Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

Original poster

1 year old won’t eat AT ALL!!

25 replies

Purplelemon7 · 22/05/2021 10:49

I have a one year old who won’t eat at all, nothing whatsoever. As soon as she sees food she turns her head away. If she’s given food (BLW) she mashes it in her hand, plays with it and throws it on the floor. My HV told me not to worry and ‘food before one is just for fun’ and my doctor told me to cut down her formula (which I did and she just became very irritable and still refused to eat). I’ve seen a lot about children who eat very little but I’m talking about a child who has maybe had 4 teaspoons of food in her whole life. Has anyone experienced a child who eats nothing at all?

OP posts:

Alittlenonsensenowandthen · 22/05/2021 10:54

Frustrating, but 1 is very little. If you're blw (i spoon fed ine, blw another) then just sit dd in high chair when you're having meals, put some bits of food in front of her and carry on your own meal. If you can make meals stress free and enjoyable then hopefully she'll take the hint. Think the doctor advice is rubbish personally! Don't get sucked into only feeding her things she likes otherwise you'll create more problems. Sounds easy in theory, stressful in practice! Good luck!

Alittlenonsensenowandthen · 22/05/2021 10:55

Ps mine were fine at weaning stage, refused most things at 1 8month

VerbenaGirl · 22/05/2021 10:56

It might be worth getting her tonsils looked at. My DD ate very little and it was due to her having huge tonsils. Once they were out it really improved. She never had tonsillitis, but the size of them obviously made eating very uncomfortable.

Original poster

Purplelemon7 · 22/05/2021 11:43

Watching us eat seems to make no difference to her. Shes been doing that since she was 6 months.

I guess I should get the GP to examine her to check there’s no physical reason she won’t eat. Thanks

OP posts:

Showmethefood · 22/05/2021 12:26

Hi Purple Lemon....

There is a youtube documentary called "Raising our kids on junk food." And on there is a baby that wont eat and they show the parents different techniques etc. Not sure it will help but wanted to say anyway xx

user1471538283 · 22/05/2021 19:32

Might she kind of eat a soft boiled egg with soldiers? I used to give this to my DS to help his hand/eye co ordination. He didnt eat much of it at first but he liked the independence. Or some raisins to help with pincher? Would she try things if she were with other children eating?

She is still very young but I would be concerned at her lack of interest.

VestaTilley · 22/05/2021 19:43

It didn’t get to this age, but DS wouldn’t eat anything for the first 6 weeks of weaning. I’d tried BLW, spoon feeding, home made purées, veg, fruit, yoghurt, everything.

He was put off because he’d had oral antibiotics from a syringe for a week not long before we started trying to wean and he hated the taste, so assumed anything coming near his mouth would be the same. At one point he went up to 7 bottles of formula! I thought I was going to go insane. Could there be something like that going on for your DD?

My DM suggested Ella’s Kitchen fruit pouches, so I tried peaches, pears and baby rice. It was a lifesaver! I put some on the side of a spoon and rubbed it on his lips, and he licked it and was off! Just a couple of spoonfuls then built it up over days. Then I started introducing veg pouches then mixing pouches in to normal food; slowly we cut out the pouches completely.

Please don’t be worried about her not eating veg if you start her on sweet things like fruit pouches- that’s not been my experience at all.

Lastly, try not to get stressed, angry or upset. It’s really hard but if you’re tense it’ll just make it all worse. Good luck.

VestaTilley · 22/05/2021 19:43

Also, does she go to nursery? If she sees other children eating she may start to copy.

PumpkinPie2016 · 22/05/2021 19:51

I would definitely return to the GP. At one, she should at least be trying some food, whether spoon fed or blw.

Will she eat things like a biscuit or piece of toast?

If she honestly eats absolutely nothing and it doesn't even get to her mouth then the GP needs to check there is no physical cause.

poppycat10 · 22/05/2021 20:15

@VestaTilley

Also, does she go to nursery? If she sees other children eating she may start to copy.

I was thinking the same. I don't think my ds would have learnt to eat properly if he hadn't gone to nursery

Might be worth doing a couple of days/mornings a week.

Misslady12 · 22/05/2021 20:29

My son is exactly the same i feel your frustration we have tried everything the same as you have and nothing been to gp who told me to take him for a walk not sure how that was going to help lol spoke to health visitor who told me that no child will starve and not to offer nothing else until he ate again didn’t work! He just cries and cries until I’ve picked him up and move him away from food he just wants milk I’ve cut him down on that and still doesn’t work either. The last week tho I’ve managed to get half a bowl of porridge into him by just making him laugh maybe just keep her happy and laughing

voxnihili · 22/05/2021 21:23

My DD was exactly the same and didn’t eat anything until just before her first birthday. At 2.5 she is the least fussy toddler I know. Overnight one day she literally went from refusing all food to 3 meals a day. I wish I hadn’t stressed so much about it. I decided I’d be more relaxed about things in future. I didn’t potty train as she was reluctant and I was sure that like weaning she’d just wake up one day and ditch the nappies, much like her bottles. Turned out that I was right!

EchidnaKidney · 22/05/2021 21:27

OP I'd talk to the GP or HV about this and insist that they take notice. There might be nothing at all but if there is something stopping her eating then better to get it looked at now.
Does she mouth toys/items at all?

DragonLegs · 22/05/2021 21:33

What do you do when she throws the food on the floor? I would ignore it and let her explore are feels comfortable. Offer her food every time you eat and keep it relaxed as possible. Babies tend to out things on their mouths to explore and if she is relaxed enough will start to do this. She’ll then learn that food equals hunger satisfaction and start to eat with a purpose (bit this can take a while) my little girl didn’t get it until about 15 months so do t worry just yet.

Checkingout811 · 22/05/2021 21:35

Take her to the GP.
My DS refused food too. Definitely get her checked before she gets much older.
I don’t want to scare you with potential outcomes, but better to be safe than sorry.

Original poster

Purplelemon7 · 22/05/2021 21:41

She doesn’t mouth toys at all. My son was like that too (never put any objects in his mouth) but he has an enormous appetite. So even if she picks something up it won’t go near her mouth.

Even with sweet foods (if we manage to get some in her mouth) she makes a disgusted face and spits most of it out.

OP posts:

EchidnaKidney · 22/05/2021 22:02

If she doesn't put things in her mouth at all it would suggest to me the bar for her to start happily eating food shortly might be quite high as she's not had a lot of experience with taste and texture. She might have some sensory aversion to things in her mouth - I'd definitely ask GP or HV to discuss it with you and if this might be a factor give your local SLT office a call for a chat (you don't have to go through GP/HV).

OlympicProcrastinator · 23/05/2021 07:53

How much formula are you giving her and for how long did you cut back?

If you only cut back for a day or two it wouldn’t have made any diff except for making her cranky. Formula is very filling and it is very easy to overestimate how much to give a small child.

Oblomov21 · 23/05/2021 07:54

I too would be concerned. I'd talk to my GP.

BunnyRuddington · 23/05/2021 08:04

I agree with talking to SLT. If she's not putting things to her mouth either it definitely needs investigation.

OwlinaTree · 23/05/2021 08:12

My youngest didn't really get going with food till about 15 months really. She would have little tastes but preferred her milk.

She's still a light eater, stops when full etc but she eats ok now.

MuppetsRus · 23/05/2021 09:42

My DD was like this at 1. I tried everything and got very stressed about it and got myself into a bit of a state. In the end it was going to nursery and being around other children eating that got her trying. It didn't happen overnight but gradually over months and some foods it took almost 3 years before she would eat them. She is now 6 and has a ferocious appetite and the least fussy eater out of all of her friends. I remember how isolated and lonely I felt with all the other babies eating...the bottom line was she just wasn't ready. hang on in there....I wish I could have seen into the future and saved myself all that worry.

Pinkflipflop85 · 23/05/2021 09:49

Push for support. SALT, dieticians and paediatrician.

My son was the same (the not mouthing toys etc stood out for me). He has a lot of sensory issues now at 6. At the moment his list of 'safe' foods has got up to around 12 but it took a while and he was quite poorly in between from not eating.

My 18 month old is having issues too but because of covid it seems even harder to actually get the support.

MuppetsRus · 12/07/2021 22:38

Yep my daughter was like this and I tried everything and got really stressed about it. In the end going to nursery and being surrounded by other children eating got her going. It didn't happen overnight, probably built up to what is considered "normal" over a year and she was still fussy up to about 3. She's now 6 and has an insatiable appetite and the least fussy out of all her friends. I wish I could turn back the clock and tell myself not to worry - it was a very anxious and lonely time and she basically just wasn't ready...

Lsg95 · 15/07/2025 19:40

Hi, how is your child doing now? We’re in a similar situation and looking for any advice you can offer! 🙏🙏

Flip