Answer: Hi Nicole,
you are going just fine and what you and baby are experiencing is in fact quite common, some bubs just simply choose not to make a start when we want them to.

Keep offering just small tasters, I would go back to after a feed as generally milk takes centre stage till about 9 months. So if baby does take off you don’t want to have the other problem where she refuse a BF.

It is reasonably common that some bubs while being interested in what you put to your mouth (remembering that ‘the mouth’ to a baby is their whole world, if it goes in your mouth it must be interesting…) are still not sold on solids. Keep on as you are, offering food but letting it go if it is rejected.

Sometimes bubs skip the whole mushy food stage (who can blame them) and go to finger foods, that’s where a feeding mesh can be really helpful, so consider letting baby have a piece of avo or similar in a feeding mesh to chomp on herself. You can find babies are very autonomous when it comes to what goes into their mouths. Your bub may in a month and a bit may be okay with some finger foods (say some slithers of banana or avo)? Often, once these bubs get going they can really make up for lost time so batten down the hatches and watch your food bill.

You still have time, if though, you find that things just don’t improve beyond 7 months you might pop back to your CHN or PG or another option is a speech pathologist, they are great with all things oral, and can often pick up little issue with oral development that affect feeding. The other people to consider is Tresillian, they also assist with feeding issues (if you are in NZ plunket may do also).

If you get down the track a little and notice baby has difficulty with lumpy bits, I would highly recommend talking to a paediatric speech pathologist such as the gals at No Fuss Feeding (website of same name). Paediatric speech pathologists deal with all things to do with the mouth. Much of what a baby eats or rather when they can eat certain foods is determined by their oral development.

Hopefully it won’t come to that and it is simply a case of ‘leading a horse to water’ and it will happen in it’s own good time. The only real time issue is about 9 months most bubs need to be on lumpy food, but just because baby isn’t sold on solids at this point doesn’t mean she will have any problems down the line, so try not to worry. At this stage it is very normal and common, don’t be tempted to force the issue, it can have the opposite effect.

If you would like more info on solids, I have some tip sheets on Huggies on starting solids and also a book, the links are:

Solids
http://www.huggies.com.au/baby-care/baby-feeding/solids

Which foods when and fridge chart
http://www.huggies.com.au/baby-care/baby-feeding/solids/suggestions-for-bubs

Finger foods and beyond and healthy eating habits
http://www.huggies.com.au/toddler/food/learning-to-eat

I hope that helps, fingers crossed it all takes off soon
All the best
Leanne

www.nofussfeeding.com.au
http://www.paediatricfeedingdisordersclinic.co.nz/index.htm