food is fun until they are one, however.....

[NanBullen]

I go back to work next month, dd is 8.5 months, ebf and a bottle refuser. So i really need her to realise that food is her main source of nutrition and not just to be played with!

I'm putting her in nursery and can't leave work to feed her in the day. she'll take a bit of porridge at the mo and maybe some finger food. i've tried replacing a bf with food but she just refuses the solids. to say i'm stressed is an understatement!

Any advice? anyone else had this problem? Will i have to give up work?

forgot to say, she doeasn't feed during the night, just has a massive 1 hour bf before bed. this isn't a problem, just the feeds during the day! have tried a cup but she just bites the spout

DD1 was like this - and was/is fine! Please try not to worry. (I should copy and save my response to this as it comes up so often!!)

DD1 was EBF, and had CMP allergy, never took a bottle etc etc. She barely ate anything with me until she was 13 months. However, she went to CM from 10 months, and has always been fine.. I think because they sit to the table with the others, they just copy and want to join in. Also, when you are not available, they associate food with stoppping hunger, but with you available they look for milk. I carried on BF DD1 until she was 17 months or so, am & pm everyday and more on my days off. My supply was fine, she was fine, I was fine. I really wish I hadn't worried so much. Good luck.

Sorry, am rushing, on my way to collect her now.

thanks, just worried she'll be really hungry at nursery and won't eat solid food. if she would just take formula from a cup or bottle i wouldn't worry!

DD the same. Went to nursery at 13 months not really eating much. TBH some days she eats there and some days she doesn't - and I've learnt not to worry - no baby will starve themselves. When I collect her I take snacks I know she will eat so she is full before bed as she's too tired for any dinner when we get in (they have high tea at nursery at 4.30pm).

well, looks like i'll have to delay going to work until next month as dd has been at nursery a couple of times now (mornings only to settle in) and she's refused all food. I had to go early for her today to feed her

work are being understanding but if dd doesn't start eating soon I'll have to give up work, i can't take the piss can I?

Wish i'd never started breastfeeding now!

Just keep positive about it. Most babies are down to only morning and night time feeds by 10mo. Or you can start dropping feeds with her now. I know a mum who went back at 6mo. It took her 2 months to get her LO to take a bottle. She just starts refusing bf during the day and extend it till it's ft work hours. Obviously lots of crying involved. I decided to not do that and I'm going back ft next week. But my nursery and work are 5min away. So I can feed her at lunch, or even twice if it's needed.

Is it possible she's just holding out because it's just a morning? So she's hungry but not hungry enough to be desperate and try something (and realise it's not so bad!)

I'd try a few whole days and see how she is. Has she been really crying with hunger and still refusing to eat? It helps if the nursery staff are relaxed about it too. How have they been? I'm guessing that if you went in early, either she was so distressed they contacted you, or they were concerned so they contacted you.

I was wondering the same thing (whilst lurking on this board) except we've 3 months before I go back to work and my son will be 7 months by then.

Im more worried about the dehydration aspect as we will be in a very hot climate and thought we could get around the bottle refusal with soups/yogurts/purees (getting the water into him this way). I hadnt realised food was meant to be only 'for fun'' at that age.

I guess I will just have to keep trying with cups etc until then

I bet if you leave her there for the whole day a couple of times she will take a bottle and she will eat. She's 'hanging out' now because she knows you will come and feed her before too long - she needs to learn how long a full day is and to eat/drink what's offered - you haven't given her the opportunity to learn this yet. It's hard to do, but no, you can't quit your job because of this!

Thanks everyone, I've calmed down since my slightly hysterical post! I'm going to leave her with dh for a day this weekend, about 8 hours, she'll just have to get on with it!

I think it's just a case of breaking the habit of me=food. I need to break the habit too!

Not sure if this will help reassure you but my DS didn't really 'get' food until at least 9 months old, and then in the past couple of months has really gotten into it (he eats LOADS now) and his milk feeds have reduced a lot. So you might find that it starts to click into place soon.

It is hard though, it's taken me ages to not think 'I haven't breastfed him for a few hours, he must be starving!'

Nan no need for the , we all get a bit overly worried about things, that really aren't an issue, from time to time!

I hope you are doing something nice when you leave her with Daddy! :)

Not sure if this will help but think about this, many babies sleep through by this age and so go 9/10/11/12 hours without anything at all. It might be that when you go to work she will realise that you are there at night and so change her habits to have more milk in the evening, night and morning.

Honestly from what I have read (ds is not keen on solids) they will not starve if food is available. Some just need less fuel than others. Maybe stick her on the bathroom scales every so often so you know she is not wasting away!

dd was like that when she started nursery at 9m.
it's not worth stressing too much about it imo.
my nursery was incredibly supportive.
I gave them a fact sheet about blw and breast feeding.
as expressing didn't work for me, we decided that they would offer her formula twice a day and finger food or loaded spoons at mealtimes.
she settled in very well.