As a creature of habit, I always find it scary and confusing to try new things with my baby. As always, our schedule is constantly changing, and therefore, I must be flexible (which can be difficult!). One part of our day that I am finding extremely frustrating is the food. As excited as I am to share new foods and textures with my son, I also get frustrated daily with accommodating what my son wants. He certainly has a mind of his own when it comes to food, and I am left playing a guessing game to figure out what it is he actually wants. I am trying my best to make all of his baby food using only organic foods, but it certainly is frustrating when he doesn’t want to eat it. I am beginning to realize I can’t do it all.
This past week we added lunch into our daily schedule. With adding lunch means also adding a protein into the mix each day. That means chicken, beef, turkey, lentils, yogurt….all new tastes, and all new textures. I decided to start with chicken, so I pureed my own. I was so excited to give him this new food…that is until the first spoonful. Or I should say the spoonful that never was. One bite and he knew it wasn’t for him. With his mouth closed and his head turned he refused my chicken. The next day we tried to mix it in with foods he liked, but he wasn’t to be fooled. Not my man. Again he pursed his lips. I finished the first few days of protein trials frustrated.
I decided to buy some Earths Best jar foods that have the protein in them. If the texture of my chicken was too much, I was hoping that the jar food would be smoother. It was. He gobbled it right up! As excited as I was that he actually got some protein in, I was also frustrated because I knew it had some added ingredients in it that my chicken would not. But some protein is better than none right? I spoke with my pediatrician and she agreed. So for now jar food protein it is. Eventually he is going to need to learn to eat food with texture, but for now it can wait.
Another frustrating thing about food is when to feed it. He is now getting breakfast, lunch and dinner along with 4 breastfeedings. That’s a lot of meal times, and figuring out when he actually will eat is another challenge. My son won’t eat if he doesn’t want to, and he won’t eat a food he doesn’t want. As of now he refuses to eat breakfast before his morning nap. No matter what I do he won’t eat till after he has napped. This isn’t the best for me because after his nap we sometimes have places to be with no time for food. Obviously I make the time, but it’s not ideal. Also, he has been refusing to breastfeed, or eating very little at the 11:00 feeding. But if I wait much longer to feed then he won’t eat lunch????
Don’t even get me started on lunch. Other than the protein problem, we also have a guy who likes a food one day, then not the next. The other day I had to try 4 different foods before he’d eat one. After green beans, bananas, and squash he finally agreed to eat prunes. Frustrating!
I think the hardest part is accepting that he has a mind of his own and is not on my schedule. He now has his own schedule, and his own idea of food. He now likes and dislikes foods and textures, and I just have to work with that. I think I have many more years of him not always doing what I want..lol…ahh the joys of motherhood!
Wow, I could have written this post myself. My daughter is one and is getting pickier by the minute, which is not a good thing considering she refuses to eat any finger foods or anything with texture. She won’t touch her food or feed herself unless it’s Puffs. The doctor says we really have to focus on getting her to feed herself but she’s just not interested. When we give her stuff with chunks she gags, sometimes making herself throw up. It’s really horrible. She used to eat almost anything if it were pureed, now she clamps her mouth shut or, my personal favorite, holds her hand over her mouth.
The best part is I’m also kind of weird about texture and won’t eat some things because of it (bananas, mushrooms) so I guess I’m getting my comeuppance now with my texture-phobe daughter. Mealtime is my absolute least favorite time of the day. I guess I need to learn to let go and see the humor in it, otherwise I will go nuts!
Good luck with your own feeding troubles. I hope things get easier soon!
I’m weird with texture and a picky eater! I am doing my best to not have my son be that way! It definitely is frustrating. i can’t believe she puts her hand over her mouth…these kids certainly know what they want!!
I am going thru the exact same thing…only we are not breastfeeding anymore. But nonetheless. I can’t hardly get 3 meals a day in her. And the amount of food they recommended…ha. she laughs at that. too much and then she won’t drink the milk…the important part. sigh. I haven’t even gotten into the protein piece yet. I can’t get her to eat the full amount of fruit and veggie yet. Add another into the mix…Working towards it. But we are going slow. very slow.
Just remember that even right now he doesn’t get most of his nutrition from solid foods. He will get there, though it can be a slow process. Have you tried to allow him to self feed? It is messy but sometimes it can help with feeding fights to give them a chance to pick and choose for themselves.
actually i have tried..lol I have put out banana pieces and such but his hands don’t grab for it yet. He’ll eat pieces that i put in his mouth. What other foods should I try so he can feed himself?
You can try some sweet potatoes or avocado. Just keep offering him the foods, he’ll get there. Before you know it he is going to be grabbing everything.