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For the third meal of the day, baby still refuses to eat her food. It’s frustrating because you don’t know what’s wrong with baby and worry that she isn’t having enough nutrients. Take a deep breath! This is common and a phase in your baby’s weaning journey. All you need is a little patience here.
Here are some useful tips to get baby to eat.
Don’t start on solids too early
If baby is less than 6 months old, she may not be developmentally ready for solids. Even if baby is older than 6 months, they are still trying to get the concept of textures and swallowing. Take it slow! When I first started solids at 6 months, my baby just refused to be in his high chair during meal times. He wouldn’t last 5 minutes in it. I noticed he started accepting solids and the high chair better when he could sit up properly, unassisted.
Allow them to make a mess!
Some mothers suggest to let baby play with her food. Go ahead and let her mash and squish her food. This will satisfy her curiosity and make her feel more acceptable to putting it in her mouth.
Shut off all distractions
Getting baby to focus on her food is important! Reduce the amount of noise, sounds and movements during meal times. A mistake many parents make is to turn on the TV or YouTube to make little one sit through her meal. While this may work for older kids, it will only distract the younger ones and end up rejecting all food.
Try out self-feeding
If you’re for baby-led weaning, it may help baby be more interested in her food. Between 8 – 9 months, baby will be able to start feeding herself with utensils. Sometimes letting them have control over what they eat will help.
Eat together
You’re baby’s first role model and she is constantly learning and trying to mimic you. watching you enjoy your meal may help baby be more willing to eat his own.
Be patient!
Some babies just need more time to accept solids. Babies under the age of 1 still rely on milk for their daily nutrition. Do not rush and force her to eat which might have a negative experience for her in the long run. As long as baby is growing along her growth curve, she is fine!
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