Feeding...?

Question

Ok so now i have this question, my 6 month old refuses to eat baby foods, all he wants is the bottle. Everytime i feed him it winds up everywhere but his mouth. He just sticks his tounge to block it. Should i force it or just let him go at his own pace. It worries me cause my other son ate foods at 4 months no problem.

Answer 1

Have you ever tasted prepared baby food ? It's awful...I tried it....My two sons wouldn't touch it at all..I ended up asking my pediatrician if it was OK to feed them from the table. He said yes.. As long as it was pureed .So I made them baby food out of what we were having. I smashed up the veggies in a blender with a little milk or water and they gobbled it down. Did the same with their fruit. Meats blend too... just run it a bit longer where it doesn't leave any chunks. Good Luck !

Answer 2

Solids (or foods of any kind -- liquid or solid) should NEVER be forced upon a child. If your child is pushing the food back out, it means he is not yet ready for solids. While the medical community used to push introduction of solids at a much younger age (4-6 months just a couple of years ago, and 2 months many more years ago), they are now saying to wait until six months of age before even watching for signs of readiness. This does not mean that your child will be ready at six months, only that six months is the absolute EARLIEST you should consider introducing solids, if the signs of readiness are there.

Watching for signs of readiness is extremely important. Research has shown that babies exhibit these signs when their digestive tracts are ready to tolerate solids. When you introduce solids before the digestive tract is ready, your baby cannot digest the food properly, causing conditions like diabetes, obesity, and allergies. Some of these conditions are not noticable until later in life, which is why lots of people who introduced solids early will say, "but my baby is fine, and we introduced solids early!" There is no telling what damage might have been done until the child is grown, and even then, there's no telling how much healthier the person might have been had the parents simply had a little patience and waited for the biological cues that show that a baby is ready -- biologically and developmentally -- for solids.

Your baby is trying to tell you something -- I'M NOT READY. Please listen to your child and read the link below that details what signs of readiness to watch for before introducing solids. It is from a breastfeeding-related site, but the advice applies to formula-fed babies as well. Good luck!

Answer 3

Some babies don't like baby food at all. There are other options.. make your own? Find other foods appropriate for babies? Lot's you can try. That said.. your baby is only 6 months.. recommended bottle time is up to a year. Just a guidline of course, you can take them off sooner, but obviously your child will be fine until he prefers food on his own time. Never ever force feed a baby!

Answer 4

My son was the same way and this is what my doctor told me to do. Get a large bottle cut the whole in the top of the nipple larger add the baby food to the bottle with a little bit of milk or formula. Do that for a few days to get him used to the taste of baby food, then try putting it on the tip of your finger and rubing his lips with it. Once he likes the taste and knows what it is he'll be ok with the spoon.

Answer 5

don't worry its just the tongue reflex he probably does want the food but cant control the reflex yet either u can keep trying or wait a month or so that's what I did, u can ask your doctor about the tongue rel ex or even look it up on the Internet its a known subject

Answer 6

Sticking out his tongue is a natural reaction for babies. Don't give up. He needs the nutrition he can get from baby food right now. And don't worry about the mess. It can be cleaned up.

Answer 7

I'd just let him go at his own pace. He doesn't seem ready for it. I'd try again in a week.

Answer 8

Kids are different! Let him take his time to learn the trick.