Baby Food Strike!

Sounds like she is ready for big kid food! Give her the exact thing you are eating, just in smaller pieces. (no bigger than a pea. That way if she does swollow it whole, she won't choke on it. A good rule of thumb, or pinky, I should say is to look at her pinky finger, that is how big her esophogus (throat) is! I would also take her off the bottle and give her her milk/formula in a sippy cup.

Both of my girls (ages 4 and 6 now) ate table food by 9 months. We fed them whatever we were eating and just cut it into small pieces. They felt like they were a part of the meal, ate well, and still enjoyed the bottle at night. The rest of the time, they were drinking milk out of a sippy cup. She may just want her independence.

If she is still getting formula or breast milk she is getting most of her nutrition that way. I think if you start her on soft table foods cut into small pieces you will be glad you did later down the road. I stuck with the whole Gerber feeding plan with my twins and they have always been VERY picky eaters. I feel like if I had gotten them used to eating home cooked foods sooner, they probably wouldn't be so picky now. I would run it by the pediatrician first, but it may just be the answer.

If she is asking for "adult" food and refuses to eat baby food, she has probably gotten to the point where she wants more texture. There are some foods you may still need to mash well for her to eat, but if she is ready, there is no reason not to cut up regular food into small bites for her. I think you will find that she eats well again. Another thing, if you aren't already doing this, is to make sure you aren't offering her a bottle until after she has had solid food if you think it is interfering with her appetite.

time to stop buying baby food this big girl wants the real thing! make sure her bites are tiny and soft foods. at this age she should eat what you do if she wont eat baby food

Hello J.! I have four years of nanny experience (all infants when I started) and a couple of years experience working with infants in child care centers. When most of the children that I have cared for were doing the same types of things, especialy reaching for the adult's food, they were ready to begin feeding themselves table food. I just make sure that everything is cut up in small pieces and that I am still offering a wide variety of food choices. A little hint - most veggies are hard for little ones to eat unless they are thouroughly cooked, and canned are easiest to get to the right consistency (watch sodium content). My cousins' gave their boys beans (black, pinto, etc) or fish for protien since most meats are difficult for children without molars to chew. If you offer canned fruit make sure you get fruit in water or juice and not syrup. One family I nannied for began finely chopping whatever they were having, and giving it to the baby (their 3rd child)when she was 7 months old, and she did fine. I hope this helps!

Kathy

You can give her "adult" food if it's soft and can be mashed. Bananas cut into small pieces and mashed with a fork (to make it softer), peas mashed up a bit, carrots diced/cooked/mashed, etc. How much is she drinking in a bottle a day? She might be drinking too much now so she isnt hungry. Also, she's not too young to introduce a cup - let her have it at mealtimes - she wont drink as much from it and will eat more. Make sure she isnt getting a bottle too close to when you want to feed her - at least an hour to two hours if you want her to eat well.

First of all, until her first birthday, the majority of her calories should be from formula, the other food is just to supplement the formula. My son is exactly the same age and I am making his food at home also. I have noticed that he seems to be not eating as much right now and is playing with the food in his mouth more. I started making his food more chunky, working him toward eating his veggies as finger foods. She may have texture issues. She may want MORE texture. The important thing is to just keep offering it to her. Try doing banana chunks or a potato cut into small pieces. Good luck!

MAYBE she will outgrow this stubborn phase, but my middle child starting refusing to eat ANYTHING other than what the family was eating when he was almost 10 months old. He didn't like Gerber Graduates or anything that is made for babies/toddlers - this came on all of a sudden and I too thought it was b/c he was finally cutting his first teeth, but he just never would eat, other than to nurse occasionally. I realized that although I had tried to keep him off of cereals and baby foods and exclusively breastfeed til he was 6 months, that by 5 months he was screaming across the room whenever we were eating our cereal for breakfast! He was basically DEMANDING to be fed what he wanted to eat! Once I figured out the healthiest way to feed him, he was such a happy eater. He rarely refused anything, til he got into school, that is! :D Now broccoli isn't so cool anymore!

Try what you think you should but just be prepared to feed her healthy adult foods. Most babies and toddlers survive their childhood even if all they eat is mac-n-cheese! PS - My b-day is Sept 1st also! Awesome birthday! :D

Sounds like she is an independent lady! It won't hurt her to eat whatever you eat, this is typical for the age. She's noticing more what you're doing and she wants to join in! Tiny bites, and just have fun with it. If you feel really uncomfortable about it, ask her Dr. I always fed mine from the table whenever they wanted it (I have 5) and always found they think it's better off your plate!

Hi Joanne. Ibet she's just in a new phase - she may return to baby food one day. Her formula should really be the main source of nutrition right now, not the baby food. Plus she is more aware of her surroundings & textures & smells & she wants to eat what you eat. :) Depending on what you are eating, it may not hurt her to give her some softer food from your plate but confirm that with your ped.

She will still be getting most of her calories from milk at this age. Really, she's going to be all over the place with her diet. I really like the book "Super Baby Food Diet". It's got great advice along with nutritional age guides, recipes, and storage tips.

Sometimes she won't eat because of teeth or a sore throat. Sometimes she won't eat because she's unexpectedly not hungry. Increase her excercise and she'll eat more for sure.

My daughter was 9 months old when we started feeding her table food because she wasn't interested in mush anymore. She liked to have things she could pick up and do herself.

I'd go ahead and prepare fruits and veggies in small, soft bites for her to pick up and eat by herself.

He M. - great advice in the previous posts. If that's what she's interested in, she's ready. Just keep it soft and very small so she doesn't choke. Danielle B. gave really great info regarding the importance of breast milk/formula being the main source of nutrients at this age. The only advice that I would add pertains to eating in general. And this is a REALLY HARD ONE TO FOLLOW - children are fantastic self-regulators when it comes to food and how much to eat. Offer healthy foods and when they are finished, let them be finished. It's important to allow children to learn to listen to what their bodies are telling them when it comes to hunger signals. As your beautiful baby girl grows into toddlerhood there will be many times when she eats the house down at one meal and has two bites at another. Don't stress about it. It will keep all of you happier at mealtime (and believe me, it's hard not to stress when your child doesn't eat much at a meal). No child will starve if healthy snacks and meals are offered (barring, of course, some kind of medical problem that might interfere with eating). As parents we all worry that our children are eating enough, but truly, truly it's best to really let your kids self regulate when it comes to food intake. As I said, it's one of the hardest things in the world to do, but if your child is healthy and you offer healthy choices, they will get what they need. I know there will be M.'s out there who feel differently, but I'm sure if you talk to your ped. they will agree. Good luck with your beautiful baby girl and have fun as she experiments with food! Hey, I'd even offer her a plastic cup to drink from at meal times (water) as long as you don't mind dealing with the mess. Our daughter started drinking from a cup at about 7 or 8 months and just loved it. We'd offer her real cups when we were in situations where it didn't matter if it spilled all over the place - kitchen, out in the yard or on a warm day at the park. She loved it. Of course, it was sippy cups when we couldn't afford constant spills like in the living room, car, etc... But have fun with it and good luck!

I think she is definitely old enough for food more similar to yours. My son hated being spoon fed so we gave him cut up avocado, banana, pears, cooked baby carrots, soft whole grain pasta, sweet potato chunks, soft green beans and small pieces of cheese. Also, if you only give her foods you think she'll get nutrition from she won't fill up on the practice foods. If you take new foods slowly you'll be amazed at what all she can eat that doesn't come on a spoon.

I don't give my babies (had four) baby food. I wait till they are about 9 months old and let them start eating bland table food...maybe she's ready.

_becky

If she has teeth & is showing interest you can feed her table food. If you don't already have one, get one of those hand crank baby food mills ($10 or so) you can put anything of yours in it to grind it small enough so she wont choke.
Just be sensible about the ingredients.

If she is teething, try Hylands Teething Tablets. They are a homeopathic remedy & we had great success with it. You can get them most anywhere (wal mart, target) in the baby section of the store.

If her gums hurt, she might like to gnaw on a frozen waffle.

P : )

We are almost in the same situation. My 1 year old daughter will not eat baby food then again she will not eat anything that is wet. But she does drink her milk. I make her banana muffins, zucchini bread, Pancakes with carrots in the batter. (Any vegetable goes into pancakes) My older children laugh at the orange and green pancakes but hey she eats them thats what matters in the end. We cut everything into small piece where she can feed herself.
Our pediatrician says that it's probably just a phase and to keep trying the "wet" food. We give her a Sippy cup half way through her meal. That way we know she had some of her food before she drinks. I would start your daughter on a sippy cup that may help the situation a little. Sippy cups come in different age groups look for one that begins at 7-9 months. Good Luck. And no worries.
Mom of Three

the food you are eating will not harm her at all, just a lot less spice. Cut it up very well and put it on her tray, or little plate. The teeth could be a whack, but it sounds more like she is hungry. Cheerios are a fine snack, and probably feel good on her gums. Is this is her first tooth?

My daughter gave up baby food around that age too. We fed her all relatively soft finger foods - like avocado, banana, strawberries, cheese (like the string cheese just softened and pulled off in bits), those gerber pasta pick ups with ground chicken and veg in them, canned veggies like carrots and green beans, ritz crackers and graham crackers, small pieces of bread, macaroni and cheese (by far her favorite! just Kraft dinner kind), and she has since graduated to grilled cheese sandwichs in small pieces with deli meat turkey on them. She eats the iron fortified yo-baby yogurts, and they are the only thing we can get her to eat off of a spoon besides ice cream right now. we don't use plates because they end up flung on the floor. just wipe off the table top with a wipe or put it directly on the high chair. Good luck!

Hi J., your daughter is doing the same thing my daughter did. At that age, they're still getting most of their nutrition from milk, so no worries on how much she's eating of solids, at this point you just want her to try new things and learn how to feed herself and drink from a sippy. Keep feeding her the bottle and let her try as many finger foods as possible (that she can't choke on anyway!). By about ten months or so she'll start eating more food and less milk, so no worries. Kids that age eat as much as they need and no more, and sometimes it does NOT seem like enough, but it always is. They just listen to their tummies better than grownups. : )
If she is interested in eating off of your plate, she's getting ready to use utensils soon, so you can let her start trying to feed herself sometimes and drink from her sippy and feel independent, which is what she really wants (and you really need soon, trust me). Don't worry, this is normal for her age and will lead to her feeding herself very soon.

Actually, if you use the "baby-led-weaning" approach - even though it is more for nursing babies, it works the same for formula fed. You don't give babies pureed foods - you start giving them table foods in easy to pick up and eat pieces right from the start. This teaches them to start and stop eating when they are ready - rather than a set amount from a baby jar. They will usually show you when they aren't hungry by moving away from the food, spitting it out...etc. Solids in the first year are really just a trial and error thing - getting them used to eating, and developing motor skills. Solids aren't really supposed to be nutritionally beneficial until after the first year - when they begin drinking less milk. Whether its breastmilk or formula, milk should be the #1 source for nutrition in the first year, with compliments from solids (and only when they are ready). Solids shouldn't be started until they can sit up by themselves, and manipulate the food with their hands. At 9 months, I'm sure she is ready, but probably not as ready as what you think.

I wouldn't be concerened. If she is getting as much milk as always and growing "normally," then you have nothing to worry about. Solids are not a big deal at this point (despite what many people try to push). Most of our parents were giving solids before 6 months, but things have changed and your pediatrician should be recommending milk for the 1st year as nutrition, if he/she isn't - he/she isn't following the most up to date "research" and recommendations from the AAP. However, remember that the nutrients in formula isn't absorbed like the nutrients in breastmilk, so, the solids you give her should be rich in iron, proteins - obviously very healthy.

Shredded beef, chicken, turkey...etc is good - just kind of shred it with a fork. Peas and dark green veggies are great - easy to pick up and already soft if you cook them well. Just buy some frozen backs of things and cook them up a head of time (frozen is almost as good as fresh, and sometimes easier to deal with - much better than just a can, but, if you're cooking from a can, that's OK too). Fruits like kiwi and banana are super easy for them to eat. Sweet Potatoes are super easy to bake and freeze and area already soft enough w/o needing to mash them. Cheese is very good. Yogurt (look for YoBaby yogurt - its organic w/ no chunks of foods). Babies can handle the spices - just nothing too hot or extravagant. If you can remember to take her out a portion of your dinner before you season it, that's great - but, if not - no big deal. Most babies don't need a special low-fat-no-season diet.

Hi, Mama J.,
Kids will eat when they're hungry and what they're hungry FOR. Look at all the obese people in America and take my advice: DON'T PUSH FOOD!

Yes, she definitely wants to be independent, and she's able to eat almost anything that the rest of the family eats, including meat (just try to give her a piece that's not highly seasoned as little kids' tastebuds are highly sensitive! If it's tender, to chop the meat take 2 knives and form them in an 'X' with the blades facing each other on opposite sides of the meat like scissor blades. Pull the handles apart and the blades together like cutting shortening into flour for pie crust ). Let her eat with her fingers and give her a safety fork and a spoon to practice with. Some kids eat neatly with fork and spoon by early in their second year (girls better than boys, usually).

Just offer her a nice variety of whatever's on the family menu, and don't sweat it! Think of all the poor countries where kids only have bare sustenance options, and if they have ENOUGH, they're usually pretty healthy. We are spoiled, here.

I have 4 adult children, and my idea is that encouraging kids to try to do more 'mature' things is always better for everyone than trying to keep them 'babies'.

First of all, don't panic. Babies go through a lot of stages. Like the previous poster said, give her small chunks of soft foods, no bottle until later. If she is gripping good, she is not to young to start introducing the sippy cup. Whenever a tooth is coming through, it will always throw her off. Cherios are good because they help her cut the tooth. Sort of like a rough teething ring that she softens with her saliva. Don't worry, she will come out of this and go on to cause you different problems as she gets older. Just don't panic and let common sense be your guide.

Good luck with your wonderful daughter.

E.

My child did exactly the same thing. It is time for real food. Just overcook her veggies and cut them into tiny pieces that she is able to pick up herself. It took us almost a month to figure this out and it all started with teething....as most everything does at this stage..lol. My little guy went right back to eating like a champ as soon as we gave him the independence to feed himself. Plus, texture is a huge part of it. He still won't eat anything mashed or mushy and it has been almost nine months since his baby food strike. Good luck to you guys and, by the way, it is so nice not having to spoon feed everything now.