Q: My 8 month old is having trouble getting used to solid foods. I have breastfed her since birth (and am still breastfeeding. I started her on rice cereal at about 4 months old and she loved eating at first. But after a few weeks of the cereal I couldn’t get her to eat solid foods at all. I’ve been able to get her to eat every now an then by introducing different fruits and veggies, but it is still total hit and miss … some days she’ll eat well and others she won’t even open her mouth. A lot of other babies I know are eating much better. Any ideas? –Elizabeth, Albuquerque, NM

The Mommy Panel’s Advice:

Sounds like you have a real picky eater on your hands! We can all feel for you. A lot of babies have trouble converting to solid foods for a number of different reasons. Read on for information on the most common problems.

Boredom. Just like you wouldn’t want to eat spaghetti night after night, your little one will get seriously bored if her menu never changes. We
think this explains your little one’s hunger strike after the first few weeks of rice cereal. Most babies get excited about eating “real” food at first — it is something new to them and also something they’ve been longingly watching all the grown-ups do for a while. The trick is introducing new foods quickly to keep things interesting.

We think a baby should start out with a single-grain baby cereal for about a week. By the end of the second week you should be introducing that first fruit or veggie (whether to do fruits or veggies first is a whole other debate. It is best to take a few days in between introducing new foods so that you can catch any allergies or irritations that might pop up. But feel free to mix and match the foods your baby has already tried to give a little variety.

Trouble Swallowing. Some babies have difficulty learning to swallow something other than a liquid. We think the best way to get past this is persistence. Keep offering your child pureed food several times each day so that you’ll be more likely to catch him in a hungry moment. You might also try offering the food when you know they’re hungry and before you let them nurse.

Miss Independence. Some babies assert their independence rather early. Likely if you have an independent eater you’ve been noticing her expressing her independence in other aspects of life as well. For these little handfuls we recommend persistence (see “Trouble Swallowing” above mixed with a bit of indulgence. What we mean by indulgence is giving the little gal something to hold onto and control. A spoon works. But you can also give them foods that are large (easy to handle and get soggy easily (harder to choke on. Try unsalted or lightly salted (but unflavored rice cakes, tortillas, frozen bagels, or a healthy cracker with a soft texture. The idea here is not so much about nutrition as it is about distraction … hopefully as your little one is happily playing with her food you’ll be able to slip in a few spoonfuls of the main course.

Potty Problem. Constipation is another reason why your little one may have lost interest in solid foods. We believe that the human body tends to have a pretty good idea of what it needs. And even your little infant’s body will know when there is trouble “down the line” and therefore shutdown any intake. Treat the constipation and you’re little eater will likely perk up.

We know it can be frustrating to be continually turned down, and we certainly wish there was some magic solution, but we promise that time is is working in your favor — in a few months you’ll have a little toddler that will be gobbling up those cheerios faster then you can get them.