How can I teach my 13 month old to eat solids? I am still breastfeeding?

Question

My 13 month old daughter does not want to eat solids. All she wants is my breast. She does not want her bottle or sippy cups. I have tried sippy cups with straw and she does not want them either. She would not drink cow mild either. She stopped eating babyfood. She sleeps through the night in her own room but during the day all she wants is my breast and does not want to eat solids. Pleas help me!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

My son is the same age, and I was having the same problem. He refused anything, except my breast, and was always pulling at my shirt, etc. Gradual weaning is easier for you and baby!! Try taking one breastfed meal away every few days, or weekly. Did you try putting your breast milk in a sippy cup, or letting her try some apple juice, she may like it. Or let her take a sip from your juice glass, and let her see you pour some into her cup. As you gradually withhold your milk, substitute solid foods. Try a variety of fruits, mashed potatoes, pb&j sandwhich pieces, etc. It'll be hard at first but baby will eventually come around. Try to comfort your child by giving extra hugs and cuddles as she weans instead of breastfeeding. She'll need the emotional nourishment, continue to hold your baby and speak to her when you are first beginning to feed her solids, this is what she is used to, being close to mommy. Good Luck !! :)

Answer 2

I would take it slowly. At 13 months it is recomended that parents should still be nursing but solid foods should be her main source of food during each meal. Just forcing her into solid foods will be really hard on both of you, children develop at different rates. She may be bit slow to get started but start her gradually, the same way as you would a younger infant and she will get used to it.

I would start by doing some simple things such as letting her just play in her highchair with an empty bowl and a spoon to chew on to get her used to them.

I would also eat solid food infront of her with HER dishes and silverware so that she sees and understands its good.

From there I would start again with
1. sweet baby foods again. (sweet foods taste more like breast milk to infants) like bananas.
and
2. foods milxed with your own milk like rice cereal, oatmeal, or mashed potatoes.

Just take it slow and offer her solid foods before EVERY meal before nursing her. If she refuses it, then stop and wait 15 minutes before offering it again, when she's a little more hungry she may except it earlier. Don't nurse her until she has taken at least 2 or 3 bites of her baby food. (but use common sense, don't starve her. if she is refusing to eat then get her to just consume 2 bites before nursing, the next time try and get 3) Don't let up and just keep offering her food thats really the key, studies show exposure makes the difference in excepting foods.
The more you offer it (and always offer it two or more times before nursing her) the better, she willg et used to it and slowly after she is eatting a wider range of food you can phase out a nursing here and there until she quits nursing.
the more she will get used to it.

Answer 3

My baby is 16 months old and still breastfeeding. She refused to eat solid food at all until she was 14 1/2 months old. All babies are different and need the nurturing at their mothers breast for different lengths of time. My advice is just relax, enjoy the cuddle time, she will eat when she's ready and wean herself when she's ready. Good luck to you!

Answer 4

are you wanting to wean her? If not I wouldnt worry about it, your breastmilk is all she needs. If you do want to start weaning her , I would nurse her for shorter periods of time and maybe if she gets hungry enough she will eat ... and maybe get a sitter but dont nurse her before you leave and let them try to feed her. she may not cry for them b/c she knows they dont have what you got! (worked for my sister)
also, have you tried pumping and putting it in a sippy cup instead of the cows milk? also, dip the cup in your pumped milk so she will taste it and not the plastic cup she isnt used to
good luck

Answer 5

Yes, you need to get your baby into more than just milk by now. The best thing to get starter is mash food. Try fresh home made if you can. Try from potatoes, carrot, to little bit of chicken. Then introduce your baby to soups, like chicken broth. put chicken breast to boil, easy on the salt, and add potatoes and carrots, after the chicken is really tender. take the chicken out and shredded in tiny little pieces, then put it back into the soup. Start your baby on fruits. start with mash bananas and other soft ones. Make it fun at meal time, they love this time. The baby will let you know when he had enough.

Answer 6

You do have a problem she is 1 yr old.
Just don't give her your breast, let her know that it is over. She either drinks from a cup or she gets nothing. Put food in front of her and tell her that's it.
You are the boss not her. My daughter did the same thing with her son. After being thirsty for a while he drank from the cup, after going hungry for a day he started eating what was put in front of him. and he was 1 year and 4 months. They do not control you [or does she ].

Answer 7

Keep trying different types of food until you hit one she really likes. For my daughter at that age it was strawberries, so we mixed a little strawberry in all her food including milk and she would accept it.

Answer 8

yea... shes fine with just breastmilk. She will know when she needs more.

You can offer her finger foods... fruits, whole wheat crackers and pasta, eggs... like at meal times. She will eventually eat.

Answer 9

maybe let her sit in the high chair and feed herself so to speak, its messy but maybe she will like it then, with a little help from you.