How Did You Get Your Infant to Open Their Mouth for Food

Continue to offer her the solids but if she won't open and the tricks don't work then try again later.

All of her nutrition right now at her age still comes from bmilk or formula so it is ok if she does not want the solids. But you should continue to try to avoid stubborness when she does rely on it for nutrition.

While you should not give her solids when she is really hungry - since they really just want their bmilk/formula, you could try the solids at a snack time in between the main meals.

My baby (born 9/10) has been eating cereals and such for about 6 weeks now, and to be honest, this is my second child, my first was NOT an "eater". Don't force, don't bribe, don't trick. It's not worth it. If she isn't interested enough in eating to open up, she's either not hungry, not interested, or doesn't want to eat solids yet. I wait till mine is good and hungry to offer food, generally at lunchtime only. I forced my oldest to eat at this age and paid the toll for it later when she refused to eat at 12 months. Give the munchkin a biter biscuit or zweback cookie and watch her closely...let her get the hang of opening on her own.

Also, it helps if you eat with them alot. Hold her, and show her you eating. Eat slowly, taking care to show how you open your mouth to insert the utensil. She'll catch the drift more quickly with you showing her the ropes. Don't make it some big thing, just sit or stand with her in your arms or on your hip and munch on something. Even better, make it somethin you can share with her like applesauce. Take a bite, then offer her some. Prepare to get a little messy, but enjoy it!

Good luck!

She's only 5 months old! She doesn't need food yet. Start INTRODUCING foods at 6 months. This means offering it to her. If she eats it, great! If she doesn't, that's OK too. I gave my first so much pureed food and was slow to give her anything solid. My son had NO interest in pureed food and still doesn't like anything of that texture, except applesauce. He showed no interest in food until 9 months old and then he wanted stuff he could feed to himself.

Don't push. She'll eat when she's ready.

Maybe your daughter is trying to tell you she is not ready for food right now. This could change every day. Some days she may want to eat and other she may not. At her age she should be getting all of her nutrition from formula or breastmilk so the food is just for fun. You could also try giving her a little more independence in eating by putting the food on the spoon and then on her tray for her to try and pick up. Or give her chucks of soft foods - banana, avocado, over cooked broccoli - for her to pick up on her own and mouth. Take you time with it and have fun.

She may not be ready yet. There's no rush with solids. If she's not interested in eating, just keep her happy with milk! :) Try again in a couple of weeks. If she's still not interested, try again a couple of weeks after that.

I started my son on solids when he started watching me closely while I ate, grabbed the food off my plate, made chewing motions while I ate, and really DEMANDED food!

If you really want her to eat, you can also put a little applesauce on your finger, rather than using a spoon. And holding her (or carrying her in a sling) may appeal to her more than a high chair. But really, there's no need to push it!

Hi,
My kids loved to eat when I would "sign" the ABC's or sign the numbers...they were in awe for some reason.

Don't trick, but keep offering. I think kids by nature are snackers and you don't want to force feed them or else, they will throw up. The kids know their bodies - they will eat when they're hungry. Keep encouraging, be positive and definitely set good examples now. For example, when you eat, the kids should be at the table with you. If they're full, fine - but they still need to sit at the table for a reasonable amount of time.
I would keep a little bowl on their kiddie table with snacks like cheerios or goldfish crackers that they can munch/graze on. They're pretty good eaters and they like the healthy stuff too. :)

It will get better - just can't expect babies to eat like adults - they're exploring too. :)

If they aren't opening, they aren't ready most likely. If your daughter is 6-8 months it's fine if she's not that into it. Don't worry. It will happen. My DD took a little while to really want it and when she did it was finger foods! Little miss independence! My girl is almost 10 months and only in the past month did she really get into eating purees and food. Keep trying and don't get frustrated. Their main nutrition comes from milk/formula anyway.

It sounds like she is not ready. Stop trying and wait a few more weeks and try again. You should never force, trick or use any other ways to get a baby to open their mouth. She will become even more averse to solids and get more frustrated. Eating new foods should be a calm, fun thing for you and your baby. If it's not, she will pick up on it and see eating as a negative thing. Don't worry so much about it. You will know she is ready when she opens her mouth without any prodding on your part. At this point, treat solids like a dessert- only one or 2 tablespoons a day. She should still be getting most of her nutrition from breast milk/formula. Don't worry if she is not ready for solids yet. Also, make sure you buy the whole grain rice cereal (like Earth's Best or Happy Baby organic brands). These are more nutritious and taste better too. The plain white rice cereal tastes like glue.

Buy the book Super Baby Food or go to the website http://www.superbabyfood.com for more suggestions on starting solids.

Hi N.,
Your baby may simply not be ready for food. The AAP doesn't recommend starting solids before 6 months. Your baby isn't really gaining any nutritional benefit from them, her nutrition comes from her milk so it's not necessary to force solids on her at 5 months old if she doesn't want them. They should always be offered after nursing or bottle - they shouldn't replace milk feedings. There is no ill effect on your baby of not eating solids under a year old.
Good luck!

My son was born the same day!!! I started him on solids after his 4 month appt, he was eaget at first, but after a few days he was not really interested. I stopped and restarted about 10 days ago and he has been crazy about it since. If she is not willingly openening her mouth for the food and you have to force it-I would stop, even for a few days and try again. Force feeding will lead to food issues down the road. She may tend to overeat because she was never able to choose when to start and stop eating by what her body is telling her. Call your pediatrician and let them know, for peace of mind, but they will most likely tell you it is ok...most of their nutrition comes from breastmilk or formula at this age.

I didn't force or trick once I realized she would open her mouth and eat when she was hungry.

Well there are a couple of things that might help...first do you offer the food before the bottle, at a time when she would normally be having a bottle feeding? If she's already full she'll have no interest. Sometimes it helps if you mix the baby food right in the cereal (i know it sounds gross veggies with the rice cereal but my daughter loved, as did all her little friends at daycare!) The other suggestion is to make sure that the food is warm, not hot but slightly above room temp.
I am also an Occupational Therapist. so..I'm wondering if she puts anything in her mouth throughout the day...rattles, teething rings, a pacifier, etc? If not, you could try to assist her with that, thin rattles or teething rings (even if she's not teething) these may help if its an oral defensiveness thing...sometimes even just giving her a baby spoon to play with while you supervise of course and see if you can just have her get used to the spoon..hope some of this helps!

Hi N.- I initially thought your baby was older. breastmilk or formula is plenty at this age. Don't worry about food until she's ready to go. My recommendation was meant for a 7-8 month old.
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I experienced the same thing with my daughter around the same age. She refused to eat anything pureed and wanted things she could put to her mouth herself. Since she got her teeth fairly late, I found the toddler puffs a lifesaver since they would melt in her mouth once she got them in. Once she would start self-feeding, i'd put a puff at the tip of the spoon and she would eat the whole spoonful of food just to get the puff. I figure whatever works, otherwise she wouldn't eat at all.

I also let her hold the front of the spoon while I guided the back and she would be so proud to get it in her mouth- thought it was her idea to get it in there. Good luck.

Could be a couple of things... your daughter may not be ready/interested in foods yet. Our son went through the same thing and my doctor suggested introducing food each day, but not forcing him to eat. When he was ready, he ate. We also go through this with each tooth that breaks through! She may be teething. Keep introducing the food, but don't force her to eat- sends a bad message.

honestly when your baby is ready she will let you know. dont force and tricking irs too soon youll have plenty of room for tricking in the future lol. your baby is not like other babies nothing is ever by the boik when kt comes to babies. take my son i have a 20 month old the baby books websites say he should potty train i try and my son is not ready. i dont want him to get turned away by unpleasant experience so i have to be pateint. good luck mom and ur doing a good job

N.,
She is only 5 months, don't worry about how many solids she is getting unless she is refusing formula/breastmilk. She can survive and thrive on breastmilk alone until age one. Solids are great play and gripping stuff, but you can use toys for that too. Forcing isn't good for her. Fun is. Tricks I think are okay (airplane works sometimes).

She may not like the spoon - and may not see you eating as something she wants to emulate yet.

Good luck, and let me know how it works out...
M.

your daughter isn't even 6 months old yet, so she may be too young for food. it isn't recommended to start infants on solids until that age. our daughter really wasn't interested until 7 months old. her main nutrition should still be from breastmilk or formula.

check out this great website: wholesomebabyfood.com

good luck and no worries...she'll get there in her own time:)