I am currently breastfeeding my nine-month-old (first child). We have had an amazing breastfeeding journey so far! However, we have had some trouble getting him to try different foods. For a long time, every time we offered him any kind of food, he would just get frustrated and cry. He has finally come around and is enjoying trying different types of food, and he is still breastfeeding wonderfully. My biggest concern is that he is starting daycare in 3 months. He hasn’t taken a bottle since he was two weeks old! (He had trouble with latching at first). I don’t even know where to start preparing him to not only drink from a bottle or cup but to eat solid
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At this point don’t bring out a bottle, just use a sippy cup. You just have to keep introducing until they one day decide to eat it. You may even want to drop some of the breast feedings
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Get him or her a booster chair and feed him or her
Trial and error babe
My daughter wouldn’t look at cows milk in my house or certain foods and then she started nursery and she loves eating all sorts now and will willing ask for a cup of milk , I think she saw all the other kids doing it and thought she wanted to do the same , he might be ok once he is in there and sees other kids trying different things x
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Put them on your own plate, guarantees theyll want it
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For food check out the group baby led weaning for beginners and beyonf (blwfbb.) They have lots of good resources. Also try a straw sippy cup. I have been using munchkin sippy cups since my son turned 6 months but a lot of people also like the weighted straw cups.
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He will eat when hes ready. My first son didnt eat foods until 1 years old. He refused everything! Just sit him with you guys at the table. Get him a high chair. So he sees that you guys want him involved at family gatherings.
Put foods in front of ur child. Dont stress or they will stress. If they eat they eat.
Giving an option to eat is a first step!
Its not a big deal! Breastfed babies are all slow at eating!
My second child i didnt breastfeed he ate at 7 months with soft food.
My third has oral ties so he wouldnt eat until 10 months.
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Evenflo is what I used as my son couldn’t latch to breastfeed and couldn’t latch a normal bottle. They have all kinds! If he’s ready for the sippy I’d take that chance girl! It’s so hard getting them to transition to a sippy so I’d start younger! No one warned me of this and now I’m struggling myself.
Start with oatmeal or rice. I would try oatmeal, mix it with breast milk and some type of veggies or fruit.
Sit them down and just feed them.
I know it’s bad to say, but when I was getting my daughter onto real food this is how we started and i refused to give her a bottle. She needed to know there are other ways of getting a full tummy that don’t involve the bottle. Or breast in this case.
Then we started introducing snacks shortly after.
Short bread cookies, cheese puffs (really helps with teething) those rice cake teething crackers, yogurt melts.
You gotta take it slow, but you have to be persistent with it.
If baby refuses to eat the food opt for a snack.
I started this around 8 months and now all she does is eat “people” food plus a bottle here or there.
Also, when you go to the baby section to get the baby food, look into the premade little meals they have. They have breakfast ones and dinner ones.
It’s quick and easy and saves a lot of time when baby can only eat certian things.
My son would not eat the baby foods, so we did blw with him, but my other 4 I had no issues what so ever. I also do agree he will eat when he’s ready.
My daughter is 1 yr and 5 months and she barely let go of breast this month. She’s my only one too. She hadn’t drank from a bottle since she was 3 months old. And she didn’t like to eat food at all. She only picked at it. I would recommend letting the baby play with the sippy cup getting use to it. Over time he will like it. But since you are starting daycare it might not be so easy given you only have 3 months left to help him transition. The only way I was able to get my daughter to let go of breast was going cold turkey. I did feel bad because that was the only way that I knew she was getting nourished. But I had tried every other way and it didn’t work for me. I tried reducing breast feeding and giving more foods as much as I tried doing it all it wouldn’t work. I will say the first two days and two nights are the hardest you get only a few hours of sleep but it’s worth it. My daughter drinks from a cup now (with my help.) and she eats because she’s hungry. I was so afraid of starving her and I felt so guilty it hurt me. But I needed to realize that babies don’t starve themselves. If they’re hungry they will eat. She didn’t eat atleast for the first day and first night. Or drink. By the second day and night she began to drink a little. On the third day boy did she eat. Haha! Don’t be afraid momma! You got this. Your baby will be ok. Aslong as you give him all the love and hugs he won’t feel rejected. Hold him sing to him and praise him when he drinks from his sippy cup or cup. Talk to him even if he doesn’t really understand yet. Tell him that it’s the best for the both of you. If I had to send my baby to daycare in 3 months I would definitely try and get her onto a bottle or sippy cup. I wouldn’t want to have the thought that she would be hungry the time I’m away and not have the attention she needs to get through since they have many other kids to take care of.
After one week of her being off breast she has been so good. She doesn’t really ask for boob or position herself to feed. She’s slowly and surely forgetting about it and is eating and drinking good.
This comes handy for spaghetti night, and any veggies.
Idk if it’s a texture issue for your Lo.
I would put avacodo, banana, puffs, eggs, little pieces of pancakes, a waffle.
For breakfast.
Lunch pieces of steamed veggies, little pieces of chicken, bread.
Whatever we ate for dinner i offered it
Sending a bottle or 2 of breastmilk for them to use before naps may be good since baby is used to eating breastmilk regularly. Daycares are good at getting babies to do things they wont do for Mama. I would also use a sippy cup and offer it with all meals at home. 2 to 3 ounces of water with baby food helps with digestion too.
If baby ends up preferring the sippy cup, then thats ok too.
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It will happen. My son was exactly the same with the bottle and food. He’s now 15 months old and eats most things and took to the bottle a month ago and loves it. I know it’s hard and frustrating.
Food before 1 yr is just for fun. Its just to explore and practice using their hands. I would try a cup and straw as far as breastmilk goes skip and bottles. I weaned my 5 yr old off of bottles from when she was about 9 months old.
Give him a cup. He’ll figure it out and no need to start a bottle now. 360 cups are great
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My little tid bit of advice is dont even go to bottles, youll just have to break him from. I got 3+ months sippies for my bf baby and started introducing it then. Get age appropriate ones and just start introducing it
And it has nothing to do with your breast-feeding. He sounds like a typical baby. Just give him appropriate sizes of your food at meals. About two meals a day at this age. Only a few bites at a time. My baby never really started actually eating good size meals until about 18 months.
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I know it’s a messy affair - but let him play with his food and explore it - baby spaghetti hoops sat in his high chair are great for this - just keep it relaxed - let him finger feed himself - whilst he’s messing you sneak a spoonful into his mouth every now and then
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I never used a bottle just went to straws and sippy cups. Mine wouldn’t take a bottle either.
I did baby led weaning because he wouldn’t let me feed him and it’s worked wonderfully for us. From what I’ve heard a lot of kids take a while to get used to solids and this sounds normal.
Good luck!
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My daughter takes a bottle from anyone but me.
Go right to sippy cup will be a year by then. If you wish to still breastfeed do in the morning when you pick up and before bed. His eating sounds fine. Just keep offering food. They say it takes about 5-10 introductions of food for them to develop a liking to taste and textures
Go buy a few types of sippy cups, 360 cups, non leak kind with straws. I wouldnt start the bottle now so close to being a year because then it will be a struggle to stop. It took us MONTHS to get our kiddo off the bottle, many nights of crying. The food thing isnt an issue. Before a year they can kind of eat sporadically. Just make sure - even if they don’t seem to like it - to feed them different varieties of food over and over. My kid is not a picky eater at all. Shes 3 and will choose spinach over candy most days. I just never gave her the option to not eat something again because she made a face. You have to keep trying. There will be things they refuse - mine wont eat beans at all or rice. But she will eat tomatoes, carrots, all fruits, spinach, asparagus, green beans. She honestly eats the veggies and other foods before the meat on her plate.
Try mixing some breast milk in so they can relate it to “food”
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My son refused bottles at daycare. He started daycare at 3 months and I would pump and send milk. He would maybe take 2 ounces the entire day. I would pump close to 20 ounces daily
When we got home he would nurse constantly. I ended up donating my milk because he just wasnt taking what I was producing at daycare. He was exclusively breastfed until 9 months, and then would try different foods. He always was 75% for height and over the charts for weight. As long as he is gaining and still having enough wet and soiled diapers I dont think you should worry! I was so worried at first because I felt like he was starving at daycare, but he definitely made it up while at home! He would nurse 4-5 times at night and all evening. I never had a problem with my supply either. We ended up nursing until he was a little over two!
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Mine is nearly 10 months and breastfeeds still. But he sucks down all the food I offer him. Try starting with baby oatmeals that are flavored, mine prefers banana or strawberry. 
My daughter didn’t care for food until after she hit her first birthday. We started using cups around 9 months to drink a little water just to get used to them.
https://www.feedinglittles.com You can check out their Instagram too. Amazing resource. If you DM her she will get back to you. I really recommend the classes. They will help a ton.
Skip the bottle and start with the cup.
Try to feed solids right in the morning first thing before nursing. Also work on a sippy cup…either with breastmilk or water. A lot can happen in 3 months.
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Replace a nursing time with food and a water cup. You can also pump and put breast milk into a cup. Offer the things you’re eating to an extent. I see a lot of parents at my center do avacado toast, bananas and simple finger foods. Puffs, cherrios etc are good ideas as well. Idk how where your child will be going works but at 12 months (which it seems your child.will be when they start) is our toddler room which for us is sippy cups, 2 snacks and lunch.
My exclusively breastfed baby would never take a bottle but he learned how to drink out of a straw cup at 6 months old. Just offer 2oz of water every day.
I would just continue trying other foods and try not to get frustrated. He’s still getting most of his nutrients from breastmilk. Some people say “food before 1 is just for fun”
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Check baby led weaning and beyond.
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We made all my baby’s food with fresh local produce.
If you read the ingredients in the baby food containers many times it’s really odd combinations that I would never want to eat. So why make my baby eat it!
Making your own food is super easy! Just steam vegis (or bake some) and then blend it with a little water. You have the power to make it whatever consistency works for your baby.
Or try baby led weaning as a feeding practice. Rather than giving them all those mushy foods- just cut up what you are eating small so they won’t choke and let them eat that. By about 10 months our baby was off baby food and just eating what we would eat.
Food before 1 is just for fun, keep offering and eventually he will pick it up.
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Breast milk into baby cereal, you can get it in different flavors…
Just remember, food before 1 is just for one. You should always offer breast FIRST before foods, not the other way around.
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At 1 years old many daycares stop bottles and feed them sippy cups of whole milk for breakfast lunch and snack. Getting your child used to taking a bottle and then transitioning to a sippy cup would be pointless. Go straight to a sippy cup.
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If it helps at all my daughter was 12 months when I returned to work she refused bottles and milk in a sippy cup but was ok with water my hubby just makes sure that she has plenty of solids and snacks and water and she is ok for my 5 hour shifts she is a bit stubborn with solids as well but when they are hungry enough they will eat what’s available
I’m not sure if anyone suggested it yet but try mixing some breast milk into the baby food? Your baby should recognize the smell
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My daughter didn’t do well with bottles but shes been doing great with the sippy cups with the straws. We did BLW she never liked baby food
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Talk to your pediatrician about your concerns. They usually have parents start with rice or oatmeal cereals to work on using a spoon and swallowing solids. Vegetables are next with squash, peas and green beans first. Fruit is last with the most allergy prone last-strawberries. Give small portions of each new food for several days and observe your child for reactions. Slowly introduce a sippy cup with a straw or simple holes to practice with a cup. You can also place a small amount of water or milk in a small cup to introduce drinking behaviors.
My second absolutely refused bottles and didn’t care much for baby food. We used the sippy cups with a straw and the squeezeable pouches for pureed baby food. She would eat chicken and Cheerios if she could feed herself, she wouldn’t take anybody spoonfeeding her.
Just keep trying. My EBF baby wasn’t interested in food at all and then all of a sudden one day it all changed and he wanted to try everything. He also wouldn’t take a bottle or a sippy cup of pumped milk if he knew I was around. If I wasn’t there he’s still put up a little fight but not much and would drink it.
I’d check out babyled weaning. A big part of that is that you eat with them& they eat what you are eating. That may help if he sees you eating it too
My breastfeeding baby is 8 months old and I’m trying to get her to try more foods too, I nurse her first so she isnt frustrated and hungry crying, then I’ll have her try baby foods, veggies first, she will only eat less than half a jar but it’s something. My pediatrician said nurse first because at this age breastmilk/formula still needs to be their main food source. Food before 1 is just for fun. Get him used to a sippy cup (I like nuby cause it has a soft top my baby can “bite” and it will let liquid out) my baby hates bottles but will gnaw on her sippy and drink water from it. If you are eating something easily mashed like mashed potatoes, rice, scrambled eggs, let him watch you eat it and then give him a tiny bit (not big enough to choke on). If he isnt interested, then he just isnt ready. He doesnt really need need food until he is 12 months anyway cause you provide everything he needs to grow.
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Keep offering at every meal and baby will pick up on it, you eat something at the same time so they can copy.
As for going to daycare in 3 months, they’ll be 1 so don’t need milk during thw days, if bubs wont take a bottle i wouldnt worry. They can have food and water during the day and breastfeeding when with you, plenty of family’s work like this.
Well you can introduce new foods by mixing it with foods your babe already likes. Sometimes it’s texture not taste, so switch up how you prep the food (mash, chopped, puréed, etc). After a meal, get him to take sips from a sippy cup because that is what the daycare most likely will offer him. If he really doesn’t want a type of food, keep offering it even if he rejects it.
My little guy hated bottles and refused them at daycare. Instead, I bought several different sippy cups to see which my LO liked. Once we found one he could handle, I bought a few so I had daycare ones and home ones. That way he got breast milk at daycare and then I continued breastfeeding at home. He also got jar food, but it was just a few bites usually. For the first month or so, when I picked him up, we sat in the car and breastfed. Ok nice he became more comfortable in daycare and they reported he was eating more, I stopped.
Food before 1 is just for fun…
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