My daughter is 6 and a half months old and I started introducing her to carrot and broccoli purees a week ago. Every time I give her a spoonful she spits it all out and makes faces like she's disgusted. My mom says I should stop pushing it but I don't know if that's normal or if I'm doing something wrong.
I don't think it's something you should give up on, even though it does take patience. What sometimes helps is mixing those vegetables with something a bit sweeter or more familiar to her, like applesauce or banana puree, so the flavor isn't so strong and abrupt. It might also be a matter of trying at a different time of day, when she's more relaxed and in a good mood, because if she's tired or irritable she'll reject everything. Give it time, try a few times before ruling it out, but don't push too hard either.
It's completely normal, so don't worry. Babies that age have a reflex that makes them reject new flavors and unfamiliar textures, especially if they've only been drinking milk. Vegetable puree has a pretty strong taste compared to what she's used to, so those disgusted faces are basically her way of saying "this isn't familiar to me." What's happening is that her palate needs time to adapt.
The important thing is that you keep trying without pushing. Some babies need to try something between 10 and 20 times before they accept it, so a week is nothing. What I'd do is offer her the same vegetable several days in a row instead of constantly switching things up, and if she rejects it, just try again another day without making a big deal out of it. Some parents also have success if they try giving the puree a bit more diluted at first, so the flavor isn't as intense. And honestly, if you'd started with carrots instead of broccoli since they're sweeter, maybe that would've gone better, but at this point you've got the chance to try other flavors too.
Your mom means well but consistency is actually what matters, just without the stress. Patience works better than giving up. In a few weeks she'll probably eat without any problem.
At 6 months, babies still have a pretty strong extrusion reflex that makes them spit things out, so what you're describing is normal, but that part where your mom says to stop pushing it... nah. You've got to keep offering her the vegetables even if she rejects them, because that initial rejection almost always goes away with repeated exposure. Some babies need like 10, 15 tries before they'll accept a new flavor.
What you can try is changing the consistency a bit (sometimes a really thick puree is more intimidating) or mixing the vegetable with a little cereal or fruit if you see she's really against it. But yeah, keep your patience and keep offering it. My neighbor went through the same thing with her baby, and after a month the kid was eating broccoli without a fuss.
You're absolutely right to keep trying and not listen to your mom. That extrusion reflex the others mentioned is real, but it actually goes away precisely because the baby gets used to the new textures, so if you stop now you're just dragging out the process.
What you can do is try it without pressure: offer him the puree once or twice a day for another week or two, and if he keeps rejecting it, switch to a different vegetable or try fruits - he usually likes those better. Sometimes it's just that particular combination or flavor that doesn't appeal to him yet, and that's completely normal too.
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