1 year old has just started to refuse food, any ideas?

[Haymissus]

Weaning has always been difficult but now my one year old has started to refuse anything but puddings and porridge. Know i should stay calm, but am concerned as she only has 2 bottles of milk a day. is it too soon to refuse her a pudding unless she eats some of her mains, will she even understand the principle of this.

[NorthernLurker]

I think it is too soon personally - you will both just get frustrated. Is the porridge made with milk and will she have yoghurt or fromage frais? If so I would have thought she's getting enough calcium at least. I think the best thing maybe to keep offering small amounts of different non-pudding food first - let her try it if she wants or just remove it if not - but keep offering it. Don't throw anything at me - but honestly this is just a phase - best thing is for you not to get to worked up about it. Easy for me to say but I've been there - dd1 survived on toast, apple juice and fromage frais for some time. Drove me mad

[nannynz]

With my picky eaters I would put a little of everything on their plate(so that it was nutritionally well rounded) - then I would sit and eat a version of what they were having. I would talk to them casually and let them get on with eating, when they were finished that was that, I only served fruit and veges between meals(sometimes plain crackers). I always made sure the servings of each was quite small(eg two carrot rings, a tsp of meat, three pasta twirls, 1/4 apple, a cube of cheese, a little cookie).

A child will not starve themselves! although it may look like it by the amount that is eaten by them.

[firststeps]

Haymissus - if you can get your hands on the book "my child won't eat" it is worth a read - it stopped me losing the plot when my toddler stopped eating shortly after his 1st birthday. It explains that a lack of appetit is commin betweek 1-2 years and the reasons this - definitely worth a read.

[whomovedmychocolate]

They do this - DD did this at a year old, I think they all do. It's a mixture of asserting independence and teething I think. Don't worry. Just ride it out, it'll last a few weeks that's all. Porridge and milky puddings are very nutritious too!

[chrissnow]

my dd2 was a nightmare eater. From the second she was born she hated milk (mine, formula everything) she still only drinks a tiny beaker of milk a day but guzzles juice, water anything else. Weaning was a trauma to say the least I must have tried every food group (at least 3 times each) but she was just not interested. She would actually force herself to gag and bring it back up (I still don't know how she fathomed how to do it) She survived on fromage frais and toast fingers and cheese for ages and blueberry and apple porridge (only if I made it with water and not milk though). Now at 18 months she is a teeny dot of a thing but she eats for England. She will clear her plate of any food and out eats her 2.5 yr old sister.
I know how heartbreaking and frustrating it is, but it does improve. Just try to keep yourself calm.

[fizzbuzz]

My dd (18 months) does this ALL the time, she loves anything sweet.

I just cut out all puddings and stuff until she starts eating properly again, it usually takes about 2 days. The reintroduce very slowly and keep it limited!

Also yoghurts and porridge are quite smooth, so perhaps she wants smoother stuff (PITA I know)

[JoyS]

Give it a week, it might be teething or she might be getting a cold and have a sore throat. My DD (20mos) had a lot of teething troubles around 1 year and went on and off her food, often refusing to eat anything hard or chewy. She's a great eater now, she's tiny so I don't know where she puts it!

I wouldn't label a baby a fussy eater until it's a long and consistent pattern.

[BlueberryPancake]

Do you give her any finger food, that she touch and pick up herself? DS1 only started eating properly when he became more independent with his food and we would leave all sort of food on his highchair tray and he'd pick what he liked. Peas, pieces of chicken, cooked carrots, large chunks of banana, een a whole pear (with the tip removed).

[Haymissus]

thanks to everyone for all your tips and support, i will definitely bear it all in mind and look out for that book. its just reassuring to know you arent the only person/baby going through it. And afterall there arent that many 18 year olds who only eat fromage frais so they must get over it sooner or later.

[amytheearwaxbanisher]

my ds was a very fussy eatter at that age i found finger foods worked the best

[gigglewitch]

havent read whole thread sorry

has he got sore mouth / teeth?

try yougurt, mashed potato, poached eggs and ice cream ok not together....

back a step or two in case it is the texture giving LO the trouble?

[gigglewitch]

meant she obv didnt hit the 's' key

[oaktree]

Can I gatecrash a bit - sorry. My dd is 18m adn has become steadily fussier over the last few months. she is perpetually teething as she only has 4 teeth and no other signs of any more. she will hold cutlery but doesn't really use it. she will only eat 'dry' finger food and even that is reducing. she will eat anything sweet (fruit/yoghurt/biscuits)but has gone off all vegetables and meat. Any ohter food has to be in 'acceptable form' - ie babanas are ok whole but not mashed.She is a rubbish sleeper and I am reluctant to cut down on teh milk she has as I really can't face her waking at night due to hunger - I figure at 18m she is capable of doing without.
she eats with her big brother (4) who wolfs it all down.

I feel like i'm going mad with this. she is happy but very slight. mY hV has just told me to get more food down her but I can't & am weeping with frustration.

[oaktree]

Can I gatecrash a bit - sorry. My dd is 18m adn has become steadily fussier over the last few months. she is perpetually teething as she only has 4 teeth and no other signs of any more. she will hold cutlery but doesn't really use it. she will only eat 'dry' finger food and even that is reducing. she will eat anything sweet (fruit/yoghurt/biscuits)but has gone off all vegetables and meat. Any ohter food has to be in 'acceptable form' - ie babanas are ok whole but not mashed.She is a rubbish sleeper and I am reluctant to cut down on teh milk she has as I really can't face her waking at night due to hunger - I figure at 18m she is capable of doing without.
she eats with her big brother (4) who wolfs it all down.

I feel like i'm going mad with this. she is happy but very slight. mY hV has just told me to get more food down her but I can't & am weeping with frustration.

[oaktree]

Can I gatecrash a bit - sorry. My dd is 18m adn has become steadily fussier over the last few months. she is perpetually teething as she only has 4 teeth and no other signs of any more. she will hold cutlery but doesn't really use it. she will only eat 'dry' finger food and even that is reducing. she will eat anything sweet (fruit/yoghurt/biscuits)but has gone off all vegetables and meat. Any ohter food has to be in 'acceptable form' - ie babanas are ok whole but not mashed.She is a rubbish sleeper and I am reluctant to cut down on teh milk she has as I really can't face her waking at night due to hunger - I figure at 18m she is capable of doing without.
she eats with her big brother (4) who wolfs it all down.

I feel like i'm going mad with this. she is happy but very slight. mY hV has just told me to get more food down her but I can't & am weeping with frustration.

[oaktree]

sorry obviously not concentrating!

[NorthernLurker]

Right - you have to take a step back from this or you and she will end up weeping gibbering wrecks and food will be a battle ground. So - she'll eat yoghurt right - what about cheese? Will she eat dried apricots and raisins - lots of good stuff there. Will she eat cucumber - or handfuls of sweetcorn? What about if you cook sausages and cut them up, then serve little slices alonside the stuff she does like. Any luck with hard boiled eggs?

I'm sorry to keep repeating the same thing - but really I think the only thing to do is offer small amounts of different things - if she won't eat it, fine you take it away. Don't get worked up about it - it's just her trying her boundaries, working out who she is and what she can do. It is no reflection on you as a mother. I drove myself demented with my first baby because I associated providing food, and seeing it eaten, with love - she wouldn't eat my food - I felt I was failing in not offering enough love. It was crap, I was wrong, food is just food and you will emerge from this fussiness tunnel as well!

[Tapster]

Oaktree - I feel for you. My DD is 14 months and only really go into solid foods at 13 months I had 7 months of throwing 95% of her food into the bin. She now eats more but a very restricted list of foods.

What I do to help sleep is I always give her pasta (her fav food) + yoghurt for her evening meal so she goes to sleep fullish. I serve more experimental food at lunch but I've decided to rotate the same few dishes so she gets used to them - they often suffer neophobia (fear of new things) at this age.

Another trick is to just leave food out on a little table for her to eat while she plays/watches tv. Some toddlers are more snackers.

I've read every book about eating. I found Tania Byron's book "your child your way" very good.

I now eat with her listening to pop music (I'd prefer radio 4) and she eats, dances along, and bangs a few things on the table. I had to relax and make food fun too. I hate eating at noon but it helps her eat - also I don't like fish fingers but I'm eating them anyway.

Please don't blame yourself - some children are fussier by nature than others. You obviously have one child that eats anything!