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Weaning

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

Original poster

V stressed mum seeks advice 12 month old wont eat

10 replies

helenainsworth · 10/08/2006 19:37

My baby is being weaned off the breast and wont take milk in any way except from me! Added to that she wont take any food any more and I am getting increasingly desperate. Any ideas? she used to eat porridge and banana smoothie but now wont take even that.....she has had some cheese today and that is all

OP posts:
hermykne · 10/08/2006 19:55

first of all dont worry, helen, she mightnt have an appetite in the warm weather.

how often are u feeding her?
and what do u offer her at lunch and tea time?

Tinker · 10/08/2006 19:59

My 14 month old has a few days at a time when she is like this. I try to look at the week as whole, not individual days. It's difficult but don't see how you can force food/calories into them really. Just keep offering stuff.

desperateSCOUSEwife · 10/08/2006 20:03

will your dd eat finger foods
as she might want to show her independence iykwim

Original poster
helenainsworth · 11/08/2006 09:56

thanks for this. unfortunately she wont take finger foods unless i put them in her mouth and recently she has been rejecting them. the issue is that this has been going on for weeks now and she hasnt put on any weight in 2 months... but i agree cant force them which is the problem and why i am at end of tether! really want to stop breast feeding too but dont see how i can when she is like this...i have recently introduced wheat and dairy which is all she seems to be prepared to eat now! she wont take protein or carbohydrates unless it is porridge nor vegetables. all very disappointing! she even started to stop porridge yesterday but ate it all this morning. is it a control thing- i went back to work 2 days a week 2 months ago could it be a reaction to that (even though she is looked after at home by her grandmothers....)

OP posts:
Bugsy2 · 11/08/2006 10:16

don't panic or beat yourself up about this helenA.
It is worth remembering that babies do not starve themselves to death - as far as I know it has never happened.
It is not worth getting stressed about this, your little one will pick up on it immediately & catch on to the fact that mealtimes bring her mummies undivided anxious attention.
Sometimes it is worth backing off something completely for a week or so and then you'll be pleasantly surprised by a revival in interest.

saffymum · 11/08/2006 11:10

Hi, sorry to hear of your problems, I agree that you would do well to just back off and see what happens. Put a plate down at regular times on the same table with a few little things she does/did eat and just walk away. She will go and eat if hungry. What about reducing the size of the milk drinks, maybe she is full of milk and then no appetite for food. I only give milk morning and evening now.

I wouldn't encourage all this feeding with assistance (when you hold the food for her) that means you get stressed and she is asserting herself, it will just grow into a bigger problem because she probably loves the reaction she gest out of you. Babies don't starve, they will eat when hungry. My son has been through several phases where he eats like a horse then goes off everythign for a week or two, but he always bounces back. Good luck.

belgo · 11/08/2006 15:13

Have had similar problems getting my dd to eat, started weaning her at 5 months but she never eat more then 3 or 4 spoonfuls, and at 7 months started to completely refuse a spoon. A friend of mine suggested finger foods, and she does eat them to a certain extent, but only ever minute quantities, and never fruit. It's been one major headache! Especially as at 10 months she is still only 7 kg, a skinny little thing. She seems happy enough and is developing fine. Now I try not to worry and some days she eats really well and other days practically nothing but bf.

bobblehead · 11/08/2006 21:26

My dd is 14 months and most days seems to barely eat a thing. She does drink alot of milk and seems very healthy and happy, but it does bother me, though I try not to let her see that. Its just so frustrating feeding her as even a cheerio will be bitten into about 3 seperate peices and slowly sucked so 24hrs wouldn't be enough time to get a meal into her!
I do find just leaving a plate of food on her small table while she plays/watches tv means she snacks on things without even realising it I think, but if I try to actually do "mealtimes" she is having none of it as it is a waste of valuable time to her.
I just really hope she grows out of it, but it is nice to know others are the same as all my friends babies eat like horses!

Original poster
helenainsworth · 12/08/2006 11:34

Thanks for all the advice here and v sorry to hear you are in same situation bobblehead. this is why MN is sooo good- for comfort and sharing if not able to solve problems! i have decided that getting stressed is worse than her not getting food so trying to give up on formal mealtimes and offer things when playing or out and about- seemed to work yesterday. thanks v much. clearly little ones are like this the world over. i feel much better now. thank you all....

OP posts:
ferdinand · 12/08/2006 11:37

i agree with bugsy....she wont starve herself.......

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