6 Month Old Refusing Solids. Help!

Hi J.,
Just had to share this. I was very upset about the fact that my granddaughter wouldn't eat solids of any kind. She wouldn't try anything at all. One day at 11mos. old she crawled up to my knee and wanted the spare rib I was eating. She chewed on it as if she was starving. It was hilarious. Her mom was devastated as she is a vegetarian. So..... don't worry. She'll eat when she's ready.

You will know when she is ready when she can move the food from the spoon to the back of her mouth and swallow without gagging. This is normally at about 4 months, but like all developmental stages, may come later for some. Keep offering it every couple of days, just the rice cereal really thin. Once she can take that you can start making it thicker, and then move on to other foods.

I would pick up a copy of "Baby Lead Weaning" and try giving your baby some whole foods to experiment with instead of trying to spoon feed. I believe the concept is that introducing solids is not for nutritional sake but for "introducing" the world of solid food eating. Breastmilk is still the baby's number one source of nutrition for the first year so its ok if they just play with the food and don't actually eat much of it at first. Maybe try giving a piece of avocado or banana to play with and she'll probably end up putting it in her mouth and tasting it. Eventually she will be more interested in the different foods that you present her with.

I exclusively breastfed for 9 months--she tasted foods starting around 7 months, but didn't eat anything meaningful until she was 11 months or so. Not all babies get past the tongue thrust reflex at the same time. Also, it takes 10 or more introductions to determine if a child really "likes" something or not.

As for the iron, your baby will continue to receive iron through your breastmilk that is far better absorbed than any other source--assuming your plan is to continue breastfeeding. The most current information is that breastfed babies can easily go to a year without need for supplementation--unless they were born prematurely or low birth weight. I wouldn't add it unless you know its needed as some sources can interfere with absorption from breastmilk.

Incidentally, my daughter had no issues with iron UNTIL she was eating solid foods regularly. We continue to nurse until 18 months, but we had to make modifications to her diet.

IIRC your child's nutritional needs are *completely* met by your breastmilk for her first year, so feel free to ease up on the introducing solids until she's more receptive. Here's a helpful link: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T032000.asp

My daughter is not a big eater. She is 2.5, and she still isn't, but her behavior at 6 months sounds a bit like this. She fought tooth and nail to keep that food away from her. She was over a year before she at any sort of solid food regularly, she never took a bottle, etc. etc. Things that i understand:

1. the iron in breast milk is actually well absorbed, so, you probably don't have to worry. at 9 months my doctor had me test my daughter's iron, and it was fine. We did, at that time, start her on poly-v-sol vitamins as a precaution, though.

2. Seems like some kids just don't need to eat that early, especially if they are getting good breast milk. my son is also not a big eater, at 6 months. (he is barely eating anything yet). They are both, however, astoundingly healthy, and have always grown well. They tend to be on time or ahead of developmental milestones, and are rarely sick. I have since heard of many many folks whose babies were 'late' eaters, with no ill effects.

3. At around 10/11 months we had our daughter evaluated by a specialist to make sure there was nothing physiological wrong with her that we should be addressing. She was diagnosed with a mild sensory-integration disorder, but nothing physiologically wrong. The sensory issues just mean that she is pretty sensitive to new feelings and smells and tastes. (She is cautious by nature, so this fits the rest of her personality.) The prescription was (and still is) to try to desensitize her by exposing her to new textures and flavors in a very stress free environment. The doctor gave us a 'nuk brush' to use to help desensitize her mouth. We were instructed to let her spend lots of time playing with baby food with her hands, and to let her experiment with feeding herself - mess and how much she consumed were to be ignored.

4. As much as i can read about eating issues in kids suggests that the job is Parents supply the food, Kids are in charge of eating it. Once you make the appropriate food available, your job is done. Only your kid can eat or not eat. (Book recommendation - How to get your kid to eat, but not too much. Advise repeated in many other readings and doctor.)

5. I think some of our on-going problems with our daughter are because we got so anxious to get her to eat something, anything, medicine included, that it became a high stress power struggle that we haven't been able to correct.

6. If i had to do it again (and, lucky me, i do - we are doing this with our son), i'd start by not stressing. Until the time when the doctor feels like growth or development are being delayed, totally ignore how much your kid is eating. If grown and development are being delayed, consult a specialist about what steps to take.
Secondly, i'd provide more play time with food, the nuk brush, and utensiles without worrying at all about whether the food was consumed.
Thirdly, i'd back off whenever tensions get high, or the kid appears done. At six months - if feeding isn't fun for the kid, its not that important.
Fourthly, i do place food in my son's mouth even if he doesn't lunge for it, because i need him to figure out that it is food and tastes good, but i don't force the issues.

(And, fifthly, for medicine, we really did need to hold our daughter and squirt something deep into the back of her mouth. I do this with my son and try to get it over with quickly. It sucks. the nurse at my doctor's office, however, seems to be better and sneaking in just the tip of the syringe and putting it in a tiny drop at a time.)

Good luck, and, really, hang in there.

I'm sure if you talk to your pediatrician concerning this they will tell you that it is not a big deal. She is only 6 months old. There is no rush. 6 months is just an age that they like you to start introducing solids. The primary source of nutrician is still formula or breast milk.

My daughter did same thing...I introduced her to the spoon every morning and afternoon and she would refuse so I tried a medicine syringe thinking that if she just got to taste it More thsn just once she would love it n she did!!!!

She doesn't actually need iron yet probably. Our ped. checks it at 9 months. My oldest needed iron supplementation even though she was eating a variety of solids, my youngest eats VERY little solid food but her iron levels are fine. She gets it through my milk.

It almost sounds like she's controlling her environment. Maybe stop pushing solids for a couple weeks and just simply set some finger foods on a high chair tray that she can try if she wants but still gives her control. Avacado and banana are both decent things to try.

Her iron is more than likely just fine and won't need solids until a year. I assume you are still taking a prenatal or a good multivitamin while nursing.

Even pediatricians aren't recommending intro'ing solids til 6 months and many people wait longer. My son is 7 1/2 months and won't get solids for a while. His pediatrician was fine with it.

Your daughter is making it clear that she's not ready for solids. She knows best. A lot of cultures and some people here in the US believe that babies shouldn't eat solids til they can feed themselves.

I think with her behavior you run the risk of her choking. she's telling you she's not ready.....don't push it. There is no reason to make eating solids a stressful even for her or you for that matter.

Give it up, know that breast is best still and will be for a few more months at least and don't worry about it.

I ditto Elaine C's answer. You don't need to worry as you bfeed. Some other thoughts:
1. Ask your dr about iron supplements. We were recommended to take iron drops at this point, but this does not mean you will need it.
2. as for introducing other solids slowly -- try, again with dr's approval, sweet potato, pumpkin, banana...

GL

I don't think she's ready for solids yet. The lack of teeth are one sign, but the fact that she's refusing is another sure sign. Neither of my older 2 kids would eat s solids until they were over a year, they nursed almost exclusively despite my frequent offerings of solid food/baby food, etc. I remember being worried about it until I talked to many other moms who said it was normal for breastfeeding babies (perhaps breastmilk contains enough iron?) and that their babies did not eat until over a year.
My youngest is different though, he has clearly wanted solids since 5 months old, so I've been giving him what he clearly needs/wants.
Despite our efforts to be smarter than babies, they will really "tell" you what they need. I believe if your baby was needing iron or solid baby food, she would make it clear.
By the way, all of my kids are very healthy, strong and smart. Of course you may feel more comfortable talking to your pediatrician about this too.
Good luck!

You probably don't want to hear this but it sounds like she just isn't ready yet. I would say stop for a couple of weeks and then try again. Don't force her as you don't want eating solids to become an awful time for her. As far as the iron as long as you are still taking prenatal or a mulitvitamin she should be ok since you are BF. Also you might want to give her a spoon, supervised of course, so she can play with it and maybe even put it in her mouth on her own so she can get used to it. My daughter never took a multivitamin she hated the taste like vomitting hated the taste. My ped was ok with it.

If your baby has the tongue thrust reflex still, your baby is not anywhere near ready for solids yet. If you are worried about iron, eat lots of greens cooked with something acidic ( lemon or tomatoe and such) cooked in cast iron. Also eat mollassis.

Then the iron will go into your milk. The iron in mom's milk is highly absorbable much more than in any other form, get your iron up and your baby's iron come up.

I have not given solids to my kids other than to let them suck on an apple slice or a carrot, mostly for taste and such until closer to a year to a year and a half. They have all been fine, none were ready sooner.

The signs to show a child is ready for solids are as follows ( this is what I taught in my childbirth classes as a lactation consultant and childbirth educator)

1. They have several teeth
2. They can sit up on their own, not propped, unassisted for at least a half an hour or so no problem
3. They no longer have the tongue thrust reflex
4. They can grasp things well and can hold their own food and feed it to themselves ( although it may be messy)
5. They show interest in eating foods and want to.
6. They are not having any reactions to anything coming through Mom's milk.
7. They are still hungry even after nursing regularly ( and this is on unrestricted nurse baby when ever baby asks feedings with out mom separated from baby)

Of these often all but #6 are achieved and it takes a while to get to #6. How you know if baby is reacting to things in your milk- a red ring around the anus, a diaper rash, a rash on the body, a gassy or colicy tummy. If you do find these things happening, monitor your diet and figure out what foods cause it, DO NOT introduce those foods for a long long long time if ever.

The most likely foods are - wheat, corn, oranges and their juice, dairy ( especially processed cheese) broccoli, strawberries and shell fish.

Hope this helps!

My exclusively breastfed daughter was about the same except she would gag with any solids I tried with her. She did this till she was 9 months old. And you know what? It's really ok! Just follow her lead. Breastfed babies are very adept at knowing what they need and what they don't and she's telling you she's not ready for solids. And physically she's not ready if she still has the tongue thrust. Solids are just for practice and she's telling you she's not ready to practice. :)

I would try about once a week or so with my daughter and finally around 9 months she decided she liked avocado and took off from there!

As far as the iron supplies. With your doc's approval try giving her a multivitamin with iron. Just get the dropper all the way to the back corner of her mouth and give a couple little squeezes and she'll swallow it without much fuss.

If your little one is orally averse to food, you might consider getting an OT consult for her. It is true that there is a "window" of opportunity to introduce food so as to get her on the right track for other oral things, like talking. I, in no way, think you need to worry, but our son had some feeding issues that were hospital-induced (he spent a ton of time in the hospital) and the OT was able to get him eating anyway. It might help just to get a professional's opinion on whether or not she will just figure it out on her own or if she might need a little therapy to move her in the right direction.

Babies who refuse to eat solids don't want to eat solids -- yet. She'll be ready when she's ready. You've indicated that she's healthy and robost; and that you are breastfeeding. You've no need to worry -- your milk has all the nutrients (including iron) that your baby girl needs. In fact, (some) studies show the introduction of iron-fortified cereals interfere with a baby's absorption of iron from breastmilk. Look for her to show you she is ready -- reaching out for food, no tongue thrust, etc. Best wishes!

She has no teeth yet. That is the answer. When she has teeth she will eat solid foods. You can read about the corrolation between having teeth and the belly being ready to digest solid food in most children's growth books.

My idea is to stop trying to give her solids because no matter what the doctors tell you she is just not ready physically.