My one year old daughter started solids at 8 months (exclusively breastfed before that). She ate purees only until 10 months and now eats semi-mashed or ground solids and cheerios or puffs. The thing is, she will not self feed. She plays with her food. I've gotten her a set of really nice spoons to experiment with but she just won't put the food in her mouth. At what age does an average baby self feed? I expect she'll be a little later because she started solids later than most. I've guided her and supported her getting her hands in her food. Any other ideas? OH...Teething biscuits are OUT! She did actually self feed herself with a teething biscuit last week and too much broke off into her mouth, so we're done with those...And those mesh things that you put the food into...we have those and she can't stand putting the thing in her mouth even when there is delicious fruit in it! Thanks!
2006-07-09 11:41:56 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
Oh, yes...she has four teeth with two more cutting now. The mesh feeding bags freak her out a little. Why is the seam so thick? She can't stand it! Thanks everyone.
Oh BTW, we also play a game where I feed her and then she feeds me. She once put a cheerio right on my tongue but now puts her fist full of cheerios near my mouth and I have to take one from her hand.
2006-07-09 12:10:27 · update #1
Thanks for the biscuit comment too. When it happened though I looked online and found tons of people who had choking experiences with biscuits and have read that many doctors now advise against them. I should have said that. And when I let her sit (sometimes for like 1/2 hour while I clean the fishtank or the dining room) she sit with a bunch of cheerios on her tray and throw them on the floor and play with them put I haven't seen one go into her mouth yet. Maybe in time, I'll feel safe with teething biscuits, but not now...
2006-07-09 12:31:58 · update #2
professional_mother, thanks, but I understand why the purees may have been commercialized but I was always led to believe that they are given to babies to prevent choking. Prior to the onset of giving babies pureed foods, there were far more choking deaths. At 8 months, she was nursing every two hours and still was not satisfied. Prior to that every attempt at feeding her solids failed. At 8 months, she started to love them and started to sleep better too.
2006-07-10 01:38:19 · update #3
She will catch up with what shee needs to do. Just keep giving her soft things to play with: noodles, cut up melon, etc. Babies change a lot once they hit 1 year old. You'll see that one day she'll be self-feeding lilke crazy.
2006-07-09 11:47:16 · answer #1 · answered by LibraSun 2 · 7⤊ 3⤋
Actually, most babies who start solids when they are ready are feeding themselves from the very beginning. So-called "baby food" mush was invented back when formulas were missing many essential nutrients, so babies had to be given solids (which they can *not* digest) very early--often at 2 weeks of age. Parents who only give solids at 8 (or 18) months usually doesn't bother going through the mush stage, but just give the baby a bit of whatever food is convenient and fresh.
Just give her a bit of food and let her play with it. It doesn't *matter* if almost none goes in her mouth; she'll be enjoying it (the purpose of solids before the first birthday), and she'll eat what she wants. For instance, just give her a chunk of banana. Or a small pile of grated carrot or apple. Or a small spoonful of cooked brown rice. Expect a mess and don't worry about it.
2006-07-09 20:31:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Give her a little more time self feeding with solids like cheerios etc. It will still be a long time before she can actually use a spoon. I understand the biting biscuit scared you because to much broke of in her mouth but, you just have to watch her. Don't take that away from her. Its good for self feeding and exploration.
2006-07-09 12:27:55 · answer #3 · answered by Mom of 5 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My twin grandsons turned 10 months yesterday & they feed themselves. They are breastfeed & started with puree, then cherioos & the dried baby fruit - they quickly learned you place in mouth, or brother eats alone. Now they like cheese, cut up little peices of meat, bread & almost anytime you get in their reach minus the few no no foods. The key was no spoons, pick up food & keep placing it on tray. Place 1 in month to let them taste & know they want them. Good luck.
2006-07-09 12:20:38 · answer #4 · answered by Wolfpacker 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My husband and I sat with our son at 12 months eating pasta. Sphaghetti is the easiest of them all. I made sure i had no extra salt or added herbs; just butter. Butter rice is another favorite of mine; Even to this day my son loves buttered rice. We started with the carrots in little bite sized pieces then moved on up. I wasn't worried about my son getting fed, he grabbed anything that looked good to him off of our plates. We had him feeding himself down to a science at about 18 months. We all had a blast with my son feeding himself. My daughter wasn't too far behind, being 1 year younger, she saw her brother getting all kinds of great food then she threw her bowl off of her tray and demanded a plate. We went through the character plates but the one that worked the most was the one we made at the Artful Potter (a pottery store that you can make your own bowls and stuff). No Kids Cuisine or anything like that--they loved Daddy and Mommy's COOKING!! ENJOY!!
2006-07-09 15:46:30 · answer #5 · answered by pueo882002 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If she's snacking for the time of nutrition, of direction she will have the ability to not be hungry. It took me a lengthy time period and that i realized that the problematic way. I used to imagine my toddler will starve and that i'd pressure-feed her purely to discover each and each and every of the snacks she had beforehand alongside with the nutrition i'm feeding her on my kitchen floor. Set a agenda and reduce out the snacking between nutrition. The agenda I set for daughter is I feed her each and every 2 hours - breakfast, am snack, lunch, nap, pm snack, dinner, bottle earlier mattress. not something else. and do not fret, she will have the ability to not be tiny each and each and every of the time, so relish her!
2016-10-14 07:06:15 · answer #6 · answered by holcy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try Gerber's dried fruits and veggies. They taste like candy. They melt in babies mouth and they're small enough were baby can self feed. Your daughter will love them.
2006-07-09 11:46:53 · answer #7 · answered by Dazed and cONFUSED 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
how many teeth does she have... my daughter has 16 teeth and she still doesnt want to use a spoon but she will eat things like french fries...hot dogs... chicken stuff like that but will not use a spoon..or a sippy cup at that... my daughter used to use the mesh feeding bags.. you can put like grapes or carrots in them and they can suck on them like a pacifier you can get them at walmart or target
2006-07-09 11:53:32 · answer #8 · answered by sjeboyce 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋