7 month old won't eat anything but toast - I'm desperate!

[Quacks]

My 7 month started weaning beautifully at 4 months and I gave her mostly home purees. I thought it was a highchair issue as she screams whenever she's in it, unless I give her toast to chew on. I can barely get 2 spoonfulls into her at each meal and she screams all the way through. She has tried holding a spoon but gets annoyed and throws it on the floor, I tried giving her the bowl to see if she would get stuck in but she just throws it on the floor. She just wants toast and fruit puree or yoghurt. So I don;t give any sweet now. HELP!! Anyone had this? I'm upset every day and I am loosing my patience with the constant crying at meal times!!

[Fastasleep]

Have you tried holding her instead of putting her in the highchair? Sounds like she'll just get annoyed like you say if you give her her own spoon and try feeding her with a seperate one? Have you tried dipping the toast in things? Toast, fruit puree and yoghurt really isn't the worst diet I've ever heard of in a little one! Sorry I wasn't much help....

[dot1]

Hi,
I wonder if once they've tried something exciting like toast, pureed things seem too boring! Our ds2's a bit like this - I give him a breadstick at the beginning of each meal, and then I shovel in the pureed stuff in between his mouthfuls of breadstick! We've also started giving him a toasted teacake, or something similar, between his lunch and tea, as he was getting starving and therefore too impatient with the pureed stuff!

[Grizzly]

Quacks

How long has this been going on for? My Ds is now 18 months and his appetite/attitude seems to go in cycles. He weaned very well and would eat anything in large quantities, then he would go off everything except toast for about a week, then eat again. He has continued like this ever since. When he is eating well, it's a dream and everyone is envious. When he is not eating it's a nightmare. The 'off' periods have not usually lasted more than 10 days. I have stopped worrying aobut it. Everyone says don't worry and it's easier said than done, I know - but fastasleep is right, toast, fruit and yoghurt is not a bad diet for a 7 month old. I assume she is still on formula/breast milk and this will be her main source of vitamins at her age. I have found distraction to be a good idea - DS always behaves better and eats more in cafes and restaurants or when others are around. I sometimes think he gets bored with me. Try to stay calm. The more stressed you get, the less she will eat - and the older she gets the more she will realise it's a great way to wind mum up.

[chipmonkey]

Quacks, I thind you're doing great if she'll also eat fruit puree and yoghurt. As Grizzly says, her formula/breastmilk will be providing most of what she needs. Just chill, she'll come round in her own good time. The spoon is probably a bit too much like hard work at the moment. Throwing the bowl on the floor is also great for getting a reaction out of Mum! If she eats at your mealtimes, she'll probably start wanting what you have on your plate.

[megandsoph]

hi ya Quacks,

If ur wee un will only eat toast try and see if she will eat toast with things on it like cheese spread or other spreads at least this way she will still be getting some of the things she needs but my DD1 was exactally the same she's now 4 and is doing really well and she was bad when she was a baby even from the word go evn her formula was a nightmare to get down her.... so hopefully it is just a wee phase she is going through... it's a fact also that babies will eat what they need I have been told this my four GP's in the past four years..

takecare
Clare
x

[Toothache]

My 7mth old just sucks toast, but I've got to watch her like a hawk.... if a tiny bit breaks of and goes into her mouth she does a very good impression of someone choking violently and I end up with my fingers down her throat!!!

So I'm impressed she eats toast, but can understand your frustration. I don't have much advice except that at this age they go through so many phaes and are SO fickle that she might just grow out of it in a few days.

[moondog]

Have you tried something that requires a bit more 'work' than purees? She probably enjoys the challenge of the toast!
My 8 mth likes roughly blitzed things better than smooth purees now. For lunch he had brown rice with butter,cheese,tomatoes and spinach.
Or....add texture gradually to a puree. Little bit of Weetabix crumbled into the yoghurt?

I use yoghurt a lot in savoury stuff too to moisten and bind.
(God, that sounds foul doesn't it?!)

[megandsoph]

eughhhhhhhhhh!!!! mind you the rice and cheese sounds nice

[moondog]

It was! I scraped the pan!

[dinosaur]

Hi Quacks! DS3 is seven months old as well.

Agree with other posters on here. Didn't really get under way with weaning until he was nearly six months but was in despair as he wasn't at all keen on veg purees, fruit purees etc. On advice of health visitor started giving him "proper dinner" - roughly blended versions of what the rest of us were eating (no salt of course) and to my utter surprise he loved it! He will now eat fruit puree quite happily as a pudding, but tucks into big bowls of mince, mashed pot and veg, or mashed jacket spud with butter and cheese, or roughly blended pasta with tomato sauce, etc etc.

[Quacks]

Gosh thanks, all. I'm overeacting a little then and maybe pushing her too much. I should practise what I preach! I also beleive they will eat what they need, but you feel like you;re doing something wrong when they cry all the way through. I give all food lumpy really apart from fruit puree from a jar, maybe it;s too much for her yet, the lumpy stuff. Hi dino! Good to hear from you!Love your ideas!! Don;t suppose you could give us a few more ideas! Some that will do DD1 as well!
I find it hard to make same meals, DH isn;t around for dinner till late so I make the kids separate, although I do try and make their tea as interesting.
Tea time seems better as she has her big sister, although she wants to eat what she has! Tonight she screamed until the toast came and ATE 2 pieces, no probs, then I manged to shovel in a bit of pasta. Then she sucked some strawberries, in between crying and getting angry cos they kept slipping! So a very good meal.
I really appreciate you all saying it;s ok! I'll be much more patient now! Hope she gets over this crying thing, it spoils meals!

[Quacks]

Grizzly, btw, this has got progressively worse over the last month I'd say, as her independance has set in motion!

[Grizzly]

Quacks - Glad you are feeling a bit happier after the responses you've had. I guess we all need to be told that we're 'normal' sometimes, even though deep down we knew it already. Sounds like you have a spirited daughter who will keep you on your toes as she develops. At 18 months my DS will now only eat food that looks identical to mine, from an identical plate or bowl and with adult cutlery. We eat a lot of casseroles with spoons in our house - the worst tantrum so far was in a lovely restaurant in France when he was 12 months old. He threw a wobbler when I wouldn't let him eat/gouge his eyes out with a massive silver fork. I missed lunch because he screamed so loudly I had to take him outside.

[dinosaur]

Quacks - if you haven't already got it, Annabel Karmel's cook book is quite good. All the DSs like her chicken casserole recipe, and most of the pasta recipes. And DH and I had leek and potato soup last night which is based on her leek and potato puree recipe for six month olds, and very nice it is too!

But as I have confessed on the July/Aug 04 thread, DS3 does get a jar for at least one of his meals most days! Hipp Organic pasta with pork is a favourite - I remember the older DSs always went for that one too - he likes the Hipp cottage pie too.

[megandsoph]

Anyone got any ideas how to get a little one who won't even open their mouths to eat and try their food??

[dinosaur]

What age, megansoph?

[TracyK]

My ds also goes in cycles of eating well/crap. He gets very bored with the same course - so end up with lots of little bits and pieces. Mince and potatos (favourite!) - then some yoghurt, then some raisins, then some cubes of cheese, then some strawberries, then some eggy bread.

[TracyK]

in fact - eggy bread is good substitute for toast - get some protein from the egg and maybe iron from the yolk??
I also had to feed ds using my fingers rather than the spoon some of the time - teething/independence etc - let them use their fingers and pop things in their mouth using your fingers too.

[megandsoph]

dd2 is 2 dinosaur, she is a wee monkey I leave her to her own devices with her meals just to see if is an independancy struggle thats causing this but this hasn't changed a thing and after her being in hospital after an asthma attack the othr night the doctor who saw her said she is under weight but what can I do???? force her?? My childminders pretty angry at the comment from the doctor as she obviously gives her meals up to lunch time every day and I give her her evening meal. just soooooooooooo frustrating.

Clare
x

[dinosaur]

I agree you can't force her, megansoph. But if she's underweight, I guess the best approach is to offer her food that's high in calories as well as being tempting. I'm sure there have been some really good threads on this in teh past - let me try and see if I can find one for you.

[dinosaur]

I think this was a good thread - called How to fatten up my daughter.

[megandsoph]

thanks dinosaur hun will go have a look.
Clare
x

[megandsoph]

dinosaur,
just had a look at the thread and there is some fantastic stuff on there just hope I can get her to try it I may have to start dying her food in funky colours ( hehe can u imagine blue brocoli).
thanks for taking the time to find the thread for me

[Quacks]

Thanks all, things are a little better, but agree I have some spirit to come! Dino, got Annabel Karmel, just feel it's hard to do some of the stuff - no exxcuse I know! Did jacket pot and creamed veg last night bu she didn't each it, just the toast and pot skin!!!

[highlander]

My DS is only 6mo, so I have no experience of meal-time traumas yet!

I don't want to sound unsupportive, but kids don't willingly starve themselves. If she doesn't eat what you want, then don't give in. If she's hungry, she'll eat. It's toast now, but where will it end - you cooking a million meals every mealtime until she gets what she wants?

I do realise my post comes across as rude and unsupportive, especially as I have no experience of this yet. I do sympathise though, a screaming baby is a nightmare