C.M. asks from Snohomish, WA on February 05, 2009
"Feeding Ideas for Almost 10 Month Old"
My almost 10 month old daughter doesn't want baby food at all. She loves to try new foods but chews them and spits them out. The doctor said she didn't gain as much as he'd like to see between last visit and this time's visit. She likes soup broth, and will chew on and spit out many things that are soft or solid (apple, grapes, bananna, ham, cheese) but will not eat hot cereal. She will eat some soup but she doesn't want a lot of it when she does eat it. She's almost 17 pounds and I think about 25 inches. I do give her pudding and sometimes ice cream. She liked yoghurt but doesn't want it now. Any ideas on other things to give her or how to make her swallow instead of spit things out? I am still breastfeeding but try to feed her solid food first.
So What Happened?™
Thanks everyone! She seems to like potato soup with cheese added and we started making a "green soup or healthy humans" that she'll eat as well (broccoli, spinach, soy beans, cheese & peas blended together with chicken broth). She also tried mixed berry whipped cream cheese today and seemed to like that. She "chews" all kinds of things that would make up a ballanced diet (grapes, celery, meat, bread, homemade soup, cooked fruits & veggies" but still won't swallow anything unless it's completely soft, like soup or gravy consistency. I'll try more fruits too ie: the raisin suggestion and see if she likes those once they've been stewed. She also likes to chew up ham and turkey ham. I make it into little sticks for her to hold and chew on. I'll keep trying. Thank you all so much for your suggestions! :)
Featured Answers
D.D. answers from Seattle on February 06, 2009
Have you tasted the baby food in the stores? It's awful. I would mash up home cooked carrots, potatoes, squash, and any other veggie instead, with butter added, or ground up meats. My Kitchenaid Mixer has an attachment for grinding up any food that I want for baby.
Add a little salt, and I bet she will eat it. A lot of kids this age seem to stop eating, as well.
The fact that you are still breastfeeding is wonderful. I would keep her tasting new things, and not be too concerned about how much she eats. The Seattle times had an article about how breast feeding helps the baby up to 2 years of age!
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K.M. answers from Portland on February 05, 2009
My daughter did the same types of things. Don't worry. I know, easier said than done. She will eat when she is ready. When she will eat yogurt, try mixing some infant cereal in with it, to kind of pump it up. You can also do this with applesauce. Some others things you might try are hummus, and refried beans. Cheerios, and Kix are good as well. I promise you she will eat...my daughter didn't stop nursing until 20 months, is now two, and is still a very picky eater. Nutritional food charts are a guideline. My daughter rarely eats everything on the chart in one day, and neither do I. There is so much pressure involved with being a mom, sometimes we forget to give ourselves a break. Keep trying, but don't be too worried, babies won't let themselves starve.
1 mom found this helpful
D.D. answers from Seattle on February 06, 2009
Have you tasted the baby food in the stores? It's awful. I would mash up home cooked carrots, potatoes, squash, and any other veggie instead, with butter added, or ground up meats. My Kitchenaid Mixer has an attachment for grinding up any food that I want for baby.
Add a little salt, and I bet she will eat it. A lot of kids this age seem to stop eating, as well.
The fact that you are still breastfeeding is wonderful. I would keep her tasting new things, and not be too concerned about how much she eats. The Seattle times had an article about how breast feeding helps the baby up to 2 years of age!
A.M. answers from Portland on February 07, 2009
She's still young. My son didnt' eat much solid food until almost a year & at 18 mos still is very picky. But I know that texture is very ver ybig for babies. I wouldn' t give a 10 month old any dairy products, but that's just me. But ice-cream & pudding...not healthy foods for a 10 month old. Congrats on still breastfeeding, keep going! I think she's telling you that she is not ready for most solid foods yet & that's okay.
H.S. answers from Portland on February 06, 2009
Don't worry about weight gain, as long as she is healthy. Solid food isn't necessary until after a year anyway.
I think they usually swallow more than you think.My daughter used to only like "adult" food, spices and all. So I just gave her what i was eating.
J.W. answers from Seattle on February 06, 2009
When you first started feeding 'solids' did you start with rice cereal and work your way through other foods like strained bananas, applesauce, peaches, apricots, beans, squash, and then the meats like beef and chicken? And she spit it all out when it was warmed and stirred so it didn't stick to the roof of her mouth? My oldest son would suck the soft, strained portion off of junior foods and spit out the chunks, but I've not heard of spitting everything out. If she will take the strained foods and baby cereals, start there and feed her well. She may not be quite there yet to take 'junior' or whole foods yet, but she needs the additional calories that your breast milk isn't providing. You may have to add something like pediasure to increase her caloric intake, but talk with your doctor if the problem persists. Ham has a lot of salt in it, so you may want to think about serving her this. Hidden salt.
Take care....
W.C. answers from Seattle on February 06, 2009
Try unfrozen peas and cut carrots, yogurt, and the (favorite!) cherrios. Kids love finger foods at that age. Also my granddaughter loves avocado. Of course alot of it is on her face and hands but she does eat a great deal of it.
Cook the apple (without peel) until it is soft, but not sauce and then give it to her.
Also feed her more often with snack times.
R.S. answers from Seattle on February 06, 2009
Have you tried cooked veggies or soft fruit? Also you could try to give it to her in those little mesh feeder bags. You can get them at any place now (target, babys r us, walmart, grocery store). They help with preventing your baby from choking on bite size foods, but they still get the nutriance and food. At that age I would give him cooked veggies, fruit, cheese, yogurt.
Good luck!
T.R. answers from Bellingham on February 06, 2009
Good for you for having a midwife, and for still breast feeding. You and your daughter sound right on track to me. Don't worry about the doctor telling you she isn't gaining enough weight. Those charts were made by the formula companies, for babies living off of formula, and that is why you baby may seem underweight. Breast fed babies are much healthier both now and in the long run from all the natural antibodies she gets from you, and from nature's perfect food for babies. Breast fed babies don't have near the problems as adults, with obesity that formula babies have either, so keep up the good work.
Both of my children were tall and thin for those charts and I simply stopped taking them to the doctor. I think my 3 year old hasn't been since she was 6 months old. I don't vaccinate either of course. Like the other Mom's said, she may be spitting some out, but is getting more than you think down. I just kept introducing new things to her and made it fun, so they keep trying, and that seemed to work really well for my kids.
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