Really need some help with mealtimes/ eating troubles with my 1 year old.

[babybearsmummy]

My l.g is 1 and I'm having such a touch time of getting her to eat.

She'll have a few spoonfulls of cereal in the morning, maybe a little bit of lunch but will usually skip to pudding, then by dinner time I'm so panicked that she hasn't eaten much in the day that I give her one of her favourite foods to try to fill her up (which she may eat all of, of just half) and some pudding.

She also has 4-5 8oz bottles a day because I'm so worried about her eating.

For example, so far today she's had an 8oz bottle at 7am, went back to sleep and had breakfast at 10am; out of everything I offered her, she ate: 2 cheerios (she doesn't like porridge/ weetabix) 2 raspberries, a spoonful of fruit puree and half a rusk (i got desperate by the end!) Almost lunch time and if she doesn't eat it, she'll have another 8 oz bottle.

I'm just wondering if anyone's implemented a "won't eat it, don't eat it" type strategy with their l.o. So if she doesn't eat her breakfast, she doesn't have anything til lunch. And can I reduce her milk intake? How much des she need at this age? As I really need her to start eating.

As I said, she'll have milk and puddings (petit filous) and snacks (biscotti, carrot/ corn puffs/ rice cakes etc) and eat those fine. I just feel like she needs to be getting 3 square meals a day. So am I being totally harsh or should I just stick to the 3 meals and a milk at bedtime (snacks too if she gets hungry in between)??? Very confused, so any help would be great!!

its chicken and egg- she's not eating so you give her milk, but she's not eating because shes having so much milk. If you want her to up her solids you will have to reduce milk- at the moment she wont be hungry for food. Fwiw, my ds is 10 months and only has 5oz milk on waking then breakfast about half an hour-hour later. if she doesn't eat lunch I wouldn't offer milk. keep offering avourite foods-she wont starve herself.

I agree she doesn't need as much milk now - narrow it down to an early morning bottle, mid afternoon and night time one. Don't give them at the same time as you give the food. Try things like buttered toast, sweetcorn, peas, broccoli, little pasta shapes in tomato sauce, things she can pick up herself and eat them with her so she can see you enjoying them too. Don't fall into the trap of offering lots of different food if she rejects one meal - it will only give you extra work and stress - she won't starve herself I promise.

www.babycentre.co.uk/a1008603/how-to-feed-your-toddler you might find this helpful xxx

Bananas are great too, they're nice and soft and very nutritious!

agree too many bottles filling her up. her tummy is tiny still too. at one her growth will slow down a bit now so she probably doesn't need as much food as you think she does. At this age my dc had a bottle first thing eg 6am followed by breakfast at 8ish. half a banana and half a slice of toast was enough. mid morning little snack eg biscuit or few slices of fruit. lunch 12/1ish and small amount of milk as part of getting ready for nap routine. offered drink and tiny snack mid afternoon and then tea 5\6pm. bottle 7:30 and then to bed.

Better to look at what she eats over a whole week rather than daily. Toddlers often have leaner days and then make up for it days!

Far too much milk. Cut it down to three bottles and then reduce the ounces. A one year old can use a cup and doesn't need to drink from a baby bottle.

stop making a big deal at meal times. She will be picking up in your panic and it will become a hideous battle. Serve sensible meals at routine times and if she doesn't eat it take it away after 20 minutes without comment. Offer fruit or yoghurt pudding regardless of how well she did with the main course. No cajoling or pleading. A child will not starve themselves. You may be over estimating how much you think she needs. Offer small snacks between meals but not so much that she is so full up with snacks and has no room for dinner.

Thank you everyone for the tips, will start reducing her milk as mentioned and take this all on board and rewrite her routine!

Much as i am very much against her routines and sleep advice for small babies, i am having some success with gina fords routine for toddlers, the meal times and nap times are working fairly well. I don't eat the with ds either as five is too early but just chat to him from the kitchen while he gets on with eating. Try not to react to any of the mess she makes, if she learns that it gets a big reaction from you she will do it just for laughs. Praise her when she does use cutlery but ignore the fact that she doesn't do it all the time. Think of it from her point of view, if you are one squelching your food in your hands must be very satisfying!

Agree with the others... also I'd try being more relaxed about food in general. For example for breakfast sit next to her with some toast and jam, you eat a bit, offer her abit with your fingers. Let her pick it up or throw it or whatever else. Just go with the flow.

Same with lunch.. go for lots of things that can be picked up with little fingers, strips of cheese omelette, eggy bread fried and cut into strips, even bits of fishcake or whatever else.

Definitely reduce milk intake. Things will get better!

Ds doesn't eat much either he has lots of milk I did try to stop the milk but he still didn't eat, he's been teething for a year constantly with no stops in between with only 3 teeth to go at 18mo i'm hoping once his constant teething is over he will eat better. He's very big for his age and gaining weight he has rarely been ill and never anything more than a cold so i try not to worry i just go with if he's hungry he'll eat.

I also tried feeding him junk type food like chips to get him to eat which he didn't want either i know thats bad but i was so worried i would have given him anything and now i know it's not a preference thing.

If she really likes milk, you could try offering her food that's really milky.. mashed potatoes, fish pie etc.

k