11 mth old won't eat

[Squiffy01]

I can not get 11 mth old to eat.
On a good day he takes 1/4-1/2 an IceCube of food.
Since starting at 6 mths he hated hated the spoon. Would cry and get so angry whenever we tried so moved on to BLW.
Sometimes he will pick it up. Sometimes he will pick it up and have a suck. 98% of the time he just sits there looking at it not touching it or pushing it off the tray.
He flat out refused the bottle when we were trying at about 4/5 weeks we tried until about 8mths then gave up, wanted to do combination feeding but as he wouldn't take bottle it is BF.
If I can't manage to get something in his mouth when he laughs or chats he will keep it in there and chew but can only do this about 5 times (tiny pieces) before he gets angry so even with me putting stuff in he still eats pretty much nothing.

I don't know what to do. Any advice?

Hey. So is he literally just living on milk? Won't eat a thing solids wise??

That sounds tough. Is he having a vitamin supplement?

Once they are one, you can offer solids before Bfing. Have you tried this?

My tongue tied DS was very reluctant to eat solids. Have he been checked for tt?

If you want to do combination feeding, there’s no reason that you can’t offer a cup of Cows milk 🙂

Stick him on your knee whilst you are eating and see what he does with your plate..don't encourage him too much..

We found this thing great uk.iherb.com/pr/Munchkin-Fresh-Food-Feeder-6-Months/59031?ccode=GB&currcode=GBP&langcode=en-US&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItrPxi6Xd1wIVCLvtCh0f-QgDEAQYASABEgLzafD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

A compete bastard to wash but we'd stick a chunk of banana or boiled carrots that kind of thing in it and she would chew on the net which mushed the food. If she got bored she could put it down and come back to it in a bit.

Used it for a couple of months just till she got used to the idea of chewing on them eating food.

Re bottle, have you tried a miracle cup or sippee cup, sometimes they are easier to switch to than bottles because they're not pretending to be a nipple IYSWIM

Thanks all for the replies.

Completely breastfed and on a really good food day will probably have an IceCube quantity of food (across the entire day not all at one meal).

He will take water out of a sippy cup thank goodness. We have tried cows milk, different types of formula and expressed breast milk in the same cup but as soon as he tastes it not water he spits it all out.

Won't grab food out of my hand or off plate. Was very excited I was sitting on floor with him the other day and he turned around to reach for plate of toast I was having... didn't touch toast just wanted plate.

We have tried all times of day. Before breast feed, after, early lunch, late lunch.
I don't know what's for the best now. Keep putting it in even if he is getting angry cause he needs to eat or if that is going to traumatise him and give him food issues.

No supplement will get into this!

Have also tried lots of different things all the home cooking I do for older brother, all fruit and veg, Ella's pouches, the squeeze pouches thinking they are smooth and he might not realise I'm trying to feed him if he is holding it and chewing on it didn't work,
Has not been checked for tongue tie. Would that effect his want to eat or just actually doing it like he wouldn't be able to manage it and it would come back out? Cause he seems to just not want to rather than can't.

It's so stressful. Haveny taken to the dr yet cause I think they would just look at his weight and fob me off. He certainly getting a lot of calories with milk cause he is still a big baby not worried about weight at all.

The tongue tie wouldn’t affect him wanting to eat but it could stop him chewing. My first was tongue tied and he was 13 months before he’d tolerate anything other than smooth purees.

My second was a spoon refuser so you have my sympathies on that one too.

Do you ever leave him? Is Dad around? Could you leave him for a day at the weekend for a few hours with some ebm and food?

This sounds very stressful! At least this is round 2 for you with an older DC, so I hope you know it is absolutely nothing you are doing wrong and just what your DS is like! Very frustrating. I also have an 11 month DS2 who is far far pickier than his older brother. I find when all else fails he will go for something sweet tasting (puréed fruit & yog, any of the squeezy fruit packs). Raisins, very juicy fruit.
Will he chew/suck on your finger? If you dip it in yoghurt?
I bet there are lots of babies out there who for one reason or other don’t get on with solids until 18 months+. I think I would be going to talk to GP/HV to get things moving, though, as it could be (am guessing and am not a medic) some kind of sensory issue, and also is he getting all the nutrients he needs just from milk? Perhaps he is, I really don’t know, but hopefully they could reassure you.

Both of mine more or less refused cow’s milk until I’d stopped Bfing. Could you try adding Nesquik to it and trying it in a different cup? My DD would talk sone cow’s milk from a cup, but only if I gave it to her in the bath. I think it was the novelty. Have you tried him with a straw too?

Honestly if just chill for now. Sit him at the table give him some bits to play with. When your finished eating get him down clear up. No cajoling no sneaking nothing. Up until 1 something like 75% of nutrition and calories come from milk so he's not going to starve in the short term. Even after 1 its a gradual change over to solid food providing the bulk.

Mention it to the Hv when you see her and I can also recommend the book my child won't eat

We have a part time help so for a couple of hours a day. He has water and until I get home to feed him. The few occasions it has been from morning until early evening he doesn't eat anymore food. Still refused the expressed breast milk.
Dad is around and helps too but can get no more into him.

He doesn't really like chewing on fingers.
He sometimes quite happily sucks on rice cake - doesn't seem to eat any of it though. When I noticed he likes that I would try dipped it in to yoghurt, hummus, squashing scrambled egg on it every time he realises something is on it he won't put it near his mouth again.

I've been and for him some vitamin drops today so that is something.

Thanks for all the replies! I know there is no magic cure but it does help getting it all out.

Usually they will take something if you leave them. Have you read Help my child won’t eat?

My nephew was well over 1 before he ate, about 17/18 Months I think. He just had breastmilk before then and would barely touch anything. My sister was really worried at the time. Then he just started getting better and better, is now 3 and eats really well, no issues with food or anything. He didn’t have issues with weight or anything else either.

Hard as it is, the best thing is to offer food, give him time to play with/eat it and then remove it without comment or emotion. Easier said than done, but over time it should defuse the stress and allow him to come to eating at his own pace.

Have you tried cake?

I know that sounds silly, but DD took a while getting to grips with (lovely, fresh, organic) food. But would eat cake by the handful.

Once I worked that out, I started making cake-like food, vegetable muffins etc. admittedly she picked the vegetables out... but still progress was, slowly, made.

Of course I wouldn't course recommend any old cake, I'm thinking of the baby friendliest cake you can find, and I wouldn't recommend it every day. But it if he will eat it, it would rule out a physical reason he's not eating.

Will look up help my child won't eat. Thank you.

Haven't tried cake might try and do one this week and see how he goes.
Tried things likes chips and potato waffles thinking would rather something go in even if not completely healthy.

Will follow everyone that said to keep it stress free and hopefully one day he will just start.

kellymom.com/nutrition/starting-solids/solids-how/

This may make you feel a bit more reassured.