Thank You!

Could be a phase...but baby food is not the most appealing stuff. He is probably ready to start on "real" food, soft fruits and steamed veggies...might get him interested again, kids get bored with foods just like us. Good luck!

At 9 months old, my daughter was refusing baby food too. I had to resort to giving her table food now, which my pediatrician recommended anyway. Anything that is soft and can be cut into small bites is great for this age. Plus my little one liked feeding herself and being independent. As far as what I gave her, cut up peaches, avocado, macaroni shells, cut up green beans, baked beans, banana,etc. She isn't quite into meat but I have made her chicken salad sandwiches which I have smooshed down into bite size bites which she loves. Usually if they are crawling around and sitting up by themselves, they say they are ready for table food. I know it can be scary with the choking but just put small amounts on the tray and stay close by. Also, I had to keep in mind that her formula at this point is still the main nutrient for her and that the other food is just to start forming their certain taste buds and experiment with what they will like. Good luck-hope that helps!~

Hi Kerry,
I have a 10 1/2 month old boy who stopped eating baby food between 7 1/2 and 8 months. I think some of was because of his teething, but most of it was simply that he wanted to eat what we were eating. So, I started giving him foods like white rice, ramen noodles, applesauce, etc., during the day for lunch. That seemed to be when he wanted it the most, and later, he started eating more prior to his night bottle feeding. Since he was a lot younger than my daughter was when she stopped eating baby food, I was careful not to introduce new foods too soon. This meant 3-4 days of feeding the new food to make sure he didn't have any allergies. It seemed to work. BTW, my son is a big boy also. He was over 23 lbs at 9 mos and also wears 12-18 mo clothing. The biggest thing for me to learn is that every child is different, and the child will tell you when they're ready for something new or tired of the old. Good luck!

K.,

How about adding some cereal into his formula for the night time feeding? That will provide the extra bulk and nutrition and will get past the teething issue for now?

Just remember you may need a nipple with a bigger hole...

Good luck!

Hi K.-
I can sympathize b/c my 8 m/o is going through the same thing right now. I am not worried that he's getting enough to eat: nothing has changed as far as breastfeeding goes. I am just concerned about his iron intake.

He's just more interested in what we're eating and wants what's off our plate! I think that it's very healthy that it's happening like that. In the morning I'll rip off a piece of my toast for him to work on. Once he gets started on that, he's happy, the I'll sneak in the spoonfuls of baby food (I prepare a dish that's 1/2 baby oatmeal cereal w/water and 1/2 container gerber 2nd). The concern with the baby food is that he's getting enough iron.
It's possible to supplement with drops, which I may start doing after I talk to my pediatrician.
I keep a sippy cup of water handy and offer it when he gets some food in there that could use some washing down. My older sister reminded me that it's really until they're a year old to understand how to *use* the cup(so you should be holding and tilting it for him). I also like to just unscrew the lid and offer the water from the cup itself.
Another piece of advice is to put his food on your plate to fool him into eating it.
We tried the jarred meats a couple times which made him gag... So I am thinking, why not just feed him some of that shepherd's pie we had for dinner?
I noticed you mentioned this is just happening at night. Our guy gets to bed before we eat dinner. Is your guy just noticing that you're not eating with him when he does (but you do at breakfast and lunch?)

Hi K., sometimes kids go thru a time they don't want to eat much, as long as he eats good during the day do worry. or try some ice cream!!!!!!!!!!!

What stage food are you feeding him because he may need something with more chunks in it. Refusing to eat baby food is usually a sign that they are ready for the next step up. If he is already eating stage 3 baby food diced up bananas and cheese are good whole foods to start with. He could also be getting interested in self-feeding. My son wont eat his dinner unless I give him a little of his food and a spoon to attempt to feed himself and feed him the rest.

hi K.!!i too have a 9month old boy,landon,he is going threw the same thing!!my pedi said as long as hes drinking his bottles its ok,hes geting his nutrition from the formula,he said it is a phase and he will go back to eating!!a friend of mine told me this trick too,while you are feeding him,put cherios,puffs or any finger food on his tray and let him feed himself inbetween bites,i guess its more of an independance thing too,they like to feed themselfs and show off!!(it can get messy cause after you put a spoonful in he will stick his hand in ,but i guess you have to pick your battles!!)anyway good luck,and have fun..oh-its funny landon weighs the same and is also in 12-18 clothes!!good luck again!!

I wouldn't worry about it too much. He's clearly not starving or he'd eat whatever you gave him. How is he with "finger food" like cheerios or bits of dissolvable cracker? I have a 10 month old who went through it, too. He LOVES to feed himself, though, so I give him bits of things like american cheese or banana so that he can feel empowered. Maybe try that? Otherwise, I'd wait it out as long as he is still taking liquids and formula.

Yeah, It's probably the teeth. Do the obvious and check inside mouth see if he's cutting any teeth.

Easier said than done, try not to worry about him not eating as much - this will go on and off during throughout Toddlerhood even.
Also, babies go thru growthspurts and afterward don't require as much food till the next one - which will happen real soon.
Be patient - He won't starve himself!!
Good luck,
jean

you might be right about the too slow on the real food end. if he has already been exposed to it and know's the difference, he might be rebelling on the "mushy stuff" depending on how long he has been doing this, it could also be teething. if my daughter went through a good two weeks of not eating it always ended with a new tooth. but i understand the other end of "being bored" with baby food, because she was off baby food totally at 8 months! granted she was a good chewer already so i wasn't as scared. but once she had a real piece of banana or avacado that she could pick up on her own, oh boy it was over from there. if you want idea's for things to start on for real food that aren't so scary, this is what i started with...banana, avacado, eggo waffles(only slightly toasted so they would be mushy)i just nixed the syrup because she didn't need all that sugar, frozen squashed once cooked was very mushy but still formed for her to pick up, zucchini cooked long enough will be very mushy also. just a few. hope that helps. but remember have fun. each food you introduce makes it that much easier to feed him off your plate when you eat out!!! haha!

Hi K.,
I was slow to start solids with my daughter too! If you are afraid of him choking-I would recommend the little 'mesh bag' for soft foods.Im not sure what it is offically called,but you can find it at babies r us or any retailer. you just put the food in it, like a banana or cooked veggie-they hold it and eat away. the best part is you can put it in the freezer too for a cold treat(also great for teething). my daughter used hers until she was able to chew and swallow without difficulty. Just a thought. good luck!!!!!

K., I think I responded to your diaper rash issue also.

With his weight as stable as it is try giving him more water to ease the diaper area and the rash could be food allergy related to if you are introducing new things. Back off to what he was eating before the rash and introduce things back into his diet one thing a week to week and a half. My boys were big boys 8 12 and 9 pounds too. Don't remember how much they weighed at 9 mo but he may slim down when he starts walking. I wouldn't worry about making him eat his baby food, give him some of your stuff on his tray while you eat so he can pick it up feel it and experience the taste, smell, and texture of each thing. Eating is more than getting food into your stomach. Don't fret, give him a watered down bottle before bed maybe to be sure for yourself. Try it but you are doing fine. You go MaMa

I wouldnt worry about his night time eating too much. You may be right and he is teething and doesnt feel like eating, He may be going through a phase, or he could not be hungry. At 9 months, a baby's main nutrition should be coming from breastmilk or formula. So him skipping food at night is really no big deal. If he is hungry he will eat.

My son stopped eating baby food at 8 months. By 9 months the only baby type food he would still eat was baby yogurt. He's 10 months now and just eats what ever we are eating. When making dinner I usually try to have a vegetable of something he can have. If not I'll cook up some frozen veggies: sweet potato fries, peas, or a garden burger. He only has 2 front bottom teeth. You'd be surprised on how much they can mash up with their gums! Just cut the pieces very small and make sure they are soft and "mash-able."

And definitely start a sippy cup now. With both my sons I started the sippy cup when I started feeding baby foods at 5 months. There are several ways to start them, you just have to figure out which way. My older son started with a small cup, then I gave a sippy with the spout stop taken out, (just so he knew when you tipped it up water would come out-just make sure you watch closely and only let him give a little tip or he'll have a bath!) And then I went to a Nuby Sip n' Grip (or something like that.) It's a small cup with handles on each side and it has a soft flexible straw. They have them at Babies r' Us and Walmart. Good Luck!

Hi K.! Isn't this such a fun age? I have a 9 mo. old too, and we're having a blast! I would say your baby is probably frustrated at his lack of independence. Mashed bananas and avacado are great foods to let him spread his wings, very little risk of choking. Even cereal made very thick that he can eat with his fingers(my baby girl loved doing this-and the ensuing mess) Once he masters a few things, both of you will be a lot more confident. Have you ever tried the "baby safe feeder"? It's a little mesh bag with a plastic handle. We used it all the time. It's great for introducing the flavor of "real" food without the risk of choking. Also, it's GREAT for teething when filled with frozen fruits or veggies! Good Luck girl, we wish you guys all the best!!

It is probably just a stage. If he is eating at other times during the day, and continues to have wet/soiled diapers, there shouldn't be much to worry about. Try interesting him with some new foods and textures. If he has a couple teeth he should be able to handle soft fruit or veggies. Just don't give him steak! :) Try some new things and if it goes on for more than 2 weeks, call your doc. Good Luck!

Have you tried soft finger foods? My little guy loves to feed himself! He loves things like: soft fruit like bananas, (pears, peaches- the canned stuff in real fruit juice is great/super easy... just cut up into small pieces) and slightly over steamed veggies esp squash and carrots.
Good luck! And- like they say, as long as he's getting enough breastmilk, it's no big deal if he's not eating a ton of solids. :) Take care.