Teething and not eating - please reassure me this is OK?

[Daffodilly]

DD is 11 mths and her top two front teeth are coming in, plus I suspect maybe some other top ones as gums look lumpy.

She has now been COMPLETELY off her food for a week. The only thing she'll eat is yogurt - I guess becuase it is smooth and cool and she always loves it anyway. Most other food she flatly refuses to try or will maybe put a bit in her mouth and then start screaming.

I've tried offering her more milk but she isn't that bothered. She doesn't seem particularly hungry despite going from 3 meal a day to just a couple of yogurts and milk. However, she is waking increasingly early in the morning (5.30AM last 3 days) wanting her milk.

In between meals she is lovely and completely herself, although harder to settle for naps and bed.

I just want some reassurance that so little food is really OK? How long do I carry on accepting she can't/won't eat? How the heck do I ever get her back to a vaguely balanced diet that isn't entirely made up of yoghut??? She was hard work weaning and quite picky about eating anyway, so now I feel like we are back to square one.

Sorry for long post.

[dirtmonkey]

I think just about anything can be considered normal when they are teething. My dd was exactly the same for some of her teeth. When she cut her first two teeth she stopped eating, took cold milk only & didn't poo for about 5 days. As soon as the teeth arrived she went back to normal. With the next lot she pooed like there was no tomorrow and ate pretty normally.

If you are still worried do you have a good HV you can talk to?

I wouldn't worry about the obsession with yoghurt either. I am sure once this lot of teeth are through your dd will go back to eating normally. My dd went through picky phases but eats most things now (she is 23months).

[Daffodilly]

Thanks for that. I presumed it is fairly common and even if it isn't I can't MAKE her eat.

Wouldn't dare mention it to my HV who thinks I have been very slack about the whole weaning thing for waiting until 6 months.

I guess I will just try to focus on the pros - yoghurt is cheap, quick to prepare and there is no washing up!

[dirtmonkey]

I thought you were supposed to wait until 6 months to wean? My dd was on milk only until 6 months and hasn't done her any harm.

Agree about yoghurt being cheap & easy. I get huge pots of natural stuff & chuck in some fruit or fruit puree. It is the one thing I always fall back on if she is off her food. Hope it all calms down for both of you soon.

[minouminou]

Yeah - ds (1 yr next week) is cutting his top canines right now, and is having a hard time. he won't eat lumpy food, so i've found myself mashing food up again, and mixing humous (his fave) into just about everything so he's getting something a bit more substantial.
i guess, if you imagine having toothache/recent wisdom teeth extraction..........you can understand it.
it'll pass - hope she's better soon.

[PregnantGrrrl]

mine either refuses food, or demands only spoon feeding of smoothish stuff when teething. if they are getting fluids and still have wet/dirty nappies, i'm sure it's ok. it's hard to worry sometimes though, i know.