Feeding Tips
Julius has always had trouble with feeding. He has never really been motivated by food and as a result, feeding - especially self-feeding - has been really difficult. I’ve tried everything out there to get him to like food more and there are some things that have made it easier:
Allow for lots of food play exploration. I like to keep things clean so this one was hard for me but it’s so important to just let babies be messy. It’s how they get a feel for textures, begin tasting, and learning about how much fun food can be.
Invest in suction plates and bowls. If your baby gets easily distracted, like Julius, then buy some suctioning bowls and plates, it puts the focus back on the food and helps them not throw the container as part of their food play. Our favorite brand is EZPZ. They offer an amazing range of products that have really helped Julius like mealtime more.
Give smaller portions. You can always give more of something but don’t overwhelm your baby with a lot of options and big portions right away. Otherwise, you’ll end up frustrated and with a lot of wasted and untasted food.
Experiment with shape and size of food. We tried soften carrots in sticks and in circles, same thing with bananas. We also did peas, grapes cut into pieces, etc. Sometimes cutting the food or presenting it in a different way can get your child to be more interested in, explore it, and eventually eat it!
Relax. Babies can feel stress so if you’re stressed out about them eating, they probably won’t do very well. Just relax, let them play and explore!
I also need to note that these tips work for when your baby needs to get used to food and start being interested in it. If you child is underweight, please do not rely on food exploration as their only source of calories.
For Julius, as he was significantly underweight, I would allow him food play/exploration during snack times when caloric intake wasn’t as crucial as actual meal times. During meal times, I still have to hand feed him because he isn’t motivated enough to get the sufficient amount of calories.
*We utilized the resources of a infant nutritionalist who helped us calculate exactly how many calories he should be getting every day and gave us tips for how to increase the caloric density of his meals and help him gain weight. If you need help getting connected to a childhood nutritionist, work with your pediatrician. They typically have someone they can refer you to. Ours worked with the other early intervention services Julius was receiving.
EZPZ love!
