Baby That Spits

Ahh, the perfect Kodak moment!!! This is a stage, trust me. It is a cause and affect and the more you cringe or react to it, the more she'll do it! She's probably taking in more than you think too, so I doubt she will starve herself by doing this. Its a game to her. Just like when you hand her something and she throws it down...you pick it up and give it back and all of a sudden she does it again and again. Give her a few more weeks and I'm sure she'll get bored with it. In the mean time, snap those pics!!!

M.

Casey's right- a raspberry is a great experiment in cause and effect! And it's also an important skill for oral-motor development, something that is important for later talking. While she's actually eating the food, keep feeding her and talking to her. When she starts spitting, ask her if she's all done and put the food aside. If you're thinking she's still hungry, offer it to her again. It may benefit you to teach her the signs for more (touch the tips of your fingers together 2x in front of you, palms facing you, hands closed) and for finished (we taught children to raise both hands and turn them in then out). [Sign with Your Baby by Joseph Garcia is a great book, BTW!] This gives dd a way to let you know whether she's done or not, a new skill to work on, and hearing children who learn sign sometimes speak earlier. She's old enough to try it! Keep up the great work, and good luck with the raspberries- they will pass as long as you keep not giving her a big reaction.

Totally a stage. Don't show any amusement or she'll keep doing it. You can try saying "We don't spit food in this house. It's yucky. If you spit again, lunch is over." And then follow through EVERY TIME. She'll get tired of losing her meal when she's still hungry and will stop. You can help her make up for the food you think she's missing out on by giving her some baby-friendly finger foods as snacks later on (baby crackers, cheerios, Gerber cereal puffs, etc).

time for table food put through a food proccesor

R.,

My daughter went through the same thing and is just started to get over it at 12 months. I don't really have an answer for you, excpet that I think they do it to just experiment with the different things they can do with their mouth. They are learning to do new things every day and they need time to experiement. My husband and I just ignored the behavior, and when she wouldn't stop feeding time was over. Her mouth might also be sensitive because of teething.