advice please-my 15 mth old DD is not eating and I'm worried

[luckymummy74]

Ok, I may be being a bit OTT here but for the last 3 days my dd who is 15 mths has refused her dinners. All she has eaten all day is her 1.5 weetabix for breakfast, then maybe a few tiny squares of toast. She refuses anything else. She is still drinking a 5oz then an 8 oz cup of milk at beg and end of day.
I think it may just be her teeth, but I can't help worrying that she is not eating. She is absolutely fine in herself, happy and giggling etc.
The thing that is really pissing me off, apart form the concern that she is not eating, is that I am throwing so much food away. I hate waste. I still cook all her meals, so aswell as not liking to throw any food away, I am getting cross at the effort that has gone into me cooking them for me to have to then throw them away, as I have already defrosted and heated them up....GRRR!
Anyone able to reassure me please? She is poo-ing fine. I am worried that she MUST be hungry.

Easier said than done but try not to get GRRR about the wasted food. (I have a hard time with this)
Would it be easier if you just made food for you (and the rest of the family if applicable)and offered this to her. Then there wouldn't be any wastage.
She may be feeling off colour because of teething or coming down with something. If she is hungry she will eat. My DD survived on a similar diet for several days at a time.

In fact, DD only drank the milk when she was ill. She is 2.8 now and will drink milk and eat a slice of bread over the whole day if off colour.

Does she have any other symptoms? Lethargic?

If she is well in herself I don't think you have to worry. My DD also 15months went through the same about a month ago. She didn't eat for 2 weeks. She just drank her milk and had 2 - 3 spoons of porridge in the morning and 1 - 2 spoons of dinner.
She will eat if she is hungry.

OH yes, do try to lose the resentment about the wasted food. You may be in for years of that. I know how it makes you feel and it took me until I had my fourth child before I promised myself I would not care about wasted food. The amounts are very small afterall.

I am sure she is fine. 1.5 weetabix sounds like a lot to me for breakfast but I know a lot of people felt my children hardly ate anything (even now my 4 year old only has 1 weetabix). She may well be coming down with something which is worrying in itself, but would explain her lack of appetite. Otherwise, as long as she is apparently well and happy, you don't really need to worry that she will starve herself to death.

Don't start limiting her choices of food btw. Now is the time when she might start to become fussy and the best way of riding through this phase is to keep offering a wide range of foods.

You can maybe just put a plate out with some bits on it that can't go off. She will take something from it when she wants to rather than you offering her when she is not in the mood for it.

Gosh, yes, that is a lot of weetabix. DS is also 4 and would eat 1 with a bit of banana or 1.5 if no fruit.
I read your op as 1.5 spoonfuls!

I wouldn't worry. My 16mth old doesn't eat much and goes through phases of hardly eating a thing (and a lot less than 1.5 weetabix on a good day!). Go by how she is acting and maybe give her vitamin drops or formula rather than cows milk for now (if you are).

Check her out by the dr if she loses a lot of weight or if you feel unsure but its prob fine. If she is hungry she will eat (or cry).

I like the idea of just cooking for you and then offering her some rather than cooking separate meals (we just do that anyway!).

Thanks guys, all good comments.

She used to have 1 weetabix for breakfast, but on the days I go to work, she has to have breakfast 45 mins earlier than normal and the CM takes them to playgroups til midday so she could potentially go hours without eating, so I started giving her 1.5 so that she wouldn't go hungry, and she easily eats it all up, so I always give her that now and have done for months.

She is still on formula as doesn't seem keen on cows milk to drink, although has it on cereal.

I cannot emphasise how normal she is otherwise. If anything, today she was almost hyper, giggling and running around (my M&D were here). She has been chewing on her hand a lot, and at 15 mths still only has 4 teeth (bless!) So I am sure its probably just teeth on the way. It's reassuring to read that other people have had similar experience with their lo's.

Tomorrow I will just have an omlette for lunch and offer some of mine and some toast or something.

Thanks fo ryour advice ladies!!

P.S. off to bed now but will check tomorrow for any other messages XX

Night everyone!

Ate her weetabix, then did a massive runny poo.....hmmm think she must have bit of an upset tummy, although she is still fine in herself. Just refused any lunch, whatever I offered.

Just had some of Daddy's grapefruit......strnage girl...of all the things to eat!!