Almost 7 Mo Old Crying During Meals

Give him a spoon and let him go crazy. The mess he makes is well worth a quiet meal (and a happy kid!) I bet he's bored and wants to feed himself or play. My daughter has been feeding herself since she was about 7-8 months and started to get real good by 9 months. Yes, it's messy. I would sometimes take off her shirt just to help.

Do you have books or toys on the changing table. I still have 1-2 small board books or toys on the table to keep her content. I also learned if I was holding up her feet and butt off the table (to wipe), she can't move anywhere! You can outmatch him.

Good luck!

Hi K., my son's name is Jake too - Love that name!! But I have had similar problems too, I find mealtime very frustrating sometimes. What has worked for me in the past is putting a little of the food on his tray and letting him play with it while I continue to feed him. Or I put a bunch on rice crispies on his tray and he'd play with them or eat them, they are easy to eat and basically melt in the mouth and don't get in the way of what I am actually trying to feed him.
The diaper thing is an ongoing battle, but I try to find something to give him for him to look at and hold while I change him. I'm running out of stuff, but so far has worked. Good luck!!

I don't have any advice, just had to say that I could have written this post. My daughter is 7 months old and is doing the exact same things. She used to smile and laugh while in the high chair, now she gets very impatient and cries. So I try to feed her more quickly. I may try to see if a different high chair or booster seat is better, although she does this too when we feed her in the bumbo with the tray. I am going out of my mind with the diaper changing though. She not only flips over constantly she also changes direction with the speed of lightning! It has become impossible! I am definitely going out and getting a few more toys this weekend. I like the toothbrush idea and random household items too. Glad to know I am not the only one dealing with these issues!

Your son sounds like a joy and a handful! The story you tell makes me wonder a couple of things: Have you checked his gums to see whether he is teething? Sometimes, especially when a child is in a growth spurt, he'll eat anythng no matter how much pain it costs him! Also, have you considered cooking or preparing food for him that he CAN feed himself? One of my friends would steam vegetables--whole carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes (one of my favorites for my three children), anything large enough for a little one to hold onto and gnaw upon. I often just put our food onto our children's plates, cut up, ready to eat with their fingers, which they happily did. We have a very humorous photo of a 7-month-old Caitlin smiling through the burger and beans she had just eaten --and slathered all over her face! It was well worth the bath that resulted... Could your son's sitting down after such an active time be the signal to his little body for him to become fatigued? He could be simply exhausted ... I mean, when I'm really tired, I'll cry through my meal, too!
As to your second problem, my son was the same way and I just learned to move quite quickly. Additionally, he could sometimes be distracted by certain toys, or a treat of some sort, long enough for me to speed-change him! He also loved hearing me sing, and that could calm him for awhile, too. You'll find something that works, and this phase will pass, too...

First it's completely normal for him to flip ove and try to get away every baby does that. I give my daughter something small to look at to distaract her while changing her. I still need to do it as fast as possible but it helps a little.
As far as him crying during meals maybe his tonsils are enlarged or swollen a little bit. This could really bother him after a few mouthfulls. I friend of mine had her daughters tonnils removed and after she did she started eating alot more, before she would only eat a few bites and then be done.

Hi there! Try feeding your child alone, he in his highchair and you across from him. Alone Mommy time does tame the child and you can better discipline him with a low tone voice. I found it worked for both my children! Once the child is fed, then the rest of the family can eat at the table and he can entertain himself.

...and it's o.k. to let the child play try to feed himself.
When he stops, that's when you come in and feed him. But don't make dinner time a negative moment for all.

Good luck!

M.

Yes, I agree. Let him feed himself and explore this new thing called food. Exploration = learning. Also, might he be ready to try finger foods? Soft banana pieces, thoroughly cooked carrot cubes, bits of baked potato? My daughter was feeding herself these at a very early age, but every child is different. It depends on the consistency of the purees he's eating, if he's eating smooth foods I would try making them a little chunkier or his cereal a little thicker and see what happens. Have fun. You just have to have a sense of humor and enjoy seeing your big boy all messy.

I wouldn't be surprised if he wants to start feeding himself. Also, is everything still pureed? If so, maybe he needs a change in texture. He's been eating solids for long enough, though, that he could probably do very well feeding himself.

As for the flipping over, it's annoying - I dealt with it (and still am) with both of my kids. I think you do whatever you have to do to distract - sing silly songs, make funny faces, give him a book to hold or a bottle of lotion or something...good luck!

I can remember my children crying during meals, but that was because I wasn't feeding them fast enough! As soon as one scoop would be put in their mouths, I had to scoop again! Any hesitation would result in histerics! You would think they were being starved! It may not be the same issue with your little Jake, but I hope you find a solution!
As far as the changing goes, by that age I was changing diapers on the floor. I would lay my son on a changing pad with his head towards my left shoulder and his feet towards my right shoulder. I then put my leg over his abdomen (with my knee bent so there was no pressure on him). This made it harder for him to roll away as I used to watch my sister struggle to change diapers and not have a disaster! Good luck!

I personally, would let go of a few things. One thing I have found as a mom is that you have to choose your battles. Food, its texture, everything about it is so new to babies that "playing" with it is so normal - and I would assume blowing raspberries falls under that. And once you start ignoring it I am sure it will most likely become a non-issue. And then maybe you can get a better idea of why your son is crying.

I would hate to think he was in any pain and simply wasn't able to communicate that to you. There are so many allergies now in kids too (and you did start feeding solids early which can increase this) so it certainly is something to keep an eye on. And fussing/crying can be an indication. I would just watch him closely and really monitor when he starts crying. And I also would let him feed himself. Strip him down to a diaper because he will make a mess. And just let him enjoy himself. :)

If he still cries I would bring it up with his doctor...

I think our sons should hang out. I am going through the same exact thing. I tried the changing-on-the-floor thing, i find it worse, because there is no fear of flipping and falling. I have a chicken dance Elmo next to his changing table that i play while changing him and just go as fast as possible. USUALLY WORKS...

As for eating, you took the words right out of my mouth. My son hates being in his high chair. At first, before he was too active, i would just feed him in his walker with my foot on it so he couldn't get away. He is now 14 months old and cruising so refuses to be in his walker. I'm not sure of how many teeth your son has * mine got his first 2 after a yr.* but try finger foods. (cooked veggies, i love the Gerber puffs, sounds gross...but stale graham crackers...a lot softer) Everything i give to my son he picks up with his fingers. Honestly, i can 't remember the last time he ate from a fork. I'm looking forward to seeing what other advice you get. We are definitely in the same boat here. Hope my tips help you out.

My daughter went through the same thing. She would be fine at daycare which had those tables with seats in them. Totally content and never cried during meals. I came to the conclusion that it was the highchair. We have the Peg Perego which seems to have a high tray and she feels confined. We used the Safety First which had a frog design on it and the tray was much lower and the sides weren't as confining. Or as someone else suggested try the kind that attaches to a chair.
I would also strip him down to his diaper and let him feed himself. That want and need to learn these skills. No matter how messy it is. It will get all over them but he will look forward to mealtime.
As for the diaper changing... I think all babies do this. My daughter would spin so fast I thought she was a super hero! I just keep putting items in their hands that they find interesting. Even an extra diaper usually will work. Or a book or toy. In a restaurant bathroom, I have even given the A&D ointment tube (cap on tight) and just watched carefully.
Take care

You might want to try a booster seat that sits on a kitchen chair. We had real problems with my second daughter sitting long enough in her high chair to eat a meal. She would eat a small amount and then fuss until we took her out of the chair. Most meals she finished while on our lap. In hindsight I think she sat very low in the highchair and the tray was too high and she just didn't like the chair "surrounding her." Once we started the booster seat, meal times improved. You may also want to make sure he has his own spoon when you are feeding him so he can help feed himself too and that he has food on his tray immediately after you put him in his seat.

Re: the diaper situation, mabey try to find a toy he really likes or a new toy that he can hold to occupy him while you change him. I know easier said than done.....good luck!

Hi K., I think you are right on two things. It sounds like he doesn't like to be scolded (but who does), but it also sounds like he's trying to be independent as well. Maybe give him his own spool/bowl (with a small amount of food to start with) and let him try to feed himself as you feed him. He should be distracted enough trying to get the food on the spoon that you could probably get more food into his mouth.

My son just turned 2 and he STILL tries to wiggle away doing diaper changes. I literally have to pin him down to get it done. I sing him songs and make him laugh with funny faces so that he's laughing long enough to get him changed/dressed.

Good luck! W.

Hi K.. I am a 26 year old SAHM to my daughter. She is 8 months old. I was pleasantly surprised to read your son tries to crawl away from you while changing him. I am only pleasantly surprised beacause I thought i was the only oe with this inconvient problem! I feel ya!

What helped me a little, was to give her something brand new she never seen before when i change her, to hopefully distract her so she wouldn't roll over. It works 90% of the time now. I actually gave her a baby toothbrush, she loves teehing on the bristles!
So give it a try.

As far as your eating dilema... I usually eat at the same time as her and I usually give her mashed up pieces of what I am eating and she loves it! Or if I do have her own, i eat with her and say YUMMY! and she likes it. I also read, to have smaller more frequent meals for this age, and it works better. My daughter loves mashed banana, avocado, potato, and yogurt (with whole milk) mixed with pureed peaches or pears she loves it.
Sorry i could go on and on cuz i love nutrition. But really its so easy to make home made food. Try the book Super Baby Food.Its very informational!
Take care and nice to meet you. God Bless you and little Jake!

Hi K.: Just a thought about the meals...It is normal and developmentally important for your baby to play with his food. It gives him experience with texture, smell, consistency, etc. Same with blowing raspberries. It may be that you are controlling the meals too much. I know it's hard to let the food fly and have a mess (I find it hard too, believe me), but I've read and heard from many that it is really important to "let it go". Also, try not to feed him once he is refusing in any way. It's important to let him control how much he wants to eat to avoid issues later on. Regarding the diaper changes, I hear you!! My baby also flips over during diaper changes and used to actually love getting her diaper changed as a newborn. I think it is just their age. They are too busy to get their diapers changed because there are more important things to do and see:) Anyway, hang in there!

My son is 7 months also and also started acting the same way.. I found he really wanted to feed himself, rather than having purees all the time on a spoon. He has no teeth, but does really well with the puffs and cheerios, I also would cut up tiny pieces of banana and melon for him which he loved. He became really happy with finger food and content enough that I could get some purees in in between bites of whatever was on his tray.

Diaper changing- on the table I have to give him a little toy to hold to keep him laying still, otherwise, like others- I change him on the floor where it's safer for him to be rolling around.

HTH. (Your son's bday is the same as my older son's..:))

Hi K.
I agree with everyone about distraction with toys and songs on the "flip out" furry of diaper changing.
Fo the eating thinng,They do make spoons with mouth gards so your son won't choke. I found them very helpful when my daughter wanted to feed herself. Even if it was just to play with. I think you can find them in the grocery store, target ,walmart etc...
Good luck!!
D.

I have the same eating issues with my son...a handful of Cheerios often is what he wants when he starts to fuss in the highchair...as he is getting older he is able to be happy in the highchair for longer periods of time.

Hi K.,

My son who is just over 9 months was doing a little bit of this too. I discovered that sometimes he had a burp in there and then after he burped he was fine. Even though they are not drinking n\maybe the food goes down so fast that air bubbles are getting in - try burping your baby and see if that helps. I just leave mine sitting there and lean him forward a bit and try to pat his back a bit - or you can pick up too. Let me know if this helps & good luck.

Let him feed himself now! He may make a huge mess & not get much in his mouth but that is how they learn to feed themselves. Don't be like me, I never wanted "a mess" on my son or my dining room so I rarely let him feed himself until he was older. Now at 21 months old he knows how to use a fork but will just stab the food then take it off the fork & hand feed himself & spoons forget it! At 21 months old he should be able to do it no problem. My 2nd son is due soon & I will just have to suck it up & deal with messes & let him start feeding himself at 6-7 months old.
But maybe your son is teething so eating (even though it is soft food) may be hurting his mouth? Try giving him Hyland's teething tablets 1/2 hr before eating & see if that helps. You can get them at CVS, S&S, Rite Aide, ect.
Also do not lose your cool with him or it will make him upset or make matters worse. After all he is only a baby & at this point does not know any better. Now a 21 month old that is another story!

OMG, I could've posted this question, sounds exactly what I'm dealing with with my 8 month son. Not sure about the eating thing...I thought maybe he wants to feed himself, as well. I started giving him his own spoon during meals while I'll keep the one with actual food....he'll usually put his spoon in his mouth after I've given him a bite. That works somewhat...and I find if I give him a Gerber Puffs star during those strange momentary crying fits it distracts him. I've also thought about teething, I'll be curious to read the responses for answers myself. I also have same issue with the diaper and have been for awhile...very active guy. I usually hand him a small toy to play with while I'm changing him and usually resort to making strange animal sounds through the changing just to keep him focused on me and facing forward. Hope to find answers as well. Good luck.

I'm no help with the diaper changing (although I do know some moms that have gotten really good at changing their babies while standing).

I think your guess that your son may be ready to feed himself is a good one. At the very least, it will keep him busy and distracted during meals and may decrease crying. He's still too young to use a spoon, obviously, but maybe put some finger foods in front of him while you feed him the usual stuff. Start with Gerber Puffs (can't choke on these), then some Cheerios or Kix, some soft-cooked diced veggies like carrots and squash. None of these foods require teeth. He should start experimenting with different textures, and with getting food to him mouth on his own.

More than likely he is teething, and the chewing is hurting his gums. Try some ora-gel before hand, or a frozen face cloth to numb his gums... once the teeth come through he will probably be fine.

K.,

The best advice I can give you is to let Jake try and feed himself. I'm not saying put the bowl infront of him and just watch while he makes a mess. I'm saying give him his own spoon. He will chew on it and such. Mean while you can be spooning food into his mouth. I sometimes have to pull my daughters spoon out of her mouth with one have and put my spoon in her mouth with the other. This has been successful for us. Also my daughter tries to hold onto the spoon I have even if she has her own spoon - this gets a little messy but she is so much happier in the long run and definately eats more.
As for turning around during changing - my daughter has started this little trick too but I'm sturn with her and hold one leg bent close to her -this makes it difficult for her to move. My theory on this is that like you said it makes a huge mess when they move and it only takes a minute to change them. I have been opening up the new diaper and getting all the wipes out of the package before I start to make it quicker but I don't let her get away with the nonsense since it makes more work in the end and certainly takes longer. Also giving her something to chew on has helped and singing to her sometimes distracts her.

Good luck,
L. M

You may want to move the changing station to the floor. It is much easier to control what is going on if you are kneeling on the floor with baby. I have always changed baby on the floor, seems to go much smoother. I also give him a special toy to hold during diaper changes. Also, you can teach him the sign for diaper change and that may keep in occupied for a few seconds as well. Make it fun. Sing songs about diaper change, etc. Good luck.

My son did the same thing. we came to realize, he was just really really hungry and that's why he was crying. We ignored it and just continued to feed him. Now at 14 months he does the same thing- whines throws the food and then will continue to eat. We ignore the behavior remove the tray until he calms down, then we re-present the same meal. He finishes and then moves on. I think just being consistent and not giving a big reaction to their behavior is what worked for us. Next week it will be something else. :) In terms of the changing, we are still battling him twisting and turning, I give my son a warning, if you keep moving around, mommy will have to strap you on to the table- sometimes it works, sometimes I have to strap him onto the changing table for his own safety. we give him toys to hold and try to distract him- sometimes it works and sometimes we just have to tough it out! Good luck.