food refusal

[makka]

hi there

well my nearly 12 month old has just started to refuse food. She is a good eater and will eat most foods. She gets 3 meals a day and a snack and 2 bottles a day morning and night and some cows milk in a straw cup with lunch.

today i made her a sandwich as she loves sandwiches, well she refused to eat it i tried putting some in her mouth but she refused it and was spitting it out, even cheese pieces. What do i do here, could it be her teeth? and if so what i should i feed her so she eats. THis morning she had breakfast ok, but just lunch now. Yesterday was a bit of a struggle too.

I know she is tired a bit but she will need food as she will be having a 2 hour nap this arvo.

what to do as ive never come across this

thanks kirsten

[momtonb&ab]

i am certainly no expert here (the really clever food expert gals will surely be along soon)   but the only times we ever had food refusal were 1) sickness coming 2) teeth coming 3) needs something new added for variety.

if sickness is coming i think you will see it within 24 hours.  carry on offering food and milk and see how it goes.   if it is teeth, heavens knows.  some times for us they would refuse food for 48-72 hours and just when i would really panic they would even out again.  you could offer advil/ibuprofen for relief if you think some molars are coming.   and in all that, you could try something new.

our best approach was always not to amke a big deal out of it unless it went on for a long time as they will eventually eat when hungry.   has it been going on more than 2-3 days? 

[~Emma~]

 i agree - We still get bouts of food refusal here and 9 times out of 10 its teeth/illness. I too try not to make a big deal out of it. You LO will not starve herself.

 We have just had food refusal for 3 days but today back on track so I know how you are feeling. It can be very worrying and frustrating. Lunchtimes were a battle especially.

 When solids start to play a bigger part in your LO's nutrition I think its always better to look at our LO's diet over the course of a week or a few days at the very least. They go through periods of just eating less too but they do make up for it eventually.

 

[Spandanna]

I also agree with both posts

We have had very strange eating phases since DS was about 8mo (he's now nearly 13mo). He's done the odd week of barely eating anything (except yoghurt and banana) and a whole month of complete and utter spoon refusal and very picky finger food eating, during which time he did lose a bit of weight but still drank all his milk and ate a little...after this phase 4 teeth suddenly popped out so that offered the explanation!

Sometimes my LO will eat food that he's just refused if I try a different spoon. He likes to eat off the 'grown up' spoons and sometimes off a little toddler fork. Sometimes I have to rotate 3 different utensils in one meal to get some food in him. Also I let him get his hands in...this way sometimes he might pick some up and try it and decide he does want a little (or let him have a go with the spoon).

The big thing, as previously mentioned, is not to make a big deal of it. As long as your LO is not already under weight and has previously been a good eater she will eat when she's ready and if she's really hungry! But making a big deal of it or trying to force her could make matters worse

Good luck x

[~Emma~]

Sometimes my LO will eat food that he's just refused if I try a different spoon. He likes to eat off the 'grown up' spoons and sometimes off a little toddler fork. Sometimes I have to rotate 3 different utensils in one meal to get some food in him. Also I let him get his hands in...this way sometimes he might pick some up and try it and decide he does want a little (or let him have a go with the spoon).

 DS does this ALL the time! I had to buy a huge pack of new utensils from ikea the other week! SO glad its not just him!