Fussy 12 month old refusing food, help!

[SparkleFly]

He's just turned one, and is just refusing practically everything this week 😫 I'm conscious that he should be eating proper nutritious meals now, but whatever I give him he just shakes his head and pushes it away. Only thing he will usually eat is some peas and sweetcorn that I put on his tray. I've tried lumpy puree, finger foods, homemade fritters and savoury muffins, pancakes...he's just getting fussier and fussier. Meanwhile I have a freezer full of stuff I've made that he won't eat 😫

I'm ashamed to admit that from about 8 months onwards we did start giving him a few pouches a week (yes I'm aware of the panorama doc and I feel awful), because the meals I would be cooking for us to eat with our 4 year old just weren't suitable, or he just wouldn't eat them. With my first I think he only ever had a couple of pouches on holiday once and didn't like them. Most meals were homemade but then I had a lot more time, and he was also a much better eater anyway (chunky).

Now I'm worried that because of these pouches I've messed it all up and that's why he doesn't like my food 😭

Any tips/advice? I'm hoping to speak to the HV tomorrow but they're not always very helpful.

He has started nursery this week and has been quite upset. Do you think it could just be the upheaval and hot weather that's put him off his food? I feel awful that he's barely eating ☹️🥺

I saw a hospital dietitian when my son was the same age due to fussy eating, as I was worried as I had ARFID (?) as a kid.
The dietitian said to focus on getting him to eat a bowl of cereal (as most add vitamins), with milk or a cup of milk with added vitamins (we used the dairy aternative with the Giraffe on the front), and a multi-vitamin.
After these 3 things which he happily guzzled she said not to worry. If yours is happy to eat peas and sweetcorn off a tray, might they eat cheerios off a tray?

Try not to worry and blame yourself. I know it’s what Mums do especially when it comes to feeding.
You may be right about the heat as maybe he is more thirsty atm.

If it has been going on longer or part of a wider problem, look on Infant and Toddler forum for factsheets for parents on food refusal and extreme food refusal.

https://infantandtoddlerforum.org/toddlers-to-preschool/fussy-eating/

Thanks, I have now spoken to the HV and she was actually really helpful. She said they don't tend to get fussy until about 18-24 months, so she suspects it could be him still getting over being poorly the other week (although in the immediate aftermath he was ravenous), and also with it being his first week at nursery and the warm weather. She said to not worry even if he will only eat toast at the moment, as long as I'm trying other things first.

Hopefully once he's settled in a bit more at nursery his appetite will return. I spent today batching some new meals for him to go in the freezer, hopefully he eats them!

Could he be teething?

When is he not teething? 🤷‍♀️😂

Yes fair point 😂

I’m just thinking that one of my twins goes through the odd couple of weeks when she’s super fussy then usually a tooth appears (Not always the case though- teething doesn’t affect Twin 2’s appetite, she just gets v chewy)

Whether it’s teething or developmental, either way, I would probably just persevere with offering and now stress too much about it. Everything is a phase!

I think of it’s just been this week then I’d try not to worry and it could just be a blip.

If he’s on Cow’s Milk or Formula try and stick to the recommended 300 ml a day so that he’s hungry enough for food.

If you’re giving him toddler or growing up milk ditch it for Cow’s milk as the added iron can actually act as an appetite suppressant.

If you’re BFing have a think about some gentle night weaning abd offering milk after food, not before.

And don’t worry about the pouches. It sounds as though it wasn’t every meal and he will be fine. My first would only tolerate super smooth puree until about 12 months and he will eat very nearly everything now.

I disagree with your HV actually - I have three DC and I'd say they all went through a fussy stage well before 18 months. My advice is to act as if you don't care whether he eats or not. I know it's hard but they really do pick up on your stress IME. No bribing / begging etc - just offer good healthy food and shrug if he rejects it. All mine are great eaters now.

Thanks everyone. He's been exclusively breastfed and I don't usually offer around mealtimes unless he's really not eaten a lot then I offer after.

Hus appetite perked up at the weekend and he kicked off Saturday with 2 Weetabix! So I think he was just a bit upset about nursery and teething and simply wasn't hungry.

@BunnyRuddington where is does the 300ml from? Does it apply for babies over 12M and still breastfeeding? I'm coming up to the 1y mark and dont feel like the BF is reducing much yet.

Having read Gill Rapley's book, she talks of the importance to BF your baby so they arrive at the table still hungry but nicely calm and regulated .
So I know that stopping BF isnt the full answer either to keep my 11.5m baby to eat more solids...

The 300 ml of Cow’s Milk recommendation is from the NHS but is aimed at babies who aren’t BF. If you do BF you can ignore it until you’ve completely stopped.

If you want your LO to eat more solids, are they night weaned?