Food

He just eats what we eat and normal food that I’d make for my 3yo/ the whole family, he’s on 3 meals a day. I don’t use baby foods or pouches etc, not because I have anything against them but he doesn’t like being spoon fed at all and prefers being able to handle proper solid food to self feed. Yesterday he had homemade banana and coconut oat bars and some yoghurt for breakfast. Lunch was left over salmon and pesto orzo. Dinner he had cottage pie. Lately he’s been poorly and teething though so it’s been hit and miss with food and his milk intake has been more than it would usually be. Usually I’d say it’s about 50/50 with milk and food intake, I offer meals before milk and top up with milk before naps and bedtime now basically.

@Chloe I do give him normal foods aswell, but he tends to throw it, play with it or try shoving it all in, so I spoon feed at times to make sure he does get some food. I just feel like I'm doing it all wrong.

There’s no right and wrong! You know your baby best and you’re doing what works for you- if he’s happy, healthy and gaining weight then keep doing what you’re doing and follow your instincts! But, throwing, playing and shoving it all in are all part of learning about food and exploring, all part of developing the skills needed to eat (shoving it in is essential for mouth mapping and learning to spit for example!) and it’s great that he has opportunities to do that. He will only learn from that exposure.

@Chloe yeah I understand its all learning & exploring. Think it's more my anxiety I guess. He does have normal foods, but I spoon feed him some of these or the chunkier baby foods so I know he's eaten something.

Just for another perspective mine sounds similar to yours, she does self feed with solids, but also seems to shove too much in her mouth, wave it around, give it to the dog, store it in her cheeks you name it! I used the spoon as well to get her to actually eat something, She was great at feeding herself with the spoon but since she's started nursery I think they must spoon feed her as she seems not to want to do it herself anymore (no criticism of the nursery I understand they have lots of other babies to feed too). I have found solids one of the biggest challenges so far but I think as with anything every baby will take to it differently and as long as we're consistent they will get there!

She eats what we eat (bar certain things that are too highly processed, which has actually made me reconsider those sorts of foods too!). If she doesn’t like what we eat then she gets fruit and yoghurt as 99% of the time she will eat those unless overtired. We are doing BLW with some spoon feeding to ensure she is actually eating and not just playing. She has never had purées and I do chunks and strips of things. I’m a lot more relaxed about it than I thought I would be and she’s rarely ever gagged. She is getting better and better at self feeding and more confident, she can also pincer grip small food items too now.