10mnth old getting very stressed about eating

[ArtichokeTagine]

My 10 month old DD has always had a good appetite. Although I didn't do pure BLW she never had purees, mainly self fed and was happy. 6 weeks ago she started nursery where they spoon feed her (which I do occassionally but not often). She seemed happy.

However over the past couple of weeks she has started to behave strangely at meal times. She shouts when put in her high chair. If we leave her to self feed she just plays about, or gets cross (unless it is toast with jam which she seems to know she will get if she makes enough fuss). If we try and feed her she grumbles and we can only get food in with alot of persuasion. It is worse in the evening when she is tired. Tonight she refused all attempts to feed her pasta and sauce (which she normally loves) and refused to self feed pasta or toast (I refused to give in and give her jam). As a result she has gone to bed with no food.

She is BF and still loves her milk.

Has anyone else had experience of a baby suddenly taking against meal times? Has anyone got any tips about how to make her enjoy food again?

Just to add about nurseries, if you think that might be part of the issue and if you did want to persuade them to let her self-feed - my LO started nursery when he was 9 months and they put him straight on the toddler menu cos we said he was used to feeding himself and didn't need purees and mash. That seems to work okay - he has things like veg curry with rice and veg hot pot. I think babies can manage quite sloppy things with fingers, especially if there's something like rice to stick some of the slop together. It might take them ages to eat the meal, but they do get there if they're interested. My LO can now feed himself with a spoon, if you load it up for him (started doing that at 10 1/2 months) so we do that sometimes for runnier food - might also be worth trying that, if you do want to do something about nursery.

But I realise nursery isn't the main issue for you, so please ignore if OT

when dd's nursery do a sloppy meal then they either make her a sandwich or make the sloppy meal workable for her. eg with soup they dip bread in and give her the bread. everything else she just has a good go at and makes as much mess as she wants..no worse than when she's painting or doing glitter pictures or whatever she is 13 months now and is fairly ok eating slop with a spoon.... plus her hand to put the food on the spoon....ahem..

Oh dear. Took DD to a cafe for lunch. Ordered her pasta twists and meatballs from kids menu. Left her to self feed and she just stared at it and started to scream. Tried to spoon it in and she became hysterical. had to BF her to calm her down. Ordered her a ham sandwich instead and let her eat it while playing in the toy area. She ate about a third and the rest got lost in the toys.

Thanks for all your tips about nursery and self feeding. As you can see from above I do try and let her self feed all sort of foods including sloppy foods. But at the moment that is causing her as much upset as anything. She just wants sandwiches and bread based foods. I will talk to the nursery about letting her feed herself but I am not sure that is the problem.

I think the dvice about not getting stressed is key. I must RELAX...

you're bfing her... she's fine. fugeddaboudit.

What does your dd sit in at nursery to eat? The reason I ask is because at ds' nursery, all the toddlers sit together at a small table in small chairs. Consquently, he went through a phase of hating his high chair at home. We have now removed the restraints - it's a tripp trapp thing - and he is happier or we let him sit next to us/on our laps on the kitchen benches. As a result, he will go in the chair more happily now.

As for the amount of food, I am of the "when they're hungry they'll eat; when they're not, they won't" school of thought.

One other thing - could she be teething? Maybe her gums are just sensitive at the moment...