Help with Feeding 12 Mo-old

Sounds to me like she's completely normal. My daughter still refuses to eat and she's 2 years. The doctor basically said that she'll eat what she wants when she wants. So I gave up and let her do her thing. She eventually gave up on the baby food and now eats big girl food (when she eats that is). Sounds like you're doing fine. Good luck.

Whoever said that you should feed 1 year old babies the same food that you eat was smoking something... I think what you're feeding her seems pretty good -- a lot of babies don't like texture or even remotely-firm foods. My 16 month old son sounds like he eats similarly. I like one of the responses below about how the 3rd foods are very difficult for a baby to eat (due to the strange mix of very smooth with some chunks floating around). But, as some others also mentioned, you should try giving her soft finger foods, such as soft pears (cut-up), bananas, over-cooked pasta (try barilla mini pastas) with parmesan/butter, soft carrots, etc. You might also want to give her protein for dinner. We mix Gerber meats (unfortunately, not organic but very smooth) with our own ground meat (ground up further in baby food mill), usually beef (for iron) and he really enjoys that. If your daughter is not a meat lover, you could also try cottage cheese for protein. We've found that Knudsen full fat cottage cheese (yellow tub) is fairly soft and smooth.

Thats interesting. My daughter was the opposite. By twelve months she would have nothing to do with any mashed food and insisted on feeding herself. I was a wreck thinking she would choke on things and trying to find foods that would interest her and still allow her to feel like a "big girl". But my biggest concern was making sure that she was getting the right balance of foods that her body needed. The 2nd and 3rd foods are a great source of the healthy things our babies need. My daughter is my 3rd child and I've decided that I'm not gonna rush her too much and rather enjoy having whatever one on one times she allows. Especially since everything seems to change every couple of weeks. haha... well enjoy hope this was helpful.

I was having the same problem. My son is 12 months, and my daycare provider seemed to think he should be on solid foods. After writing in, I came to the conclusion that they will eat solids when they want. We just started feeding my son stage 3 foods, and he gagged on them at first, but he's taken very well to them. When I talked to my pediatrician about it this morning, she wasn't concerned at all, she said he will eat more solid food when he is ready, and that I need to be comfortable with feeding him food, if I'm not, no big deal. I have a very healthy 25 lb 1 year old boy! I liked the response about people who think our babies should be eating the same foods as us is smoking something!! Their food has WAY more nutrition, why are we in such a hurry to give them the stuff we eat! =)

I had a similar problem with my oldest, he is 7 now, but I remember it just came down to a battle of the wills, I stayed persistant and he eventually started to eat it. Babies love routines and any change is a shock to their comfort zone, as long as you stay calm, she will stay calm and realize there is nothing wrong with the new foods that you are offering.

Sounds like you are doing just fine! Some babies just take a little more time. She still so young and she is getting everything she need from the gerber foods and formula. Just mix in a little milk to the formula and every few days add a little more milk and a little less formula. Works like a charm. Good luck!

try this book: "Super Baby Food" -- it has really great suggestions.

Hi C.

I learned something with my oldest. #rd foods with a mixed texture (smooth with chunks) are one of the hardest things for babies to eat. Try giving her small finger foods and see if she can process that. Maybe cooked carrot pieces or the ever popular cheerios. My son could eat these foods fine, but couldn't eat a mixed texture without feeding therapy at age 4 to teach him to move the food around his mouth properly.

good luck

L.

I think you should try more finger foods too. She may eat them because she will like the "indepence" of it! Little cubes of cheese, fruit (bananas, mangoes, kiwis, grapes halved, etc), cherrios (or gerber Puffs) are good starter finger foods. Just sprinkle them on her high chair trray while you are "preparing" the rest of her food- with no pressure...hopefully she will explore her food and start enjoying new things!

As many have already said, I think its fine. My son similarly seems to enjoy either very smooth baby food at 13 months.. or O's and teething crackers/cookies that practically melt in his mouth. he has teeth and seems to choose foods based on their texture and not the taste.

I have put some chunks of sweet potato and bananas. he likes to play with them and often times tries to eat that too. I make pancakes with blueberrys and strawberries or bananas which also seem to be his favorite.

I do notict that he loves to feed himself chunky foods... rather that me spoon feeding him all the time. sometimes he will even spit out chunky foods and look at it and then put it back in his mouth..(yuk)

I also make my own rice porriage. I began with blending it, to gradually making it less soupy. but even to this day he prefers soupy rice and spits out any regular rice.

I make most of these foods on the weekends and freeze them for the week.

I hope these ideas help.