY getting everything she needs from breast milk, so I personally wouldnt force the solids.

What are you mixing the cereal with? If it is anything but breast milk, that could be why she is rejecting it.

I started my daughter at 4 1/2 mos with rice cereal mixed with breast milk. I did 1 tsp of rice cereal with BM until its creamy. Maybe the texture is bothering your daughter, try making it thicker or more creamy, warm and cold... etc. My daughter was so finicky - if it was off a temp or was too thick - she wouldnt eat it. Then I slowly increased the amount over a slow period of time so that she and her belly could adjust to it. Eventually, I fed her out of teh plastic container and just let her lead the way til she turned her head as if to say "I'm full". I gave her rice cereal at 4 1/2 mos and then waited until close to 6 mos before I had introduced fruits & veggies ( I introduced a new one each week). My daughter also liked the banana flavored rice cereal.

I dont know if this helps, but like I said - I wouldnt worry if she is having breast milk. Congrats on still breastfeeding!

I was about to write something and decided to "second" what Brittany wrote. You certainly don't need to read it twice!

Hi J.,
I just want to reassure you that you don't need to worry about this. Obviuosly your daughter is thriving and growing. She's getting everything she needs from the nursing. Kids are so different. My 6th one absolutely refused to have anything to do with solids until he was about a year. It threw me for a loop because it wasn't an issue with the others, but he was my healthiest one yet, so the worry was for naught. I tried everything I could think of at the time to get him to eat solids, but he really didn't want them. I just kept reintroducing them every now and then, and eventually he decided he would eat, but by that point, he just ate what we were eating. And now, at 2, he's a great eater. I would not nurse less often, but would probably offer solids in between the breastfeedings. That way you know she's still getting what she needs from the nursing, but she may be hungrier for the solids in between. Good luck.

Just keep offering it to her, and she will eat it when she's ready. Try letting her play with the food, bowl and spoon too. Messy, I know.
I also eat at the same time as I offer solids and my daughter likes to immitate me. That might help. Everytime I do eat, I show her my food. Now she looks at me like - hey, where's mine?
I usually offer it after BF to make sure she gets most of her nutrition from BM, BUT I wait about an hour afterwards so she is not so full.
Hope that helps!

Hi J., I am new to this site but I thought when I read your file that it might be a good idea to give her food before she fills up on the milk. (when she is really hungry) my kids always finished the serving (stage 1) of fruit mixed with some cereal and a little milk/formula. I would warm it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. (not too hot) I would also mix the veggies with the cereal because they are so runny it was easier when it stuck to the spoon. I would keep persisting. I have heard (from nurses and therapists) that it is good to expose your child to different flavors and textures as early as they can in order to not have a fussy eater later. Keep trying!!!! She'll get it eventually!

I just wanted to say my son is the same way, but like another reader said it isn't a problem nutrition-wise, so don't worry too much - keep giving her opportunities to eat and she will when she's ready.

sounds like my son! i tried to introduce solids after 6 months and zero interest. i only really started feeding him after a year. he only nurses once a day now (he just turned 2) but still asks for the breast when he actually just needs something to eat. it must be hard for them to have to change their understanding of feeding from cuddling/security to just plain nutrition. i wish i had tried more when he was younger because im sure he would be less picky now. i got really tough about food pretty recently (breast only after food) and he basically weaned himself off the breast almost completely in a month. your daughter is still young so you don't need to be that tough about it. offer food first when you know she's hungry but make sure you know when she wants to nurse for comfort. it's great youve nursed her so long! food doesnt have to be the end of nursing!