Actually - I am really worried, can anyone help

[nicoloola]

Started new thread instead of hijacking 'crumpet' one. Can anyone advise me on weaning a 7 month old who just doesn't seem interested in anything except a couple of odd teaspoonfuls of butternut squash and banana?
I've cut out the breastfeeds I used to give her at lunch and dinner time, but she hardly seems to touch her food, maybe one teaspoon at breakfast and the same at lunch and dinner. I began weaning a week before she was 6 months and am not sure what types of things to give her a) bacause she seems to only eat sweet foods and b) because she has eczema on her chin and in some of her creases.
She also hasn't done a poo in the last two days (not like her at all) and the last one was nearly black!!! I feel at my wits end at meal times and am spending about an hour at each sitting trying to offer her lots of different things (not handy for dh and ds).... I just don't know what else to do... or am I just over-reacting????
PS She won't take a bottle, and I'm beginning to feel like I'd just like a night out!!!!!

[harpsichordcarrier]

I would just give her as much millk as she wants and back right off with the solid food,,,LOTS of babies of this age and lots older don't eat much solid food. she doesn't really need anything but milk and tastes of food...
have you considered BLW?

[nicoloola]

Re blw - have tried her with banana and (of course)she munched it straight down, but have also tried cooked broccoli and carrot oh, and pasta, but it just ended up on the floor! Is there much more to blw???? I'll try anything.

[Ceolas]

I had a DD2 just like lockets'. She eats me out of house and home now at 5.

The bulk of the calories come from milk anyway, so slow and steady and you'll get there

[hunkerdave]

Seriously, relax. She's still very, very little. Both of my boys have been pretty much disinterested in food until a fair bit older - more like 8m in DS1's case and 10m in DS2's.

Now my only concern is keeping up with their appetites and offering them enough grub.

So do as the others say, back off the food, bfeed her as much as she wants - and leave it another couple of weeks. It might be she's better at feeding herself - DS2 is totally insistent he wants to feed himself, and can do, so I let him - have you thought of just giving her food to play with and seeing what she makes of it?

[hester]

I think you may be getting over-stressed about this and that could be communicating itself to your dd. Certainly, check out what is happening with her pooing with your GP or health visitor. But I think you should try to take a deep breath, relax, and back off a bit. Spending an hour trying to coax her to eat is not good for her, you, or your other kids. Why not just accept that she is taking it slowly for now? If you've made no progress in two or three weeks, then maybe discuss with your HV?

(But I DO understand how worrying it can be - at every stage there's something new to fret about, isn't there?)

[nicoloola]

Lockets - thanks for replying on this - I didn't really want to nick the other thread!! When did you start dd2? What happened to her weight? Was she breastfed, and if so, what was happening to the number of feeds? What eventually clicked with her? Hope you don't mind the interrogation..

[SaucyMoo]

Hey hey calm down first of all!!

a) try finger foods such as toast, cheese or put bits of food infront of her like chicken, rice, peas, bits of steamed veggys-see if she eats them herself?
b) have you seen your GP the eczema?

My ds only poos twice a week, so dont worry too much unless shes in a lot of pain..
Its quite common for babies to be constipated and to not eat much, mine is terribly fussy and only now (almost 9 months old) has started taking more interest in food.
Try not to worry though...and dont spend too long on trying to feed her-try once or twice, if she doesnt take it then try again a bit later.

[nicoloola]

Wow, just got loads of feedback in the time I wrote that last post - thanks for all the advice. I think, based on the fact I'm now crying (with relief that I've had someone listen???) maybe proves that you're all right about needing to relax!

[maryplain]

Hope you have poured yourself a large drink - serioulsy don't worry about food - someone told me children won't starve themselves - ok when they get older they might prefer to eat some of the less healthy stuff, but when it comes to the crunch - although you could never have persuaded me to eat rice pudding or semolina!
My son is now 3 and a half and he has hungry weeks and not hungry weeks - it seems to be around growth spurts! When he is hungry you would not believe what he puts away, this evening he only wanted a yoghurt and a drink! He is very healthy and full of energy so don't worry! Your daughter just loves you and the attention and bond she gets when feeding with you, and so if you make mealtimes special and warm and loving and RELAXED she will soon swap to wanting to eat Big Macs - only joking!
Take care - it will all pass so quickly!

[nicoloola]

Thanks everyone - just popped up for the nightly feed and came down to log off, but feel much better now. I'll be more confident in giving her finger food, and just wait and see. Thanks Mary - I'll just enjoy all my cuddles when feeding her myself instead of worrying about solids.
(Not that I'm neurotic!?!?! but should I think about vitamin drops????)

[fluffyanimal]

Nicoloola, sounds like one of the reasons you wanted to get her eating solids is so you could have a break from the bf, is that the case? Which bottles have you tried, and with formula or ebm? I had a struggle getting ds to take from a bottle but I had success with the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature ones as they have a very wide based teat so it's a bit more like a breast. I had to start with ebm at first and then gradually mixed in formula until he was used to the taste. not that I'm suggesting that you should give up bf, but it is nice to let someone else do the feeding occasionally. I just kept offering the bottle at the same time every day and after a couple of weeks he got the hang of it.

[ledodgyDave]

Honestly stop stressing as long as she gets her milk she'll be fine. My ds who is nearly 15 months now didn't eat more than a spoonful of anything until he was 9-10 months. Now he eats for Britain!

[nicoloola]

Hi, Fluffyanimal, I've tried several teats, one from Boots, which sounds very similar to the Tommee Tippee you used with a wide breast shaped base. DD has actually had several bottles when she was tiny (last one at 2 and a half months) of ebm, but I left a big gap and tried again at 5 and a half months with both ebm and formula.
We've also tried lots of spouts to no avail. To be honest the bfing thing doesn't really bother me (as I just make sure I'm home by 10.30/11pm for dreamfeed), but she's due to start at a childminder's at end of april and I'm a bit worried about the feeding at that stage. I guess the whole thing (including the weaning) is about hoping she'll be okay then - and I'm not sure she will. It's only 2 days a week, and I can get round there from work at lunchtime to bf her, and finish at 3.10 as am a teacher, but am still worried.

[fluffyanimal]

Can understand your concern, but it is still a long way to the end of April. If it were me i would try to get bottle feeding cracked, because I think her milk intake is more important than her solid intake. If you pick one bottle type (or beaker if you prefer) and stick to it, she should get there in the end. BTW I have heard that the free-flow spouts are easier to drink from than those non-drip ones with valves in. Also, I know folk who have had success with Nuk bottles when their child wouldn't take a bottle. HTH and also I'm sure that by end April if you have kept offering foods, she will have started to eat more.

[runnervt]

Hi nicoloola

I think I was in a similar position as you when I went back to work at the beginning of the year. My ds was 8 months old wouldn't take a bottle or solids. He's now nearly ten months and occasionally swallows something he's chewed up but mostly it comes back out! We're mostly doing BLW btw. He does like yoghurt so I give him a bf in the morning and some yoghurt and then send him to nursery with some ebm and more yoghurt! To start with he wouldn't take much milk from the bottles but he was fine and he just had a big feed when we got home. Now he does take some from the bottles and even eats purees there (still won't have them from me!).
I guess my point is that my ds was fine even though he didn't consume much at all when he was at nursery. If you're able to feed your dd at lunchtime and get her early in the afternoon I'm sure she'll be ok too.

HTH

[WriggleJiggle]

dd din't start eating properly for ages, but she loved playing with food and being spoon fed. A coupe of teaspoons is quite a lot (in comparison 10 month dd eats about 1/2 slice of bread for breakfast). So long as she has b/fs and looks as though she is thriving she'll be fine. 7 months is very very small still.

Have you tried a cup? dd refuses bottles but loves her cup.

[firststeps]

Nicoloola - have you read "my child won't eat" it's a La Lech League book by Carols Gonzalez - a paediatrician and dad of 2. I used to get really stressed out about my lo's eating habits and have posted on here a few times about it. This book is brilliant, it has totally changed the way I feel about mealtimes and my lo is more relaxed around food and is eating more than when I was a horrible stressed out mum. Like the others are saying breastmilk is the most important food til 1 year, anything solid is meant to complement breastmilk rather than replace it. I would really recommend this book - it saved my sanity

[nicoloola]

Thanks everyone for the fab advice. We tried blw properly for the first time today - dd has tried cheese on toast dunked in carrot and coriander soup (yum) for lunch and melon and ready brek for tea - some variety at last. She didn't have much, but seems quite happy.

Am going to buy a doidy cup to try ebm and formula and will have a look at the book(thanks firststeps).

Have really relaxed, feels much more normal now....
Thanks again x

[berolina]

Adding my voice to many others - I think BLWers say 'food is for fun until they're one'. ds didn't really start eating a lot of food until 11 months or so. We started him at 6.5 months and very gradually introduced new things (mostly fruit and veg at the beginning). We did BLW more or less but did do some mushing up and spoon-feeding too. Now (at 21mo) he eats quite a wide variety of things, will try almost everything and is pretty good with a spoon too.

[Kif]

with the bottle - dad's often have more luck than 'I can smell that milk on you so why are you shoving plastic at me' Mum

[firststeps]

sorry - the book is by should be Carlos Gonzalez, not Carols!!!