9 tips if your baby doesn’t want to eat

You have decided to feed your child pap in addition to breast milk or formula. But your baby seems to have big problems with the change and just doesn’t want to accept the new food. It just doesn’t want to eat and starts crying or even throwing up the solid food? It doesn’t always have to do with the fact that your offspring don’t like it. Here we have put together a few possible reasons for your baby not wanting to eat solid food.

1) Your baby doesn’t want to eat because he doesn’t like it

The most obvious reason your baby won’t eat the porridge you offer him is that he just doesn’t like it. Even as babies, children already have their own taste and know exactly what they want and don’t want. If your baby doesn’t want to eat porridge, it may be due to the type of vegetable or fruit you chose. However, the following applies here: a failed feeding attempt does not necessarily mean that it actually does not taste good. Therefore, offer your baby the same food every day for a week. If he still doesn’t want to eat it, it probably really isn’t his thing. Then just think of an alternative. Inspiration for various recipe ideas, tips,the guide “Baby porridge. The safe entry into solids” by expert Natalie Stadelmann.advertisement
Tip: Slightly sweet foods are generally more easily accepted by children.

2) Your baby doesn’t want to eat because he’s not hungry

Another possibility why your baby doesn’t want to eat is due to lack of hunger. On the one hand, this can be because you offer the meal, for example lunch, too early and the baby is still full from breakfast. Then simply move the meal back a little until your little one has digested the morning meal. On the other hand, like you, your baby is not as hungry every day. If he doesn’t want to eat, he’ll let you know clearly by turning his head away or keeping his mouth tightly shut. You should always accept these signals and not force your baby to eat something. And don’t worry if you miss a meal. The feeling of hunger and satiety usually works very well for babies and your little one will certainly let you know if he wants to eat something.

3) Your baby doesn’t want to eat because he’s too hungry

Especially at the beginning of the complementary feeding time, too much hunger can lead to a refusal to eat pap. When your baby is very hungry, they want to eat something as quickly and easily as possible. And since it is easier to drink milk from the breast or a bottle than to eat porridge from a spoon, complementary feeding is often consistently rejected in such situations. Any attempts to feed the baby a few spoonfuls of porridge only aggravate the desperate situation. So don’t be too dogged and make your baby’s wish come true. To avoid similar problems in the future, you can simply start feeding before hunger gets too big.

4) Your baby doesn’t want to eat because he doesn’t like porridge

Not all children like porridge. Whether it’s for consistency or because they don’t want to be spoon-fed, some children may want to make the transition from dairy-only to solid foods. In principle, there is nothing wrong with this if your baby can chew and swallow the food without any major problems and you ensure a balanced supply of nutrients through the selection of the foods offered. Just offer your baby small pieces of bread or boiled vegetables to test whether it accepts this form of food better.

5) Your baby won’t eat because he’s distracted

If your baby is easily distracted when feeding and therefore no longer wants to eat, you should try to make the meal as calm and non-irritating as possible. Turn off the radio and television and concentrate on your little one. Toys have no place at the dining table either, since your child should be consciously aware of the process of eating in order to develop healthy eating habits at an early age.

If your baby grabs the feeding spoon to play with or plays with the food itself at the beginning of the solid food introduction, you should not stop this. Playing with food does not mean that your baby rejects the food, but on the contrary that he is very interested in its texture and properties. Exploring food with your fingers is also an important sensory experience that helps your baby get used to the new food. Therefore, let your baby do as it pleases, especially as it would not yet understand prohibitions and rules anyway. Just grab a second spoon and try to feed your child a little more porridge.

6) Your baby won’t eat because he’s unsafe

Everything new is initially a challenge for your baby. Even with things that you take completely for granted, your little one must first deal with them intensively. This is especially true when it comes to eating. As a result, some children are frightened by the new substance they are confronted with when they are introduced to solid food and are unsure whether it might be dangerous to them. Therefore, they prefer not to eat any of it.

In such situations, it is important for you to remain calm. Children adjust to complementary foods at different rates, and you should give your child the time they need to gain confidence. To make it easier for him to get to know you, you can put a little pap on his lips, which he can then carefully lick off to “get a taste for it”. You can also leave some foods, such as cooked pasta or vegetable sticks, to your baby to discover for themselves. In this way, it can get to know foreign food on its own, which not only takes away the shyness of new things, but also maintains the fun of eating.

7) Your baby won’t eat because he’s overwhelmed

If your baby doesn’t want to eat at the beginning of the complementary feeding period, this can also be because the situation is simply too much for him. Not only does it have to get used to the new consistency and taste of the food during this time, it also has to learn a completely new eating technique and deal with a new tool, the spoon. Your child may not be able to cope with all these new impressions that are suddenly pouring down on them and therefore refuse to eat at all.

You can help your baby in this situation by temporarily reducing the factors that are new to him. For example, let them suck the porridge from your finger at first until they get used to the consistency and taste. Once he has accepted the new food, you can then slowly insert the spoon.

You can give this to your child to play with, even before they actually start solid food, so that they can get used to its texture and explore it with their fingers and mouth. You can also occasionally give your baby a sip of tea – our recommendation: the sugar-free tea “Hipp’s first feel-good tea”.advertisementmade of organic aniseed, organic fennel and organic caraway – or give water from a spoon so that it becomes familiar with the feeling of eating something from the spoon. So your little one is no longer exposed to so many new stimuli when you start feeding it complementary food.

8) Your baby won’t eat because he’s confused

Some babies have problems introducing complementary foods when they are fed by their mothers, as they usually associate breastfeeding or bottle-feeding with them. The sudden feeding with porridge can lead to confusion for the baby, since it cannot get used to it so quickly and simply expects something different from mom. In such cases it can help if another family member, for example the father, simply takes over feeding the baby with complementary food. It is definitely worth a try and the proud dad will certainly enjoy being close to his child.

9) Your baby won’t eat because he’s sick

Your baby doesn’t want to eat because he has an illness or after he had a fever? If the baby has no appetite, do not force him to eat. As with adults, the little ones often suffer from a loss of appetite during and after an illness. Even when they are teething, this side effect often occurs.

However, if you have a fever or other infections, you should make sure that your baby drinks enough fluids. Suitable drinks are water, fruit or herbal teas. If your child doesn’t want to eat, you can sweeten the tea with a little glucose so that it also consumes a few calories. Alternatively, your pediatrician can recommend suitable additives to enrich your baby’s fluids.

Don’t pressure your baby if he doesn’t want to eat

If you’ve just started complementary feeding, you shouldn’t expect too much from your baby. In the beginning, it’s quite normal for him to spit out the mush because he just hasn’t mastered the necessary movements yet. With the first attempts at porridge, your baby shouldn’t even be full, but only learn to deal with the new situation. It is therefore not uncommon for five to eight attempts to be necessary before feeding goes smoothly. If you notice that your baby doesn’t want to eat, but just wants the breast, you shouldn’t force it either. Be patient and offer some complementary food after a while.

The ability and willingness to eat food off the spoon also develops differently in each child. Some babies can’t wait to get something other than milk, while others are more reluctant and take a little longer. It is very important that you always respond precisely to your baby’s needs and that you base your introduction of complementary food solely on your baby’s willingness. Comparisons with your peers will only increase your impatience, which will also affect your baby. If your baby doesn’t want to eat even after you’ve considered all of the factors above, then maybe he’s just not ready for solids. Then give your child the time they need. How you can tell that your baby is ready to switch to complementary foods“Introducing complementary foods: is your baby ready?” .