Help please... baby won't east breakfast

[Ali2Woo]

Would really appreciate some help as I am really struggling with my 7mo dd who steadfastly refuses anything I offer her for breakfast. Have tried every form of cereal you can imagine that is suitable for babies but she just shuts her lips tight. She likes the feel of toast but I think virtually none of it actually ends up being eaten. Turns her knows up at soya yoghurt. She is allergic to cow's milk so I am really keen for her to have something that will get her extra calcium, which she can't get from dairy. Finding the whole special diet thing quite stressful. Sorry for the long post

[danthe4th]

Shes only 7mo, she will when shes ready. Not all children want food when they wake up, perhaps leave it till slightly later in the morning. My children all have a healthy snack at 10am ish always have done. Children eat when theyre hungry, I wish I hadn't lost that knack,we are so programmed to eat at certain times of the day. I think youre worrying over nothing,surely shes only in the early stages of weaning,perhaps offer more calcium rich foods at lunch or dinner. Relax and go with her,and enjoy.

[JJ1471]

We have the same problem, except it also extends to other mealtimes too, so I am interested to see the replies. I have had some success with us all eating together, my ds seems to prefer eating if we are eating too, preferably the same thing. He will chew away on toast, although not much goes in, and then sometimes I can sneak a few spoonfuls of fruit puree in between mouthfuls. I put lots of butter on the toast, and sometimes I make cheese on toast.

I'm reluctant to reduce his milk because he doesn't drink a lot anyway and his weight gain isn't great (he's on the 2nd centile).

[IneedacleanerIamalazyslattern]

My DD never ever ate breakfast first thing at this age they will not eat if they don't want it she doesn't know that breakfast is usual doesn't fancy it so won't eat it.

If you still want to give a gentle remindr of breakfast then make a piece of toast when you have your breakfast and let her play with it.
She is still in ealy days of weaning really and food at this stage is about introducing flavours and textures not so much about filling them up with food so just realx it will all work out.

[MrsBadger]

agree with dan - dd wasn't interested in breakfast till about 12m although I offered religiously every day. I think she was still full from her (frequent, copious) night bfs, but I was expecting her to behave like an adult who eats nothing all night (iyswim).

If she really needs extra calcium work it in at other meals but really as she is still bf / having formula she doesn't need much from food at all.

Actually to be fair dd wasn't especially interested in food full stop till she was nearly 12m - milk is the most important thing for the first whole year.

[exhaustedmama]

JJ1471 I have the same issue. I don't want to reduce the milk, but then I think this puts dd off her food. A fried suggested cutting a feed then adding milk to food, but have not really tried yet. I know it is more about tastes etc to begin with but hard not to worry

[MrsBadger]

no do not reduce milk

not for a 7mo anyway

[allaboutme]

dont worry, she just doesnt want to eat first thing.
i cant eat before about 10am no matter what time i get up. i feel a bit queasy if i do.
my ds1 is now 4 and has never had breakfast, he just isnt hungry like me
my ds2 eats like a horse as soon as he gets up!

offer her a snack of fruit etc mid morning instead, thats what ds1 and i do

[titferbrains]

Have the same thing with my dd who is now 10mo.

Just to flag up that 7mo is still early days with weaning, and as everyone here says, don't worry about it. Their main appetite will be for milk and it's best to keep mealtimes involving solids as positive as possible - I was advised by my dd's dietician to offer wide range of finger foods as well as puree, only for 15-20min tops, and to take everything away if DD wasn't interested. This really relieved me as before that I'd been spending ages trying to get as much into her as poss.

I have now seen a MASSIVE increase in her appetite due to her starting to move more, rolling over and wriggling constantly, and also rolling over in her sleep. So I think they need to really start burning the calories in order to find their appetite for solids. This makes sense when I think about how much other babies I know are moving/eating.

Sorry for long post but this all makes a lot of sense of the struggles I've had with DD's eating over the past 3 months.

[JezzaJ9]

I have a 8mo who has just started refusing different meals - this thread is great thank you thought I was a terrible cook or going mad!!! DS eats loads one morning and nothing the next!!! But were just pushing on through )

[barbareebaa]

Hi!
My 9 month old ds is also dairy allergic (and to soya, wheat, fish peanuts, egg...)

He has milk in the bedroom before he gets up then plays for about half an hour in the lounge (while I have a coffee and some choc ) Then we give him 2 slices of 'free from' toast with pure spread (which gets sucked, chewed twirled and discarded) with a cup of water and then a selection of chopped fruit to have a go at!

Sometimes he eats loads sometimes not so much!

HTH

[littleboyblue]

Does she have a milk feed when she gets up before breakfast? If so, could you swap them round? Give solid breakfast right away and milk feed a couple of hours later? That's what I did with ds1 when he started refusing breakfast.
My ds2 refuses any food I try to feed him off a spoon. He would rather do it himself so for breakfast he has buttered (unsalted) toast followed by some fruit

[littleboyblue]

Or maybe she's just not that hungry in the mornings and maybe a bit of fruit will be enough until snack time.
She'll still be getting all she needs from the milk, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.