URGENT help needed - hunger strike

[Mama2boys]

All,

Need some urgent guidance. 10mos has been suffering from a cold for about 1 week and has 2 pairs of teeth showing some movement again for probably the last 2 weeks. But since the last 2/3 days he wont eat any solids at all, maximum he will take is about 10-15 small cheerios and thats it (earlier he was eating 3 proper meals and enjoyed his food), he is refususing everything even his favourite foods, milk is a bit of an issue as well and he ends up taking some only when he is nearly asleep.

Questions:
any ideas why this is happenning
what should i do - replace the solids with milk? let him be hungry?

Please help, he is a tiny baby and has already lost weight

Thanks
Mukta

[vadensmommy]

Hey there Mukta,
Just to let you know, we've been in the same boat a bit.  She had a really nasty cold and basically gave up solids alltogether (she'll be 10mo in a week).  It's been 10 days since she started getting sick, and today was really the first day she's taken her bottles normally, and even took a little bit more solids.  DD too would only eat cheerios while sick.  She wouldn't let me spoon feed her, but would only throw her finger foods off the high chair tray.  She's been to the dr. twice, and didn't gain any wait in that 10 day period (but didn't lose any thank goodness) and the nurse told me it was ok because babies sometimes loose weight while they are sick.  Have you talked with your dr?  Do you have a safe feeder? They are little mesh bags attached to plastic handles.  I can put bigger chunks of food and dd can gnaw on them to soothe her gums if you think some of this is related to teething.  I've been known to put an ice cube in it and let her gnaw as well.  I hope he starts to feel better really soon!!!!
~~~~~~~~~`HUGS~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Freya'sMum]

Hello!

Can I refer you to what I've just posted on another thread, save me typing it all out again

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=109577.0

Hope you feel reassured?

Ax

[Mama2boys]

Thanks ladies, DS has started eating again...and yes am reassured, so next time no more panicky emails from me! lol.

I am beginning to see a pattern though, DS is way better at eating when the nanny is feeding him, but tends to throw a fuss with me...not sure if its because he knows that he can get to me or because he is angry for not being there all the time. But his food tantrums tend to surface more on weekends than on weekdays...and this is despite the fact that I work from home 3 days a week!!!
Any thoughts?

Thanks again.
Mukta

[vadensmommy]

AAAHHhhh Mukta
DD is EXACTLY the same.  She eats soooo much better at eating with the sitter than she is with me.  At least for her solids.  She takes a bottle better from - I attribute that to me feeding her in her quiet boring nursery, but at the sitters there is just too much to look at, so she won't sit still long enough to take a bottle.  BUT she eats her solids great for the sitter - again, it may be because she is replacing some of her milk with solids, because surely she is still hungry. 

I've been having a harder time getting her to accept certain finger foods, and I told the sitter today I was going to start sending a lot more finger foods with her to daycare so maybe she'll get better used to eating them. 

You may ask the sitter what she is doing that is different and see if you can replicate it some at home?

[Mama2boys]

Hello there,

Just back form a long holiday and hence the long silence..and now its time to deal with everything all over again, jetlag, cvhanged schedules, new habits after visiting grandparents and so on.

Hopefully this time round I can train hima  bit better.

Thanks,
Mukta

[vadensmommy]

Hey Mukta!
Happy for you, you've a had a long vacation!  Holler back if you need help sorting out the new routines

[Mama2boys]

Thank you.

Actually a quick question..is it really ba dif my son eats while playing or wlaking around., he refuses to sit in the high chair and needs to have occupied hands to eat...i have tried giving him atoy or 2 on his high chair to coax him to stay put, but no luck....any ideas?

Thanks,
Mukta

[lisi's mum]

All depends on your lifestyle and whether you're happy to always have him do that. Much easier not to let a habit start than have to break it later, but sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do.

Glad you got over the worst of the strike. Dd still has them VERY regularly, they drive me to distraction - the last one had her off milk too. Deb - in -Oz gave me some good advice yesterday - it's our job to prepare healthy food, it's their job to eat it. Can't do much more than that!

[vadensmommy]

DD went through a phase of needing to be playing with something/distracted in order to eat.  We didn't do BLW, as I didn't discover it till a bit later on.  Is he feeding himself well?  Instead of toys, will he just feed himself?  I don't have any other advice really, other than, he needs to get used to sitting still to eat, as you'll want to go out to eat at times, and he'll need to be comfortable sitting in a high chair so you can eat.  Would love to hear other thoughts on the matter as well

[Mama2boys]

Hmm I think the distract and feed works better than running around for sure, but after some time especially when it comes to eating fruit pieces i give in.

But am trying to let him play with toys and food while I feed him He is one of those hyperactive kids who constantly needs to be doing something...rarely I even use the TV to distract him..bad me

[vadensmommy]

Toys are good - as well as food related stuff - sippy cup to bang around, spoons, bowls, that type of things.  That way he can get used to all the food related things while you are feeding him.  DD still isn't so great with self feeding because she gets so distracted by the cheerios on the floor, the paper on the table that she just can't quite reach, the trash can next to her that has her yogurt cup in it from this morning. WHATEVER.  She has to look at EVERYTHING, and forgets to eat    Man I wish I had that problem!