How to help baby who refuses solids | Mindful Mum

Answer

All babies are different and take to food in different ways. Sometimes its a case of try, try and try again. Here are some tips to help move your baby on to solids.

Starting Solids Tips

• Avoid perfume and excessive cleaning with commercial products around feeding time because the strong chemicals smells can camouflage the smell of food and put baby off her food.
• Have a handy fall back, for when baby refuses food. Mashed avocado or mashed banana are great ready meals that simply need to be peeled and mixed with a little breast milk or formula.
• Some babies simply don’t like baby rice, try baby porridge with a little banana for sweetness.
• Best first foods for baby include pureed root vegetables such as carrots, sweet potato and parsnip because they can be made very smooth.
• At seven months baby can eat toast (with avocado, mashed banana or peanut butter if there is no family history of allergies) so check out the closing time of your local supermarket, buy organic sliced bread (on sale as its cheaper) and keep in the freezer for emergencies.
• Keep to the guidelines on weaning, but trust your instincts because no two baby’s are the same.
• Have a couple of organic food jars in the cupboard when the going gets tough, note the ones your baby likes and see if you can replicate them.
• Remember nutritionists recommend you try food 16 times, before giving up!

If you are really worried contact your health visitor.

(16/02/10)

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