Let’s paint the picture…you’re just starting your mini on solids and you’ve been looking forward to this exciting milestone for weeks, but all of a sudden, (dot, dot, dot), your babe actually refuses to eat. They’re shoving your hand away, wailing at every turn, spitting up and doing pretty much everything you feared could happen…so, is this normal?
The good news? You bet it is.
Starting solids is totally new for your baby, and it’s something that your mini should be cautious of doing. For them, this new milestone is foreign and strange, so rejecting what feels totally NOT normal to them is no surprise. Hello, you’ve got a baby genius (and maybe skeptic) on your hands!
The other good news? This too shall pass. Don’t get discouraged. We have a few hot tips to help reject the rejector when your mini isn’t cooperating.
1. Put your baby on your lap:
From the moment your babe is born, they want the feeling of touch. So to make them feel comfortable, try putting them on your lap so they have that sense of comfort. Liz, one of our care team members here at Little Spoon, always says that her daughter Eva loved to be held during the first stages of starting solids.
2. Put some of your baby’s food on your plate:
Seeing you interact with and try the foods you’re introducing can help encourage your mini to be brave! Enlist the “learn by example” strategy and see how your mini responds to taking your lead.
3. Don’t be afraid of the mess:
Yes, starting solids can be a mess. Try to embrace it! It’s all part of this whirlwind journey. Encouraging your baby to smash, poke and prod at the food they’re eating can help them get more comfortable with putting it in their mouths. Pro tip: strip your babe down to their diaper to avoid stain duty.
4. Encourage, Encourage, Encourage:
The dreaded baby voice…we all know it. But the baby voice is called the baby voice for a reason. It can work. When your baby is eating and not rejecting, make sure to laugh and smile. This will make your babe’s feeding time feel like a positive experience.
5. Plan feeding time around family time:
This one goes back to our first tip of leading by example. When your babe is around a bunch of other people eating it can inspire them to get involved.
6. Play with temperature:
Babies are picky, so try experimenting! Different temperatures may be preferred by your babe, and it’s worth playing around to see what takes. There might be a lot of A/B testing for this one, but if you can find a sweet spot, it’s worth it.
7. Let the force be with them, (and only with them)!
Instead of doing the classic “choo choo” train, try letting your baby come to you. Put the spoon in front of them and let your mini lean in for a bite. Why? Self-feeding is great for encouraging hand-eye coordination and independence. It can also be helpful in avoiding any unintentional painful scraping or sweeping to the upper lip or hard palate that can be caused by forcing the spoon.
