What if a (10-month-old) baby is not interested in eating solids? The mom in this Q&A has a 10-month-old baby who hates the spoon and doesn’t want to eat solid foods.
Let’s see what can be done about this and whether to worry or not.
Mom’s Question:
My 10-month-old baby was an exclusively breastfeeding baby since birth, and we started introducing food when she was seven months, but she is just not interested in food, not her food anyways, and hates to eat from a spoon.
My food she wants, but more out of curiosity than anything else. I let her sometimes try if it is not something offending to her. She’ll play with it around and then throw it out.
I’m extremely worried about her iron levels since she is not getting it from anywhere, but the Dr says breast milk is good and all she needs until a year and not to worry about, but he also offered to do a blood test which I didn’t do.
She is a healthy baby and is hitting all the milestones in time if not before, but I do know of some babies that at this stage are eating 3-course meals 3 times a day and my baby in nibbling here and there.
What do you think? Sorry about the mess if I don’t make much sense typing one-handed here.
TIA!
Ellie
Tips When Baby Is Not Interested in Solid Foods
I completely understand your concern! It’s tough when you have a very picky eater baby, especially during this second half-year when babies are “supposed to” transit from breast milk and formula to solid foods.
Check Your Baby’s Iron Levels
The first thing I would do in your situation is to accept the doctor’s offer of a blood test. As I’m sure you know since your pregnancy, it is a really simple and quick test. Most likely, your daughter’s iron levels are just fine, and the test results will take a whole lot of worrying off your back. If not, you’ll have the doctor’s attention! Some things to do if iron levels are a little bit low or at risk of becoming low, are to avoid cow’s milk and to give your baby an iron supplement. The AAP recommends a supplement of 11 milligrams (mg) per day until a baby starts eating iron-rich foods – but don’t start with that unless the doctor recommends it. Since your daughter is healthy and alert, she really is likely to be OK.
In between meals, give her breast milk or iron-fortified formula to fill her up and make sure she gets the nutrition she needs.
Some foods are, of course, more iron-rich than others, and if your daughter fancies any of the following, then give her that:
- Iron-fortified baby cereal or oatmeal,
- Lean meats, poultry, and fish – to be used in baby food recipes or found in canned baby food
- Iron-fortified pasta, rice, and bread – can be something she likes stuffing herself with
- Quinoa
- Offer plenty of fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin C, such as kiwi, peaches, avocado, sweet red peppers, and broccoli). Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron.
You’ll find more iron-rich foods for kids here, including some recipes.
Offer Different Tastes
As for your daughter’s eating… That is one milestone she is obviously not reaching early, but if she is healthy, it doesn’t matter. My youngest was a bit like your daughter; it took the longest time for him to accept anything but bananas. Well over one year old, he was still very picky, but improving.
What I did was to offer him a variety of different tastes, and sometimes (usually not), he found something that he liked. And then, I also gave him his favorite foods so that I could be sure that he ate at least something.
Funny thing – he is not skinny, very normal, and he grows perfectly along his growth curves. I’ve visited a health nurse to measure him from time to time to stop my own worrying.
Never Force-Feed
I really think you seem to be doing what you can. You are not trying to force your baby, but rather offer her food, which is very good. Remember that even if some babies are really early and just love solid foods, breast milk or formula is still meant to be the primary source of nutrition during the first year. Introducing solid foods can be a very slow process where the child slowly gets used to a new way of eating and all these new tastes and textures.
Skip The Spoon and Offer Finger Foods
You can give her finger foods if she seems to enjoy that and offer her pieces of healthy foods also in between meals, not to make such a big deal of her eating.
Skip the spoon if you can. A lot of babies at this age really hate being fed but will gladly at least play with the food if they are allowed to use their hands. And in this age, they still use their mouth to investigate things; some of the food will reach their mouth, and from time to time, they will like something. :-)
Choose Fun and Play!
I know your daughter is only 10 months old, but I think some of these tips for making eating FUN for a toddler can be an inspiration for you too.
Just relax and let your baby lead the way.
She’ll get there!
Paula
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Find comments below.
Paula Dennholt founded Easy Baby Life in 2006 and has been a passionate parenting and pregnancy writer since then. Her parenting approach and writing are based on studies in cognitive-behavioral models and therapy for children and her experience as a mother and stepmother. Life as a parent has convinced her of how crucial it is to put relationships before rules. She strongly believes in positive parenting and a science-based approach.
Paula cooperates with a team of pediatricians who assist in reviewing and writing articles.
Hi all. My son is 10 months and is very fussy about foods. He first got his lower teeth then the two top ones also looked like a small vampire. I have tried everthing for him to eat. He will only eat 2 spoons for the most but give him a biltong stick he even cries when you take it from him. So far I think as long as he is breastfeeding its okay. He has gained weight although he teeths with his tummy. I’m just concerned and need to know what affect medication has on him if I have flu.
Hi Tasmin,
Great that you’re letting your little guy go slowly with the baby food if that’s what he wants. He will eat just like all of us eventually. :-) A word of caution; do check that the biltong sticks you give him are not high is sodium (salt), since that can harm a baby’s kidneys.
Regarding medicines affecting your son through breast milk, call a doctor or ask the pharmacy about it. A lot of things do enter the breast milk, although usually in such small amounts that it isn’t a concern. But still worth checking!
Best, Paula
Its me again tasmin. Why is that my baby wont use his walking ring? He sits okay in his chair, he wants me to keep him by the arms so that he can walk and this is very tiring. Is it ok to buy cobbler shoes for him to support his ankles or should I wait, he is only 10-months. He does crawl only on the bed.
I’d suggest you don’t interfere with his development. He is still so young, most babies certainly do not walk at his age. Wanting to be close to you is also very normal at his age. I know it can be very tiring when all they want is to be held one way or the other, but it does pass! Try to sit with his on the floor and play games (Find tips on games for 10-month-olds here.) and also let him be close to you as much as possible in other ways. For example, put him in his high chair and give him some finger foods to play with while you cook ordo the dishes. Good luck!
My baby boy is 9 months and he also still doesn’t eat. I started feeding him at the 1st day in his 7th month. He just accepted to eat during that day and then he doesn’t let me feed him any more !After some weeks I tried to change the spoon then he accept his food but for some days and return to his habit. I’ll try to give hime another types of food as you say.
thanks
Hi, My baby was a lot like this as well. I recommend offering lots of different foods and different textures as well. My little girl still refuses if the cereal is too runny. Also, keep offering foods even if she refuses them the first 10 or 20 times. She may just need to get used to the flavors/texture.
hi, my baby is 10 months now and dosen’t want to eat solid foods, everytime i offer him solid foods he would refuse and sometimes i forced him but it gets worse that he nearly vomit out his food. please if you have tips on how to get my baby eat solid foods…
thanks
Hi Umai,
I know very well how frustrating it can be when a baby refuses to eat. However, at 10 months, there really is NO rush with the introduction of solids!
Take a deep breath and stop worrying. Eating solids at this age is mainly about getting a chance to start testing, playing, tasting… Breast milk or formula is much more important for nutrition.
Forcing him to eat will just make the introduction harder, as you’ve already noticed.
Since the two of you are already in a power struggle about the solid foods, I suggest you completely stop trying for a few weeks. Then you can slowly try to start again, but I would probably be very careful not to add tension, force, or stress. Just put some finger foods within reach, or some fruit puree where he might just dip his fingers… Let him sit in his chair (if he wants to) while you eat. Let him touch your food if he wants to.
Check out this reply to another mom: https://www.easybabylife.com/11-month-baby-does-not-eat-and-underweight.html
Your son will eat when he is ready. Don’t worry. Just try to make mealtimes happy and relaxed.
Here is another article that might help once your son has started to eat: https://www.easybabylife.com/power-struggles.html
Good luck!