Food refusal when ill - when to worry?

[FlightofFancy]

DS is 11.5 months, and until recently I was all confident and smug about weaning (or mostly), but now a bit concerned it's going downhill. Would really appreciate either some advice, or being told to pull socks up and stop being PFB!

I'd wanted to BLW, but he baby-led me to understand that he couldn't be bothered with that and mummy-feed-me-now-or-I'll-scream. So, we've done spoon feeding (I know, I'm sure he'd have got BLW eventually, but I just didn't have the energy - and my feeling was it's all about everyone being happy at mealtimes, and spoons did that. Sorry, I know it's not very Mumsnet).

Anyway, he's always eaten pretty much everything, really good at polishing off huge portions, was getting really happy with lumps - so we were doing just our food mushed with a fork a bit etc. Was just starting to edge towards finger food - still not really keen to feed himself (happy to pick food up and play with it, happy to eat bread and cheese if I held it out for him to nibble) but getting there.

Then, he started nursery just over a month ago, and has done the usual of every bug going - cold/cough/D&V/chickenpox and we're now on to another cold/cough. Problem is, as soon as he's ill he gets really funny about food - will only eat certain things, prefers smoother stuff, not interested in finger food at all. He'll have a couple of days of feeding well in between each illness, but it's literally one or two days. He's still been BF OK, with a bottle during the day at nursery - BF 7am/7pm, bottle at 10pm and at least one BF if not twice at night. Though we've now had a bit of a nursing strike on/off for the last couple of days.

I wouldn't normally be bothered, but he's definitely feeling less 'chunky' - and I've weighed him on our bathroom scales, and he's no heavier than he was last officially weighed in September, in fact coming up an oz or two lighter. He's not going to waste away (was 91% - though now nearer 50-75%) but I don't feel it's right for him to not be putting weight on at all.

At what point should I consider a DRs appt? Is it just a case of waiting for him to clear all the bugs and getting whatever I can in to him in the meantime (will always do fruit, yoghurt or porridge!)

I'm going to ring my HV next week (I'm back at work full time, so not able to pop in to see them) - they're very good, pro BF, support BLW etc. But what else should I be doing?

Any advice please?
Sorry it's such a long post, thanks for reading - hadn't realised I was so worried until I started!

Just give him what you know he will eat & maybe extra milk? Then once he starts to feel better you can carry on where you left off. If your really worried then see HV but as long as he is eating/drinking I would try not to worry too much (easier said than done I know) hope he gets better soon

My DS(19mo) goes off food when poorly and he has been ill so many times in the last few weeks that he has lost weight. He is normally a really good eater but I have been offering lots of his fave foods to encourage him to eat but he;s still lost weight as he has not really been interested. Afraid I don't have any extra advice as I think you are doing all you can. Do you know if he is eating much at nursery? I am sure seeing your HV will help, if only to have a professional to talk with. Hope things improve soon.

my ds (who is nearly 10 months) went off everything apart from milk last time he was ill. The docs were quite relaxed about it even though he lost 1 lb in a week (he's a wee thing and weidhs about 18lb I think) They advised so long as he was eating something of his milk, and not dehydrated it would come back. Since then he has gone a bit backwards and forwards on his solids, but will always eat banane, mango, pear, porridge and fromage frais, and again the docs say that's normal.

This sounds familiar! My little boy got very ill when he started nursery in October aged 9 months. He was ill on and off for approx 3 months and eating less and less - at the lowest point just before xmas he was living on just water, refused all milk, and a rice cake all day!

We were worried but the HV was fairly relaxed as long as he was drinking water.

He started to eat purees and soft fruit so I felt we were going backwards too.

He got better over xmas and now is eating for england (albeit only certain things but in vast quantities!) So, I don't have any answers for you but it seems it's very common for them to go off food drastically when ill. I've also been told that their appetite begins to vary greatly wehn they get to approx 12 months too.

We now have a different problem - waking up for a milk feed during the night as he's so hungry!

Good luck and I hope your little one gets well soon.