Will she ever eat??

[Hattieboomboom]

I've got a 10 month old who has never really shown any interest in food and I don't know what to do.

She's always refused the spoon, either me or her holding it, although I try at breakfast most mornings anyway, various baby cereals, yogurt, pureed fruit. So I'm limited to giving her finger foods - which would be absolutely fine, except the only things she seems to think are ok are cheerios, pear, cheese, cheese on toast and pasta, although not for the last week - today she even spat the pear out. She's had tiny amounts of avocado too and some other soft fruit. But really, she eats such tiny amounts of all these anyway. I've tried her with loads of other things, lots of special blw/finger food recipes I've made from scratch as well as toddler fast food type things or stuff we are eating, and she's never interested.

What shall I do? Should I be worried? Does anyone have a child who was the same as a baby but is now fine? (Please?!)

The only thing she loves eating is me! She's a boob monster but I want to wind that down now and she isn't nearly as interested in bottles of formula, for fairly obvious reasons. Pretty sure she isn't full up with milk, as I've tried giving her meals / solids at all sorts of times - before/after milk feeds, and it doesn't make any difference. She still wakes at night. Sometimes I feed her, sometimes not. Can't help feeling she might be a better sleeper if she ate more.

She's DC 2 and I really thought I'd be more laid back about weaning - well I was initially, but now it just seems a bit unfair that I've had two rubbish eaters. :(

Having said all this, she is actually a very healthy baby and good size - so I'm not at all concerned about her health.

[Jenny70]

Milk is a baby's main food source up until 12 months, basically they are learning to eat (chew, swallow, digest etc).... so even if nothing much goes in, don't stress at all until well after the first birthday (easier said than done, I know).

Finger foods sounds the way to go, does she like to sneak stuff from your plate? She'd probably cope fine with most family foods (if she wanted to), rice, pasta, meat (in small pieces), cheese, etc etc.

Lots of babies I know only "got started" eating food in any meaningful way after they turned 1, and all are happy, healthy and (fairly) good eaters now at 5-7yrs old. Mine were varied, youngest certainly never ate anything off a spoon (and still won't eat anything soft in texture)... he moved straight to toast, rice, pasta, and whatever he could take off our plates!

[Hattieboomboom]

Thank you Jenny. I know, I need to relax. Maybe she can sense my desperation too. I just read another thread in this section where somebody suggested ignoring them completely after putting food in front of them. I'll try that from now on.

[Nyunya]

Hi Hattie

DD is very similar to this and has only started eating - and wanting to eat - a month ago, aged 16 months!

I must admit I was tearing my hair out until I went to see our infant feeding specialist who said she was obviously fine, and not to force her as this would create long-term problems. From then on I just made my meal, started to eat and if dd showed an interest I would have her on my lap and she'd pick from my plate. I still bf her on demand. She only eats a significant amount for one meal a day, which I give her when she starts asking for it in various ways any time between 3 and 5. Other than that I leave a couple of ramekins out on her table with a few bites in, and let her graze the rest if the day. Then I top it up as needed.

It was quite a worry for a time, but if you have a lively, energetic, interested child,, there is no need to worry.

[McNally]

Hi Hattie. How's the tactic of ignoring her while eating going? I just wanted to say that I sympathise. I'm having similar problems with my DD (same as yours). It is hard not to let the desperation show through isn't it?

[McNally]

Meant to say "same age as yours".

[Hattieboomboom]

Hi Nyunya, thank you. Diid your daughter still wake at night before she was eating much in the way of solids? And was there anything in particular she did like? Haven't really had a chance to test the ignoring strategy yet, as DD has had a tummy bug the last two days so not eating (or drinking! But that's another thread..) anything. Will let you know. But yes, it's very hard to hide the desperation!

[Nyunya]

Hi Hatty, ugh we also have a tummy bug here too, so I sympathise! The amount of washing being created is phenomenal!(sp?)

Dd still wakes to feed in the night. She is eating solids in the day, but not loads, and so still has a reasonable amount of breastmilk in the day, and I feel that it's unrealistic of me to expect her to go 12, 13 or even 14 hours without anything at all!

In terms of what she did like, I remember that at one point the only thing she ate was rice cakes! I think that before she had any molars, they were quite easy for her to eat as she could just break a bit off and it disintegrated in her mouth. And she seemed to like things that held their shape whilst she got them to her mouth and then disintegrated once in her mouth, but it couldn't be sticky. She's still not a fan of sticky, sloppy or wet things!

Does your dd have many teeth? This seems to have made quite a difference for us!

I have read somewhere that babies often drastically reduce milk feeds at 10 months, then 18 months - presumably these can be the times when they seem to 'get' solids. So I'm holding out (carrying on as we are) for 18m to see what happens.

[Hattieboomboom]

She's got front teeth, and she quite likes rice cakes too actually. That's interesting about them reducing their milk feeds at about this age...I'm just trying to increase my own supply as of this morning as a bit worried about her getting dehydrated. It was just about all gone yesterday do not easy. Hope you're all better soon - yes had the washing machine on quite a lot the last couple of days and thank god MIL is here to help as DH away all week.

[Hattieboomboom]

Just wanted to update for anyone interested or in same position - DD has suddenly started eating! It was a day or so after she got over her tummy bug, since Thursday she's eaten everything, I mean literally everything I've offered her - even on a spoon. I reduced her milk a bit (no more dreamfeed as it wasn't stopping her waking in the night) and am offering solids before milk now. I had tried this before but I think she just hadn't made the connection between food and hunger. I suppose she just realised food is nice. She might have suddenly felt really hungry after her tummy bug too, possibly a growth spurt? Because she's also guzzling her milk (albeit less of it). Who knows. Anyway, she's had scrambled eggs, sausage and tomato, toast, sweet potato wedges, oatcakes, broccoli, plus lots of all the stuff she was ok with before. It's brilliant. And such a novelty for me to have a baby that actually wants to eat and doesn't need any encouragement.

So, for anybody else in same position, just keep offering and putting food in front of them - DD is best with little bitesize pieces, a few on table at a time and I keep putting more in front of her til she's full.

It hasn't stopped her waking at night mind, she's still terrible in that respect. :(