baby doesn't like any type of food!!!

[Evita]

My 13 month old daughter is SO fussy. She's just been ill and this has made it all worse. The only finger foods she'll eat are a minute bit of potato waffle or a crumb or two of lightly cooked dry toast. I've tried everything you can think of from the sublime to the ridiculous but she just chucks in on the floor after examining it in her hands. As for non-finger foods she won't eat anything except 2 types of organic jar despite all my cooking attempts. Does anyone else have an incredibly fussy eater?

So how is she fed? What is a typical day like?

Hi again pupuce! Typical day is morning breast feed, breakfast of a few crumbs of toast and 2oz baby rice with goats formula (can't have cows). Lunch is maybe an eighth of a potato waffle and maybe half of one of the jars I mentioned. Mid afternoon she'll have 3oz or so goats formula to drink and tea is as breakfast. Breast feed before bed.

I know she has been ill.... so is her appetite affected by this ? Or is she always this "not" hungry? Is she gaining weight?
Some toddlers go through phases where they do not have much appetite.

What about evolving from baby rice to muesli? Does she have any trouble swallowing? Doe she eat any fresh food like pureed fruits/veg?
I have 2 school of thoughts I tend to recommend
A. Leave it as is and if you are really worried get her vitamins supplements... continue to offer foods and she will eventually eat something else.
B. Be the parent and offer her the "right" food - if she won't eat it.... well then there is nothing else. She will be hungry later. Children do not starve themselves.

IME - both work but you have to go with what you feel comfortable with.

It's been much worse since she's been ill. But only in quantity. She's eaten the same food exclusively for months and months and just doesn't want to try anything else. She's quite thin but not dangerously so. Her weight gain's always been v.slow.

is her illness related to her stomach/colon?

No, it's a chest thing and only started quite recently. She was fussy before she got ill but it's got worse since.

Theres lots of mums of fussy eaters here. I'm one! DD is 22months now but at 13months I never thought I would be able to sop giving her jars (she also liked two of the organic ones - possibly the same ones?)
The only thing that helped was having another baby when she was 15months. I was too busy to keep offering her different things, I did also find that if nanny (my mum) gave her things she was more willing to eat them. But she is still fussy, she reallly only likes things like spagheti bolegnase and lasagne. But she will eat sausages, chicken nuggets and burgers, only veg she will eat unless disguised by a jar of dolmio is peas an she point blank refuses any form of potato an if she doesnt like the look of it she will just say 'nasty, mummy' when I say she hasn't even tried it. I just get 'not try mummy, not try.' Sorry I can't help mcuh but your not alone, and s is perfectly healthy and full of energy even i she does eat like a sparrow.

My dd was really fussy at that age and would only eat pasta and broccolli.she's nearly twelve now and eats everything .

She eventually started eating I guess because she was hungry.I followed advice to just offer healthy options and tried not to succumb to giving the fromage frais at hte end if she hadn't eaten any lunch.She hated beeing fed so most food was finger food and very messy.

I would say don't worry and don't make meal times and issue.If she doesn't want to eat let her down from the table and leave it until the neat meal.It can seem cruel but is she's hungry enough she'll eat what is offered.

What about cutting out the milk in the afternoon and giving water or fruit juice instead.

I have a 13 month ds and he is definately fussier now .It's hard to ignore the missed meals but as pupuce said they won't starve themselves.

Thanks for these responses. It's certainly reassuring to know one's not alone! I actually already avoid making an issue of it. I sort of fell into that trap a few months ago and it really didn't help so I got much more liberal about it and just feed her til she stops. It's worrying but I'm just hoping at some point her horizons will expand. Also my two friends with same age babies have no problems and they're eating amazingly complex and advanced food and although I shouldn't let it, it does get to me a bit. On the other hand my daughter's walking and their two aren't. So it's all just a case of different stages of development I hope.

evita my dd is also 13mths and incredibly fussy.
M & S star pasta (which she feds herself) plus weetabix for breakfast and toast.
see my threads "she just wont eat" there was lots of good advice on it,
i got so upset at one point but now she really does eat when shes hungry.
i cut out lunch so she eats a good dinner - pasta, yogurt and fruit. i still offer the chicken casserole or veg or what we are eating just to keep up the curiousity factor.

its upsetting and you worry but if she has been sick she'll probably come around.

i'd be really happy if i could my dd to eat the jar stuff for variety.
i have kept her on two formula bottles a day to ensure she gets the necessary iron and vitamins

Just give her lots of breast feeds ...plenty nutrition and fluid in that and the antibodies will help her to fight off the infection. She's still only a baby remember. Her appetite for solids will return eventually. My dd is 18 months and didn't eat any solid food earlier in the week and she's a great big lump! Good luck

My dd is now 17 months and like your dd at 13 months she would be a really fussy eater, only eating toast and spagetti bol and 1 bottle of milk a day. I was not trying to make an issue of it, but deep inside is was an issue, as she was extremely underweight...on the danger line below the 2% or once she dipped below the graph. I felt like such a useless mother and dreaded visiting the hv every month, because of the weight problem.

Now, she still is a fussy eater, but is willing to eat sweetcorn, cubes of chicken and rice mixed with some sauce and loads of other stuff (healthy and junk foods)everything is good as long as it is balanced. She looks much healthier now, can't be bothered to see the hv as she looks healthy, active and is much more vocal. These things get better as they get older, try not to worry to much, as least your dd didn't drop below the weight graph.

Thanks, honneybunnie. I'm glad your daughter's eating better now. No, mine hasn't dropped below the weight graph but she's pretty low and very thin. Weirdly she has a lot of energy and seems bright and perky and that sort of keeps us going and stops us from worrying non-stop!