AAAGGGHHHH!!! WHY WON'T HE EAT?????????

[hattiesmum]

Please, please, please can someone give me some advice? DS is now one year old (and two weeks actually) and is refusing to eat any kind of "solid" food at all. At the mo all I can get him to eat is weetabix. He won't eat pasta, potato in any form, fish, mince, fruit... I am completely at my wits end. HV says to keep putting it in front of him but it's a pointless battle. He will open his mouth for me to put the spoon in but the minute he feels it on his tongue he lets the food roll out again. Sometimes he will take little bits of food if I put it on his tray but not often. I've made sure I'm not putting too much on the spoon and not putting it to far back in his mouth so it's not that. He used to be ok with commercial babyfood but is now refusing that as well. Today he's had 3/4 of a weetabix and that's it except for milk. What the hell am I doing wrong? Never had these problems with DD. Has anyone got nice, foolproof recipes I can try? Have tried Anabel Karmel and Lorraine Kelly to no avail. Am soooooo worried. PS He's not teething at the mo either.

[MKGnearlyimmaculateconception]

I don't know if this will help, but . .

My nephew is like this is almost 13 months and barely eats. He screams to sit in the high chair and he screams when he sees the spoon coming towards him.

You aren't doing anything wrong. It's not your fault he doesn't want anything. Let it go for a week or so. If your battling for him to eat he may start to associate the process of eating with something that isn't fun. So stop trying to force him. If he's good with small finger foods try them for a while or let him pick the food up with his fingers and feed himself.

My sil's doctor told her to keep giving formula until my nephew starts to eat.

I hope it works out for you.

[hattiesmum]

Thanks MKG. You're right about not forcing him, he's already started to look anxious when I put him in the high chair. Poor little guy. Sometimes he'll eat more if I let him have his own spoon and he can "feed" himself (it's usually the wrong end and goes nowhere near his mouth, just over the floor - or me!) Will keep plugging away, DH says he will eat when he's hungry, fingers crossed eh?

[BuffysMum]

My 16 months old can't feed herself with spoon/fork only just started trying I just give finger food. I think you have to try and see meals as an experience time for him. Sit him down at meal times with the rest of you, give him food of your plate and at the end clear it away. May take a few days but hopefully he will start trying some of it.

dd4 loves it when I don't use the tray but push her up to the table instead like her big sisters. I guess anything to make it a diff experience to how it has been recently?

dd4 wouldn't let us feed her with a spoon anything from around 9 months until recently they are fickle things! HTH

[DetentionGrrrl]

Do you think he might eat from his own spoon instead? Or maybe try eating finger foods with him?

[Socci]

Message withdrawn

[tribpot]

My 18 month old is still not a big eater - at least he won't eat for mummy and daddy, but at his childminder's it's a completely different story! I think he is more inspired by seeing other children eat, are you feeding him at the same time as DD?

[baubleweed]

hattiesmum, my dd is the same .... I sympathise with you, its very frustrating

It is completely normal at this age. He will not starve himself. If he looks healthy and is active and developing fine, then he is getting enough.

You cant make him eat, he knows his own mind at this age. All you are responsible for is putting healthy nutritous food in front of him a couple of times a day - its doesnt have to be fancy annable karmel and all that - just normal food like sandwiches, fruit, pasta, normal family meals - exactly what you have been doing.

I just read this book and it is brilliant - it will change your mindset and stop you worrying.

[jasperc163]

hattiesmum

I am gong through this at the moment too - DD is 14 months and refusing pretty much all solids - she will eat 'fishless fishfingers' and pasta with one particular sauce, but nothing else. She has been slowly refusing things she would previously eat over the last month or so (she has reflux and is a pretty fussy eater anyway, so we didnt have much leaway to begin with!). She isnt that interested in formula either.

I am finding it very stressful - maybe i need to read the book below too.

Is this really that normal - she can't never be hungry can she??

thanks

[hattiesmum]

Thanks everyone. I've tried finger food but he mainly throws it on the floor. I pick it up and he throws it again. It's a game now and I always lose! I've just tried to feed him his lunch; chopped potatoes, vegetables and finely chopped turkey. He wouldn't have a single mouthful. I lost my temper (I know, I know, completely the wrong thing to do...)but it's driving me insane with worry. He does eat better if I give him a spoon himself but the mess is horrendous. Jasperc, it's interesting what you said about your 14mo. DS also had reflux as a baby and only really outgrew at about 10 months. I wonder if there's a connection?

[jasperc163]

hattiesmum

if it makes you feel any better (prob not i know) - DD has just refused to touch her favourite meal in the whole world - pasta (and the only way we have of getting any veg into her). So she's had no tea ...

As far as reflux goes - it often gets alot worse with teething (the saliva alters acid balance i'm told) so it can return. Though i am not convinced this is the problem in LO's case. She just basically isnt interested.

I have run out of ideas now...

[hattiesmum]

Have been away for a few days so this is the first chance I've had to update. Don't ask me why, because I REALLY don't know, but suddenly my boy is eating everything I put in front of him!!!! He eats scrambled eggs, baked potatoes, potato croquettes, fish fingers, spaghetti hoops... everything except fruit and veg!! Oh well, one step at a time, at least he's eating. Kids eh?

[loomer]

That's great to hear hattiesmum. My DD is nearly one year (in a couple of weeks), and has recently started to lose interest in her food, having previously been a really keen eater. I am starting to get worried as she has barely eaten a teaspoonful of food for three days now, but I don't want it to become a huge 'issue' to her, so I'm trying to remain as calm and casual as I can at mealtimes.

Anyhow, this gives me hope that some day soon she will miraculously turn back into the happy munching babe that she was before!

Just a query, did you find that the lack of food intake affected your DS sleep at night? We've been having terrible nights with DD, and seem to end up giving her formula throughout the night, I wonder if there is a connection?

[hattiesmum]

Hi loomer, sorry for the delay in replying. I never seem to be able to get near the computer at the moment.

Yes, I think lack of proper food did affect DS's sleep. He's 13 months now and he's NEVER really slept through properly. We've had the odd night or two when he's slept until maybe 6.30 or 7.00am. I've never really been sure whether he was waking because he was hungry or just because he'd got into the habit of waking, it always seems to be at the same time, somewhere between 4.00am and 4.30am. Am doing controlled crying at the moment because he still doesn't sleep through properly although he's better than he was. We still have the odd hiccup, like Friday night when he fell asleep at 7.30pm but insisted on getting up at 4.30am. Nothing but nothing could persuade him to go back to sleep!

Hope your DD is eating again. Don't worry, it really is true that they won't starve themselves and will eat when they get hungry but I know how easy it is to worry yourself sick! Keep plugging away!