1 year old wont eat! So stressed, advice please?!

[Nickname1234567]

Hi all.
I am becoming so stressed because of this situation, i just feel so lost because i dont know what to do!
My little boy is nearly 15 months, he has allways been picky since start of weaning even though i tried him with literally every thing. But i finally found something that worked for him which was his meals completley blended only a little bit lumpy, because if he finds any lumps in his food he will pull them out of his mouth throw them and scream! I allways try to put all of the food on his high chair for him to eat with his fingers but he doesnt even try it he either crys about it or throws it and stands up in his high chair. Just these past few weeks he wont eat at all & i dont know what to do and if it is even safe for him not to be eating dinner, i am so worried. I asked the health vistor about this last week but she said its because of teething probably, she based teething on all of my concerns and said he would be fine basically, now i know she is a proffesional, but what about him eating during all of this teething, he cant have no dinner, can he? He will eat some lunch but only very little of it, and will manage about 4 or 5 spoonfuls before he starts heaving and pushing it away. He drinks water and milk, lots of milk! Hes up all night for bottles. He has around 4 or 5 bottles a night (yes im exhaused) but im used to it now because that has been going on a very long time so its not a new thing.
This is what is concerning me the most.. every time i try him with dinner for the past week, making it excactly the way that he likes it, he pukes every where just at the smell it doesnt even have to enter his mouth he sees the spoon and vomits everywhere. Today the dinner actually entered his mouth and it came straight back up he was sick everywhere again all over him and his highchair and was screaming, i tried lots of alternatives like i allways do but he doesnt want anything he keeps heaving, and then he stands up and trys to leap out of his high chair. I dont know what to do? He was even sick of a yogurt yesterday which he usually loves. I will be in contact with a hv on monday.
In the mean time, any advice please??
Thanks

[Goldmandra]

I would say, in the meantime, stop offering him food, especially food from a spoon.

Leave food near him that he can pick up and explore and do not react in any way when he does.

If he's not losing weight I wouldn't worry about him not eating for now. If you're concerned he may be missing nutrients that aren't in milk, ask your GP for a referral to a dietician.

You need to work really hard on backing off from what he eats. Allow him to pick up his own food and put it in his own mouth. Don't get involved in any way, offering praise or persuasion.

Don't put him in his highchair. Put the food in a bowl on the floor by him.

A really good long term mantra is that you provide a balanced selection of food and allow him to choose what to eat from what's available. Don't ever pass an opinion on what he chooses to put in his mouth.

[Nickname1234567]

Really helpful advice there, thanks.

[loveautum]

Hi Op,
That sounds very tough, my little girl was very slow to wean and was on 5 bottles a day at 13months, she started nursery and slowly the eating improved over 5 months and only in the last few months she eats better at home. Is your little one at nursery? It does seem as if he has a sensory issue around food, with the vomiting and not being able to tolerate lumps therefore I would push for a referral to see a paediatrician. To be honest, your HV doesn't sound that helpful, we saw a paediatrician at 9 months and they did a blood test checked my little one over and we got referred to the dietician. The issue we had was slow weight gain, we are seeing an improvement now but at once stage she was starting to drop below the 2nd percentile from the 50th. How is your little ones weight? I think the issue can be if their weight is good the HV tends not to worry, but by now you want to see your child eating fairly well. Are you keeping a food diary of what he eats and how much? I would probably start this and record everything including when sick so when you get referral you can share this info with them.

We were still on formula until only a month ago. My little one is now 18 months but I did have to reduce the milk myself only having a bottle before bed and now on cows milk. Any other milk I give it to her in a straw cup and the rest of the time it's water. I slowly just swapped the bottles for straw cups until eventually just on the final bottle at bed. She still occasionally wakes up at night for a bottle though. If your little one is on cows milk, I would include a multi vitamin just to give you some peace of mind. It will get better, but I think you really could do with speaking to some professionals, it really helped us. Oh one thing has your little one ever been checked for a tongue tie? This can cause issues with BF, food and speech again maybe worth ruling that out as well. Keep us posted OP xx