Is she just not ready for solids?

[cpendergraff]

So my daughter is almost 7 months. For two weeks we have been slowly introducing a few solids. I tried the baby led weaning method and offered her some banana and some sweet potatoes. She had a great time mushing them but was not interested in eating them. I even put some on my finger and put it to her mouth and she gave the most terrible face. So then I tried mushing it up and giving it to her in a spoon. No go. She would stick her tongue out to taste it but then she would make a terrible faced and shiver. It's the same story every time we try.

She will take water out of a cup but that's about it. She appears to be interested, if grabbing everything and putting in her mouth is any indication of "ready.". So is it possible that she just doesn't like bananas and sweet potatoes or is something else going on? Do some children just prefer right? Should I try that?

[cpendergraff]

Should read "do some children just prefer puréed foods?"

[ikitakunai]

I don't think it means anything. That's exactly what she should be doing for BLW. It will take awhile before the playing turns more into actual eating.

[EmilytheStrange]

My DD didn't want solids that young. But she was a baby, so yeah, she wanted to put everything in her mouth. Except food.

I would give it some time and try later. Mine started closer to 8months and started eating everything she had previously denied. Except avocado - she didn't like that until very recently. And she has never been overly fond of bananas. She eats them frozen now, but mostly squishes fresh ones.

[abunchoflemons]

My oldest seemed to be flawless in transition 2 food solids but 2nd I tried but not take very well so just waited longer & now like begging dog even if she just finish eating...lol.

[cpendergraff]

Thanks Mamas. It's been hard because most everyone in my family wants to start solids early and I've held off until now and because she's refusing un getting a lot of "you shouldn't have waited so long! See, you should have listened."

I'm feeling lousy.

[Boheme]

Originally Posted by cpendergraff Thanks Mamas. It's been hard because most everyone in my family wants to start solids early and I've held off until now and because she's refusing un getting a lot of "you shouldn't have waited so long! See, you should have listened." I'm feeling lousy.

Also, don't feel lousy! I didn't start solids with this baby until about 11mo, and now, only 1 month later, she eats EVERYTHING. Literally, I give her a baby-sized serving of, say, the veggie stew we have for dinner, and she gobbles down the kale, onions, and celery, and then goes in for the rest. She actually PREFERS her greens! She eats the same homemade cookies, veggie chili, and almond butter sandwiches as the rest of us. Not bad progress for just one month of eating solids, and she never went through that puree, spoon-fed, gagging and diaper rash stage that a lot of little babies go through when starting.

Your baby has PLENTY of time to have fun with solids before she has to get serious and actually start eating them!

[megs715]

Don't feel lousy, my daughter refused all solids until 11 months (purees made her gag), I'd sit her at the table for meals and giver what we were eating (within reason of course) and she played in it or just ignored it until about 11 months when the light seemed to go on and now she's a decent eater at 22 months.

[cpendergraff]

Originally Posted by megs715 Don't feel lousy, my daughter refused all solids until 11 months (purees made her gag), I'd sit her at the table for meals and giver what we were eating (within reason of course) and she played in it or just ignored it until about 11 months when the light seemed to go on and now she's a decent eater at 22 months.

Thanks

[Boheme]

Grabbing things and putting them in her mouth is NOT an indication that she is "ready" for solids. It means she has the motor skills to put things to her mouth in order to explore them. It means that she is in the process of *getting* ready.

My question would be, where are you getting these expectations about how much she should be eating, if you are just starting solids? Granted, adults (and children, and other animals, etc) eat a certain amount of food at each sitting. But remember, your baby is getting everything she needs from milk, so she is not hungry. She will not eat a full meal of solids. She will play in it, and mush it, and taste it, and slowly, over a few months, she will increase what she eats, and find things she really likes, and then she will be ready for a true meal. That's the process.

I would recommend just giving her different things to try and don't expect anything at all, except for her to have fun with her tasty new toy. Just give her bits of whatever you're having for dinner so she can try different types of things, lots of tastes and textures to explore, and you may be surprised by what she prefers.