Amount

At every meal, my baby just has a few mouthfuls, and then loses interest. Can it really be enough? And is it worth the fuss for the tiny amount that gets eaten?

Your baby will progress from less than a teaspoon during the first few meals, to a good few teaspoons after a while. It varies a lot from baby to baby, and also from day to day. Babies are very tiny, and have very tiny stomachs. Digesting a teaspoon of solids is hard work, and makes a small tummy pretty full. So don’t worry. Just keep on spooning a few tiny bits into that little mouth, and let your baby dictate how much is enough. If she hasn’t had enough she will let you know – you can be sure of that!

In addition, these early meals are as much about learning the skill of eating as of getting nutrition. Baby has to get used to the completely foreign texture and taste of real food. It’s a lot to deal with when you are so small and new to the world – and that may account for the rate at which babies change their minds about what they like and dislike.