She won't eat.... anything.

[birdsnotbees]

DD is 16 months. Started off eating OK but since she turned 13 months has been eating less and less. She won't try any new foods, she won't eat anything apart from tiny sandwiches and cheese scones (I make the latter myself and stuff them full of nuts, seeds & grated veg to try and get some goodness in her).

Typical day:

• Milk
• Museli porridge made with formula and added nuts, seeds & dried fruit - she does have an adult-sized bowl
• Couple of thumb-sized cheese/peanut butter/tuna sarnies with bits of grated veg; tiny cheese scone
• nothing for tea, or maybe a couple more of those tiny sarnies and a few bits of apple
• Milk

Thing is, I know it's not illness or anything. Stick her in front of a cake and she'll stuff it down (I don't give her cake often, btw). She'll also eat more for her childminder. I'm still bf-ing her but don't want to - but if I stop giving her milk (she won't take a bottle or drink milk from a cup) then I'm terrified she'll waste away.

I've been 'cool' about it but it's been going on for so long now that I'm worried. She's not underweight, is bright and developing well but even so. She's just not getting the range of foods. I give her a bowl of whatever we/my son has every evening but she just chucks it around and goes mental if you try and give her a spoon.

Should I just ride it out? Take her to my (crap) HV? Get tough and give up bf-ing her, and only give her what we all eat and stop giving her sandwiches? Any advice very welcome, even if only tell me to chill out.

You can use cows milk in food and to suppliment bf as she is over 12m. Have you tried letting her steal food off your plate? How does she eat when others her age are around?
Keep givng bits of new food so she knows throwing it on floor doesn't mean you will stop giving it. If you eat out how is she?
Is she actually hungry if still being bf?

I kind of thought the milk was incidental - just twice a day and she can't get getting that much. But maybe it's not?

We've tried not looking (!), letting her steal food (she waves it around then chucks it on the floor), always eat together as a family/with her brother, and if we eat out she eats nothing at all.

I had to put her with a temp. childminder for a few weeks (long story) for 1 day a week and she ate nothing from 10am-3pm, until I collected her and then she wolfed down the bits of food I'd brought her. So def. a protest thing going on in that case.

If you try her with things she doesn't like do you then give her what you know she will eat? If so then maybe she is holding out like a child not eating main course knowing they will still get pudding. You could try giving her milk to drink at meal times so if she refuses food you know something has gone in but don't then give sandwichs/scones. Do give bits of veg/fruit that you know she likes along with different foods.
If she knows there is nothing else on offer she may learn to eat what is offered. Kids have been known to hold out for a week before eating properly so you need to stay strong but keep a close eye on her hydration, stools etc to make sure it is not having side effects.