Balancing Breastfeeding with Solids....

I agree with taking a break, but perhaps keeping her at the table and only giving her food if she's acting interested. My daughter has pretty much just had table food, cut small.

Since you don't want to make her associate feeding time as something stressful for you both, how about just starting over, and simply including her in the mealtime- so she gets to watch you eat, as well as the rest of your family. Let her see you eating and enjoying yourself, and then offer her something. What are her favorites- applesauce, sweet potatoes, bananas? Let her see you eat them first- this is your chance to earn an Oscar for drama performance- sell it! sell it!

Once she sees how much fun it is to eat, she will eventually be reaching and wanting to try it, too. Try letting her play with a spoon, she might like to mimic feeding herself. I also learned a lot by making a point to taste EVERYTHING that my daughter eats, especially if she was not enjoying something- I learned that jarred peas, infant cereal (without being diluted into a tastier food) and certain home purees are horrifyingly disgusting- if they made me want to wretch, how could I expect her to eat it?

Your baby is happy, healthy and well-fed- and she is still just in the beginning stages of exploring solid foods. The real point right now is just to expose her to flavors, textures, and introducing her to your family's mealtime "culture." And you are already doing all of that- so definitely cut yourself a break- you're doing fine, even if she isn't ready to eat much (solid) yet.

Take a break! She's telling you she's not ready. Back off for a few weeks and try again :)

If she doesn't want to eat it, no big deal. Babies never purposely starve themselves, and it is her way of telling you that she just isn't ready yet. If you are giving her jarred baby food you could always try and offer whatever you are eating, and if she has teeth, just cut it up in small bits. They do not have to have pureed food, and can eat whatever you are eating as long as doesn't contain a ton of sodium. Don't push her on the food, she will eat when seh is ready!

Does she show any interest in feeding herself? Maybe busying her with something she can do herself will help her accept what you are trying to feed her. It could also just be what you're trying to feed her. Maybe she just doesn't like it. Bottom line is that she'll eat when she's hungry so don't make yourself upset about it. Babies are really good at listening to their bodies and when they are full or not hungry they won't eat....something we adults need to be a little better at!!! :)

Listen to your husband (I almost never say that re: child care). Don't stress yourself. I didn't start solids with DD until 10 mos. Before that it was all breast milk. And I never did purees or spoonfed her anything (except occasional applesauce). Some of those jarred foods taste really nasty. I'd just offer your DC mushed up real food and she can experiment with it. There is really no need to stress yourself out about it. As long as she is healthy and nursing all is well, she is getting all the nutrition she needs!

Ditto what others wrote! You are doing a great job. There is a lot of "suppose to's". Each child is different. She won't go hungry. Take a break...try again....this will be a distant memory when in a few months she will be eating everything in sight. LOL. Your a good mama!!!! Keep doing what your doing. I read often that in the first year all they need is breastmilk! Your doing great!

My 7.5mo is the same way, the pediatrician said that the main thing is for him to try solids here and there to practice chewing, but that nutritionally there's no problem with breastfeeding being his primary nutritional source before he's a year old or so.

Take a couple of days off and start again, Let her see what you are eating every time you eat to get her interested.

I feed myself her baby food (yuk) and then she'll take a bite.

There is also something called Baby Led Weaning. I have a friend who is doing that because her son refuses all jarred foods. You can google it.

I also agree with the other post - do it when she is not starving. I usually wait one hour after BF'g.

Good luck!

If she's nursing - she's getting all the nutrition she needs from you anyway. Eating needs to be an enjoyable experience - for everyone. Include her at mealtimes with your family - sit her in the highchair - put a few cheerios/mashed banana on the tray and let her play/explore food. Do not try to feed her - let her self-feed. She will eat what she's hungry for. Your twins will model eating for her. Above all, make it fun - let her be messy, put different textures, types of food on the tray.

She is learning. Have patience. Continue nursing.
and have fun.

T.

Sometimes they are so hungry that solids just make them angry, breastfeeding is instant. I will sometimes feed my daughter one breast, then her solids, then a second breast if she needs/wants more. Or try breastfeeding then giving the solids like 2 hours later. That way she's starting to get hungry but isn't starving. Good luck and if all else fails, just stop solids for a few days and let her tell you when she wants more food. I know my nosy dtr wants to sit in her high chair and eat when we eat dinner!

solids are still just for fun right now....but it sounds like you guys aren't having much fun with them. in the first year, as long as she is nursing well, i wouldn't worry about how much solids she is or isn't eating.

usually what we do for mealtimes (which are usually about one hour after a nursing session) is to give her a little of what we are eating, as long as it's not got any forbidden ingredients like chocolate or peanuts, etc. she will usually touch it and smoosh it around on the tray of her chair, her shirt, her hair, her face, maybe she'll taste it, and wonder of wonders, she MIGHT eat some. someone earlier mentioned baby-led weaning, that "method" is pretty close to how we've handled it. we never really gave her the jarred stuff, just soft fruits and soft-cooked veggies, meat shredded up in little pieces, shredded cheese, yogurt, cheerios, and other finger foods that she could practice her pincer grasp with. she likes to eat rice one. grain. at. a. time. good fine motor skills practice.

anyway, try not to stress about it. back off of trying so hard to MAKE her eat and give her some food to explore....she might surprise you!

You've gotten great advice so far - back off a little, she's getting everything she needs through your breastmilk and eating should be fun! You shouldn't feel frustrated & she shouldn't wind up crying at mealtime!! There is a wonderful book I wanted to recommend: "Child of Mine: Feeding with Love & Good Sense." Pick it up, it will help :) Hang in there and don't stress. Good luck!

Hi! I have a 3 year old that I breastfed to 18 months and now I am nursing my 8 month old twins. I give the twins breakfast and supper. 2-3 TB baby cereal with 1 TB of a veg or fruit. They really like it. Other than that, I nurse on demand (probably every 2-3 hours) throughout the day. I did the same with my son. That being said, it's easy since they all like food. However, my sister's 2nd child hated baby food. He seemed to really hate the mushiness of baby food. Maybe your baby has an issue with the texture?? My sister just nursed her son when he wanted and started little tiny bites of firmer food sooner than with most babies. She roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash - things that would get pretty soft but not mushy when cooked. He never choked, either. I have never had this problem but I think I would try firmer foods in teeny little pieces. You could steam lots of things, like apples and pears and other fruits and veggies to a soft-ish texture. Bananas would be good, too. I hope this helps! Good luck, mama - you're not doing anything wrong! M.

My 9 month old is also breastfed and eating solids...she loves finger foods! Try some cheerios, bananna pieces, soft cooked and cut up carotts, the gerber finger foods are also a big hit. I give her finger foods on her try while I feed her the cereal and it works like a charm. She loves to self feed.

She loves to "think" she is eating big people food so I also make it look like I am giving her what we are having. In addition, I am not using baby food she is eating what we are eating (with a few exceptions), I grind it up and add fruit which she loves because it's sweeter....

Good luck! I am sure you will fall into a routine soon. And your husbands is right, a happy, healthy baby tells me you are doing great: no need to fret! Most of her nutrition comes from breastmilk anyway, she will eat she she is really ready, just keep offering it to her, she will get the hang of it!
Good Luck! Let me know how you make out!