Regressing with Baby Food

I had the same problem with both of my kiddos. They each reached a point when if they couldn't put it in their mouths by themselves they didn't eat it. I would start trying food that she can actually feed herself and see how that goes. With my two it was just a phase they went through. I would suggest Cheerios because they are small and pretty much melt in their mouths as soon as they put them in. Also, gerber graduates puffs and wagon wheels are wonderful. Hang in there!

I had a similar problem with my son. If her pincher grasp is developed enough, like the other have said, start her on some table food. Mashed up potatoes are good, they are soft and will stick to her fingers to they'll make it to her mouth. Peas, green beans, anything that can be easily mushed up would be good for her. Cottage cheese was one of my sons favorites along with yogurt and bananas. Granted she'll probably get pretty messy trying to learn how to feed herself, but with time it'll get better.
It is quite possible that she's got some teething issues going on. Maybe try the orajel on her gums before eating or a little tylenol shortly before dinner time to help with the discomfort.
As far as sippy cups go, buy one that doesn't have the stopper flow thingy inside. Nuby makes some that are silicone so that if they chew on it, the liquid comes out she won't have to "suck" on it to make it work.
Good luck and I hope you find something that works.

I'd listen to her cues. She doesn't want fed from a spoon right now. Forcing her to take it might start a negative association with eating. If it were me, I'd start her on soft finger foods. Even if she doesn't want those, she'll be just fine on breastmilk. :)

Hi L.,
I am going through the exact something you are. Except we are on 3rd foods and she still doesn't want anything. So i've been giving her table food and whatever she can pick up and put in her mouth. My daughter doesn't have any teeth yet so I think it's got a whole lot to do with cutting teeth but even still she wants to feed herself last night we had breakfast for dinner so I buttered her a bisket and gave it to her she loved it, she has also had toast w/butter and this morning she had a waffle w/butter. I think we are just gonna move on to table food the best we can and leave baby food behind she doesn't like it anyway all that much but I do keep somethings on hand that I know she will like. Also before I do start feeding my daughter I give her a little orajel on her gums that seems to help alot.
I started my daughter on one of those nuby sippy cups with the nipple like a bottle that way when she bit down on it liquid would come out. It didn't take her long to figure out to suck on it.

Hey there L.!! I will have to agree with Shel G. My three kids were very independent. They only wanted to feed themselves. My third child was the only one that I was able to breastfeed for a long time as well. We had discovered the reason she was refusing was because she was teething. During that time I had noticed she was trying to "bite" me during her feeding. Keep up with the sippy cup too!! She will figure it out. My third child refused the bottle, and would only take a sippy cup. So when it was time to quit nursing she had her cup and knew how to use it. Made the transition so much easier. Try giving her some crackers to snack on. Rice, peas, beans, grapes, bananas, cherries, cantaloupe, meat sticks (or finely cut up meat that you cooked), etc... My third child didn't like the baby food in the jars. OH how could I forget, mashed potatoes. Just make them a little bit thinner than usual and let her go to town. Great picture time too!! I hope this helps and good luck. Let us know how it goes.

~S.

Hello L.,
She may seem a little young but like the other posters have said she probably doesn't want you to feed her. Both of my kids did the turning their head and refused to be fed, gotta love independent kids right? Ha Ha. I would cut up food real small and see how she does. Ex. Peas, beans cut up, fruit cocktail cut up real small, bananas cut up, meat sticks from baby food jars I would cut these up too to start with, spaghetti, pretty much anything that can be mashed up between their gums. My ped said that it doesn't matter if they have teeth anyway because their first teeth only are good for biting, not chewing.
Good luck, alot of parenting is trial and error.
Michelle

Maybe she's cutting teeth? Or does she show signs of an ear infection which can make swallowing painful?

I don't thinkthat its uncommon. Elladid the same thing. She's one year now,but around the same time she just started refusing to eat anything that she couldn't pick up and do herself. She still had no teeth so I didn't know what to give her. You'll be surprised what they can gum to death. That's when we started doing low sodium canned veggies and soft fruit, scrambled eggs (lumpy) etc. she ate regular foods fine and she has been eating a perfectly healthy array of foods again... she just has to be able to feed herself. So, maybe your little one is just very independent as well. Give it a shot!