How to Feed a Fussy 8 Months Old

Hi! I would suggest sticking with breastmilk as the first food and then give solids after the breastmilk. he may be cranky because he is not making the connection that solids are food. To babies, all they know is breast/bottle satisfies them. he is probably cranky because he is hungry and solids aren't doing it for him. Try giving breastmilk first, then after a full feeding, offering a couple of bites of cereal until he seems done. Solids are not necessary at this stage...it's really just to get them used to transitioning. 8 months is still quite young in the scheme of things, so just slow it down and see if this helps and SLOWLY add solids if and only if he seems willing and happy, otherwise you are teaching him to battle food! Every kid is different, I wish the 2nd was always the same! It would be easier huh!!! Good luck!

I mean this gently, but it sounds like you have taught him that mealtimes are battles. By this I mean that YOU have expectations that don't fit an 8-month-old:

*Good eating habits are what you decide they are. (This may not be in touch with the reality of your little guy's real-life needs. A baby has a surprisingly small stomach capacity, and they have periods where they are not growing quickly and the appetite virtually disappears. This causes many, many parents unnecessary worry.)

*He will sit in his chair and should stay focused until you are done feeding him. (Kids haven't got the same needs and goals that their parents have. They know what they need, and it's movement, manipulation, play and exploration. High chairs are a recent invention in human history, convenient for moms and often hated by babies. This is not a great way to make mealtimes happy.)

*He will eat 3-4 tablespoons of food at regular mealtimes, in addition to nursing. (Not many 8-mo-old babies can or will eat this much at a sitting. Most babies do much better with more frequent but much smaller meals, and allowing them to "graze" throughout the day is healthy and natural.)

*He should eat the foods you choose for him. (It might be better to just introduce a variety of foods and let him sample and find what he likes. Protein is good, but so are fruits and vegetables, and a bit of starchy foods like rice and potatoes here and there. He's getting plenty of protein from breast milk if he nurses well, and too much protein is hard on the kidneys.)

*You can establish good table manners in a baby. (You can establish an annoying struggle in babies. They don't yet understand the concepts of right and wrong, good and bad – that comes gradually through observation. They are programmed to try to fulfill their needs. Manners will come by parents consistently modeling them, and wiggly, distracted children will eventually become civilized, delightful ones quite naturally if you don't give them too much to resist.)

If I were in your shoes, I'd take a few deep breaths, and watch what actually works. If your baby is energetic and gaining on small meals, then that's all he needs. He'll have growth spurts that will stimulate his appetite. And active days where he'll just be a little hungrier. But babies are very good at self-regulating how much food they eat against how much they actually need. Forcing him to push beyond that self-regulation tends to create eating issues later on.

If he loses weight or loses energy, get medical advice. Otherwise, I think you can safely follow his lead. Enjoy him while he's little, and let him enjoy his food experiences. He will come around as that becomes developmentally possible for him.

Breastmilk should be the main source of nutrition for the first year of life, not solid foods. At that age they are more for practice them anything else. Also his stomach is only as big as his fist. It's meant to hold smaller more frequent "meals" be it breastmilk or solids. Smaller more frequent meals keep the blood sugar levels even and make for a much happier baby.

i am not sure how to solve your problem except i wouldn't push food too much since they usually do the OPPOSITE of what we want lol! my doctor told me "they get interested when they are interested" until then give them breastmilk.
i am not sure when you put "milk" if you mean breastmilk or regular cows milk. regular milk can cause gas, digestive issues in children especially if introduced before 12 months. i would talk to your peditrician or nutritionist if possible if he is healthy wieght and size i wouldn't press it too much just keep trying thats all we can do as mom's right? good luck!

Oh my, I think you're worrying too much and analyzing too much, which many good moms tend to do. Is he gaining weight as he ought to? Is he somewhere near the normal range of height/weight? I would suggest finger food he can play with, like cheerios and little bits of banana. I would keep him in the high chair only about 20 minutes. If he doesn't eat enough at that meal, he'll just be hungrier for the next. You seem to have a very accurate measure of breast milk, so I'm guessing you're pumping and bottle feeding. If so, try just nursing and not measuring.
Probably the best thing you can do for both of you is relax. Don't let this build into a battle of wills. He's still getting much of his nutrition through breast milk, and now might be a good time to back off a bit.
You're doing a great job!

He is telling you that he is not ready for that much food...... Our 2nd child was strictly breastfed till 9 months before receiving ANYTHING else. Even then, there were days at a time where he would choose to only nurse.

I suggest that you start nursing him on demand for a couple days and see if his mood changes. GOOD LUCK!

3-4 tbs in one sitting is a lot to expect from an infant. I would try only offering 1-2 tablespoons at a time instead.

Some babies do this because they do not realize that solids are food. On of the things you can do is change around breakfast. When my kids were little I gave them a bottle when they first woke and they drank the entire bottle, then an hour later I gave them breakfast. Also, if they began screaming when eating, I would let them have a few ounces of milk and then feed them, for some reason they can't make the connection and when they get a few ounces in them they calm down, and finish their meals. Also, babies that age start showing their independence, he may not want to be spoon fed he may want finger foods. Try letting him hold his own spoon in his mouth while you try to feed him, it is a great distraction and let him learn how to use the utensils on his own. That may also help. Solids are mainly to teach them to eat and fill them up, but they shouldn't be their main source of nutrition. I would push more milk and just continue the solids as he wants them.