I'm putting this up as a poll because it's the sort of thing that must get really worrying after a while if your baby is proving reluctant. We know that 'until they're one it's just for fun' but no one really wants that theory tested to destruction, do they?
On the Yahoo FAQ on the left they say that loads of their babies took right up to the year before they started eating in any great quanitities, but I'd have to say that Babybear took to it quickly. Not three meals a day, god no, we took it very slowly indeed but I'd have to admit that was partly through my laziness.
So what about everyone else? Did they all take to self-feeding like ducklings to water? Are these babies who only eat tiny amounts really only eating tiny amounts or are parents being fooled by ginormous jars of baby food into expecting too much? To give you an example, if Babybear managed to smush half a carrot stick into her hair at the beginning I counted it as a successful mealtime. But that was easy because so long as I saw a fleck of orange in her nappy the following day it gave me the confidence to carry on. I don't know how I would have felt without that evidence... hhhhhhmmmm. Anyone else?
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What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
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Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
by
Eleanor
on Tue 22 May 2007 09:22 BST | Profile | Permanent Link
I would say Piglet has the hang of it now at 9 months. She can pick up and eat just about anything she wants, so I know if she's not eating it's because she's simply not hungry - but I'd expect her to eat at least something three times a day now (plus maybe a snack, maybe not). But it's only quite recently that she's got so competent. Certainly at 7 months she was mainly playing with food, and bits went down more by luck than judgement.
Know what you mean about being fooled by big jars of babyfood - but then when you see how much of it doesn't go into the average baby, and how much goes in and comes straight out again... Re: Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
by
Eleanor
on Wed 15 Aug 2007 11:38 BST | Profile | Permanent Link
Just coming back to this because we seem to have moved into a new stage (P having just turned one): suddenly I am thinking in terms of food shopping for three people, not two.
Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
by
carrie
on Tue 22 May 2007 11:38 BST | Profile | Permanent Link
Defo at about 9 months too was when Xavier started eating with more gusto. More definitely went in the mouth than on the floor and the volumes definitely increased. He also became more proficient at eating and handling food.
He also stopped being fooled (not that I was trying) and refused to eat slices of apple and wanted half or a whole apple like mummy to much on and drop on the floor as he played throughout the day. Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
by
MummyRed
on Tue 22 May 2007 23:07 BST | Profile | Permanent Link
Yep, 9 months too for BabyRed - this was the point at which less than 50% of the food ended up on the floor. And by 10 months she had started bellowing when she had devoured everything on her highchair tray. Now at nearly 12 months, she is rarely known to refuse food. I think her 'thermostat' may be faulty...
Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
by
Mij
on Wed 23 May 2007 11:22 BST | Profile | Permanent Link
Pasting from random thoughts... IzzyMouse is 11 months (and breastfed) and still barely gets through the equivalent of 3 teaspoons, let alone the alleged '3-6 tablespoons' of food some experts say she should. And she's fine, thriving, busy, full of beans, on the same centile she started etc etc. Which is all fine cos I can demand feed and I know she'll take the milk she needs - not sure how I'll be feeling when I'm back at work and she's still nibbling at an oatcake at 15 months, but anyway.
The first noticeable increase in quantity came at about 8 months, then again at 10, but she is very variable in how much, and what, she's interested in. In terms of 'getting the hang of it', she's very competent at feeding, now with a spoon too if I load it up, it's just that she doesn't choose to practise that competence! Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
by
Thell
on Wed 23 May 2007 21:26 BST | Profile | Permanent Link
Ditto Mij - Angelcake got the hang of shovelling food in quite quickly, then stopped for a few weeks, then picked it up again, then stopped... At 15 months she is still demand breastfed - little and often I'd say, perhaps 4 times during the day for about 5 mins - and very variable with her food. But she gets very whiny / grouchy if her meal is late and starts asking for milk (default option!) so I know she must be eating to sate her hunger.
Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
by
Anonymous
on Mon 28 May 2007 11:13 BST | Permanent Link
Euan is very slow at getting the hang of it. From the beginning, he was very fussy and spat most things out, but a couple of things he was ok at even though he didn't eat too much of them. Now (10 months) he eats quite a lot of the things he was ok at (tomatoes, mashed potato, cucumber, satsumas), but is still spitting out most of the rest - though he has recently taken a liking to sweetcorn. He is happy to pick pretty much anything up and put it in his mouth and chew or bite it. Its just that he then takes it back out of his mouth to either play with it or see how far across the room he can throw it. And its not that he doesnt like the taste, because he will often put things back in his mouth that he has just taken out.
So I would say it is still a work in progress here! Re: Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
by
Katy
on Mon 28 May 2007 11:18 BST | Profile | Permanent Link
Oops, forgot to log in, that was me...
Re: Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
by
Jacquie
on Thu 14 Jun 2007 11:40 BST | Profile | Permanent Link
Thank you it was very reassuring to read these comments about when 'babies get the hang of it'. Despite 3 weeks of a nasty cold, my little boy has "taken off" at last- hurray! He loves his cauliflower and oranges & apples that Daddy is eating. So thats aged 8 months. Its still only equivalent of 2-3 spoon fulls but what a delight it is to see him having fun with food! I think a lot of the worry and pressure is going back to work- so I delayed it another few months- took the pressure off.
Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
So my question is...you have these ages where they "got it", but did you find it to be an overnight thing or a gradual thing? Will we wake up some morning to an eating maniac, or will it possibly be so unnoticeable that one day I suddenly *notice* she's been eating more for who knows how long?
ps - LOVE the site! thanks so much!!! just said to DH "when you decide to do everything different, its nice to have a place to do some research" Re: Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
by
Tinkerbelle's Mummy
on Thu 28 Jun 2007 15:02 BST | Profile | Permanent Link
I think Tink was ready before we noticed, we were giving her what we had, but seperate so that it was sticks etc. One day Tink's Nanny just put her a meal out the same as Tink's Cousins, with me there :O, and she just ate it.
Mashed potato is great for eating with peas! Re: Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
by
Mij
on Sun 01 Jul 2007 20:23 BST | Profile | Permanent Link
Both. And neither. Sometimes IzzyMouse would take me totally by surprise by eating 3 times the quantity she would normally get through (sometimes a little embarrassing if I'd already eaten some of her share, wrongly anticipating how much she'd want...) but she wouldn't necessarily repeat that every day. So I'd see sporadic jumps, but then over time I could also see the underlying trend going up. Does that make sense? I'm not sure economic analogies are really working here...
Re: Re: Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
I agree entirely with Mij, that's what happened to us. it just crept up slowly, but still sometimes she doesn't eat a lot for lunch or something and then piles it in at dinner. or vice versa.
Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
by
Anonymous
on Thu 28 Jun 2007 10:21 BST | Permanent Link
DS only started around 9 months as well, he was always good with playing around (still wiping th etable with his food once he's had enough) but it just suddenly started that he ate something and we found things in his nappies.
But even now at 9.5 months he is not eating loads and is still relying on his milk. Re: Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
by
Cornish smiler
on Sun 01 Jul 2007 19:43 BST | Profile | Permanent Link
OK, it's only been 2 weeks but I just wanted to say that The Samster is now starting to pick food up himself and put it straight to his mouth. I became aware that I was picking food up too often and passing it to him so have deliberately left it more to him, but helped him after he's had a good go himself. Today he was picking up cucumber sticks, cheese sticks and tomato on his own and stuffing them into his mouth!! Oh, and he LOVES mango!!! He didn't eat much but he's definitely progressing. It's lovely to see and so easy when you go out as I just give him a bit of whatever we're having - what could be easier!!
Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
It sounds like after a few weeks they start to really get going but when did you notice the milk feeds reducing?
Re: Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
by
Alison
on Wed 15 Aug 2007 19:30 BST | Profile | Permanent Link
I really didn't notice any reduction in milk feeds until around 11 months with LittleE and even now at 14 months she stilll has some days when she wants lots of milk and others where she practically forgets about it!
Re: Re: Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
by
Bigpud
on Thu 16 Aug 2007 12:22 BST | Profile | Permanent Link
Pudding started by mugging me for some melon. She picks food up and tries to eat it, but as fruit is quite slippery she prefers to be handed it, or better still for me to hold it and she directs my hand to her mouth.
Does this go against the principals of BLW? Should I not be letting her do this? Re: Re: Re: Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
by
Alice
on Thu 16 Aug 2007 13:15 BST | Profile | Permanent Link
Ditto, ditto littleun' (6 months next week - so a real beginner at this) loves mango and banana but really can't hold them for long enough to get them into his mouth! We've now tried mango in a wedge / slice (like a melon) with the skin still on and that seems to work better as it stays together and he can hold it in both hands. Banana is still a mystery. the more he holds it the slipperyer (?) it gets! today we tried with a little skin on at the bottom and he ate the skin (cue panicked mother!)
perhaps we'll put that down to experience and try again is a week or so but any tips on banana gratefully received! Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
Bruno has only had banana because he sabotaged mine - he was sat on my lap while I ate one & he launched himself at it! That was before we even started thinking about food, probably 3 weeks ago now! He just sucks them while I hold but then my banana is ruined!
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What age did they get the hang of self-feeding?
some tips here about bananas, perhaps splitting it into three might work for you two? Babybear used to chew on the skin so frequently that i always made sure i washed the outside before i peeled it...
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