Feeding is a struggle!

[rayasunshine]

Hey everyone,

Feeding my 8.5 month dd has become rather difficult.  She is not finishing her cereal for breakfast as she has over the last couple of months.  I wonder if she is bored with eating it.  I mix in different fruits but she still won't eat.  She usually eats about 3 tbsp of the 5 tbsp she was eating before.  Also, wondering if I scoop 3 tbsp of dry cereal and then mix with 2.5 tbsp of water, is she still technically still eating 3 tbsp of cereal even though it doesn't measure exactly that (just something I was curious about)? I know finishing isn't an issue and they should just enjoy but I also feel that she isn't nursing as well either.  She may be teething as she has been very cranky.  Any other ideas?

[Mimi 2]

If she's teething, have you tried giving her some meds prior to each meal/feed?  Or do you think that she is coming down with a cold?  A loss in appetite is pretty normal when they are teething or sick.

[rayasunshine]

I haven't given her meds because I don't want to medicate if she's just whining (but she usually doesn't do that so I guess I should medicate).  Her nose has been a bit runny so it could be a cold too or teeth.  I guess I'll just go with the flow.

Could she be going through a growth spurt?  But then she would eat more, right?

Once teeth have broken through the gums they shouldn't hurt, she's got two bottom teeth that broke through already but are coming out more.

[Mimi 2]

You could try orajel or some teething tablets (about 30 min prior) if you don't want to use the pain relieve meds.  Sometimes there could be some pain as the teeth move into position before you see any swollen red bumps.  Teething affects differently to all babies.  Some last only a few days, others last that seems like forever.    Just keep offering milk feeds and solids.

If she's going through a GS, then she would be eating more. 

[vegmom]

I'm curious about this as well. My 9mo DD is doing something similar. When she started solids, everything was fine. And then for the past 1-2 months, it's a struggle to get her to eat much. I think it was teething in the beginning too, but she's popped those teeth through.

Something that you could try that helped me a little bit is giving her the bowl of food and letting her go at it...my DD made a MESS but seemed more interested when she could control it herself. So now I give her little chunks on her tray first to get her interested - sometimes it works, sometimes not. Sorry, I'm not much help but struggling with this too!

[rayasunshine]

I have been giving her teething tablets so maybe I'll give them to her before she eats.  I was reading some of the other posts and was thinking that she may be ready for more finger foods as well.  She eats her rusks really well (1 rusk at breakfast and 1 at dinner).  I gave her some spaghetti today and she ate that off her tray so maybe I need to switch it up for her.  Thanks for the replies Mimi and vegmom, I will try your suggestions.  Going to try toast with her tomorrow morning for breakfast along with her cereal and see what she does with that.

[mum101]

I agree, giving her a go of feeding herself might keep her interested. Toast etc. might feel good on her toothy-pegs.

But I have also noticed when DS is teething he is less interested in both solids and bf.  But today I was recommended another teething gel and I tried it just before he ate and my god did he wolf down his food!  I think he must have been catching up!

[rayasunshine]

Thanks mum101, I do agree she must have been teething yesterday because today, not as whiny and clingy as she was yesterday.  And she ate all her cereal.  Was going to do the toast but all I had was 12 grain so getting dh to get the plain whole wheat stuff.  BTW does it matter if I do whole wheat with her, I remember reading something that said to stay away from whole wheat breads right now, or maybe it was the 12 grain because of the bigger grains in it.  I don't know, if someone can tell me that would be appreciated.  Plus do people usually lightly toast and put butter on it or just plain?  Thanks.

[Mimi 2]

You can give whole wheat but stay away from multi-grain as it may be hard to digest.  It's up to you how you want to serve it or how she will eat it.   

Glad things are getting better.

[mum101]

I add butter to the toast. And vegemite sometimes too.

I'm totally not fussed about grain versus wholemeal bread etc. But then I'm pretty unfussed about what to give him as long as most of it is healthy!

[rayasunshine]

Well, I really think she would rather feed herself finger food than eat the baby food purees.  Dang, now I have to be really creative and I've got alot of baby food sitting in the cupboard, lol.  Oh well.  I did start toast today, she at about 1/4 of a slice.  Going to try steamed carrot, apple and maybe some melon.  Are there any good references for other finger foods?  I really don't get why this is so hard for me, I do feel at a loss.  I want to provide healthy foods and am anxious about her becoming a picky eater like my 26 month old niece.  Thanks for all the feedback, it definitely has been helpful.  She barely ate any breakfast or dinner today, but if she had mum mum's, cheerios and the little stars, she was happy as can be.

[mum101]

LOL. I think once you are into it, it becomes easy peasy.

I stick to a lot of whole foods that can be cut into chip shapes so Leo can grip onto it well. So cheese chunks, thick apple slices, roast chicken slices, rockmelon, banana, grapes sliced in half, roasted or steamed vegies cut into the right shape. Lots of dried fruit, prunes, apricots, apricot pieces.

I've gotten a bit creative as Leo refused to be spoon fed pretty much from the first try of purees. I make little steak sandwiches (with simmered then pureed steak, sometimes onion, pureed sweet potato in bread and cooked in a pan to flatten and toast) which he loves, I freeze them and give them to him frozen. He chews on them to soften and eat.

I also give him weetbix crunch (like little weetbix) and even normal weetbix. I just put them in a small bowl of milk, soften them a bit and hand him pieces. 

I also give him good crackers with avocado, or mashed banana. 

It sounds like lots of choking hazards!  But he does really well feeding himself all sorts of things and we haven't had an issue at all   

He also tends to like chunks of things like potato.

[rayasunshine]

Thanks so much for the suggestions.  This weekend I will start planning her finger foods and buy all the goodies.  I appreciate all the help I get here.  You all rock!

[vegmom]

One other suggestion I have that has really helped my daughter with those slippery finger foods like bananas, pears, cooked veggies like carrots, etc. is to cut them in little chunks and then roll them around in wheat germ or you could even use graham crackers in a pinch. It makes them easier to grab and pick up for her.

[mum101]

gee that's a good idea!