Getting Six Month Old to Eat

Don't worry too much. Keep offering, but she'll eat when she's ready. Have you tried things like Gerber's cereal puffs that dissolve? She may just be more excited when she's old enough to feed herself little bits of food. For instance, my son, who's almost 10 months has never eaten veggies, only fruits, not even if i "hide" the veggies in fruit. But he's gotten very good at feeding himself, can get things with his thumb and forefinger very meticulously, so I started giving him real peas and he loves them because he can pick them up one at a time and feed himself! Especially if she's gaining weight, it's not a big deal right now, introducing foods around 6 months is more to get them accustomed to eating and digesting foods, but nutritionally they don't "need" it. Except for iron, around 6 months their iron reserves that they've had since birth are starting to run out, but most formulas are fortified with iron, so if she's on soy formula, she's probably already getting the iron she needs!

Babies do not even produce enzymes to digest food until 6 months and even then it is intended for practicing the eating and not for nourishment until the age of 1. Don't fret, mom. She's doing fine!

B. :)

My daughter did the same thing. Our problem was that the #1 foods were too thin for her and she could not feel them in her mouth. Add a little rice cereal to them to thicken them and try that. Don't force it, stop for a couple of days and then try again. Good Luck!!

S.,
at that age I wouldn't worry about it too much. But take it from someone with the pickiest eating son on the face of the earth - don't ever try to force them to eat or fuss at them too much when they don't want to. Keep it as calm and stress-free as possible. When you make too big of a deal out of it, it only gets worse. Trust me, 'cause I made these mistakes at the beginning and I'm reaping the "rewards" (NOT!) now. LOL!
Hang in there!

Don't worry. My sisters daughter, now 3 years old, did not really want to eat solids until she was around 1 year and she is healthy. Don't push it too hard and she will get interested eventually.

Hi S.,

I feel your pain...we started my daughter on food by the pediatricians recommendation. For the first month or more I tried and tried to get her to eat. She only wanted her formula and spit the food right out. I thought I was doing something wrong, or she just wasn't interested for some reason. I mentioned it to my pediatrician at the next visit, and she asked if I had been making my own food or giving her the store bought jars. Well, I thought the best place to start was the Gerber foods, so that was all I tried. I figured if she wasn't eating that, she wouldn't eat anything. I started steaming (with an electric steamer) and then blending up every kind of vege and fruit I could think of, and she ate it up like nothing else! She loved it, actually opened her mouth wide and lunged for it. SO, that is my suggestion to get her started. I do not know what you have already been doing, but it could be that she just doesn't like what you have been trying. That completely solved our problem. This seems like a lot, but if you just take a Sunday afternoon to steam everything up, you can freeze portions in ice cube trays and you will be amazed how much you can make at one time.

Good luck. I'll be curious if it works, let me know if you remember.

M.

My friend had this problem with her son and she started feeding him the organic baby food and he ate like a champ. Also I agree with what was said about stopping for a week then trying again. Are you trying a variety of things or just the same thing everytime? That might make a difference also.

What are you trying to feed her? How long you been trying to give her solid food? I started out giving my son single grain (rice cereal). Keep trying dont give up, if she is hungry she will eat, try giving her a toy to play with when you feed her, I do that with my son when he wont eat. It helps him eat better his hands are occupied and he just eats. Just remember all kids are different.

Hope that helps

G.

All babies are different....many do not show interest in eating that soon and there is no documented medical information to support starting so soon. If she can sit unassisted and has lost the gag reflex and shows interest in eating then feed her, until that time, give her bottles.
Hope that helps :)
L.

S.-
Our daughter will be 9 months old tomorrow, still no teeth and the girl refuses to eat baby food at times as well. She is the most difficult thing to try to get food in and actually keep it in. Don't rush things, you say she is healthy and alert. Just keep trying the same food over and over at the same time of day and one day she will just finally get it!! Good Luck.
T.

It sounds like my second child. My first one had no problems but second one gave me problems from the beginning. A friend of mine is a nutritional therapist and recommended that I stop for a week then start again. It helped. Eventually she liked food but my second one also turned to liking table food a lot faster than my first one.
Good luck.