How do I get my son to eat baby food?

Question

My son is 6 months old. He was born 2 months early so his correctional age is 4 months. I'm not sure if that's really relevant to my question but.......I've been giving him cereal and baby food, he loved it at first. He got a cold and an ear infection and I stopped feeding him the baby food until he got better. It was for about a week. But now he won't eat any cereal or baby food at all. He cries and screams and turns red until I give in and give him his bottle. How do I get him to eat cereal and baby food again??

I started with fruit and my doctor said to give him meats and veggies first so I've switched to those but on the meat he gags so darn bad. I don't know what to do. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks.

Answer 1

Its normal for babies and children to regress a bit when they are sick. It can last for a little while sometimes.
Let him have his bottle for now and SLOWLY introduce food once a day again in a few days.
Also, those baby food meats are nasty. I don't blame him for gagging. You can chop up your own meat into super small pieces and give that to him.

Hang in there. He needs to be an infant rather than a baby right now because of his illness. It will get better. Just remember to stay patient and know that this is a phase.

Answer 2

His age is very relevant to your question. You know, four months, which is his actual age, is still pretty early for solid food, and the fact that he was premature is even more reason not to rush him. I wouldn't stress about it too much. Are you still breast feeding at all? I'm not being judgemental, but that would help a lot especially if he's prone to ear infections, as milk based products are mucous forming. If not, the formula is just fine. Don't feed him formula mixed with cereal in his bottle, as some people have suggested. It's way too much starch, and can cause him to choke or gag. It's also one of the hardest things to digest. Actually, cereal should be introduced carefully into his diet, and not too soon, for just that reason. Ask your doctor about infant vitamins if you're concerned about his nutrition. These days the doctors want you to start with the foods that are less palatable, such as meats and vegies, because they are so concerned with child obesity, and so the baby doesn't form an attachment to the sweetness in the fruit, but as long as you use common sense there shouldn't be a problem. For now, just let him have his bottle, as that's what seems to comfort him the most, then slowly re-introduce the foods he likes best. Offer the solid food to him before he's nursed or had a bottle, because he won't be hungry otherwise. I would make my own baby food by pureeing fruits and vegetables in the food processer, then freezing them in ice cube trays so it would be fresh when I needed it. 30 seconds in the microwave and it's ready. Pureed ripe papaya is really great for babies, as the enzymes in it are good for digestion. If making your own baby food is too daunting, then the ready made brands are fine too. Most of them now are pretty natural and are made with no or very little sugar added. The most important thing is that he LIKES what he is eating, and that it's an enjoyable experience. Good luck.

Answer 3

Are you feeding him stage one foods?
You can stick with the fruit if thats the only thing he'll take for now. Try to stay away from bananas though as those are known constipaters. Go for prunes, and applesauce, and things like that. The meats and veggies have a thicker texture that your son just may not like right now. That, and if his correctional age is 4 months, then baby food really isn't needed right now. Just let him have his bottle again. The forula has all the nutrition he needs. Try the food again in a few weeks and see what happens.

Answer 4

I've never heard anyone suggest meat and veggies first. Honestly, I would go back to fruit. It's sweet, so at the very least, it might make him want to start eating again. It's very common for a baby to stop wanting to eat with a cold and/or ear infection. And at his age, he really doesn't need a lot in the way of solid food as long as he's getting plenty of breast milk or formula. If he's having a normal number of wet diapers, he's fine. I would give him a little longer.

Answer 5

he may be a little young, even though he's out of the womb he is still developmentally closer to 4 months of age then 6.

Ask yourself these questions:
can he sit up straight witht he support of the chair?
Has he shown interest in eating solid foods? (my son ised to stare at me when I ate)
Has he started loosing his tougne trust (thats why babies "sprit" their food out most of the time, this natural movement of the tounge makes it easy for them to nurse but hard to swallow foods, they start to loose this around 6 months)

I would jsut take a bit longer of a break, he may jsut not be feeling as well and want them yet.
If you really want to get him on solids already I would jsut keep offering the food in spoon form and never even give him the bottle option. After you offer the baby food and he doesnt eat give him his bottle, and jsut keep trying at each meal.

Maybe also give him the spoon to hold and chew on before you try feeding him with it.

Answer 6

Go to the nearest store such as walmart and they have bottles specially made to feed you baby baby food through the bottle and soon enough he will like the taste and understand how to swallow just when you begin with the spoon make tiny amounts then gradually let it get bigger it may take a little while longer but whatever is best for your baby.

Answer 7

He is still young i would try not to worry about it too much and stop feeding him solids for a few weeks and then try again!!!! He is only really four months so he can wait until 6 months. Good luck and all the best!!!

Answer 8

Your doctor was right. The fruits should come last, the veggies are more important. The old airplane trick works for me when my son gets fussy, you know, fly the spoon into their mouth.

Answer 9

start off adding about 2 or 3 table spoons of cereal in his formula. then keep adding a little more each time. eventually he may start getting use to it again. then try adding bannanas to his cereal. introduce it again little by little just like you should have when you did at first.

Answer 10

I know a baby that's a year and a half that eats very little solid food. He just doesn't like it, and much as you might like to try, you can't force it on them. (My great-grandmother tried to force my oldest sister to eat baby food...we have hilarious pictures.) If you want to wear your baby's food, then go ahead and force him. It is not necessary to your child's health yet to eat baby food.