Feeding FAQ: 4-6 months – Weaning

My 5-month-old son, who weighs 8.46 kilos, is on day 13 of the weaning plan. When offered sweet potato and apple he has gagged and bought it all back. He enjoys baby rice when mixed with pear. He only just manages to eat carrot and pear on their own. Should I keep trying new tastes but stop again if he gags and offer them in a couple of weeks?

My son takes his formula well and since starting on baby rice he has slept through the night. I am sure he won’t like the baby rice and courgette to be offered in a couple of day’s time.

Feeding details

7.00am: 7oz formula
11.00am: 8oz formula, 1 cube pear puree
2.30pm: 7oz formula
4.40pm: 2oz diluted apple juice
5.45pm: 7ozs, 3tsp baby rice mixed with 3oz formula
6.50pm: 4ozs formula

My son naps at 9-9.40am, 12-1.20pm and 4-4.35pm. He settles from 7pm- 6.30am.

In the early stages of weaning a baby needs to learn several skills in order to get food from a spoon onto his tongue and then move the food to the back of his mouth to swallow it. At times he may gag because of an unfamiliar taste, he has too much in his mouth or the texture of the food is slightly thicker than he is used too. If you put the spoon too far into his mouth this too will set off his gag reflex.

To help your son accept a wide range of solids thin them down with some formula or use some of the water they were cooked in. You may need to make them quite runny at first but as he gains the skill of taking food from a spoon you can gradually add less fluid so the texture becomes thicker.

It is better to keep re-offering vegetables and fruit but in small amounts rather than only offering things you know your son will accept. Only offer ¼ of a cube of a new taste or something such as apple or sweet potato which he has had trouble with before. Increase the amounts as he becomes familiar with the taste. It may take several attempts for a baby to accept a new taste but this is better than limiting the range of food he eats.

Give him his food at room temperature or slightly warmed but be sure to check it before offering it to him. Your face and tone of voice have a big part to play in how he accepts new tastes. Offer him a new taste with a smiling face and using an encouraging voice. If you sound uncertain and hesitant in offering food to him he is more likely to reject it or spit it out. Once he has accepted the first spoonful tell him how wonderful he is so he is more likely to try another mouthful.

When you offer your son a new taste he may well make faces but this does not always mean he does not like the food. Many babies will screw up their faces in surprise even if they like the taste. A baby’s taste buds are very sensitive so each new taste is quite an experience. You will know if he is happy to try some more as he will open his mouth again and you can continue to offer him a few more spoonfuls until he turns his head away showing that he has had enough. This is why you need to keep re-offering tastes every few days even if the initial reaction was one of dislike. In time your son will get used to all the different flavours you are offering him.

When serving potato or sweet potato it is needs to be mashed and then pushed through a fine sieve rather than using a blender. Blending potato causes it to become “gluey” in texture and difficult to swallow. There are directions for the preparations of all the fruit and vegetables in the back of the Contented Little Baby Book of Weaning.