Five Month Old Hates Solids-any Tricks?

Don't push it! Some babies don't eat solids until they're closer to a year old. It's all about play and experimentation at this stage, not nutrition. So if she's not into it don't make it into a struggle. There have been findings that say it can cause eating issues later on. Whether or not they're true, you don't want to risk it!

L., welcome to the fun times of solids! My 8 month old daughter honestly took until about 7 months to actually be somewhat interested. I just kept trying. She eventually took to it and now is the biggest eater ever! So just be patient and give it time. Eventually she will realize it's not so bad. Just keep trying!

My younger son didn't want any solid foods at all while I was nursing him, so I finally weaned him at 1-1/2 (I had been hoping to nurse him until he was 2 years old), but I was tired of being his only food source. At least your daughter's showing some curiosity. One of the things my older son loved to eat when he was little was what we call "soupy rice," I make a 1/2 cup of steamed rice and add it to cream of chicken soup.

Keep going! The taste and texture is all new. In fact I read on the rice cereal box that I can take up to 15 feeding to "get it right" and have them like it. Don't give up on her!

Hey L.,
I went through a similar experience with my son. He was exclusively breastfed and when I tried introducing solids (rice cereal, applesauce, etc.) he wanted none of it. I would wait a few weeks and try again, but still no interest. I grew worried when he was 8, 9, and 10 months old and still not eating solids, but his growth was steady and my doctor was happy with his development. My son didn't regularly eat solid foods until he was 14 months old! I was shocked (and had begun to worry he'd never eat solids!). But he was always in the 90th percentile for height and weight, started walking just before his first birthday, talked on schedule and was developmentally on track. He's now a healthy 3 year old (still tall and lean and quite the chatterbox) who eats well. I don't have any tricks for you, but just wanted to let you know to hang in there, don't worry and keep paying attention to your daughter's cues like you're doing.
Take care,
B.

I would wait a bit longer. She doesn't have to start until she is 6 months. You could give her some of the rice cereal with a spoon and just see what she does. let her put her own hands in it and get it all over. Are you putting milk in it? Whatever she is drinking, breast or formula is best added to it, so that it tastes somewhat like what she was having. Maybe she will skip the mush and go to things she can feed herself like pasta once she has a few teeth or tiny pieces of meat or banana.

My son now just started eating solids at 8.5 months. I had a speech therapist come to my house and do some feeding consults with him, because he would turn his head, lock his mouth, and just outright refuse the spoon or any solids. He was a reflux baby, so they said that could have a lot to do with it. Then the lightbulb turned on and he is eating 3 meals/day. I am still doing fruits, yogurts, and some veggies (not the green ones yet). My doctor was concerned cause he was plateauing on the weight charts, but if she is are gaining weight then it sounds like she may not be ready. It was frustrating, but worked itself out with my son.

It sounds like she may not be ready. My one son loved rice cereal, & my other son disliked it. I tried mixing in fruit & veggies & he still didn't care for it. He did like the oatmeal from the baby food jar. There's no reason to rush her into solids. She'll eventually eat them when she is ready. Babies don't needs solids anyways until 6 months. Might try waiting a few weeks & then try again.

Well I have just gone through this with my 8 month old son. And he has actually just started eating solid food a month ago and we began the process when he was 5 mths (so you have an idea of how long it took). My doctor told me that it is no big deal if they don't eat solids for up to a year, and it can be quite normal for kids not to like the taste or consistency of solid foods. My son is breastfed and takes a bottle as well, and in the beginning he was letting nothing replace mom's milk!
First of all the cereal is gross, so she won't like it. In fact, my son still won't eat it and he eats anything now. So go for the fruits and veggies. I also made my own baby food because the jar food does not taste like the real thing. Just boil veggies (or fruit) till they are very soft then blend with the water you boiled them in. He would at least eat a couple of spoonfuls of that as opposed to the jar food. Try feeding her while everyone else is eating. She most likely will want to emulate the activity, then you can sneek spoonfuls of food in her mouth while she doing the motions. But honestly, my son got sick of sitting there not eating while all of the other babies were eating in daycare...that's what got him started. The teacher would sit him at the table with the other kids whether he ate or not so he can watch everyone eat and build an interest and eventually he did. Now he's up to almost 3 jars a day plus biter buscuits. So know that she may not start eating until later in life, but eventually she will and she will love it!

The new advise is to wait until about 6 months. Go to www.kellymom.com and check out the article on starting solids. They have a reflex to push food out of their mouths with their tongues. Until this is gone they shouldn't start solids. They also should be able to sit up unassisted.

I agree with Marnie. My daughter didn't like rice cereal, so we tried avocado and she loved it! Avocado, bananas and sweet potatoes are all excellent first foods and don't need to buy them in the jar, it is easy first foods to make with real food. I also switched rice cereal later on and she liked it better. I used Happy Bellies with probiotics in it. Dr. Sears approved and found at Whole Foods. Good luck and no need to rush.

If she is breastfed she does not need anything else.
She will eat when she is ready, don't rush her.
While you can feed them solids after 4 months it is recommended that you wait until after 6 months (at least) to introduce it. I would back off for a while and try again in a month.
Also, she does not need cereal at all. I don't blame her at all for refusing it. It is disgusting! Yuck! Smart baby for saying no to it.
Wait until she is older and then introduce real oatmeal. It is much healthier than the baby stuff, and again if she is breastfed she does not need all the other garbage they put in those baby cereals.

try fruit flavors or else make yor own stuff. like mash potatoes or whatever your eating through a blender.

I only have one trick, but I didn't feed my infant puree foods till she was 6 months old either. As I was breastfeeding I mixed some of my pumped breastmilk into the rice cereal. I made it fairly soupy at first and then gradually made it thicker. She didn't become a bigger eater of solids till she was closer to 7 months. She is now a healthy happy 2 year old and loves to eat!!!

I agree your baby may just not be ready for solids just yet at five months. You've gotten lots of good ideas for starting when she is ready, but I'll add one additional. My babies hated being fed but loved to feed themselves. I started with small bits of ripe banana on their high chair tray that they could pick up themselves and feed themselves. One suggestion is to put 3 small pieces of soft table foods (banana, cooked carrot, cooked sweet potato, avocado, very small pieces of soft meats, etc) on the high chair tray and let the baby pick them up and feed herself, then offer 3 more small pieces as long as she's interested. When the pieces end up on the floor, the meal is then over. Plan on some mess, but it's all part of the learning.

it is probably too soon for her try again in a month. she is getting all she needs from formula/breastmilk

in spite of swallowing and smacking her lips, it doesn't sound like she's interested at all. some general signs that they're ready (aside from swallowing): she can sit up by herself, she reaches for things on the table/your plate while you are eating, teeth. if she doesn't like the soft food, don't push it, just wait a little while longer. there's not really any reason to force solids for up to another 6-8 months (according to LLL). and while rice cereal and grains are often recommended, they don't offer much nutrition or taste. if you really want her to eat, you might offer something off of your own plate - a piece of banana or avocado, some potatoe or a small bit of beans or meat.

it sounds to me more like teething than wanting to eat. babies put everything in their mouths, especially fabric, because it feels good to chomp on while teething. it's also because they take in the world through all 5 senses. best of luck, just relax and let her lead!

how fun! Beginning solids is a really fun time, I would caution not to rush it though. If she isn't responding to them, just put it away for now. She will eventually.

She's just not ready for food yet ... I'd wait. My son and my niece were both like that ... My daughter and two other nieces latched onto food like it was going out of style. Take your cue from your baby girl -- wait for a couple more months. She gets all she needs from nursing or formula.

My daughter would only taste (not really eat much) solids until she was 13 months. Then she preferred mashed up table food instead of prepared baby food. I've heard that's not that uncommon.

L.:

it sounds as if she is telling you that she is not ready....

P., RLC, IBCLC
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions

She may not be ready as a lot of moms said or she just might not like rice cereal. My daughter refused to eat it. I tried avocado next which was very popular and then switched to the oatmeal cereal which she loved. Good luck.

Put off the solid food for a few weeks and try again. She will be a good eater. She may have just been imitating you.

Hi L.. I would try to start with fruit first, it is a little sweeter and she may like that better. I had this problem with my 2nd child and you just have to keep feeding it to them, they will eventually eat it. My new little one started with oatmeal, and then pears. I mix the oatmeal with the pears and feed it to her like that. She is a big eater now. I hope this helps. Good luck.

I would just let it go for a week and try again. I tried starting at 4 months with my daughter and she didn't want anything to do with it. I tried once or twice a week until she finally wanted it at 5 1/2 months. So all you can really do it keep trying once every few days. I bet in a couple weeks she will be eating it up.

My little one did the same thing at first with his solids. My ped also told me to try foods when he was looking at my food and taking an interest when me or my husband were eating. He ended up never liking rice cereal or the baby oatmeal ever. I would actually mix up a little of the rice in his fruits and veggies and he still didn't like it - loved it if the rice weren't in there! He was nursing, so I didn't worry too much about it. He was always a healthy weight and the ped told me not to stress if he didn't like those foods. Now he's almost 2 and eats EVERYTHING, loves healthy foods the best. I would ask your doctor if you're really worried about it.
:)

She's just not ready. What's the rush? I would wait until she is 6 months or more.

You can tease her mouth open by touching the spoon on her bottom lip. You can add breastmilk or formula to the oatmeal or rice cereal. Stick with instant cereal before adding fruit. If she still doesn't seem interested, wait a few days before trying again.

Even though she looks to you like she is showing interest, that clearly is not what she wants. The AAP, WHO, and UNICEF recommend exclusive breastfeeding until about 6 months with the introduction of solids starting around that time. While it is not unusual to sometimes start in the 4-6m range, it is not necessary and seems like a waste of time on your part. I'd say don't sweat it. She may just be trying out new activities with her mouth, just exploring or even teething if she is biting things. When she is ready she will open wide and love it without much effort on your part. As long as she is growing well just give her time. I have had a few clients whose babies would not have anything to do with solids until closer to 7 months and then all of a sudden they started taking them like they were going out of style. Relax and just enjoy her for now. In a couple of weeks or so if you feel like it you can offer again and see how she responds. Hope this helps. C. RN, IBCLC and mom of 3(ages 23,20, and 14)

Hi L., I don't think you mentioned your daughter current age...but anyhow... I think perhaps trying, bananas, mashed potatoes, grits both with a hint of butter taste might work for you. I don't think I'd like sweet potatoes mixed with rice either....LOL

Also remember everybody is different, she may not be as ready for solids as it seems ... but continue a mix of both foods to see which she really enjoys most.

Mrs. Maul

Good Luck