Feeding 10-12 Months FAQs

• My 10 month old son that was born 6 weeks early rarely puts his toys or anything in his mouth. Please advise how I can teach my son that finger foods are edible. NEW!
  
• My 11 month old son won't eat solids. He does just fine with 2nd Foods, but, the he gags and usually throws up when given the 3rd Foods thicker meals.
• I need ideas on how to get my 12 month old to eat more solid foods.

My 10 month old son that was born 6 weeks early rarely puts his toys or anything in his mouth. Everyone would joke around with me that he was the best baby. He knows how to hold small/tiny objects, and plays with them, but doesn't try to eat them. He enjoys eating the chunky texture foods; however, when it comes to feeding himself he doesn't have any interest. Please advise how I can teach my son that finger foods are edible? Also, should I be concerned by his delay?

If your ten month is developing normally (he should be sitting up, saying syllables such as ma-ma-, da-da, perhaps crawling or pulling to stand or waving or clapping), the fact that he doesn't put objects in his mouth means very little. It would only be significant in the context of a child who has other developmental delays.

To teach him to enjoy finger foods, try (on several occasions) putting a cheerio or a similarly sized, soft piece of food in his mouth. If he doesn't seem to like it now, try again in another few weeks. Eventually, he will prefer pieces to pureed foods.

Teaching a child to feed himself can be accomplished by providing him with a spoon (for soft foods) and access to the finger food pieces when he has a pincer grip. Don't feed him. Stay nearby but don't feed him yourself. Only feed him if he is getting very frustrated. If you do this often enough, he will begin to feed himself. Expect a mess!
 

My 11 month old son won't eat solids. He does just fine with 2nd Foods, but, the he gags and usually throws up when given the 3rd Foods thicker meals. He will not swallow any form of table food. No bread, cereal O's, mashed potatoes, nothing, just his baby cereal and his 2nd Foods meals. Anything other than that brings on gagging and vomiting. What should I do?

Your problem is a frustrating one, but not a serious one. Children may start to enjoy finger foods (small pieces of solids) at a wide variety of ages. It is certainly not unusual for an 11 month-old to prefer softer textures and gag at more solid foods. Eventually, he will learn to swallow and also like the finger foods. But in the meantime, just give him the foods he does well and seems to like.
 

My 12 month old refuses to sit in her highchair and pretty much won't let me spoon-feed her. In the short time she sits in her highchair she'll finger feed but most of the food is played with and very little actually goes in her mouth. She is still being breast fed which she continues to want to do VERY frequently. (Refuses a bottle or cup) Any suggestions regarding how to get her to eat more in the way of solids? She is a twin, born at 36 wks and her weight is on the low side. Thank you!

It is common for feeding difficulties to show up at this age. Here are some tips (try them and use whichever ones work)
1. If your daughter doesn't want strained foods, don't offer them. If she likes only some strained foods, only give her these.
2. If a child wants to feed himself/herself, encourage it.
3. At this age, too much juice, water, and/ or breast milk is filling and leads to eating less. The liquids fill you up, but with less calories. Weaning a child from the breast (or bottle) usually results in the child drinking much less and eating much more.
Having said all this, try feeding her yourself (spoon for strained foods or with finger foods) while you allow her to attempt to feed herself also. If she is gaining weight well, there is no need to wean her, but if she is gaining slowly, I would wean her and cut down on the other liquids as well. Give her only foods she likes.