we are trying to start using more finger foods, but he either slaps your hand away the moment it touches anywhere near his mouth or he spits it out. I have tried the gerber fruit and veggie puffs (he gags and acts like he is going to throw up, small bread pieces where he does the same, and small pieces of shredded cheese, where he will eat it if you push it in far enough. Everything you put on the highchair table is just a toy and ends up being a dog treat. I try to encourage him to try the new foods, but he seems very resistant to it. Any suggestions for helping him get over his problem with the new food texture?
I will definitely keep trying new foods with him. I think maybe I'll stick with the cheese for a while since he seems to like the taste already...but let him learn to pick it up. Thanks!
Are you trying these foods after a bottle? If he's already eaten he may just not be hungry. I find my dd does best when I put her in the highchair first when she is hungry, then give a bottle. Also, like a previous poster said just keep trying. Eventually he'll eat something.
We also have a 9 month old (almost 10 mo.). We just tried to some finger foods (little bit of steamed broccoli, baked potato, and bread). I would say your son is not interested in finger foods yet and you should stop trying for maybe a week, then try again. I think forcing it is not a good thing. Our son isn't sure about these foods when we put a little bit on his high chair. He just plays with it, but that's part of the learning process. He will eat it if we touch it to his lips. We literally just started 2 days ago. These things take time though! Good luck.
Just keep offering. He'll get it eventually. Don't stress...I've known a few kids who didn't show any interest in table foods until well past 12 months. good luck!
The other piece of advice is to give him foods that he really likes. Even things like mashed potatoes or applesauce can be "finger foods" if you are willing to let your boy make a mess of it :) My 10 month old is on a big graham cracker kick, but he's always liked food with texture. I think part of this is that we make his baby food, so it's never been that super fine puree that the jarred stuff is. If you think it's a texture issue, try cooking some rolled oats up nice and soft for your boy and get him eating some lumpier foods with a spoon first.
Well Congrats on your first child. He's probably starting to assert a little independence, also maybe he would just prefer you to feed him baby food for awhile, and that is okay...he is only nine months. Try baccking off for a couple of weeks and trying again then...it will be all " new" again. Also, maybe try feeding him in a different place, (your lap, a silly saucer, etc.) and maybe have someone else try it with him. Anyhow, I hope this helps, and it will all work out in time.
Hi S.,
in my experience, it seems that boys are slower to get into finger foods than girls. My son and a friends daughter shared a birthday, and she was on finger foods and self feeding months before Daniel was. Just be patient, don't rush him, make sure he is getting enough other food to eat, and keep offering it.He will take it eventually, when he is ready.
I just think girls want to be independant sooner than boys!!
Good luck
L.
I used my own food that I cooked. It seems like the Gerber type foods didn't appeal to my children either. They loved green beans which seemed easier for them to pick up and bananas. Whatever I cooked I would shred and dice to small portions and they seemed to like to eat what I was eating. My little ones also threw most of thier food, but eventually they did get it!! Good Luck to you!
Hi S., I am a first time mom too. My son will be 1 year old in 2 weeks and yesterday was the first day he was able to eat the Gerber sweet potato puffs. He has been a gagger on anything that is not pureed. I started trying to give him food he would have to "chew" at around 8 months. Each time he would gag and sometimes vomit. It was so scary. So I would back off, give him a few weeks and try again. Same thing until yesterday when he was able to eat the puffs. He did gag a little with them but he seemed to be getting the hang of it. I am sure it can't be fun for them to eat when it involves gagging, so maybe your son is becoming resistant to trying. Don't feel pressure to make him eat if he is interested. My son was late getting teeth. Not sure if that is the case for your son but one person suggested to me that once they started getting teeth and they start drooling a lot making it easier for them to swallow the chunks. I hope my comments help!
I'd just keep offering...not force the issue. I had one in my care that did the same thing at 9 months. After 10 months, she brings Cheerios and Gerber puffs to her mouth, but slowly and not reliably. Kids develop at different rates. I think they'll come around to table food soon enough. In the meantime, there's plenty of nutrition in the baby food, cereal and brest milk/formula. Your son just seems not quite ready for it yet. My first son never did like the Gerber puffs, but he's the only one I know who didn't like them. :) Possibly your son could just not like them too, but at this point it does seem like a texture thing he's just not quite ready for yet.
I agree with the suggestions not to put the food in his mouth, just put a piece or two on the tray before you feed him and let him look at/play with it for a few minutes before you start feeding him the mushy stuff. Don't give him much, since it will mostly all end up on the floor eventually.
You might also try putting a favorite pureed food in a bowl in front of him for a few minutes before feeding him to give him the idea that he can feed himself (mostly by sucking the mess off his fingers, of course).
Softer, moist finger foods may appeal to him more as well. Try a chunk of banana, steamed-to-mushy broccoli, cooked peas, or adding a dash of milk to the cheerios (just enough to make them soft - not dissolving!)
Hi S.,
Not every baby is ready at the same time, and they all choke when they first start eating finger foods. My advice is to not try to put it into your son's mouth. If he is not picking it up and putting it in his mouth himself, then he's not ready yet. I put cheerios in front of my baby starting for several days before he even picked one up. Then it was several more days before it made it to his mouth. And of course he gagged on it. He gagged on cheerios and puffs for at least a month before he got better at chewing before he tried to swallow. Just keep offering the food and eventually he will be ready!
Good luck!
L.
I had that same problem with my son Jakob. When he was 9 months. It might be he isnt ready to eat those things and making him wont help. What helped with me was starting out with one item at a time and often but very little. When he started to get the idea..i moved onto the next item. It took me about month or so but it helped alot. Its like i made it his idea. He is now 11 months old and now he is use that stuff now comes the solids and i am also having problems with that but i know that if i take my time he soon will get it.
