AARRRGGHHH!! Asher struggling with solids. What do I do?

[KJ]

Hi all,

well we've only been starting solids for about 3 weeks now since Ash turned 6 months.

The first week was taken up with finding a formula that didn't bring his face out in an ugle rash!! Aptamil seemed the best. I was mixing it with baby rice.

Well, he loves baby rice, wolfed it down and would have eaten more. So I kept him on that, one meal a day for another week.

This week I've been starting with veg. I read that you're supposed to only introduce one type of food at a time. So I started with sweet potato as a lot of my friends said their babies liked it. The first day I tried it on it's own and he screamed the place down! Since then I've been mixing it with baby rice and formula. That goes down a little better but it's still an immense struggle between huge heart-rending sobs and thumb sucking and mouth clenching!! And yesterday he threw the whole lot back over me later in the afternoon along with the apple and rice I'd been trying to give him for his constipation! We both ended up in the bath!

Today, I managed to get abotu half of the sweet potato mix down him, took ages and he was in such a state emotionally at the end.

The other prob is I'm dropping a breastfeed and replacing with formula as I'm back to work 3 days a week in under 2 months and he needs to take the formula for nursery, etc. So after the battle with the sweet potato we then have a second battle with a bottle of formula. It's like I'm trying to torture him! After 10 mins of screaming today, he actually started to suck and took 3 ounces, which is a result!

Any general advice and help would be greatly appreciated.
I also have specific questions/points;
1. I'm mashing the veg not pureeing, do you think I should puree? I thought at 6 months with 2 teeth he should be ok with little lumps but could this be putting him off?
2. Should I mix formula and/or baby rice in with it, or should I keep it as a whole new thing, ie, just veg, etc?
3. With the milk feeding, I'm using TT bottles with 6month plus teats. Could this be the prob? Do you think a 6 month teat might be too fast for him? I've heard of variable flow teats, wht are these and do TT have any?

Any other advice PLEASE help!! Mealtimes have become a nightmare. Wish I could go back to the lovely exclusively breast feeding days when things were much simpler and he was much happier!

K.xxxx

 

[Redshoes]

Firstly I hated weaning with the spoon as I found it uncomfortable, stressful and like I was torturing him like you said. So, at 7months I ditched the spoons, except for yoghurt, weetabix, things that needed a spoon, and I let Isaac feed himself. He never looked back and loves food.

If your LO is really upset or closing his mouth I'd maybe try once or twice more then stop, otherwise its counter productive, it should be a fun and experimentative time of introducing new flavours, textures etc it shouldn't be so hard. I learnt that the hard way, I would suggest reading up on BLW (baby led weaning)

In answer to your questions;

1.Yes he may prefer puree'd, he's gone straight from liquid so even puree is more like a solid to him than we may think. But he still might not be happy.

2.I wouldn't mix formula or rice with it personally.

3.Changing from boob to bottle is not always easy or done quickly by any means, and especially if its breastmilk to formula too, so give him plenty more time to adjust. Isaac had both from week 2 so I would wait for advice from other Mummys who introduced a bottle later.

Just give him time, and try to stay relaxed, I know it is frustrating but it really doesn't have to if you let him tell you what works.
Very best wishes

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/starti ... edweaning/
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/breast ... g/weaning/
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/starti ... troducing/

 

[MissThing]

Hi hun!

1. We started weaning Daniel from 5 months, so he is well weaned now, but...he hates anything with lumps! So, for a start I would try to puree everything, and gradually add few small lumps (but, you dont have to rush till he is about 7 1/2 months old).

2. As well, in the beginning I mixed everything with a bit of formula. But I soon stopped, cos it makes no difference for Danny. I would say-If it works for you-why not?

3. We are using Avent bottles with 3 holes (I think they are 3 months+) and It is absolutely enought for Daniel. If Ash is used to bf, I would say 6+ teats are too much for him. I would try the very first ones, or maybe, the second ones.

Hope it will get better for you soon!

 

[weenik]

I started pureeing Dylan's food for the first few weeks, then went to mashing. I think it's quite a big step for them going on to solids so would say it worked best for us.

2. I only mix milk in with the likes of cereal, or if i'm making cheese sauce and have always used EBM until last week (I've started using some formula or cows milk in cooking). I wouldn't mix milk in with veg or anything like that

3. I also bf for 6 months, but I'm quite lucky in that Dylan took to formula & bottles really easy (he doesn't refuse anything!). I use TT bottles with number 2 teats and still bf at night time and he's fine with this

I would also advise that if he starts to scream that you stop and go back to it later. You don't want him to dread meal times. Sometimes Dylan used to cry at meal times so I'd just stop and play or cuddle for a bit then go back to it. Sometimes I had to feed him on my knee before putting him back in his high chair.

Good luck xx

 

[newmum]

Hi KJ,
Just a quick post as LO got me up at 3am, 4am, 5am and I'm waiting for her to go back to sleep

I noticed that if LO is unhappy for some reason e.g. teeth, stomach, tired etc the first thing she goes off is sweet potato. Maybe too strong or perhaps the texture but she is usually ok with carrot - it's not as thick and a bit more watery.

Another time she went off her food too - guess it is a long teething process - and she would only eat if we tricked her. eg. different room, with OH instead of me, and sitting on the floor instead of in her high chair. Then she thought it was part of playing and ate quite a bit. It just helped to get her back into it again.

I hope little Asher settles down again soon. This weaning thing can be hard. After being on solids for over a month, LO refused all food and went back on milk only for 2 weeks til she cut her teeth. Then after than I had to 'wean' her back on it. It is a bit up and down.

 

[Magic Monkey]

I can't help with the weaning questions yet! But TT do variflow teats, I can't find them in any shops, but they do have them on their website.

 

[KJ]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I've got my blender out and am going to try pureed veg today! I will puree it and not mix it with milk to start with to see if it's just the lumps he doesn't like. If not I'll add a little milk and see what happens. It could be that he just doesn't like sweet potato so if he still doesn't go for it today I'll try another vegetable. I've bought carrots, broccoli and normal potatoes.

Those of you weaning, do you mix most of your veg with normal potatoes or give it on it's own to start with?

Also going into town later to get 3 month teats for my TT bottles (threw them all away when he got to 6 months stupidly!) and also going to get some teats for my Avent bottles to see if it's just TT that he doesn't like.

Really hope something works. I want him to be happy at mealtimes.

K.xxx

 

[Redshoes]

I personally never mixed them, just gave him the vegetables as they should be, but obviously steamed

 

[Melanie]

Have you considered the baby led weaning route? Your little one might find it easier if he has more control. Theres a sticky thread at the top of the page.