Introducing Solids - San Pablo,CA

Definitely try again later, maybe even a couple days later. I started my daughter on solids at 6 months, and in retrospect, I think it was just too early. She was just not that into it. She's 10 months now, and a pretty decent eater (there are still definitely things she doesn't like) but overall a solid eater.

Also, something he might not like today, he might like in a month or 2.

Don't stress, it will be ok. :-)

My son did the same but when we started giving him a spoon of his own to play with while we feed him he was much more willing to try new foods. It really helped us.

Hi Momma-
Try a sweet veggie, like sweet potatoes, mixed in with the cereal. There really is no issue with giving your child fruits (they need them, too) as long as you don't give them fruits with sugar. My nephew is more inclined towards fruits, but after mixing a pureed apple with his cereal, he will eat almost anything. Also, ask your doctor if your baby is old enough, but maybe adding a little cinnamon to his cereal will change the flavor. I can tell you that having a diabetic husband has changed our eating habits to those of a child- no refined sugars, no juice, just plain jane food. So to add some flavor, we have had to go back to basics with herbs and spices and re-learn to love the taste of real, fresh food. Your baby is old enough to start picking at other things, too, like black beans or steamed peas. He can start feeding himself and in between bites you can slip in a spoon full of what you want him to eat. Some babies refuse to be spoon fed. My husband's sister has two boys, and they refused baby food and being spoon fed. They want to do it themselves which means solids a bit sooner, but they are really healthy (whole foods only, veggies and fruits) and doing quite well. I think it's just about what he will eat and what you can feed him.
I hope this helps.
-E. M

I'd say give it a couple of weeks. He simply may not be ready. Solids at this point are for exploration and not any nutritional value. So no need to push it faster than he wants it. At 7 months, my mom was visiting and pushed the solids a bit too hard on my daughter. She flat out refused solids - screaming at even the site of the spoon - for a few weeks. At eight months, sge was (and continues to be) a star eater.

Also, the fruit vs. veggie thing is a myth. Have you ever tried how sweet breast milk is? Check out wholesomebabyfoods.com for some great information on solids.

My son loved the orange veggies - sweet potatoes, butternut and acorn squash, carrots and green beans! He also has had fruits now - but likes the veggies much better. Also - I am making all of his food - that way you can have more variety in what you are serving.

You can try using your finger to scoop his food instead of a spoon. That worked well for my daughter. (Just introduce the spoon later when he's used to eating solids.) Avocado has a good taste and consistency for little ones. And, really, giving fruit is not horrible. If your son breastfeeds, breastmilk, is VERY sweet. My daughter started on banana and applesauce and has never refused vegetables. She's now almost two and eats any vegetable you can think of: swiss chard, fennel, broccooli.

I would try giving him a spoon to play with and than use a different spoon to give him the food. Don't force him, but allow him to play with the things you are trying to feed him with. He's curious about them. I would start with rice cereal and maybe some carrots (they are a little sweeter when pureed) and/or banana and see what happens. I know for my boys, giving them a bottle (or nursing them) first sometimes filled their belly up enough for them to want to try the food I was feeding them.
I also had heard about the taste for sweets with the fruit, but I would always do a veggie first and a fruit last...kept it consistent for them. they are both VERY good veggie eaters now. My 3 year olds very favorite meal is rice and broccoli ha ha. Sweet potatoes was always one of the favorites and bananas.

good luck, and keep a camera close by ha ha, the fun is about to begin.

I have a different take on it since my 2nd didn't want to start solids at 6 months. She was around 9 months old before she really started solids. All babies are different and 6 months is just a guideline. Babies know what they need and what they don't. He's telling you he's not ready. Put the solids away and try again in a couple of weeks. He isn't going to starve as breastmilk or formula should be the majority of his diet anyway. With my daughter, I'd try every couple of weeks till she was interested and wanted to try the foods. We started with cereal and veggies also. Now she is a 20 month champ eater!

We had the same problem. Our pediatrician said to start at 6 months but I thought she was ready early so we tried cereal a few times and did good but then it seemed once we were going to really start solids she changed her mind. Our little one is 8 months now and eating fine, for her and I ( I think). I tried not to stress because she is still getting all the nutrition she needs from breastfeeding. Solids is practice eating. We just tried a little each day, usually when hubby and I are eating too. She eventually just started liking more and eating more.
I think the big thing that I had to remember is that every child is different and will do things at their pace. Just give it some time, he will start when he's ready.

M.-

Although the recommendation is to start with veggies, neither of my kids liked them. So, we went with the fruits. At 3.5 and 23 months, they'll finish their broccoli and cauliflower before anything else on their plate. It's a general guideline because the tastebuds for sweet are so much more sensitive at their age.

Be consistent and try different foods. We used to put breastmilk into the cereal to make it which gave it a familiar taste and added things like baby food to flavor it as well.

Here's what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends on their parenting website:
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/f...

Maybe he might like a different vegetable like sweet potatoes or sweet peas. Even the green beans might taste better...

Beach nut makes "country garden vegetables" it has peas, grn beans, carrots and potatoes. My daughter loves it and eats 2 jars a day

Don't worry about it. You can think of mealtime with your son as a time for him to play with and experiment with food. He doesn't yet need it for nutrition. You can try feeding him with your finger instead of the spoon. That might be less threatening.
As far as sweet versus not sweet, I agree with the other mom-- breastmilk is incredibly sweet and loaded with sugar. They are born with a preference for sweets. My daughter as a baby would eat almost any vegetable and now as a toddler is incredibly picky. Have you tried mixing his cereal with breastmilk or formula?
A really great book I used when my daughter was a baby is "The Petite Appetit." It's a practical reference and has tons of truly yummy recipes, some of which I still make for us all today.
If he still refuses, wait another couple of weeks before trying again.
Good luck!!

My son was the same at 6 months. You might want to try giving it after a few weeks. But, for me, I kept trying to give him one or two spoons of solid once or twice a day and eventually he started eating it more and more. I thought he would never eat solids at all. But, they all do it in their own time.

Teething maybe???? My 6.5 month old is not eating much now because of that it seems.

Here's what I would suggest. Give him his own spoon to hold while you feed him. You can put a little food on his spoon so that he feels like he's "feeding" himself. Put a little of the food on the high chair tray and let him mess with it; inevitably his hands will end up in his mouth and he'll get a taste.

Zucchini is kind of a hard food to start with, I think. My 8 mo. old eats all kinds of food, but she does not like zucchini. Try carrots or squash - those have both gone over really well with my baby. Other foods that have worked well for us: sweet potato, apple, banana, mango, peas, avocado, white potato. Also on the cereals, try thinning it out to make the texture more palatable. That was a problem for us when we first started on it.

And just keep trying. That's probably the best advice I can offer. Eventually you will find foods that he loves. Good luck!