# Sleep nearly sorted - now need help with weaning please



## Bunny Face (Jan 20, 2008)

Hello again, 


I posted a few weeks ago about my beautiful LO's inability to sleep through the night...there has been a massive improvement (she actually slept through last night)   , so I'm a very proud Mummy. 


However we are now moving on to tackling her eating habits.  I know she is extremely far behind with her weaning, she is 1 on Saturday and will only eat puréed food from jars. She will eat rice cakes and biscuits but spits out anything remotely textured or lumpy and will not entertain pureed home cooked food! ( my cooking isn't that bad!)


Every time I see a HV I feel like I am a bad mother, I know she should be eating what we eat and I know she needs to move on but what can I do? She was weaned on dessert jars of food which are always puréed, by the FC because she "doesn't like savoury" but changing her meals makes her so distressed.  I was completely prepared for some regression but my HV has really made me feel like I'm letting LO down   .  She has been with us for 2 months on Monday, I don't want to undo the bond we have formed by causing her so much distress at mealtimes.  


Your advice would be most grateful


----------



## keemjay (Jan 19, 2004)

great news on the sleeping  
and now...step away from the HV! 
firstly why are you seeing her so much? I hardly ever saw the HV..took DS to be weighed once after he was placed at 9 months and never saw her again..DD i dont think I ever saw her after a stst review, except at a 2 yr old check..
secondly, do what is right for YOU and YOUR baby..its nothing to do with HV what YOUR baby eats..and if you must keep seeing her then I would just start fibbing 'oh yes, she's been trying some bread and pasta, still not keen but we're getting there' (eye roll) kind of thing! how is she going to know any different anyway 

I know plenty of 1 yr olds that dont eat 'adult' food mushed up..its not your fault she has got used to jars..in an ideal world perhaps it would be nice if she would eat your food but it is what it is and theres no point fretting about it  
have you tried adding just the teeniest bits of your home cooked stuff to the jars..if she tolerates a teeny bit, try a bit more next time etc etc

have you read about baby led weaning? just putting some bits and pieces of real food..pasta/apple/carrot/crackers etc in front of her and let her nibble on them a bit. let her try food your eating, crackers, biscuits,sandwich, whatever..if she reaches for it let her have a try!
really though, dont stress on it..she's only 8 weeks into life with you..if she's happy with the jars for now keep on with it and she'll get onto other foods soon as long as you keep offering it, having meals together and keeping food stress free..

kj x


----------



## watakerfuffle (Jan 26, 2011)

Morning, I would echo what keemjay has said. I really wouldn't worry about the hv's opinion on it.
Just to reassure you my lo was 15 months on placement and was also used to having mainly jar food and several bottles of milk during day and night!. We gradually cut the milk down for starters so he was hungrier for his meals. He would eat some home cooked foods but they had to be blended first. Like keemjay has said try mixing some home cooked food blended up with the jar food. This worked well for our lo. We also offered him lots of finger food throughout the day, any fruit and vedg sliced up. If lo is keen on sweet things have you tried sweet potato mashed up, my lo loves it and you can then do a mixed mash adding anything to it. Another favourite was and still is avocado and banana blended up. My lo is nearly 2 now and is getting more and more confident with trying new things and different textures. They get there in the end


----------



## eagle738 (May 20, 2011)

Hi ladies - sorry to gatecrash, a close friend's adopting a littlie this month so have been browsing. 

I've got a 16 month old who has only just now started to eat our food. Up to 13 month only stage 1 pouches and bottles. Quite worrying but dietician at hospital kept saying ' offer but never force it, trust nature to sort it out.' It did, phew - what really helped us is him seeing other kids enjoy real food. Not sure whether that helps in any way 
Eagle


----------



## thespouses (Jan 5, 2006)

Watching other children certainly helps.  Little boy eats better (in his case the issue is throwing food everywhere) at nursery than at home, but nursery helps with home. He's also better when out at a cafe with friends.

And just mixing in a taste of the new food, then increasing the amount etc. etc. is probably the way to go. She may also go for finger food placed in front of her out of curiosity, but if she rejects it or flings it, stay calm, deep breaths! Or something on the rice cakes - mashed avocado, banana, hummus, cheese spread, philadelphia (there are several savoury flavours there to try).

And maybe try changing taste but not texture, or texture but not taste, not both at the same time?


----------



## Bunny Face (Jan 20, 2008)

Thank you so much for your replies. 


I spoke to my SW today and she put my mind at rest, she feels that we are doing a great job, LO is healthy, happy and attaching perfectly.  She echoed your thoughts about the HV and I instantly felt better. 


I read about baby led weaning, it sounds like the way to go...in fact LO tried cheese spread sandwiches and Jam filled pitta breads today.  She didn't swallow much of it but she tried it and I'm proud of that. 


I think I was having a wobble yesterday, thanks for 'picking me up'....I think I just need some reassurance every now and again xx


----------



## E3021 (May 28, 2010)

Hi there,

You've had some great advice from the ladies on here ... thought I would just add my own experiences too.

We took on an 18mth and 6mth pair last summer so I've kind of got experience of both sides of the ages. 

Firstly, my littlest we had from the very beginning of weaning so no blame on anyone but me!   She is now 16months and only just beginning to really cope with solid solid food. She's been eating mash, shepherds pie, pasta and fish pie etc for ages but it has been heavily mashed with the mince / fish etc blended so i have shared your fears about the puree side of things. Can I try and put your mind at rest? My DD has recently acquired three molars and since then she has been tearing at toast, chips and coping with less mashed food. She is a bit of a fussy eater I think in terms of texture and also we discovered at about 12 months that she has massive tonsils that are a) prone to infection and b) big in her throat - no wonder she hasn't managed much solid / hard food!!! We had lots of months of her choking and throwing up her food and at last it made sense. Since then I have stopped worrying and relaxed and now, after nearly a year of working on her we are definitely seeing the fruits of our labour. 

in terms of flavours etc, I introduce a new meal for both of mine once a week - usually at lunchtime, then if they don't eat much of it I can fill them up with a favourite at teatime so they go to bed nice and full.

My older DD was 18months on placement and a terribly fussy eater (too many ready meals and biscuits previously!!! It took me at least six months if not more to really feel that I have taken charge of her diet and got her eating what I want totally. It's been slow and steady progress, with lots of patience and constant reminders to myself that food must not become an issue or a divide between us, after all we are still consolidating attachment.

It took six months to get her to swallow cucumber!!! But she likes it now.

You will get there, be patient and as long as LO eats something that's the main thing. I have a friend whose birth child was very small and a fussy eater, the dietician recommended giving her chicken and chips every day if that was what she wanted - to at least get food in her, and now she eats anything she is given (she's only three now).

Good luck, and please don't worry, 12 months is still tiny, ignore what the preachy books say and trust your instincts.

xxx


----------



## thespouses (Jan 5, 2006)

Great progress - glad to hear it!


----------

