Trouble Introducing Solids

D.,
My second a boy would not eat solids for a long time> I did the same waited until he was 6 months before trying the solids. All he wanted was to be breastfed. Wait a few weeks and try the cereal again. If she is gagging on it she might not be ready for it. Hope this helps and good luck.

You daughter is getting everything she needs from breastmilk, so it is not nutritionally necessary for her to have any foods until she is 12 months old. So you don't need to push it, just wait until she really wants to eat and she will. Good luck and Have fun.
D.

Since she doesn't have trouble taking a bottle I would suggest you buy one of those bottles that is made for rice cereal. I would add the breast milk only at first to see if she will take it better and if not then try the fruit. Just keep at it because she will eventually eat it and I think starting to give it to her in a bottle would help her with this transition.

Good Luck!

My pediatrician gave me the best advice on solids. He told me to eat around my boys - we had dinner together on certain nights with the twins in high chairs. When they imitated my chewing motions and opened their mouths as if they wanted to eat, then I should introduce solids. This took until around seven to eight months of age. Mine never liked cereal without fruit mixed and were not on baby food for long - went to table food. I had in-laws tell me I was STARVING my children by not starting them on solids at four months old(nonsense) but I stuck to my beliefs. My boys are five now and NOT PICKY eaters! They try everything at least once! Good luck.

Hi-
I did not exclusively breastfeed for more than 6 months. However, I am aware that people do it. I know people that have breastfeed for 12 months. Breast milk still provides all the nourishment your child needs.I think the bigger issue is going to be whether you can keep up with the frequency that your child will want to nurse.

Good Luck.

A healthy baby who does not want to start solids simply is not ready. Just wait a bit before trying again. I have nursed for up to a year before starting solids; it all depends on the baby. I usually start adding just a little bit of rice cereal to pumped bottles and gradually make the mix thicker.
Good luck.

Its great that you have breastfeed exclusively for all of these months.
I have noticed that there seems to be a posting almost daily regarding a babies rejecting solids.

Remember,the "recommended" whatevers from the doctors change as often as our babies diapers. When my first child was born the in thing was baby on her back to sleep, with #2 they were pushing for baby on belly, with #3 it was baby on side...So as far as the solid food go , give your little honey-bunny some time to gain interest, believe me I breastfeed exclusively for a collective 4-5 years (4 babies) and they all eat solid food now :) As long as your health is well and your getting enough food/nutrients and water all should be well. LISTEN TO YOUR INTUITION. Your the one who knows your baby best, not the folks who average out our children like cans on a shelf. Most little one will make their way to your plate and give you a "hey, what about me!" look or help themselves to the yummy goodness on your plate. Remember, we are all individuals.
Peace

Not to worry D., she just isn't ready yet. Listen to what the moms here are telling you and also your daughter.
Keep up the great job of mothering. Life is good, isn't it?

I wouldn't worry about her not getting any solids right now. It used to be that peds would push the issue about starting it at 6 months and forcing them to eat it, but the research is starting to change that mindset. I feel that food should be for fun until they're 1. Breastmilk is nutritionally complete, and the whole idea that it's deficient in iron is really a mistaken perspective. It has less iron than formula, but that's because only 4% of iron from formula is absorbed where 50% of iron from breastmilk is absorbed! So formula has to have more iron, so the baby will get enough. I wouldn't try and force her to eat either... she may develop negative associations with food, and that's not good in the long run! Just let her go at her own pace... make sure her tongue thrust is gone, that she can sit up by herself, and let her sit at the table when your family is eating. When she starts showing an interest in what you do, give her some soft fingerfoods (don't worry, her gag reflex will make sure she doesn't choke) so that she can feed herself! By giving her real food (as opposed to purees) and letting her feed herself, that's one less transition you'll have to make later on! She also might enjoy that more than from a spoon. Just follow her cues... she'll get there!

Your daughter may not be ready for solid food even if you are ready for to be. There may be other things going on and besides your milk is the best thing for her. Six months is only a bench mark not a concrete time table. She sounds like she is happy with the way things are and may not be ready to move on. Remember the best part of nursing is the bond developed between mother and baby. Down the road you will be happy for that,especially when they become teenagers! Enjoy the closeness and she will get plenty of nutrition.

Oh, sorry, I forgot to add this. I met a lactation consultant who said her 4th baby wasn't interested at all in solid foods for a LONG time, and he ended up exclusively breastfed past 12 months! With 3 other kids to chase around, she said it worked out for her, but she was surprised. The only extra thing she gave him was a multivitamin for the vitamin D and iron.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-when.htm

Lots of infants have NO interest at all until AFTER 10 or 12 months, believe it or not. I'd put everything away and not even try again until she's literally grabbing your food off your plate or off your fork at dinnertime. Seriously. I know that sounds wacky, but if you're willing to wait, she WILL let you know. Both of my babies started going completely berserk around the dinnertable and snatched at my food. If you keep trying every day, or even every week, it will just frustrate both of you to no end. And it's not necessary, because there is literally NO solid food right now that will be healthier than breastmilk. Or even formula!

And truthfully, it's a lot easier for you. The early stages of solid foods are MESSY and a lot more hassle than just latching her on. Then you have to worry "was there any reaction" to the new food, "is she still getting mostly breastmilk?", "has she already had this or that food?" "has it been 3 days since she's tried a new food?"
"what's in this besides sweet potatoes?" "is it too soon for strawberries?" Etc.

If you're concerned about iron, there are iron supplements available over the counter. My pediatrician recommended a multi-vitamin with iron ("Poly-Vi-Sol" or generic equivalent.) when my first baby was 3-4 months old and still just nursing, because of the vitamin D and the iron.
MAKE SURE you get the one WITH IRON - the boxes are nearly identical. They also sell "infant iron drops" (that is, it's *just* iron, at a higher concentration than the multi-vitamin) My 2 year old is taking that now, because his iron was low at his last office visit.

Keep in mind that the multi-vitamin also has vitamin D, which was just in the news because they increased the amount for the Recommended Daily Allowance, and it's sometimes scarce in breastmilk. The liquid vitamins taste TERRIBLE at first, but my kids got used to it, and don't mind the taste now. But when she's first getting used to it, wipe off the outside of the dropper and put it near the back of her tongue so she doesn't taste it as much, and get some water or juice to chase it down.

More on iron:
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/Iron.htm

I agree, keep trying a little each day but don't try to force the issue. Six months is only a recommendation, it cannot possibly apply to all babies. You may like to try something like sweet potato that seems to be a favorite for many babies. Rice cereal tastes awful - just try it yourself! And I'd definitely keep mixing breast milk into all the foods you try for a while. Don't worry, she'll eat soon. Good luck!!

I'm a big proponent of letting the child take the lead when it comes to food. She will let you know when she is ready. I don't start with the "solid" foods until the baby is starting to reach for food/utensils when I am eating. Especially if she is beginning to gag when you feed her, she may have a sensitive gag reflex or she may be conditioning herself to do it because she doesn't want to eat solids now. Either way she's showing you she's not ready. If she is sensing that you want to push the solid food to begin weening her she may resist as well.

I wouldn't be concerned about iron unless a medical screening shows that she needs it. Just make sure you still take a vitamin and eat a healthy diet - your breast milk will evolve to her needs at her age/development. I have breast fed all three of my children (the last two till 13 months) and find that each one has been different when they were ready to transition. Whenever I would get tired/frustrated with nursing I would remind myself that I wouldn't be doing it forever and in actuality, would reach a point when I would miss that closeness and special time that I had with my child while I was nursing.

Hope that helps. :)

If she's not ready, she's not ready. And I think that's what she's telling you here. Get a good liquid vitamin for iron and calc/vit. D.

Offer her something at every mealtime. Mashed potatoes, squash, other soft foods. Let her participate in family meal time and see everyone else eating. She'll get there. Six months is just a rough estimate anyway. If you can pump, you can also try bottles at mealtimes and seeing if that'll help the transition.

Solid readiness info for breastfeeding moms:
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-when.html

I really wouldn't worry about that. Although this hasn't happened to me, it has happened many times to my friends. It's no big deal. Just keep nursing her and try again in a month. If not then, then wait another month. You are giving your child what they need. They will tell you when they need more. Good luck!

Both my daughters never wanted any solid food until 11-12mo age. My first was a bottle baby and my second was nursed for 13mo, refused all bottles. Your child will let you know when she is ready for solids. If you feel she needs more iron, then you take in more iron so she will get it through the breast milk.

Olivia 4.26.04 43in 37lb Britax Regant/Graco Nautilus
Makayla 9.26.06 30in 27lb RearFacing Britax Wizard

My little girl (10 months) started having rice cereal at about 6 1/2 months and hated it as well. I just stopped because I was "forcing" her to try it and felt like I would make her have a bad idea of eating. She then after I stopped trying seemed interested, so I just gave her other baby food and she ate that like a champ. eventually when she got the hang of it I started putting the rice cereal into the baby food in the am and pm so she was still getting it. So I would maybe try the same thing and just let her figure it out. I also wanted to say that one of my girlfriends didn't give their baby food until ten months and he just went straight to table food without even wanting baby food. Maybe she will be that way too. I just wouldn't worry about her getting enough from you. If she is gaining weight, active, and happy I would just relax and let her do what is natural for her.

If she's sleeping through the night, there's no compelling reason to force her to eat solids. She'll let you know when she's ready. I've seen some babies get to be ten months before they care about solid food. It's much better to let her start grabbing it from you, because she wants it, than to stress both of you by pushing it on her. Good luck!

My son was the same way. I introduced the cereal at 6 months and he was ok with it, not great. Then, when I tried to introduce food with flavor, he would gag every time and refuse it. I kept at it atleast once a day and now he loves it. Keep on trying and try to be patient, and if it doesn't get better you can always discuss at the 9 month check up. Good luck!

oh I wouldn't worry about this at all! My daughter is almost 8 months, and I haven't even started trying her on solids yet. She doesn't seem ready and I am following her lead. They don't even need solids for the first year. Just keep nursing. We are practicing "Baby led feeding", which is basically letting them begin with finger foods (or food spooning themself) and control how much they eat, and what they want to eat (of course always introducing more foods). This helps them understand their own body and how much they should eat. Many people don't even start their kids on solids until after a year.

Don't push the solids it seems to me she is trying to tell you she just isn't ready yet. and personally I avoid those baby cereals like the plague by the time they take everything out to make them the right consistancy they have to chemically put all the nutrients they depleted out back again. I think with my boys my 4yo had an apple from a pie not my first choice for a food but he was in dad's arms at the time and over 6 months my 2yo was completely content to wait til almost 11 months before he was ready to venture into the world of food and textures. Food in the first 12 months is really more about exploration than nourishment if you are still breastfeeding and I wouldn't worry about it. if you really want to give her food try a more whole foods approach with her like a sweet potato or banana or even YUM avocado with all its wonderful healthy fats for growing brains! I always just steamed the potatoes and mashed them up with some breast milk to thin them out and then banana and avocado just added breastmilk to find the right consistancy! GOOD LUCK !!

hi D.,

i have two little boys, 2.5 and a 1 year old. both of them were exclusively breastfed until i introduced solids, but they were both completely different except for the fact that neither of them took bottles or pacifiers. my first little boy did great with solids and started them around 5 or 6 months. my second, however, was a little more difficult--similar to what you are going through. i tried to introduce solids to him at a little over 4 months because he was a big baby and i thought he needed it (10 lbs at birth). he refused, so i just kept trying every couple of weeks. i would say he didn't really start eating until about 8-9 months. i might could get him to take a bite every now and then, but he would just close his mouth and turn his head. he did start eating a little better when i gave him his own spoon to hold. some of his first foods were a banana (cut into small bites), a baked sweet potato (cooled and cut into small squares), really soft noodles, toast. he wanted to pick them up and eat them himself. he still to this day isn't crazy about baby food if i try to sneak it in for a little extra nutrition. oh, one other thing he loved is gerber makes diced apples, pears, and carrots. they are in a small baby food jar and don't have any added sugar and are very soft. of course he has 10 teeth now and has had several since about 6 months, but as long as everything is extremely soft and you watch your little girl closely, she should be fine--my little guy was. like i said, he just wanted what we had and to not use a spoon at all. if i could finger feed it to him, he would eat it.

good luck--hope this helps! you're definitely not alone on this one though :-)

My son is now 7 months old, and I began introducing rice cereal to him at about 5 1/2 months. He hated it! My son has always been formula fed and still did not want solids. I would have to hurry up and slip the spoon in his mouth as soon as it opened. Even now, he would rather have his bottle than baby food or cereal, even though he does like the taste of the solids. I just continue to feed him solids, because ultimately they have to make that transition. You cannot keep babies on formula or breastmilk forever. I think what you're going through is completely normal. At least in my experience it is. Babies feel full faster when they drink from a bottle, and some get impatient when eating off of a spoon. However, babies grow up and eventually learn to eat solids happily (can't wait for that day!) and understand that sometimes obtaining that full feeling cannot be instantaneous, as we also begin to get them on a normal meal schedule.

Don't worry about what you're going through too much. If she's given other signs that she's ready for solids, like staring at you while you eat, holding her head up, getting teeth, etc., then just keep trying. She will probably only take a little tiny bit of solids at a time for now, but she'll eventually get it.

Good luck!
K.:)

I would say just to keep trying a little everyday. She may just not be ready for solids yet. Does she show any signs of interest? such as grabbing for your food or drink, intently watching you or others eat...those are usual signs of interest in solids. I wouldn't stress if she is healthy and happy. Just give it time.

I'd probably just take a break from all of it for a week or so. It'll take the pressure off -- you and her -- and you can come back to it with a renewed attitude. Children really tune into our frustrations and worries, so that may be affecting her here. Also, there's really no strict rule that says they have to start with eating cereal. Try pears by themselves, or something else entirely. The only thing you do have watch is that the food has low allergen properties. My little guy wasn't a huge fan of cereals, but he loved applesauce, so we started with applesauce and then gradually blended it with the cereal. If this continues to be an issue, you could try going to a feeding specialist. I just heard one from Children's Healthcare speak at a MOPS group, and she was fantastic.

Best of luck!

Hi D.!

My 2nd DD was very similar to your baby....nursed exclusively and I tried to start solids around 6 months. She would gag and act like I was trying to poisen her with all the cereals. I decided to wait a month and just continued to nurse her. At 7 months, she still refused the cereal and went straight to table food. My little gal just didn't like the mushy, pureed cereals. I started off with bananas, sweet potatoes, etc....fruits and veggies that were soft and as she got older and got teeth I expanded her diet. I think that she just wanted to eat big people food. She has always eaten what the rest of the family has eaten and is a great eater now.
Good Luck!
A.

Hi D.,

My first daughter was happy to give solids a try right around the 6 month mark, but our second was much more reluctant. With her, she'd even throw up if we gave her more than a spoonful, even at 8 months! By 9 months (she was exclusively nursing) she was finally ready to try little samples, but she didn't really get started with much volume until she was a year old! She nursed well after that too.

This is all to say, don't worry about it at all. She's getting far better nutrition from your milk than from any other food she could have, esp with cold/flu season coming. When she shows interest, then she's ready. Enjoy the easy clean-up of nursing too! You have plenty of flying baby food in your future, so relish these moments as much as you can :)

Follow her lead. Some children are ready for solids earlier than others. I started my oldest on solids at 8 1/2 months and he wasn't really into it - so it was work. I decided with my second that I would hold off until she was ready. She started grabbing for foods that I was eating at 6 1/2 months. If I didn't feed her she made it abundantly clear that she wanted FOOD (shouting and waving her arms). She is much more into it.

As long as she is breastfeeding a lot (which is sounds like she is) she will be fine and getting all the nutrition she needs.

my girlfriend nursed for over a year. didn't introduce foods until later than you.

when the kid was 11 months she didn't even know how to pick up Cherrios.. or birthday cake (her mothers)

ask your doc but I wouldn't worry