14 month old not eating

[dearolive]

TMI, not for Emetophobes.

Our nearly 14 month olds eating has become terrible recently. We’re really struggling to get anything in her and if she does eat she more often than not is sick. Not helped by her sticking her fingers in her throat.

Even the guaranteed foods like scrambled egg or yogurts have become refused. She is on cows milk which we have swapped from whole to semi skimmed to see if she was just getting too full on that.

Does anyone have similar experiences or advice? Thank you.

I would try putting a selection of food in front of her that she can pick up in her fingers by herself. Try things like plain Penne pasta, grated cheese, sliced banana, cucumber and carrot sticks, bits of cooked broccoli, slices of apple, small squares of buttered toast, satsuma segments etc. Don’t make a big thing of it or try to feed her, just put very small quantities of a few things on her plate or her high chair tray and carry on with your own meal. Different colours, different textures. Don’t comment on what she eats or doesn’t eat but make a mental note and try different things. Come back to things every so often, especially for foods she hasn’t tried before. Offer milk to drink after meals so she is more hungry for food. Avoid snacks. She will be getting good nutrients from the milk she is drinking, I would go back to full fat milk so she is getting more calories.

Hi OP, I have three DC, all good eaters and they all went through a fussy stage around 14 months! I think they suddenly realise at this age that they have the power to say "no". My main advice is to keep meals stress free. No cajoling, begging, bribing etc. Offer a range of foods and act like you don't care if she eats anything or not. This stage will pass.