Baby not accepting solids....How to handle it.

sanjuruby3 · Dec 15, 2014

She is 5 1/2 months, sits assisted, and formula fed from beginning.

I think we are little late to start solids as my husband was nervous about it. Inspite of everyone telling me to start, I waited and now she does not co-operate in eating.

She cries and cries and cries..and even my husband starts shouting on me to leave her alone .... let her live on formula..blah blah.
So many times I try to give her solids secretly when he is away. as he brings he less knowledgeable brain in between.:roll:

Things ( less than 1/4 of spoon) are I tried so far (just 2 days)

1. coarse ground oats cooked in water with mashed little banana.
2. ground oats with formula to make it runny
3. mashed banana/ mashed avocado
4. very runny oats in Formula
(I have lot more things I need to try - potate, sooji, daal ,rice etc yet)

She does not open her mouth and I feed her by trick when she opens mouth for toy or crying.
Mashed stuff she wont swallow and spit it out but liquid some part manages to goes inside, but she wont stop crying...even when its same taste of formula.

So far I have been feed with normal metallic kitchen spoon.

Is this normal? Am I late ? how can I make things better? some feeding stuff i should buy? Sippy cups, plastic spoons.

armummy · Dec 15, 2014

Usually dr say start solids at 6 months . So you are not late.
It takes time and patience don't get stressed .offer everyday little , if she takes ok otherwise leave it . She will start taking solids soon .just keep offering .

try different things and offer things like dal water , puréed dal , juice .

Priya4oct · Dec 15, 2014

You are not late..I started to give solid to my DD after 6 month. till that she was exclusively BFed. Honestly, I never made any thing special for her..I was just giving her mashed rice with daal (mashed with hand not even grinded) or some mashed curries, fruits etc. Per my mom and uncle in law (who is pediatrician) suggestion, I started with daal with ghee (lots of ghee) and my daughter liked it however in USA Dr suggest not to give salt and sugar. I started cerelac only when I joined office but that too once in a day (my uncle in law always asked me to restrict cerelac..per him cerelac is not better than home made food).

ramyaramani · Dec 15, 2014

In my opinion starting solids before completion of 6 months is early. There is no hurry for babies to eat solids. They have their entire life to eat solids.

Have you tried rice cereal or overlooked/mashed vegetables? Lot of kids don't like oats, avocado.

Do not make it in 2 textures I.e mashed and runny. Make it one smooth texture at least for the 1st few times. If your kid is still not taking it then I highly recommend baby led weaning. I believe in the approach and it helped me greatly when DS did not take puréed or mashed food. In fact he did not eat rice cereal of ragi cereal.

hope2b · Dec 15, 2014

In addition to all that is mentioned above, plz remember for the first year, solids are meant to be more of practice. Most nutrition comes from milk/formula. Also all that the need is the amount that fits in their fist. So don't be sorry and stressed out, your baby will learn to eat, be it slowly.

shari2003 · Dec 15, 2014

You are not late, because doctor's recommend solids after kids cross 6 months. You could probably try mashed rice and dal (mashed using hand), mashed potato with a little butter (homemade), rice with ghee or butter, mashed banana etc. If the baby does not take it at first attempt, please repeat the same food in the following week.
My daughter shows a peculiar behavior, she does not open her mouth first time, but, after taking it once, ie, after she knows the taste she does not fuss

Chitravivek · Dec 15, 2014

Op. Did you try all your solids in the same week or did you even give time for your baby to get used to the taste. I would say try the normal gerber rice cereal first for a week and try giving cereal only at the same time every day. You need give time for your baby. He or she will not start loving it until the taste settles in them. You have to be very patient. It's a long process and every baby is different. 5.5 months is not late at all.

KashmirFlower · Dec 15, 2014

Hi OP,

As suggested here, i also say start solids after 6 months only. rice is suggested as first food even by doctors, as it is easily digested, and friendly to tummy.

I would give oats after 1st b'day, fiber in this upsets baby's tummy i believe.

Please try below recipe, feed only 1 tea spoon 1st day. wait for 2 days, then try again.

I gave this receipe as a starter solid food around 7 months age of my son. The texture is easy to swallow. My son likes it very much. I gave this for 2-3 months , instead of cerelac. .

dry roast 1/2 cup moong dal
dry roast 1 cup rice
make a coarse power in mixie like ravva
take 1 table spoon of this power and mix with little water , keep aside
now boil 2 big cups water, add the power which you kept aside,stir it.
let it boil, add pinch of salt and tea spoon ghee, let it boil more, till it becomes ver soft and gets like poridge .

(boil in very sim mode for atleast 20-30 minutes.)

You out try it once, and give when baby is hungry. Start 1 time per day. Prepare fresh, and feed warm, if gets cold it won't be nice.

sanjuruby3 · Dec 15, 2014

@ramyaramani - My baby is not on breastmilk. Infact bottle fed with formula from beginning. If she was on breastmilk, I would not be much worried about her not eating solids.
Having lab-made formula bothers so I want to feed her solids as i feel I am already late.

@chitravivek - I started this friday and over the weekend (3days), day time ( morning and aftertoon) I tried all feeding her oats and banana and avocado. It was less than 1/4 of a spoon..just a speck.

Rice cereal - I followed many posts and friends advice to start with oats. Rice is supposed to have some amounts of arsenic. I was also worried that oats are difficult to diget and not that tasty. But took the jump.

Anyways..I am going to keep trying all the things. Its difficult when I am in office on weekdays.

Chitravivek · Dec 15, 2014

What is the logic behind she is on formula so need to introduce solids early?

You just started on weekend and you fed her all varieties on solids and in different timings? I am really not sure who guided you on solids.

You need to start solids really slowly. Like one teaspoon in milk once a day for a week and see how the baby is reacting then slowly increase the texture to more solids than liquids. Also you should just start one time in the day rather multiple at the beginning and gradually progress to different solids twice a day and then thrice a day. As I mentioned its a slow process.

Who takes care of the baby when you work? Nanny/Day care? I work full time too so working cannot be a reason to rush to multiple solids from the beginning.

Tell you day care or nanny that your baby needs to be fed solids at this time in the day... They understand and they will follow. You baby is not going to empty the bowl in the first week. It will take time. Just stick to one cereal- Rice or Oats that's all.

Yes Rice has arsenic. Brown rice has more than white rice. You don't eat rice at all at home? I have started with Rice cereal for both my kids and they are just fine. Its easy on tummy than oats and oats has high fiber contact

Remember your baby tummy is very small and at this age all that matters is milk. Solids should still be snack and not a meal. You need to make sure he/she drink a minimum amount of formula atleast till one year old.

Good Luck