Help, my 8 month old boy is a wonderful eater for me when I introduced cereal and baby food in addition to formula at about 6 months old. He was like a little bird mouth open for the next bite. Now within the last few days he is refusing his cereal and only seems to want the fruit baby foods. I have him on stage 2 Gerber. Also, he will NOT put any finger foods like cherios or Gerber Graduates Puffs or mashed bananas in his mouth. If I put that in his mouth gently he will spit it our and actually throw up his cereal. I thought at this age he is supposed to be eating mashed or finger foods and he is no where near eating anything but formula. What am I doing wrong?
Hi T.~
Do you think that maybe he is beginning to get teeth and that is why he is getting pickier about what he eats? Maybe his mouth is starting to get a little sore for him?
Just an idea...
K.
Don't worry about it. He'll prob still have that gag reflex for another month or so. Just keep offering him the different foods. You may try breaking the finger foods into smaller pieces (yes even cheerios...break them in half) until he gets better at it. He may also be in a stage where he isn't as hungry as he was.
I would try mixing the cereal into the baby food, a little at a time to thicken it up a little and so that he still is getting the cereal. My kids always loved going to more solid foods, so I'm not sure about that issue! Good luck!
Same thing here. My daughter will be 8 months this week. Last week she just didn't want any cereal, which she use to love. She ate it plain, mixed with Stage 2 veg or fruit & even ate the fruit cereals. I called ped. & they said same as some other Moms...she might be over it for now & going thru a more bottle & just jar food for now. As long as output is still good & what it use to be...no worries. I also think it is time for a few teeth so there might be some discomfort. You aren't doing anything wrong. Enjoy the fact that everytime we think we have them figured out...they change! :)
Perhaps he's teething and that’s what's bothering him. Maybe give him a day or two off to see if it's more interested after a break.
I'm also convinced that at this age they figure out the power they have. "I don't want to so I'm not going to." Although frustrating it's exciting to see them continue to develop and take on more personality.
Good luck!
You are doing nothing wrong. Kids are different. Have you tried stage 3, which is thicker, which may transition him into chunkier food. And try other brands other than Gerbver. Earth's best has some great chunky purees. Also at this age, we started making him some food, like our own mashed pot and squash and making a thicker puree. He loved them.
Have you tried to let him pick up the finger foods? That may interest him so much that he will want to eat them.
Also remember, it sometimes takes introducing a food many many times before they take to it. Assuming he is still on the bottle or breastfed, he is getting what he needs.
My little girl who is 8 months doesn't like any type of solid or finger foods. She's on stage 2 gerber, i too was having a problem with her eating cereal in the mornings. She would spit it out constantly. I started adding different types of fruit to her cereal now she loves it. She doesn't like her cereal thick, it has to be watery other wise she won't eat it............
Good luck with your little one.
It's probably just a stage. Try mixing the fruit with the
cereal. You may be trying too hard and he's asserting
some independence. Stop giving him finger foods for a few
days and then reintroduce them. If he refuses them, remove
them from his tray. Wait a couple of days more and try again.
He will eat them when he's ready. Babies sense our insecurities so relax. He won't starve.
We went through almost exactly the same thing. Our daughter would literally GAG herself and make herself puke if you put a cheerio on her tongue. This was right about at 8 months. I kid you not, then a few weeks later, on her own, we just kept putting Cheerios and puffs on her tray and then she started eating them! She is still wary (and sometimes gags) with the third foods that have noodles or rice in them but we are getting better. She just turned 10 months old.
With the cereal you might want to try opening a jar of fruit and mixing it in with the cereal. I have also found cereal that is the dried kind with apples and bananas or mixed fruit. About the finger foods. I think it just takes some adjustment to the new textures. You might try putting it in front of him while you are feeding him. He might start eating it on his own. With my three children I have noticed that if I keep on offering it to them they eventually try it. sometimes it can take up to ten tries for them to develop a taste for it. Don't give up. He'll eventually catch on.
Don't worry you aren't doing anything wrong. It sounds like he is having trouble transitioning over to solid foods. He is used to his formula and baby cereal. Sometimes all you can do is just keep trying but give it about a week in between the time from the last time you tried. Some babies don't like the texture of finger foods and they gag on them. Also, you can put a call into his pediatrician and see if he/she has any suggestions that can help you out. I had to do the spacing part of a week between trying new foods with my middle son. Eventually he took to the new foods and textures, but in the mean time it drove me crazy. He will be fine sometimes it just takes a little more time for some babies than others.
D.
I am a 31 yr. old stay at home mom. I have been married going on 12 yrs. this Nov. and my husband and I have 3 boys ages 10,7 and 4.
He may be at the end of a growth spurt, so his body isn't craving as much food. Also, his taste may have changed. When he's hungry, he will eat. Children often go through picky stages. My 4 year old went through a picky stage his whole life it seems. He still doesn't care for veggies much. I was the same way when I grew up, so I don't worry about it. Veggies are more bitter than fruit and baby food tastes terrible.
He may not like the texture of some squishy foods. Try more solid foods. There are a million cereals on the market. There are fruit cereal bars, pasta, fruit & yogurt, cottage cheese, apple sauce, peaches, pears, etc. Whatever you eat, let him try it in small bites.
With my 4 year old I followed all the peds directions. With my almost 3 year old I let him lead with what he wanted. At 6 months he was eating off the table. The baby foods just didn't give him what his body needed.
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he may be cutting teeth and his gums hurt him
Don't worry too much! All babies are different and many don't feed themselves until 9 or 10 months. Also, remember that he gets all his needed nutrition from the formula for the first year, so any solids beyond that are about teaching him to eat, not giving him nutrients. This will take some of the pressure out of it for you :) I just read that when it comes to veggies, it take 8-10 tries to get a baby to like them, so, buy a sweet potato, mash it up, and give him a bite each meal for a few days, he will probably decide he likes it after a while. Do the same with things like peas and spinach and corn and such.
My little girl is 9 month and it took her a few days to get used to putting things in her mouth and keeping it there. She would spit the puffs out all the time at first. As for refusing the food...is he teething? My little one gets picky about eating solids when she has a tooth coming through.
He may have a sensory problem in his mouth with solids. My 6yr. old did, only we didnt' know it until she was about 2 1/2 yrs. old.
She didnt'want to chew solids even if soft.
Ask your pediatrician for referral to a specialist.
L.
My son didn't like solids till he turned 12mo--some babies just aren't interested. However, since your son was eating them and now isn't, you may want to check on other issues. Is he sick or getting sick? Is he getting new teeth? Have there been any big upheavals in the house lately? If you can't issolate any problem, for now, I wouldn't push it. Keep offring every once in a while, but let him decide. But I would try to pin down if there's anything wrong because of he change. But he may have just decided he's not into it right now!
Hello,
When my son was 6 months old we started him on cereal. He did great for a few months then turned his head to it. I started mixing applesauce with it. He loved all the fruits and when I mixed them he thought he was eating the fruit. He eventually ate the cereal with many other fruits that he liked. If your son likes applesauce try mixing cereal with it and see how he likes it. Hope it works........
