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18 month old refusing food

11 replies

needsomesleeps · 08/01/2019 18:11

Hoping someone has advice. My 18 month old has been refusing most food for the last few weeks. She's reverted back to only wanting milk after a bout of illness which has now resolved. She has a few spoonfuls of food throughout the day & at night refuses everything. She has a bottle of milk before bed every night & was previously sleeping all night but since the saga began, has been waking overnight for more milk 2-3 times because she's hungry from not eating all day.

We've tried gradually cutting back the milk overnight, letting her cry (it's gone on for too long to ignore), I've tried cooking multiple different meals in the evenings...refuses everything. She goes to the fridge & wants milk throughout the day which I don't let her have in the hope that she'll eat but nothing works. I've just cooked stew, tried melon, carrots, grapes, sweet corn, cheese sandwich, broccoli, baked potato tonight. Refused it all and cried until I put her down from the table & now wants milk which I've told her she can't have. If we put her in the high chair, she shouts "down"and cries so I've tried feeding her in her other chair but that's not worked either. DH & I both work & have to be up early so we need to get this sorted out as it's really becoming an issue Sad I'm going to bed as early as I can as I know I'll be up overnight multiple times but by the time I get back from work with the commute & do the daily jobs, there's a limit to how early I can go. I'd be very grateful of any advice as this isn't sustainable.

OP posts:
SweepTheHalls · 08/01/2019 18:12

Picky meal in front of the TV to get her going again?

DickVanTyke · 08/01/2019 18:41

DS was exactly like this for about 3 weeks before Christmas and he's 18 months as well. Although his refusal came out of nowhere, not after illness. For the whole time all he really ate was porridge, banana and milk with a few baby crisps or mouthfuls of pasta or fruit pot. We just kept offering normal meals and now he's eating double what he did before some days. The only difference is that he now won't eat sandwiches (but loves toast) or apples/pears/harder fruits.
I guess my advice is just keep giving the milk and hang in there? Sorry, not sure that really helps!

needsomesleeps · 08/01/2019 18:57

@SweepTheHalls I've tried that Sad some nights we can get a few mouthfuls in with the TV distracting but other nights it doesn't work.

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DickVanTyke · 08/01/2019 20:22

Do you think she's teething?

needsomesleeps · 08/01/2019 20:34

@DickVanTyke hopefully ours is similar & will end soon! She'll only eat rice crackers Envy she ended up going to bed having had a rice cracker and milk tonight. I've even tried going back to baby jars of food to see if she'd take the ones she used to love. Nothing! She's definitely teething as she's chewing everything but she's never really complained with teething before. We see her chew on things but she never woke overnight/was upset etc. She got her first teeth early & has most teeth now including molars Shock she'd happily live off rice cakes and milk if I didn't stop her! Last night DH managed to get her to eat 2 tiny pieces of chicken by distracting her after much crying but after 2 pieces, she refused anymore.

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DickVanTyke · 08/01/2019 21:47

DS was getting his incisors and apparently they can be the most painful. He also has most of his molars and they were nowhere near as bad as this. DS mainly ate half a bowl of porridge, a banana and lots of milk and that seemed to get him through. Hopefully it'll all be over soon!!

Fraula · 08/01/2019 21:50

My 2 year old does this when teething. She'll have porridge and other bland food (plain wraps, Rice Krispies) and milk, but nothing much else. She's just come out of it after a couple of weeks (cutting final molar). Have you tried calpol?

needsomesleeps · 08/01/2019 22:05

@DickVanTyke she has her incisors already so I've no idea what's going on but hopefully it ends soon whatever it is! Your sons period of funny eating gives me hope at least...hopefully ours will last a few weeks too!

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needsomesleeps · 08/01/2019 22:09

@Fraula she was having calpol for a virus which has now cleared but it made no difference to her eating. She doesn't seem to be in pain. She'll happily go to the snack cupboard and ask for crisps (which I tell her she can't have!) & will eat rice cakes with no issues but any actual food, she doesn't want. Silver linings I suppose- the cat is very happy with her discarded chicken breast Grin

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Rafabella · 08/01/2019 22:11

My DS did this too when he was around the same age. He literally survived on milk. Both my DH and I were beside ourselves with worry, we ended up taking him to the our of ours dr service. Saw a lovely calm dr who basically said babies don't starve themselves. He was otherwise healthy, it will pass and it did.

mintchick · 08/01/2019 22:25

Place marking. I have just turned 2 year old twins and having similar issues. Refusing things she has previously loved. Toddlers ConfusedConfusedConfused

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