Weaning and chest infection... Help!

[fionnthedog]

DD is coming up 7 months and we've been doing BLW for a month or so and she was doing really well - was a joy to watch compared to my fussy spoon fed DS!

Anyway, a week ago she got ill with what appeared just to be a cold but which suddenly got much worse on Monday and she was diagnosed with chest and ear infections on Thursday and put on antibiotics. The drugs seem to have kicked in and whilst she's still coughing she is much better in herself.

She has, however, refused all food since Monday and has returned to breastfeeding like a newborn. I'm v happy that she's continued drinking milk throughout the illness and happy to feed whenever she needs / wants for both nutrition and comfort but am worried that she's still eating nothing and actively refusing food (throwing it on the floor and blowing raspberries) which she never did before. I've tried to spoon feed her some things which would be easier on her throat (porridge and yogurt) but equally refused. As we're having to force the antiobiotics down her I can understand why she doesn't like / want to be spoon fed.

Any advice? I assume I just need to be patient and keep offering food with no pressure and when she's well enough / hungry enough she'll go for it again?

Yes I would keep doing what you're doing. Perfectly normal to go off your food when you're unwell, and brilliant that she is breastfeeding well. As you know, breast milk provides all her nutritional needs at this stage, as well as comfort and pain relief etc that she will be appreciating whilst she's not herself. Personally I wouldn't try to spoon feed her as you may make mealtimes stressful (which is what you have presumably been trying to avoid by doing BLW) - so continue to offer her food at mealtimes and let her take things at her own pace. Hopefully she will show more of an interest when she's feeling a bit better.

Oh the poor thing. I image is inhad a chest infection and an ear infection I would not really want to eat either. She has only been on antibiotics for less than 48 hours so will probably still feel rubbish. For now bf will be giving her every thing she needs.

As for antibiotics, you can try using a syringe to squirt them
In and then quickly offer her a dummy if she has one or your nipple so she can't spit the medicine out.

Thanks guys. Just wanted to update that last night she finally showed some interest in dinner yay! Not so much in breakfast this morning but that had always been a bit hit and miss! Hoping for some joy at lunch but trying to keep offering but with no pressure. She still has a pretty nasty cough to deal with poor thing.

Thanks again for the reassurance.