18 Month not Eating!

[Itonlymakesyoustronger]

Hi All,

I just need some help, My LO is 18 months and has always been a very fussy eater and about a month ago we were starting to have three full meals (this has never happened before) and 2 snacks, sometimes another snack before bed. Which meant It was the happiest I have been with her diet and was feeding her healthy food and she was starting to look healthier (please bear in mind she is 2nd percentile and very small). However since the weekend she has refused to eat anything, other then biscuits and crisp, jelly and ice pop. She had a bit of a cough and a little fever, which has been controlled by medication now but still not interested in her meals.

Would I be unreasonable to cut all snacks out and only offer her breakfast, lunch and dinner? If she says no or doesn't eat her food then not to offer an alternative and just wait till next meal time? What would you do, please help! Im starting to feeling really down and worried she will be starving!

No, in this situation I wouldn't cut out her snacks. Carry on with the approach you were using before and hopefully things will be back to normal soon. Remember that snacks don't have to be unhealthy! You could think of healthy, filling snacks like a boiled egg cut in half.

Try not to worry too much OP. I know it's hard but it's really normal for a toddler to go off their food when they're under the weather. Getting so stressed about it won't help - they really do pick up on the tension!

Just keep offering the normal meals and snacks.... Often their appetite drops when poorly, she'll get there!

No keep offering. If she doesn't eat it she doesn't eat.
If my LO isn't well and doesn't eat much I leave it out on his table and he'll pick off it for an hour or so.
Long as she's drinking plenty

She’s poorly so won’t be feeling like eating normally. Don’t turn food into a battle ground

My little dude doesn't eat much when he's poorly either. If he's really ill I sometimes pop him in his high chair in front of cBeebies with frozen peas and raisins on the tray of the high chair, and he will often slowly munch his way through them even if he's not eating meals really. Frozen peas I think are nice if they have a sore throat and healthier than ice lollies haha. But I think the most important thing at that age is that she's eating something.

Keep offering the food as usual. Maybe look for things that are easy to eat in case they have a sore throat and see if they'll eat that.

Thank you for your responses - I will continue offering her meals and snacks like normal.

but when should I be worried that she is not eating normal? we are on day 6 today.

BUMP!

Call the dr

The fact she's eating something op is better than nothing at all.
When my LO had tonsillitis he didn't eat properly for a week, yoghurts and ice is all he'd have and the doc wasn't entirely worried as long as he was drinking.

Thank you Lovely People ! :)