Back when we first started more finger foods and the chunky stuff it was a total puke fest. Every time a chunk would get anywhere near the back of his throat he'd give me gag face and promptly regurgitate the offending piece - along with whatever else had made it into his stomach. The past week or so we have made some progress. He has been making the chewing motion with some of the little pasta chunks in his food and was even chewing on a piece of broccoli at dinner the other night (he appeared to chew all the juices out of it and then spit out this shriveled chunk of broccoli - gross). He's been devouring food like it was his last meal.
Until a couple days ago, that is. It started this past weekend. I was trying to feed him dinner and he would take one bite and then refuse to open his mouth. All he would do was grab at the spoon, get the food all over his hands and then proceed to rub it all over his face, his hair, the tray and his clothes. I thought maybe he was done with being spoon fed so I gave him finger foods. Those all ended up either in his seat or chucked over his shoulder onto the floor. Maybe once ever third meal would he cooperate and actually eat. I mean, he'll go to town on some goldfish crackers or cheerios, but that isn't exactly nutrition. I'm starting to worry that he isn't getting the nutrients that he needs. Of course he is still getting 18 oz of breastmilk at daycare every day, plus nursing in the morning and a bottle of formula before bed so it's not like he is starving. But I feel like he should be more interested in eating other foods and better able to eat textures without throwing up.
Oh, and he has another fun trick. I feed him the stage 3 foods that have little pasta balls in them. Well, he has started to just swallow the liquidy part and store all the pasta balls in his cheeks like a chipmunk until he gags and spits them all out. It's fun stuff, let me tell you.
Ugh - I know eventually he'll grow out of this. I mean, he won't be eating pureed food forever. I just feel like we are not making progress. I read about these other babies and the foods that they eat and I can't help but think I'm doing something wrong. I guess this mommy thing is going to be a learning process forever, huh?
At least he's finally figuring out what to do with a sippy cup:
Hopefully while I am home with him the next 4 days we'll get somewhere with the whole food thing. Who knows - maybe by this time next week I'll be complaining that he's eating everything in sight and I can't keep him satisfied. Fingers crossed....
you aren't doing anything wrong, every kid is different. just keep doing what you are doing and he will be fine. i have dealt with a lot of kids and when they are hungry they will eat. so don't worry too much about the solids since he is still getting lots of breast milk. the week leland has been throwing everything on the floor, i am just trying to ignore it, but it is frustrating.
ReplyDeleteE did this exact same thing. She straight out refused the baby spoon or being spoon fed. {If we give her greek yogurt now it has to be on a real spoon. If we pull out the baby spoon she refuses anything}. I assumed she wanted to feed herself since she was refusing the spoon. Like Andrew most of the food went to the floor or the dog. However she would slam poofs like it was her job. She ate a lot of poofs in that time.
ReplyDeleteTry not to worry. Food is fun until one! Andrew will get the hang of it. I started E on finger sized "fries" {my finger not hers}. Now she eats what we eat but it was a long and slow transition. Now if I could only get her to stop feeding the dog.
every kid is different. I was discussing this with my hubby this week, actually, how dramatically different T was from B. T didn't even start table foods till he was 9 months, and it was very slow going. He was on purees for the majority of his diet until he was almost 1. With B, she started so incredibly early (in comparison). She's been eating table foods for months now, and grows bored with repeats...so I can't even keep up with her selection. Don't fret. You're doing amazing just not giving up. He'll get it. For Andrew, maybe for him to feel comfortable he needs to grow more teeth. Just keep at it and if you don't feel like fighting him one night, just don't. BM is adequate until 1 year and purees are a bonus!
ReplyDeleteThank you, ladies! I know I shouldn't compare him to other babies and they are all different, but I look at other blogs and see videos and pictures and it's like "Holy crap - that baby is eating a steak!". Ok, maybe that's a slight exaggeration :) I just worry since his weight percentile has dropped at every single appointment, but I guess if his pedi isn't concerned I shouldn't be.
ReplyDeleteI guess I just need to be patient and keep trying. And maybe put a tarp under his high chair to catch all the food he flings everywhere.
I can't help but laugh at the mental image of him storing the pasta balls in his cheeks like a chipmunk!!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure when it's my kid in a couple of months it won't be so funny ;-)
I will admit that I did laugh the first time I caught him doing it. I was all proud of him for eating them and then about 15 of them flying out of his mouth onto the tray. He's a sneaky little bugger.
Deleteok, I'm sorry but I'm still literally laughing out loud at your chipmunk pasta-ball-storing baby. that is definitely some talent. and thanks for the laugh, I seriously needed it :)
ReplyDeleteI can understand your worry and it's so easy as an outsider to tell you not to worry. every damn parenting decision we make, we're forced to question a zillion times and then compare against fellow mamas. but seriously try not to worry ;) He'll get the hang of it. eating is eating and he'll be eating steak before you know it! Every baby progresses at a different pace in every aspect of life. don't stress, mama!