Mealtime meltdowns - 7 month old HELP HELP HELP

[Sallypoo]

Hi all,

I don't know what I'm doing wrong....

I've been weaning my DS, who is 7 months old today, for about 5 weeks. Started with baby rice, and then moved onto smooth purees of veg and fruit. He liked all this, but something has gone very wrong along the way I think.

We now only seem to be able to have a mealtime without a full blown screaming fit if we are out, usually with jars. I should point out that these successes have probably amount to only three good meals out and about.

We've changed highchair, this was def an issue as DS was slumped in a chair that was far to big for him. We bought a really nice Svan today at Kiddicare. Had lunch there, DS had a bit of a Hipp jar and some banana, not too mashed. He sat in a Svan at the cafe and was very happy.

Then, this afternoon, when we got home, DS ate rice cakes in his new Svan in the front room, looking very pleased with himself.

We moved the chair into the Dining Room for his dinner. He was OK to start with (he usually is). We offered him the same food (don't usually) as he had had at lunchtime and the meltdown began after about 5 mouthfuls of his Chicken Risotto. High pitch screaming, tears, throwing himself backwards, he was hysterical. The only way I could calm him down was to take him out of the chair and stop trying to offer food. It's awful to watch and I feel so bad.

I've tried feeding him on my or DH's lap, in another room, offering a different meal, finger food, lumps/no lumps, meat/no meat....

I'm at a loss. We've had the same happen at nearly every meal for at least a week in not a fortnight.... I don't know what I can change. Once we calm DS down and return him to playing in the front room he seems to forget the whole episode.

This is his routine:

6.30am - 7oz bottle - takes all
11.30am - lunch + water, before a 45 min sleep
2.00pm - 7oz bottle - takes all
5.00pm - dinner + water
7.00pm - 8oz bottle
10.00pm - 5oz dreamfeed, DS doesn't always take this, since introducing protein.
During the night, DS is still waking but I'm only offering water he wakes at about 4.30 - 5am but not fed until 6-6.30am

We did try offering breakfast, but have not had any luck with this at all, so have stopped for now.

Any ideas? I'm frightened of DS starting to think of mealtimes as an unhappy time.....

Thanks all

[hollyandnoah]

haha a sore mouth not a sore month

[Annabellemary]

My 9 month old would normally eat loads and this past couple of weeks she has totally reduced her amount of food, sometimes having a tantrum if I do try to feed her etc.

Yesterday I made her a lovely lunch which she would not eat at all and when i took it to the sink to pour away/wash up my friend noticed that she was picking up food she had spilt onto her dress and eating it. I think that now she is obviously wanting to feed herself so I put grated cheese and tuna flakes onto her tray and she ate it all.

I was worried about her choking and I don't know what size is the right size for finger food etc. which is why I thought grated cheese and flaked tuna are nice small sizes.

Like you though I did think that perhaps the heat was playing a part.

Good Luck x

[Sallypoo]

Thanks everyone,

Lots of different pointa of view.

Flightputsonahat, thanks for your input. I'm worried because a perfectly content baby with a healthy appetite, who was sleeping through the night, has seemingly lost his appetite, cries every mealtime and is getting up 3 times in the night!

FeelingLucky, yes I think the heat is at least playing a part - I did post on here a week or two ago about it but didn't get much response. Today is cooler which is great. Within 3 days of weaning, DS was sleeping though, this has now stopped. Was MNeters who told me to reduce milk intake! Which btw has only dropped by one bottle during the day, and an ounce of here and there elsewhere.

wornoutwaitress, every book I've read says at 6 months they need between 18 & 20oz of milk a day. Never seen more, certainly not 32oz. Where did you see this?

hollyandnoah, thanks. I too thought about teeth. He has been pulling at his ears and chewing more than usual. This might explain why some days are better than others.

UPDATE,
So this morning, he woke at 3, 4 & 5am. He was offered water at each waking. He went back to sleep at 3 & 4 but played from 5am. He was given his bottle at 6.20am.

He has a sleep, and then had breakfast in the kitchen after 8am. He was offered fingers of toast and banana and I left a bowl of half a weetabix & milk. |I left him to eat while I did 'things'. No crying, which is great. The toast was examined and got put in mouth, but that was it. Nothing eaten.

He then had a play & another sleep, as he was tired because of his early rise, and was offered lunch about 15 mins later. He had a jar (125g) and was offered banana as well which he didn't want either as finger food or off a spoon. There were tears, but no too many and he did finish a jar so not too bad.

He's now had his 2pm bottle, so dinner fast approaching....

I'm gonig to roast some veg for him to have with his dinner to at least give him something interesting to play with.

Thanks all,

[gingerninja]

Sallypoo, they do change their sleeping habit all the time. What happens today might not me repeated tomorrow. Every child is different and not every child sleeps 7-7 all the time.

I wouldn't imagine his sudden disinterest in food has anything to do with his wakings (but you could try a night time bottle to test if he's hungry) it's probably teeth or developmental change or just that his sleep patterns have shifted. Just try and take his lead. If he doesn't want to eat, don't push it and if he wants extra milk then give it to him. They're all guidlines not instructions. Some babies don't wean properly onto solids until much later.

The other thing is, why don't you dit down with him and eat? They mimic a lot at that age and he may enjoy copying what you're doing. Don't just leave him to it if he's likely to be distracted with you not being there.

[ruddynorah]

sally he's 7 months. it's really really common for babies not to eat much at this age. have you read my post from earlier?

sleep really has little to do with weaning. it's a shame to tie the two together as you can slip into trying to fill them up to sleep rather than introducing food as food itself iyswim.

[Flightputsonahat]

I see
Sorry am thick at the moment..

I am just jealous because yours eats full jars of food! Mine only just did that.

[wornoutwaitress]

It's what my gp said. 720ml-960ml between 6 and 12 months, then 470-720ml after 12 months. it's also what i've read on many parenting websites.

[lulumama]

your baby has not read the parenting books or websites

some babies will drink the amount they 'should', others hve a lot more

my 3 year old still has a pint a day

a 7 month old should have as much as they want IMO and IME

especially one who is waking in the night

water fills their small stomachs and is unecessary unless it is baking hot

a milk feed when he wakes is more beneficial IMO than water

at 7 months food is a compliment not a replacemetn to milk feeds

[Sallypoo]

Hi all,

Well we've done three meals today. Breakfast wasn't good, but it never has been so I'm not worried.

However lunch and dinner have gone really well. DS has had about 125g of food at both plus finger foods. Hardly any tears. He started to get upset at dinner, so I left him to it and pretended to do the washing up. He then started to eat his finger food quite happily.

Thanks everyone. I do now beleive we were making him feel pressurised. I also think that teeth and heat have contributed. He's eaten as much today as he was a month ago which is a great relief. He did have quite a appetite.

He loved his new finger food. I've done roast carrot, sweat potato, potato, red peppers and courgette.

As for milk I'm going to up his bottles a little - back to 8oz from 7oz. He's not wanted as much milk as previously, but again I think that's probably due to the heat.

Thanks all, and good luck to everyone else with the weaning.

Fingers crossed we're back on track

SP

[FeelingLucky]

Good for you ,SallyPoo.
Lots of advice here - some conflicting - so glad you weren't confused by it all and had confidence to go with what you think is best. I remember so well the tears (both mine and DD's) when we had the mealtime meltdowns, so am very happy for you Fingers crossed it;s not temporary.

BTW - your roast veggies sound delicious.

[giddykipper]

Glad you've had a good day

[wornoutwaitress]

8 oz sounds about right. up to 12 months ds had 4 8oz bottles, which then dropped down to 3.