9 month old wont eat baby food anymore?

Question

my son is 9 months old, and he recently stopped eating baby food. no matter what we try to give him, he just sticks out his tongue and avoids the spoon like it was a snake. Any help is appreciated.

He doesnt have any teeth yet, but he is teething, so things cant be too solid

Answer 1

My son did that too.

I couldn't figure out what the problem was, bc he continued to gain weight.
I took him to his check up last week and the doctor told me I was giving him WAY too much milk. Now I only give him a total of 24oz of milk per day, and he is eating breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 2 healthy snacks.

I hope this helps you, bc I was so embarrassed when the doc told me what I was doing wrong.

Answer 2

Maya stopped eating baby food almost immediately. She just didn't like the texture. I mixed Cheerios into the food to make it more interesting. This worked for a while, but by 9 months she didn't eat it at all.

Try giving him finger foods you know he can handle without chocking. Veggies that have been steamed a long time are great, so is fruit that has been baked or boiled. Pastas, soft breads, ground beef are all easy. Try introducing these types of foods and monitor him closely to make sure he is handling them well.

Also, you would be amazed what they can grind up with just a couple of teeth!

Another thing you want to avoid is coaxing him to eat to much. If he is used to being coaxed of forced to eat then he will associate food and him high chair with negative emotions and may never eat in his chair again. If he doesn't want to eat just let him down and don't chaise him around with the food. Try again in a half hour or so.

Answer 3

My daughter is 13 mths old and does the same thing. She has even resorted to blowing the food out of her mouth.

I try not to get upset, as I don't want her to associate her actions with a reaction from me. When she does this I just say are you finished and I clean up all the food. Remember they will never go hungry. If she did not eat well at lunch and acts like she is hungry later, I offer her the lunch she didn't eat earlier and she usually eats it.

I also find she enjoys eating with her fingers so finger foods are a must during every meal. Sometimes the meal is all finger foods and other times it's finger foods and the Heniz 12 mth jarred foods. She seems happy to feed herself while I get to spoon the food in.

I think your little man is telling you he wants "real" food. Need ideas for finger foods here are some that I use.

Gerber Graduates - Puff, Mini Veggies and Friut (available at Wal-mart)
Toast - cut into quarters (1st I took the crust off, but now she eats it)
Mini Bagels - toasted and untoasted
Friut cut into bit size pieces - apple, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, grapes (peeled), banana, melons - watermelon, dew melon, musk melon etc., mangos, peaches, pears etc.
Soft cooked veggies (fresh or frozen just make sure they are bit size) - carrots, brocilli, cauliflower, corn, spinach, squash, potatoes
Mashed veggies - potatoes, squash
Meats (bit size pieces) - chicken, turkey, fish, hamburger, pork etc.

Remember it's just a phase and he will stop doing this soon. I hope if you try giving him some sort of finger food at every meal he will eat for you.

Good Luck

Answer 4

My 9 mos daughter is the same way. I told her doctor and told him that I still try the baby food, but she won't eat anything unless it comes off my plate. He said to feed her "real food" then and just make sure that it is soft enough for her and that she is getting enough fruits and veggies. I have a mini chopper/food processor and coarsely grind up whaevr we are eating and that is what she eats. I do, however, try to make sure that she gets some baby cereal everyday without fail because the grains are so important. I either mix them with our food and a little formula and mix it together or mix it with a baby fruit and leave it pretty lumpy. She has also decided that she is not going to eat off a spoon anymore. Fork feeding takes longer and two hands to ensure she doesn't get poked, but she is now eating like a champ again. Good luck.

Answer 5

My daughter went through a similar thing when she was teething, and I purchased one of those mesh feeders next to the sippy cups and spoons on the baby needs aisle. They're cool because you don't have to worry about the baby choking on large pieces of food. Frozen banana worked wonders on her sore little gums. I would also put in carrots which were steamed very well. If you break a biter biscuit in half it will fit in the bag as well. My daughter really liked it I think because she had a bit more control of feeding herself. The mesh itself cleans up very well with the bottle brush and is dishwasher safe. I would also try chilling his baby food fruits and stuff. It may feel a bit nicer for him. Poor guy! Also once her teeth popped through she began eating her baby food again as well as the other foods I introduced to her.

Answer 6

My son did that too but at 6 months old. He had teeth so he could chew food.
He really didn't like to be fed, he liked feeding himself. He made a mess but it wasn't about how I wanted him to eat.

He was learning great hand and eye coordination

Try table food in small pieces, he can "gum" it.

Also try just putting the food on his highchair try and let him feed himself.

Answer 7

Lots of good ideas; I'm just adding a few more suggestions.

A little bowl of grated cheese, definitely the soft pasta shapes, cheerios (once they're into finger foods cheerios are wonderful), small-diced cooked potato or carrot, strips of toast, small chunks of pear, peach, or melon, hard-boiled egg yolk, or quartered grapes.

Basically anything he can pick up with his fingers is good, as long as it's nothing he's going to choke on, and it's not on the list of no-no foods (like strawberries, egg white, or nuts).

Answer 8

I am in the same boat-my 10 mth old does the same thing. I would say start feeding her healthy adult food. Mine loves cut up bannas and cereal. Dont force it-he is weaning himself. Mine doesnt even like a bottle anymore. Just make sure he cant choke on the "adult" food and be thankful you arent paying for baby food jars anymore. God luck and I bet he is a darling!

Answer 9

He probably is ready for real food. Try some mashed potatoes or cooked mushy carrots. If he won't take the spoon when you offer it, let him have it. He may make a mess, but you can always put him straight in the bath after his meal.

Answer 10

At 9 monthes, your baby is wanting to start to be independant
, it is time for finger foods, there are many soft options that do not require teeth.