Trials & Tribulations of Feeding a Baby

Anyone who has a baby will identify with feeding time. It can be the most joyous, painful, patience testing, jubilant and frustrating time all in one.

P has always been an ok eater. When I started him on solids he would lap it all up within 10minutes. Purees were so easy and simply to make, I didn't have to bother about cooking daily and all I had to do was bring down a bottle or two from the freezer.

Now that he is almost 1, feeding him can truly test my patience. There are days where he polishes everything off on his plate and others where he's more interested in throwing out his feeding utensils.

I do however, have realized something. He gobbles down finger food within minutes.

Then I started reading about Baby Led Weaning.

Although I do find it quite scary to give a 6 month old finger foods, I looked back and remember that I did give P some baby biscuits and rusks which he happily lapped up.

Do babies hate being spoon fed that much?

I am torn between allowing him the freedom to explore and eat as he pleases. The mum in me screams what would happen to his "balanced diet", but the other me reckons he will grow to eat on his own and no baby has ever starved itself. The Chinese mum in me believes that he needs his bowl of nutritious double boiled soup daily!

To prevent further stress about P obtaining wholesome food I have now decided that, he eats however much he eats with that bowl of soup of course as long as he sits in his highchair and doesn't watch tv or run around during mealtimes. If he fusses at mealtimes and clamps his mouth shut that would mean the end of mealtime.

Look at it this way, if I were to strap a healthy mobile adult to a chair and force feed him/her neither of us would be happy jan. Perhaps, it is time we learnt to respect our babies as individuals. Sometimes we do forget that our child is his/her own person since they aren't able to vocalize what they want.

Now, if only I can fully wean P off breastfeeding! It may be the best for him but it truly is taking a toll on me. I need tips!