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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Hit a brick wall - 12 months

57 replies

DeepDeepFlavours · 26/08/2011 11:45

Need some advice please - DS is now 12 months. He used to eat quite well and would try most things although he has never been a great eater and never seems to be that bothered about food.

Now at 12 months he is becoming very fussy. He has started to only eat about half a Weetabix for breakfast, doesn't eat much for lunch and eats generally OK at tea-time. His food intake has halved in the past month but he weighs 10kg so a normal weight.

In the past 4 weeks he has started to refuse all fruit (previously he loved fruit). He won't eat pureed fruit and refuses to eat any fruit finger food (apple slices, banana slices). I've tried mixing fruit in with other things (custard etc.) but the little minx somehow knows and turns his nose up.

Refuses anything new (cherry tomatoes, strawberries etc.) he just touches them to his lips, gets a look of disgust on his face then throws them on the floor. They don't even make it into his mouth. He is OK with the HIP jars and sachets of Ella's kitchen. But now only eats half rather than the full amount. Same with our home cooked food.

I'm really at my wits end as he is only happy when eating toast, fromage frais or chunks of cheese. He would happily live off them and I'm worried about giving him too much dairy. Does anyone know if this is normal and do you have any new tactics I can try? Thank you!

OP posts:
MamaChocoholic · 26/08/2011 14:02

I think food intake does often fall around 1 year. try not to stress, offer a variety of food and keep calm. he will (eventually) expand his diet again, and in the meantime as long as he is healthy he won't starve himself. (even though you might wonder if he will).

Atropos · 26/08/2011 15:29

First, no child this young ever voluntarily starves himself. If he's a healthy weight and doesn't have any health problems, try not to worry. I would suggest that he's using food as a weapon. Has anything changed in his world recently ? you maybe returning to work, becoming pregnant again, he moving into a different bedroom? Just keep offering him a variety of healthy things and if he doesn't eat them, just take them away without fuss. He'll soon get bored if he fails to get attention over this.

gentlemantobed · 27/08/2011 19:24

Sadly not able to give you any advice - just to say 'i hear ya!'
DS will be 1 next week. This last week has been hard. Refusing all his usual favourites ONLY eating some fruits, yoghurt, weetabix - nothing savory has past his lips...SADLY the knock-on effect has been a screaming hungry (i think) baby by 3-4am - controlled-cry for 2.5 hours last night til i finally gave in and gave him a bottle of milk...which i know will just fuel his fire!
So i'll be reading this thread with interest as need reassurance/ideas. Good luck with your little one x

ladyintheradiator · 27/08/2011 19:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Zimm · 28/08/2011 18:52

DD 12 months and the exactly the same! Wheatbix for breakfast, almost nothing for lunch and some yoghurt or fruit puree for dinner......it's a nightmare. All finger food are dropped on the floor.

JessemyParkson · 28/08/2011 20:31

Yay, I'm not alone!

DD (11 mo) hoovering her breakfast and stealing mine too, (weetabix & banana) but then pretty much refusing everything offered for the rest of the day, except grapes and yoghurt. She'll nibble bread here and there, but tonight for the first time ever I put her to bed hungry as she tried to throw her entire tea on the floor

I did give in after 3 attempts of CC 10 mins, and she did eventually eat her tea, but wow that was hard!

I'm torn between is it teething or is it just her?! She's so petite as well, I'm constantly worried she's not eating enough as it is. I don't remember having this problem with DS (now a strapping 8yr old)

DeepDeepFlavours · 29/08/2011 09:28

So glad DS isn't the only one!! Thanks for sharing your experiences. He is still sleeping through the night and weighs 10kg so he obviously isn't suffering with the lack of food. Just very frustrating (and worrying) for me!

OP posts:
ZhenXiang · 29/08/2011 09:37

Could be teething have a look in his mouth.

My DD went off all food except HIPP 7 month, yoghurts and ice lollies when her back teeth were coming through.

They make up for it once the tooth is through the gum though.

bankholiday · 29/08/2011 21:19

Wow, well done for using CC for a hungry baby, I'm sure this taught him a lesson (!) Shock

bankholiday · 29/08/2011 21:22

OP, sorry for not being very helpful, DS is not refusing food (yet) and I'm sure it's really frustrating, so sympathies. However, I couldn't help posting as using CC for a hungry baby seems very cruel, and I find the idea quite distressing.

Ozziegirly · 30/08/2011 01:25

My DS has also reduced his food intake - and also won't countenance being fed with a spoon any more. I just give him whatever we have, on his tray and then potter around, tidying or cooking dinner and offering the occasional "well done that was a good mouthful". He seems to eat better if I"m not hovering, or really interfearing at all.

I think for DS it's a combination of growth slowing down towards 12 months and also a desire to be a bit more independant with feeding himself (which is odd as he has always had finger food). It's messy but I think more goes in than I realise.

Also, I find that when I offer something for the first time, he nearly always screws up his face and refuses it, but offer it again and he will nearly always eat it.

DeepDeepFlavours · 30/08/2011 08:46

bankholiday - it wasn't me (the OP) using CC..please don't shoot Grin

OP posts:
JessemyParkson · 30/08/2011 09:22

I was one CC-er, and believe you me it distressed me too.

I thought about the teething thing, and yesterday I gave DD calpol about 10 mins before the meal, and she hoovered the whole lot down. Whereas over the weekend, she'd been up to her (by then) usual tricks of sampling a couple of spoonfuls then sharing her food with the floor/dogs.

But in all honesty, I will be keeping the CC up my sleeve as it truly is my last resort. I will not offer a meal to DD for her to turn her nose up 3 bites in, and then expect to be offered something else.

IMO she has to learn to clear her plate (or at least eat the majority of it) before having yoghurt/fruit/milk etc. Otherwise I feel I'll just be making a rod for my own back later on

JessemyParkson · 30/08/2011 09:22

Ozzie I'm finding that if I offer it the first time DD will eat it, but the 2nd time onwards she'll pull a face and spit it out! lol :o Confused

ladyintheradiator · 30/08/2011 09:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Paschaelina · 30/08/2011 10:03

Am Envy of your son eating half a weetabix! A quarter is average here, with an inch of banana and a spoon of yoghurt. Boy is 11.5mths, does food intake really drop? Sad

JessemyParkson · 30/08/2011 13:27

ugh I give up, damned if I do, damned if I don't. Well, woof to you lady

I don't wish to have a chicken nugget kid thank you very much. So sue me for wanting to teach my dd to eat well, and also wishing to compare notes with you.

She's not stupid! She has an extremely good appetite, and I merely wish to teach her that yoghurt comes as a reward for clearing her plate.

Angry

This is exactly why I don't enjoy using MN anymore. netmums here I come(!)

ladyintheradiator · 30/08/2011 13:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bonkers20 · 30/08/2011 13:44

...but why should yoghurt be a reward? Why should ANY food be a reward?

BlowHole · 30/08/2011 13:44

This is normal around 12 months. My ds was exactly the same, I just stuck mainly to foods that I knew he would eat, but kept offering other foods too. Quite often he wouldn't eat and would want to eat something else later. Tbh I would feed him when he wanted it. Putting a baby to bed when hungry and then leaving them to scream is abuse isn't it? Think about it.
For the record my ds is now a good eater and likes most things.
Also, using yoghurt as a reward for clearing a plate will encourage overeating.

Mabelface · 30/08/2011 13:48

Once babies hit around 12 months old, their growth slows down so they don't need to ingest so many calories. Stop looking at what they eat in a day, and look at it over a week. It may surprise you. When my lot got to this phase, they mainly had finger food plus their own spoon to play with. A lot of kids appear to live on fresh air who are energetic and bursting with health.

pink4ever · 30/08/2011 13:51

To the poster who talked about giving dcs youghurt and why did it matter. My dn was and is a very fussy eater and my sil constantly gave her yoghurts so she didnt "starve"Hmm. My dn had to have lots of teeth removed at a very young age due to decay. Dentist cited yoghurts as the main reason.
My youngest is a pest at eating fruit-keep offering it but just chucks it everywhere! have tried pureeing it/adding custard etc but just spits it out. I dont offer anything else and will keep offering it until he gets fed up and eats itGrin

AitchTwoOh · 30/08/2011 14:19

can i just say that i ADORE 'well woof to you, lady' and will be using it A LOT from now on.

RitaMorgan · 30/08/2011 14:23

pink4ever - though I guess the answer to that is not to give sugary children's yoghurts/fromage frais and clean their teeth after!

JParkson · 30/08/2011 15:36

lol aitch thank you! will I be in the talk roundup??!

deep I apologise for hi-jacking your thread, I'll leave you to it Wink