Solids, grizzling, so unsure of myself!

My son is now 5 months and 3/4's, and I have been introducing solids for the last week or so. I waited till I was sure he was REALLY ready, and at first he took them well (started with baby rice).

Have tried him on pear, pumpkin and banana, and then started to try to give him the solids in the evening. He seems to be getting less and less interested. Opens his mouth for the first spoonful and then it gets harder and harder.

I have also been giving him whole pieces of fruit during the day which he likes to chomp on but not sure whether I should just do this (baby led weaning) or carry on with the purees.

I know it is just a taste at the moment, but I don't feel like it is going well    

On top of that, he is grizzly, what feels like the WHOLE day, getting worse at night. I suspect (but have no idea really!) that he is just plain hungry but doesn't associate the food with getting rid of that feeling??? It could be teeth I guess but he doesn't have any other symptoms. He is definitely not his happy usual self

So last night I gave him a formula top up. I felt SO guilty but decided to give it a shot. And he was SOOOoooo happy afterwards!?!

He has also developed bad eczema on his chin but this didn't appear to be related to any specific food.

I feel totally unsure of myself and what I am doing with him - it is awful! I want to do right by him but have no idea what that is.

We started solids around 5.5 months but he wasn't really eating anything as such until about 7 months. We did pureed food to start with, but I did give him rusks and fruit bits in a muslin cloth to nibble on. He was also getting hungrier around this time and was waking more at night for feeds. Anyway, what worked for us was introducing the stage 2 formula around this time - it has more protein in it so kept him fuller for longer. But then H has been getting formula top ups from day 1 (long story) and I got over my guilts by then!

I'd say if he is happier after a bottle then he is probably hungry. Oh, and the other thing I noticed with H - if he was really hungry then he just wouldn't eat solids, he'd be far too agitated for that and just want milk.

Good luck, you are doing a great job

lilfatty wrote: Thats quite young to be starting solids isnt it? ..

When I was starting DS on solids it felt very much as though the world and his wife were starting their babies off much younger. I felt as though everyone had babies of 4.5 months plus on steak and chips practically.

My wee boy wouldn't have a bar of anything other than breast milk until about 7.5 months, and that was when we had arrived in England and he licked some gravy off my finger while I demonstrated to family just how disinterested in solids he was Up until then he had been showing all the 'signs' of looking ready but he clearly wasn't.

I can't help on the grizzling thing - who knows!? - but just take the whole solids thing slowly, he'll definitely let you know once he's really up for it.

the grizzling could be teeth related. those little buggers move around in the mouth a bit and can cause discomfort way before they pop up. The pieces of fruit will be good for chewing for his teeth.

dont forget at this age that milk is still more important than solid food. my 28mth old still has milk before bed!

oh and even now my 5 and 6 yr old prefer to eat earlier in the day than later... and if it gets too late they wont eat at all.

Edited by Bizzy

Jayden has been like that the last few mornings. He has been on solids since around 5ish mths (now 6 mths) and the last few mornings he hasn't really wanted any solids at all. I generally give him fruit in the morning and lunch time and then a vege kind of one at night for tea but he hasn't wanted anything apart from his bottle at the moment. I am just going with the flow and if it continues I will definitely be talking to the dr or someone about it..

Good luck anyway

We started solids at 4 months :) We only gave them like a teaspoon of baby rice once a day for the first month though. Then slowing started mixing apple into the rice then other things like banana & pear and eventually went to pumpkin and other vege. I think it's something you just need to ease into. Kids will eat solids when they're ready. Don't panic most Mums don't even start until 6 months or older these days anyway. Unless your doctor is worried about weight gain etc then I wouldn't panic. Just go slow and introduce a new flavour once a week. Sometimes it can take a few days for them to get used to a new taste.

Edited by lisa85

my little darling is very grizzly at the moment. have no idea why. is very clingy and food fussy. it will pass, as frustrating as it is. is happily knawing on home pizza on my lap - now - anything for a break lol.

Sounds really similar to us, Cooper didn't really become interested till 6 1/2 - 7 months, even though I thought he was ready earlier.   So if he only takes one or two teaspoons per feed don't worry, it seemed like everyone I spoke to started on 1 teaspoon and after a week they were on 2-3 meals! But then I asked around a bit more and that wasn't the case after all, it was more of a mix. Cooper still isn't big on veges, so they always get mixed with fruit or done as finger food as he seems ok with them that way (fair enough I don't really like mashed potato, but like baked and roast ones).

Keep trying new stuff, and you'll stumble across a favourite - then mixing that with new stuff helps. Also start the cycle again, in case he likes something he didn't in the beginning.

Sometimes Cooper grizzles when eating finger food and I wonder if it's because he can't eat it fast enough and is too hungry or the process is a bit much for him, or he could be bored or not like it and want something else.    I tried playing around with the gap between milk and solids too as that makes a difference. Sometimes too big of a gap and he's too hungry, not enough and he's too full (my guesses anyway) and then sometimes straight after a nap didn't work either.

So many variables with this baby business!! It is really confusing and worrying at times.

Lil_Nic9 wrote: Lily is ready in all ways but being hungry. Plunket have told me she is gaining weight well and doesn't need anything other than my BM but that I am to start no later than 6 months.

Don't you love how contridictory plunket is. I wouldn't worry about what they say Nic, trust your gut, you'll know when she's ready.

Cooper is just about to turn 7 months and he really isn't swallowing much at all and the face that it all comes back out undigested in his nappy tells me he doesn't "need" it like Plunket tend to insist.

I think it's more a developmental thing (chewing etc) rather than a need for food thing. And by 7mths they really need more iron than we can give them via breastmilk.