To be so worried about my baby’s food refusal?

[QueenofmyPrinces]

My son is 9.5 months and weaning has been going well but he’s now refusing food and has been doing so for coming up two weeks.

He’s got allergies so I have to keep a food diary and I can see that over the last 30 meals I have offered him he has refused 17 of them. He has only eaten what I would call a substantial amount in 6 meals, which out of 30 isn’t good is it really?

He’s got his front two teeth coming through but they don’t seem to be overly bothering him.

I have tried teething gel, paracetamol, ibuprofen before meals and it makes no difference.

Whatever I put in front of him he just stares at and occasionally picks bits up (BLW) but he will not eat anything and he will not even attempt to put it to his mouth.

I’ve been trying not to get worried but I am feeling anxious now and actually a bit upset about it all. I dread every meal time now because his complete disinterest is so disheartening. I’m tired of throwing everything in the bin too.

I don’t know if this is something that is quite common?

I have been contemplating ringing his Health Visitor for advice but I didn’t know if that was a bit OTT and I should just ride it out

This is totally normal, try not to worry! They go through periods of food refusal at about this age, and for other reasons.

My DD (nearly 1) always goes off food when she's teething or feeling under the weather. She isn't a big eater anyway, some meals she'll have a couple of bites and that's it! It's worth remembering that babies regulate their food intake over a week, not a day like we do.

Is he still taking plenty of milk? How are his nappies? If he's otherwise okay, I really wouldn't worry. But it's worth calling the HV for reassurance and tips. It isn't OTT, that is just what they're there for.

Yeah ring the HV that's what they are there for. But it's pretty normal especially when teething and it's hot weather too, most people don't feel like eating as much in the summer months. You could look at dropping a milk feed to see if that helps increase the appetite for solids.

It's common for their food intake to go down and not something you should worry about.

Look at his food intake over 3 days rather than per meal - it helps to see it average out.

I would not recommend dropping milk feeds until he initiates this. Milk will at least be giving him nutrients which he needs.

Have a look at Ellyn Satter's division of responsibility in feeding (free) or the book Carlos Gonzales My Child Won't Eat for some reassurance.

I'm pretty sure my son didn't eat anything (or next to nothing) for about five weeks when he cut his molars. The crazy kid cut all four molars at once. I wouldn't worry if baby isn't dropping centiles in weight

Just to echo others, my DD used to go on hunger strike when she was teething. I used to find it so stressful. Try not to worry, although I know it’s easier said than done.

Thank you everyone.

He’s breast fed and still feeding as normal. He’s having slightly less dirty nappies but I’d expect that seeing as he isn’t eating.

These days he cries as soon as I sit him on the high chair and he is upset whilst he’s sat in it so I don’t know if he’s having negative associations? It has been suggested that I just don’t offer him food for a few days and then start it up again?

He’s got cow milk intolerance and potentially other allergies so isn’t under the care of a Dietician and he has having some allergy tests done next month. We’ve also had issues with his weight for those reasons but since weaning his weight has improved dramatically which made me feel so reassured.

His typical weight gain is 100-140g a week but when he’s been weighed this morning he’s actually lost 100g since his weigh-in last week. He’s normally weighed every two weeks but I went today too just to see how things were as I was so worried about his intake.

It’s left me feeling even more disheartened now.