HELP 8 month old won't eat

[samypoo]

My LO is a big girl, nearly 8 months old and has always been a very good eater. The last few days she has totally refused solids. I can't even get one spoon in, she sees it coming and that little mouth closes tightly. Last night I accidently fell asleep and didn't give her the dream feed and she just slept till the morning, I BF as usual at around 6:30 then solids at 8, I thought she would be really hungry and might eat but still not. Yesterday she didn't eat breakfast or lunch and when I tried to give her her dinner on my lap she just lunged in for me to breast feed her. I managed to squeeze in a spoonful when she wasn't expecting it as I made her her favourite, once she had the taste of it she grudgingly ate some of it. I'm not sure what has changed to make her go off her food, 2 weeks ago she cut both her bottom teeth, could she be teething again so soon? Even if she is, she didn't go off her food before when she was teething.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[jellybabe]

I dont have much advice as I have been in that situation for 5mths now!!! Dd is now 11mths and does the same. She weaned well at 4mths , but then at 6mths she started getting difficult. She does not like bits, anything with rice or bits she'll spit out. Any fingerfoods like bread, biscuits, apple, she'll just give it a bit and spit it out, take a bite, spit it out lol. Driving me nuts!! She dont eat much, takes a few spoons and then turns her head, or shakes it to say no. I try to fill her up with formula so she at least gets her nutrients. She seems not interested in eating. It could be that she is teething. They might hurt more than the others did. Dd does not eat at all too when she's teething, she will only eat very well puree'd food, nothing thats lumpy. Its hard coz we always worry if they eating enough. I have now sort of given up and let her decide if she wants to eat.

I am trying to get her to drop her 1am bottle, and cut out the calories she's use to getting at nite and see if she'll take them during the day. So far its worked, she's not waking up at 1am, but she still wakes nevertheless, she does not sleep through. I give her juice instead. But it still does not make her eat more in the day tho. I hope someone else has some tips for you. Maybe its worth trying giving her fingerfoods. A lot of babies love to feed themselves, or even attempt giving her the spoon. Thats worked with dd. I give her some food on her spoon, and while she's fiddling with it, i feed her with my spoon lol. Its messy tho lol. Good luck with that

[samypoo]

Thanks, I tried the spoon trick it did help a bit and I managed to get a couple of mouthfuls into her but I don't think she was very impressed. Then last night I made Cottage Pie for me and hubby, I thought bugger it and I pureed some for baby. It was really tasty and had onions, garlic , tomato paste and other things that she had never had before. Well, she absolutely LOVED it, wolfed down the lot then cried because it was finished. I nearly cried as well. Seems I might just have some fussy taste buds to keep happy.

[jellybabe]

hmm, she probably likes stronger tastes lol. My dd is just opposite lol. She prefers bland tastes. Yeh, some foods require a time to get use to. Im glad she loved it lol, maybe you should give her what you eat. A lot of babies like that. My ds at dd's age already at all that we ate but he was much easier to feed and less picky. I hope she'll eat more for you!

[*Liz*]

My DS is a pain to feed - always has been really. But one trick I use is to put his food on my plate (he prefers mushed/ lumpy food anyway) and then eat my own dinner off it and give him his off my plate at the same time. Seems to eat a lot better that way - I think he just wants to play and join in, and gets really cross sitting in the highchair to be spoon fed. He doesn't really like soggy veg purees either.

Perhaps she just wants what you have now?

[jellybabe]

True Liz. Dd likes to snatch food off ds's plate or ours. I allow her to take some sweetcorn or peas or whatever is ok for her to chew. Thats a good idea.