When does the food actually start getting eaten? RANT/ENCOURAGEMENT NEEDED

If you ask my toddler, food gets eaten every 3 business days. The first two days she’ll survive off of fruit she chewed up and spit out, one crusty goldfish, a lick from the bottom of my house slipper, and sucking energy from my very core. The next day she’ll eat 2 cups of watermelon, a cup of rice, a whole mango, and 1/4 corn Cobb in one sitting. Fr I’ve seen her do it (that and the house slipper thing 🫣)

First and most importantly - you’re doing great!! The name of the game is providing variety of tastes and textures. She’s doing what she does best as the little scientist she is and exploring these new experiences.

Every kid is different but even so, we’re here for solidarity. It’s worth repeating - you’re doing great 😊

Every baby is different! We started my baby on purées for a few weeks at 6 months but she much preferred to feed herself, and she took up eating solids like a champ. Now at 8.5 month old has been feeding herself small chopped up pieces of meats, fruits, noodles and soft veggies for a few months now. I didn’t do anything special. They all take it at their own time and you can’t compare! Just keep trying and do what works best for your bae. She will get it eventually!

As for the straw cups/sippy cups.. I started giving my baby those fruit squeeze pouches and after she mastered sucking out of those she has had no problem with using a straw cup. I also used the trick of holding the end of the straw (with water trapped in) and putting the end of the straw to her mouth so she understood that water was in there. Keep trying :)

8 months is still early! I promise it will happen. Mine is 12 mo and doesn't quite get utensils unless they're preloaded. If you don't hand feed her, you said she just mushes the food? What happens if you just eat in front of her and leave her to it? I find my little eats a lot more when people are eating and not paying attention to her lol. It wasn't overnight but it seemed like the demonstration of eating helped.

Months 6 to 12, my son used food exclusively to teeth on, smear everywhere, and learn to play baseball.

Months 13 to 22, all the food was eaten with very few texture based exceptions. He sometimes ate more than me.

Months 22 to now near 26, real food is eaten about twice to thrice weekly. The ONLY foods he will consistently eat are fruits, not all of them, raw carrots (we give him strips made with a vegetable peeler), cucumber, vanilla yogurt (only vanilla), and crunchy snacks. He can polish off 2 snack bags of cookies, 4 rush pakets, veggie straws, an apple, and steal my cereals, but an egg won't even be looked at except to throw it where it will be most difficult to clean.

The doctors we spoke to weren't worried or alarmed at any point in time. Babies are weird. Feed them the best you can as nutritious as they will allow. Good luck.

Seriously? At 8 months my son would maybe grab a handful of food to smash on his face some where and sometimes would pinch some foods, but utensils? No. He is 17 months now and is a utensil champ, and still misses. Just wait until the decide they absolutely LOVE something and inexplicably HATE it within 24hrs or less. 🤣🤣🤣

We started my boy on purées at 4m, he was interested but not THAT interested. Around 9 months he started absolutely chowing down! He’s almost 11 months now and eats anything in sight. He also has no teeth!

I usually let him play/explore the meal for a while, then offer it to him differently (like instead of the whole zucchini spear, cut it into pieces) and he’ll have another go. Then, I tend to spoon feed him some. He is definitely not good with utensils- apparently this is a closer to 2/3 year milestone!

Oh this drove me insane and I’m just starting it again w my second 😫 my daughter was well past a year old and still barely eats lol but I got a high chair catchy which helped at least with cleaning the same mess 900 times a say

That’s a LOT of food for a baby getting all their nutritional needs met thru formula or breast milk! Take it slowly…

Daughter is ten years old and some days I still wonder! I'll report back with an update at age 20!

Practice makes perfect! Keep encouraging your baby and even practice using spoons. They will get better at it little by little

Mostly “no advice just solidarity” (my daughter is 7.5 months) but have you tried this thing? My daughter still doesn’t eat a ton from it, but if I throw a jarred puree or something like yogurt or avocado in it she will eat a noticeable amount. Definitely way more successful than a pre-loaded spoon.

https://a.co/d/03xGqUAx

mine didn’t start actually eating till like 11/12 months

When I dropped bottles they ate more. I imagine it like drinking milk shakes 5x a day and then being fed more food. Formula and breast milk are packed with nutrients meant to keep baby feeling full. I wouldn’t want to eat pasta after drinking 8 oz of a nutrient packed drink either.

You’re frustrated now and I remember feeling like that. Then randomly one day it was like snap and boom, now they’re suddenly eating. Every milestone has felt like me being frustrated why won’t they just do it and then randomly one day they just do.

8 months is still so young. I've had to mute this community at times because it made me feel bad. We started introducing solids early, regularly let baby play, explore, etc. He only started giving a shit about food at 9M, completely randomly. It was like a flip being switched. You're doing fine. First, offer less food -- this is a ton of food (I know you say you save it, but it's a visual thing for you both. Two handfuls of food looks a lot different if there's half a cup vs a few tbsp presented). Secondly, just take the pressure off yourself and them. Try some spoon-feeding, let them play, and view any meal that something is swallowed as a success. It will happen. Every child learns how to eat. It's okay to spoon feed at this age still, coordination is complex! 8 months is still so very young, you're both doing great.

Can't compare your baby to 12 to 14 months old. They're totally different babies by then. 8 is quite young to be skilled at spoons or eating alot like a baby that's off formula would.

Hi my I have a 24 month old (omg) and we’ve just now been doing well with a spoon. Everything else I would give her would be finger foods. I’d offer her utensils but she just wasn’t feeling it until the last few months. I’ve had many evenings crying about baby food!!!! Just I just had to let it go and keep trying and reminding myself she will eat when she’s hungry. Good luck <3

I have been serving meals on a picnic blanket in the living room for the past few weeks (we’re at 7mo old), and she does a lot better. She can pick up and drop pasta, tomato wedges, cucumber spears, etc 4 or 5 times in any direction she wants and still try eating it when she’s done.

Unless it’s a preloaded spoon, utensils are a no though lol she will just play with them and ignore the food.

Don’t stress, which is so hard! My 13 month old only really took to eating around 11 months or so. She now is picky and survives off fruit, carbs and yogurt and won’t use utensils at all. And that’s all okay! You’re serving food, giving variety, and it’ll click more over time!

You are doing great!

You are doing great! Every amazing mom worries in the beginning. My toddler at that age was the same way! Even at 18months she just recently learn to use the fork and spoon really well, but only uses it when we have guests (because she loves showing off). When she was around 8months she actually lost weight because she was teething and didn’t want to drink milk and a picky eater. After the 12month mark she would ask for seconds, but only certain food because she is so picky. But from 8 months she survived on strawberries, bananas, blueberries mashed into oatmeal/yogurt. I make her morning oatmeal thick with yogurt and fruits. We also give her fried eggs too. I used the solid starter app. Which is free and I give her bigger food so she can hold onto. If you want your baby to start getting used to eating I would start with fruits first because they are sweeter and would most likely put that in their mouth.

Good luck! Stay strong! It will get easier!!!!!

Also, we try to stay away from silicone plates because sometimes there’s soapy taste in the food because of it.

I have a 9mo and honestly I start with just a few things to let him (inevitably) throw on the floor and then I either hand feed him bits of food or give him spoon fed mashed food. If he doesn’t eat then he doesn’t sleep through the night as well, so I opt for whatever makes him eat food :) 

Babies is still a little young. Plus if they’re getting most their calories from formula or BM they’re filling up and not hungry. Purees are light. When my baby stopped getting formula at the 1 year mark he was devouring table food. He’s also always been interested in whatever we eat and I always make sure to eat in front of him. I wouldn’t be worried and you’re not doing anything wrong.

With my 11 m old my husband starting only to put a few pieces on the tray until they’re gone then add more. I was putting all down at once and she’d eat a couple bites then toss the rest everywhere. Still some days are better than others lol.

Our experience is interest and engagement comes in phases. And the most important thing was to keep trying. There are so many foods LO didn’t like before and one day starts eating it, no apparent explanation or cause. Same thing with the spoon and the plate, used to throw those off the table immediately and then suddenly became interested in using the spoon. I tried not to let it drive me insane and think of it as an experiment or a bet. Will they or won’t they today?

Maybe try bottles if the teeth are getting painful?

Every baby is different. My 8mo is a total foodie but has 0 teeth

My two year old would insist that fruit and pancakes are the only edible foods in the world.

I have to spoon feed my now 13 month old still. He has no intentions of doing it himself. He eats a lot!

I needed to see this after my toddler refused dinner but ate playdoh

My advice is to start only cooking family meals you enjoy and give the baby modified versions of what you were going to cook and eat anyways and stop making any special dishes just for baby. Eat together and don’t sit there staring at them to see if they get anything in or how much mess is there etc. It’s so much pressure to cook for them and sit there watching them to see what happens and when it usually doesn’t go well, it’s very anxiety inducing. Find ways to take some pressure off both of you and just let them explore the textures. 8 months is young and once the pincer grasp is strong, it’ll get better.

We did baby led weaning and didn’t start food till closer to 7 months, and didn’t do 3 meals a day till almost 9 months. He’s 16 months now and we just started regularly using utensils and he’s doing great! The mess sucks and sometimes they won’t eat what they loved the day before. Like others said the key is offering a variety of flavors and textures consistently. Even if the food doesn’t even make it to their mouth, the exposure will help them be willing to try in the future. I know it’s hard but try not to focus on how much is consumed but focus on offering iron rich options as this is one nutrient that babies are often deficient in by 1. My son loves gnawing on a chunk of steak at this age. Another thing you can try is offering one food at a time until baby seems to be done with it. My guy would just get so overwhelmed with multiple options he would throw everything. From about 10- 14 months we would offer veggie then protein then finish with fruit to prevent him from eating all the fruit and throwing the rest 😅

Our 8 mo has done BLW from the start. We figured out early on that the less food on the plate, the more likely she’ll eat it. I’m talking like one piece of broccoli, a tablespoon of yogurt, and one strip of toast for breakfast. We add more to the plate if she finishes what’s there and acts hungry.

I had to turn it into a game with my oldest called ‘feed mama’! It worked SO well considering where we were before (still doesn’t eat worth a shit but at least now it’s not mostly pediasure). She’d feed me a bite, I’d feed her a bite, and eventually she decided she wanted to feed herself.

Honestly, for a while I would just offer the same plate to my girl for a couple of meals since it wasn’t like she was eating it anyway. She really started being into food around 10-11 months. Now at 13 months she’s only partially interested again. So it’s really hit or miss. But once you find the favorite, it’s easier because you can give them that and know they’re getting something.

Your 8 month old is WALKING?!?

Ok, so my 19mo is a great eater but he didn’t really get into his groove until 11-12 months. We started blw around 6 months, and he just loved his milk so much that it dampened his interest in food. Didn’t like pasta, didn’t like rice, didn’t like potatoes, just wanted little licks or nibbles here and there. I’d get annoyed, I’d get depressed, but I just kept at it and didn’t offer to feed him, and it finally got better! Night weaning, and offering food before milk helped.

I just have to add- your baby may have been physiologically ready for eating at 4-5 months, but that is pretty young so you may want to just consider baby having not been that mentally ready for food at that time.

Mine started eating more and actually enjoying it at a year old. I offered two meals and three snacks until then, knowing he probably wouldn’t eat much. Just literally 4 bites. Now he clears the plate and asks for more. Hang in there.

My first was eating “well” around 8-9mo . My 9mo (8adjusted) is not. I talked to my pediatrician about it and she was not concerned and said, they’ll all grow up and eat just fine (barring any special circumstances, of course) and she was right. I felt so much pressure with my first for her to hit the milestones on time and she was usually nailing them even before. With my second, she’s behind. And with peanut and cow milk allergies on top of that.. Maybe the premie status has something to do with it, maybe it’s my lack of time to devote to her, maybe it’s her, but I’m not concerned unless I feel like I need to be, ya know

All that to say: don’t stress. food at this stage is to explore and practice fine motor skills and sure, some nutrition. but the babe will eat. and then when they become true toddlers, they won’t eat substantially for days and still have more energy to run circles around us. my 2yr old survived off milk for a week!

I just want to say, I am in a similar situation! My LO just turned 8 months and we haven’t made it much past purées yet. To complicate matters, he has some food intolerances (we think), so I’ve cut a bunch of stuff from my diet, and now I’m trying to tackle challenging foods and introducing allergens. It’s all so stressful! All that to say, you’re not alone and some of us are further behind! You’re doing great!

That looks like a good plate!! When my daughter was under a year old I thought of food as a sensory experience. I tried to expose her to as many different types of food as possible and gave her a lot of meat to suck on (using solid starts guildelines to determine how to serve it) for the iron content. She sucked on and chewed any meat I gave her but mostly just played with food and loved every second of it. She’s still very open to different types of food and tries anything I offer her at 2.5 even though she ends up rejecting a lot after trying them.

It’s honestly crazy how little babies and toddlers need to get by. There are weeks when my mom and other people that care for my daughter with me get really concerned about her not really eating anything. I always say she must be in between growth spurts, because sure enough the rest of the month she will be eating adult portions like it’s nothing and complaining about being hungry every couple of hours. She honestly didn’t do that for the first time until she was almost 2 and hitting her big growth spurts. Usually young children need sooo so little.

Actual significant ingesting of food happened maybe around 11-12 months for us I think. She’s 18 months now and for some meals will eat a bigger portion than me and others she’ll eat a single grain of rice and be done.

I know it’s so hard, but don’t stress. You are doing everything right. If your doctor is not concerned, you should not be either. Your baby is still SO young—and honestly this is a ton of food for an 8 month old—so just keep offering both milk and solids and let her do the rest. Babies just gonna baby, for better or for worse.

Also, your 8 month old is walking? Wow!

when they aren’t full up on breast milk or formula and realize “oh crap i’m hungry” lol 12.5-13 months was what worked for us and our baby loves “people food” lol (wants whatever is on my plate LOL)

baby just needs time. my baby wasn’t even into purees until 8/8.5 months but she was quick to spoon feed herself lol and now she uses her hands for pretty much everything. help baby eat-that’s normal as they’re learning lol

Try smaller portions and not mashed up. Bigger pieces so little one can learn to chew food. At this age it’s about learning and developing muscles in their mouth and jaw required for eating. Babies do get needed nutrients from food through eating (the whole food before one is just for fun thing is a myth, nutrient stores - especially iron - from while baby was in utero start to deplete around 6 months) but still take in the majority of their nutrients from breast milk/formula. Even if she’s chewing up and spitting out food, she’s still taking in nutrients from it. Larger portions can feel overwhelming for babies, so try smaller portions and add more as needed (1 strip of toast at a time, a couple finger size slices of bell pepper, etc)

My son didn’t start eating better until 10-11 months and even now at 14 months we still have bad eating days and bad eating meals here and there. I definitely find he eats better when I let him do it himself. Lately he’s annoyed if the bits I give him are too small. It’s definitely been an exercise for me in patience and calming my anxiety about him choking. For your child’s age I think it’s totally normal because it’s not their main source of food. Once you start increasing the number of solid meals and snacks and reducing milk or formula it will change. You are definitely not alone! I used to be so frustrated with the food waste and now he’s getting seconds sometimes. It’ll all work out in time.

After 10.5 months my son started preferring solids over milk

It is all a control thing. At this age they have little control over anything except what and when they eat. Wait until it is time to potty training....

Sometimes less is more or a couple bad habits I did to get mine was let them walk around and come back to the plate of food when they felt like or eat off my plate

My daughter is 2, and today, she ate some chocolate chips, carrots with dip, an apple, a slice of pizza (tiny, homemade), and a few more carrot and cucumber slices. She also had a fudgesicle.

She used the chocolate chips against me. I added them to the pancake batter I made for my kids this morning as a way to entice her to try some. She ended up sampling the chocolate chips and completely rejected the pancakes. I served them with a small amount of syrup and chopped cherries on the side 😞😓

My 2 year old still has trouble with silverware but honestly give it but don't expect them to use it

My son was one of those who would go after food from a young age (6 months) but honestly all I did was give him a taste of what I had (for example a bit of sauce)

All kids take to food at their own speed best thing to do is give them different textures and just a little bit at a time

I know I’m late to the party, but my 2.5 year old still likes to survive off of air and the occasional bite of food. Maybe it’s photosynthesis? Still can’t figure it out 👀

Fun thing with littles up until they’re probably 4-5 is their eating isn’t consistent. One day they survive on 2 goldfish and air. The next day they eat 3 helpings of everything offered. Then they hate all those foods for the next 5 weeks.