Babies Spitting Food is Not Normal – Myth Busted

In the present world, many false rumors are attached to parenting, especially motherhood. So today, we will discuss feeding problems many infants face while their diets switch from milk to food. Whether their appetite is fulfilled, if they like the food, or if the baby’s getting enough nutrition is some of the most common concerns shown by mothers. A new chapter of motherhood unfolds as your baby’s diet transitions from breastfeeding to eating. However, I know how worrisome mothers get when their babies spitting food in the initial days. Here’s what you should know about infants when they start eating

What Does Spitting Food Mean?

Assuming that your baby is just 6 months old and is consuming a solid meal for the first time while still breastfeeding, the constant spitting can be a thing that might bother you as a parent. When a baby is introduced to foods other than milk, it is good as far as they eat and digest the food properly, but if they spit the food out of their mouth, the parents initially believe that they are simply doing it for fun or to drive them crazy, or the baby doesn’t like the taste, color or texture of the food.

Mommies, this is a typical baby’s behavior because it is unfamiliar for the baby to chew or eat the food using their gums and teeth, but that’s not how it is. It’s quite a common concern among mommies that the baby doesn’t like solid foods. They make faces and spit out any solid diet. Even if you have tried different foods but nothing helps. There may be many reasons your baby is spitting out food, and not being fond of the food can be the least common.

Why is My Baby Spitting Food

Just like breastfeeding, your baby adapting to eating might take some time and a lot of practice. Your baby might spit the food simply because of the baby reflexes that are present naturally, like sucking anything that touches its mouth or latching on the nipple while starting to breastfeed.

These reflexes are vital for the survival of the baby in the first few months of birth. In a similar way, infants between the ages of 3 and 6 months have what is known as a tongue thrust reflex, which causes them to spit their food out when their lips are touched or closed. Whether it’s a nipple or a milk bottle, your baby will benefit from being able to latch objects from their mouth. These reflexes continue to function in developing infants until 4 to 7 months of age, showing that your little one might not be ready for solids yet.

But don’t worry, Mom these reflexes don’t hang around for any longer than your baby actually needs them. Your baby might start eating a solid diet properly at the ages of 10 months to one year or sometimes later. Other reasons why your toddler spits out food include sensory issues with various food textures or just too-large bites, which should be spat out right away to avoid choking, or simply because they need your attention. Well, lastly, your baby also might spit on purpose because they are just not a fan of the taste.

What Can You Do to Encourage The Baby to Eat

Spitting out food doesn’t always indicate that your toddler doesn’t like the food; there may be many other reasons, including teething, any illness, or simply your baby might not be hungry enough. Here are a few tips on how you can help your toddlers eat food:

• Make sure your baby is hungry enough to eat the food; you should plan a feeding schedule for the little one, in which there must be a 1.5-2 hours gap between each feed. Most of the time, the only reason why your baby spits food is just that they are not hungry enough.
• You should help your baby strengthen its oral motor muscles and jaw tongue by offering safe toys, teethers, or vegetables like cucumber, celery sticks, or carrots.
• You should make sure that the food bites are easy to eat and chewable,
• Allow the baby to touch and feel the food they are having. Always make sure to develop a connection with the little one while feeding.

Here is a cue, mommies babies spitting food is quite normal because of the natural baby reflexes, but if your toddler is over 8 months and still not able to eat properly, or if your baby starts crying at the site of food or a sit-up chair, then you should consult an early year nutritionist.