No appetite/food refusal

[Tee20x]

Hi all,

At a loss here and wondering if anyone can help me. Started weaning DD at 6 months old. She's now 9.5 months. Has always been a bit tricky, like most babies has a sweet tooth and a preference for sweet things and fruit - but maintain offering normal meals.

She's never really been a big eater, will have a few spoonfuls of whatever food it is and then will start refusing. But offer her something like yoghurt/fruit she will eat it so I don't think it's that she's full.

Anyway, we had turned a corner and she was eating a decent amount for breakfast, think toast/porridge/muesli/fruit etc. And also for dinner, normally protein & carbs with veg. Things like spag bol, chicken and veg, beef stew, lentils and pulses etc. Lunch has always been a bit iffy but I put that down to it being sandwiched between the other meals and her not really being hungry.

For the last week or so DD has started refusing food and has basically gone back to how she was at the beginning of the weaning journey. Literally a few mouthfuls and she's done. But the same will eat fruit to no end.

I'm beginning to wonder whether her milk intake is partially to blame here as she feeds throughout the night still - so wondering come breakfast time whether she's actually just not that hungry?

Also I feed to sleep for her naps still (I know) so she has a morning milk feed then 2 x feeds during the day before her naps and then a feed just before bedtime. During the night she will feed whenever she wakes normally 1-2 times. But on a bad night it feels like I'm basically feeding her non-stop. This is the cycle I'm in now & im wondering whether she may be cutting some more teeth as she is being quite clingy and a bit miserable :(

Our routine is something like

wake up
breakfast
milk & nap
lunch
milk & nap
dinner
bed

Haven't included times as it varies too much per day. Follow wake windows and tired cues but depends on what time she wakes up from naps etc as to the timings for the rest of the day.

Sounds silly but im concerned that if she doesn't eat enough she may be hungry?? She wouldn't starve herself though would she, so surely if I offer food and she's hungry she would eat it?

Ugh help!!!! :(

I think it's fine to assume she's not hungry if she's refusing food and get her out of the high chair and do something else.

Sorry @Tee20x I should have explained myself a bit more.

I meant assume she's not hungry and don't offer anything else like yoghurt or fruit. At the moment it sounds like she's learned that if she refuses what's on offer her favourites will appear.

It's also normal for them to go off food a bit if they're teething. Have you tried ibruprofen about half an hour before her lunch abs a teething gel just before she eats?

It's also pretty normal for them to still be having feeds during the night at 9 months. Once she's reached 12 months you could try Dr Jay Gordon's night weaning method. It's aimed at BFing babies but should be easily adaptable.

The Caroline Walker Trust has this good guide on what to feed them in their first year. For her age it's from page 39

@PanicBuyingSprouts no worries! I tend to offer everything at once to avoid her refusing food to wait for the sweet stuff.

But even then if I put everything on her tray she will go for the fruit first and then may have a little bit of food.

As long as she's not starving herself then I think I will just carry on as normal and hope that her appetite will pick up.

She had an ok amount (for being her) for breakfast this morning so will just have to wait and see what lunch and dinner bring.

Though I'm sure it is way less than a normal portion for a baby of her age.

She doesn't have to have fruit and yoghurt with every meal. I'd tend to give the yoghurt once a day at most