Complimentary feeding is one of the most common changes mums face when introducing solids to babies. This article on Starting solids and what to do when your baby totally refuses food is your perfect guide to Complimentary Feeding.

These tips will work for kids of all ages. Just be patient till you start seeing results.

5 things to do when your baby refuses food

1. Check the timing

One overlooked reason your baby refuses to eat might come down to timing. He might not be hungry enough by the time you offer him solids, on top of the milk he’s already drinking. Avoid offering snacks close to meal times.

 2. They want something else

If you introduce processed foods, cereal and snacks to babies before homemade meals, you will get stuck when introducing homemade meals. This is because these foods and snacks are filled with sugar and the sweetness isn’t something you want to compete with at home. While there are spices to make homemade foods sweater and even more nutritious, babies will always prefer what’s sweeter. You gave that option first.

3. Who is feeding?

Babies can smell breastmilk and may likely turn down food when you offer it as they can perceive breastmilk on you. Making a simple change as giving the food to someone else or even enrolling the child in a creche can make a lot of difference.

4. Delay in food introduction

The best time to introduce food to babies is at 6 months. This is because anything past 6 months, the child becomes  more aware of what’s going on around him which includes to food he is eating. If that baby gets used to the texture and taste of breastmilk, it will be hard to introduce semi-solids and solids later.

5. The child doesn’t like the food

You can’t just decide a child doesn’t like a particular food because the child refused it the first few times. In fact, you need to have introduced a meal over and over, for up to 33 times to decide that the child really doesn’t like the food. Keep changing the look and feel of the food as you continue offering it.

Babies refusing food  can trigger a Parent to panic especially when it seems as though the baby is not gaining weight appropriately. Watch the video below for quick fix solutions.