Gah! This is normal isnt it?

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

Ds is almost 11 months and has always been a good eater. I did a combination of spoon feeding and finger food from day 1. Over the last few days he has been refusing to feed himself and dropping all of his food on the floor so I've been doing more spoon feeding. Today he's refusing the spoon but still throwing food around so has eaten very little. The only thing he has eaten cheerfully is yoghurt with banana. I think he's trying to eat only sweet food as he's been enjoying fruit and yoghurt but playing with his veg and meat.

Is this normal? I know lots of babies go through fussy periods. Any advice on getting him to eat more savoury again? I've done sweet potato mash to serve tonight with something but I would appreciate a few ideas. Thank you :)

Is he underweight or anything else to concern you?

Have you considered the possibility that he's simply not as hungry as he has been because he's not in the midst of a growth spurt? He may be eating the sweet stuff because he likes the taste despite not being hungry, and he's not interested in the other stuff 'cos he's not hungry.

You appear to be looking at him not choosing to eat as a failure, when the reality could be that it's a success because he's doing a good job regulating his intake - which you run the risk of undermining by now trying to encourage him to eat again?

Not underweight, he's been on 50th centile from birth and there are no health concerns. I'm not looking at it as failure and I'm not forcing the issue, I suppose I'm just concerned that he'll be one soon and the 'food for fun until one' thing is on my mind. In my head I think I'm expecting him to gradually want more food and less milk. You could be right about self regulating after a growth spurt as he isn't wanting more milk and is still sleeping through. I guess I just keep offering what we have and let him make his own mind up?

Agree just offer what you have and if he's messing about, just clear away but then don't offer a pudding or an alternative. If he's not eating much but tracking his centile and sleeping through then its not really a concern.

Don't think the taking less milk and more food will magically happen on his first birthday either. If you are ff, after one he should be having 300ml of full fat cows milk per day, so once you reduce his milk intake to that, he may start eating a little more. If you are bfing, after one you can start offering feeds after solids, not before

I think I'm expecting him to have read the NHS guidance and understand that he should be starting to have less milk and more food They really should come with instruction manuals! I'm only offering pudding (yogurt or fruit) if we have it so definitely not every meal.

They do come with an instruction manual, or at least they used to, its the NHS one. Unfortunately not all babies have bothered to read it, especially the bits on sleep

Sleep we can do, its just everything else!

Sounds like everything is ok to me, he's sleeping, eating (sometimes) and growing, everything sounds good