13 Month Old Not Interested in Solid Food

Are you offering just finger foods or are you trying to spoon feed him? Both of my boys had no interest in me feeding them. They were (and still are) both very big on "I do it myself!"

If you think he's at all inclined to want to do it for himself, rather than be fed by you, just go with foods that he can actually pick up and eat himself.

My boys had pasta, eggs, cheese, grapes, green beans. When they were about 11 or 12 months we started just eating together. Whatever I was eating, they would eat. We would sit at the table together. I would make an extra big plate for myself and put a little bit of everything on their tray. If there was something they ate, I would replace it. Once they started getting antsy or throwing food, I took that to mean they were full and let them get down and play.

Just keep experimenting. He'll find what he likes.

His mouth muscles may not be mature enough to handle more solid food. Being able to eat bananas, scrambled eggs, beans and cut up string cheese is pretty much right on target for this age. And only eating them part of the time is also normal for the age. I suggest that you and he are doing fine. Continue as you're doing. He'll eventually eat more solid food.

You can, as your pediatrician suggested, cut back on breast milk so that he is hungrier which would encourage him to eat more solid foods. But I don't think that's necessary at 13 months, since he is eating some foods.
I would, however, offer him the solid foods first and then offer the breast.

Right now you are ok but keep offering foods with texture. You don't want to mess with that crucial period of time when he accepts textures. Steam and cool veggies, one a day and offer him varity in a week. Soft carrots, potatoes, peas, green beans, really what ever you are eating. You are doing good. Just don't stop here.

My son was the same. I just continued to give him pureed food until about that age. He would eat stage 3 chunky food just fine, but table foods (except the gerber baby snacks) he would gag and spit out. At around 13 months he started eating everything. I was amazed , he didn't have any issues with gag reflex or with texture(I really thought thats what it was) ,he ate everything after that, so my guess is he just wasn't ready for solid food until then. He was exclusively breast fed as well, but I made sure he ate pureed food even though it was a struggle to get him to eat it most of the time.

He is getting nearly 100% of his nutrients from your breast milk. He has no need for the food.

That said, you need to try and just say no several times per day. He needs to get hungry and feel that need to eat food. That is the only way he is going to start wanting food.

BUT just so you understand, once he is eating he's not going to want to nurse that much anymore. He will be getting his nutrients from his food and he won't have that need to nurse, he'll only nurse for the comfort.

Sounds like he is doing fine. I would continue with the current situation and slowly reduce the nursing as he gets closer to 18 months. Always have those foods he likes available to him so he will start turning to food instead of you for nutrition. He doesn't need food right now and as he has that growth spurt around then he may find he needs lots more food.

At 13 months they want to feel themselves. Try giving him a spoon, and just small bits at a time, do not fill up his plate. Sometimes you can sneak some food in while they are trying to pick things up with the spoon. Kind of a distraction. Our little foster baby will NOT let us feed her anymore, and she is exactly 13 months now. This is what I do. As she is picking up food, I still give her veggies, and some fruit that is stage 3, just to make sure she is getting her vitamins, (obviously she isn't breastfed) She loves her bottle, my kids were off bottles at 1 but it doesn't seem the case with her. I wouldn't stress, just keep offering, but small amounts, not to overwhelm him. Good luck!!