patience is weaning with this not eating solids phase

[Jiinx]

Hi all,
I've been really patient with my daughter. I keep thinking it's a phase..but it's a 4month phase now.

She used to eat SOOO well before her first birthday. She ate all sorts of vegetables..and meats..and fish..and EVERYTHING under the sun. I was over the moon.

And then teeth and her birthday came and she got older and pickier. Fine..I can handle picky. What I can't handle is the refusal to eat anything at meals. I once made 4 meals for her to turn her face away from.

Maybe this is normal. I'm just frustrated that I have to hold my breath every time I offer her something and then count and cheer inside with every bite she takes! I don't show my stress or force her to eat..when she's done, or not interested..that's fine. We move on and go about our day.

She's down to 3 feeds, from 4 that I cut out a couple of weeks ago. I thought that would help..but now she's just hungrier in the afternoon I find, but doesn't want to eat what I offer. I'm not even sure if she bf'eds more at her bedtime feed or her 2nd feed.

Vent over

[First Time Mom]

(((hugs))) Sarah, she sounds like my 4 year old! I know how frustrating it can be. Is she drinking out of a sippy and if so, how much liquids is she taking in and how close to meals? Are there particular foods or textures she is turning her nose up to?

Graydon was not a great solid food eater until he turned 12 mths, then for a month he ate everything in sight. But, for days now, he's turned his nose up again. In his case I'm still pureeing his foods (he has 1/2 of one tooth only) because he takes forever to eat solid food and will spit out anything (like meat) that has to be chewed. I find I have to keep him "busy" so, put small finger food on his tray that he can pick at while I spoon food into his mouth. I've also had to give him a spoon that he can hold so that I can feed him. Today he tried feeding me pretend food with his spoon, and the only time he would open his mouth for food was when I opened my mouth for his pretend food.

If you've tried all the tricks you can all you can do is wait it out and try to make meals fun, she will get over it (hard as it is to believe right now)! At least, until the next phase . Hang in there!

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I'm just frustrated that I have to hold my breath every time I offer her something and then count and cheer inside with every bite she takes! I don't show my stress or force her to eat..when she's done, or not interested..that's fine. We move on and go about our day.

I know you say you don't show your stress...but I can feel it coming across in your words, is it possible she is picking up on your body language, even if you are trying to hide it?

I find alot of times if I do dishes, or busy myself at the counter so I can see the kids in my peripheral vision, but they can't tell I'm watching, that they try more things than normally they would (DH likes to watch them eat, totally weirds them out!)  Otherwise, we just ride it out...if they don't want to eat that's okay, as I can't do much about it!

[First Time Mom]

Could she be just bored with a spoon (or whatever you are using)? Today Graydon flat out refused to eat his meal, until I spooned it onto a cracker. He didn't eat the cracker but ate the entire meal using the cracker like a spoon. I've read others that use a piece of veggie as a utensil too. Maybe try something like that?

[gogomama]

Unfortunately, we are still in this phase as well, but some things that have been working the last couple of weeks are 1)moving DSs chair up to the table instead of using the tray 2) having him "feed me first" with his or my own food, then he seems to be more willing to try it himself 3) offering lots of snacks throughout the day..for example if I am cooking, giving him some of whatever I am chopping or something else nearby. He seems to eat a lot better when he doesn't feel like I am waiting for him to eat. I agree with the pp..I think they really can sense when they are under "pressure" HTH

[Jiinx]

Hi ladies,
 Sorry about the delayed response..clingy clingy toddler

I know how frustrating it can be. Is she drinking out of a sippy and if so, how much liquids is she taking in and how close to meals? Are there particular foods or textures she is turning her nose up to?

She does drink out of a sippy cup but prefers straws out of mugs and glasses and prefers to drink it whilst holding her hands around it. She doesn't have much water (she only has water).
BF: 7:30
Breakfast: 9am
BF: 11:30
Lunch: 2:30
Dinner...around 5:30 but she's not having much of a dinner lately and is starving by her bf
BF: 7

She ..turns her nose to everything but fruits and pasta. Apples (she eats a few bites even though it's hard and crunchy)....everything. She gobbles fruits down..sometimes has a piece in both of her hands and just stuffs it in mouth. She sometimes eats eggs and pasta. It's not as consistent as fruits though.

Very cute of the cracker spoon! I'll try more creative things. I don't feed her with a spoon..I kind of just give her a fork when she starts to lose interest and put some morsels on the tips so she could feed herself. Basically, though, she just hand feeds herself. If I try to feed her she'll just scrunch her nose and turn her face away. Cute to watch..heh

I know you say you don't show your stress...but I can feel it coming across in your words, is it possible she is picking up on your body language, even if you are trying to hide it?

Definitely. I mean I wish I could wash dishes, but aside from fruits she'll take a couple of bites regardless of whether I'm there or not. I try to sing to her and show her alphabet flash cards...just keep her busy, you know? Distraction USED to work...now she's too smart to be other people chatting etc. I agree, watching them eat would be weird...never thought of how it would feel if someone watched ME eat!!!

)moving DSs chair up to the table instead of using the tray 2) having him "feed me first" with his or my own food, then he seems to be more willing to try it himself 3) offering lots of snacks throughout the day..for example if I am cooking, giving him some of whatever I am chopping or something else nearby

that made me chuckle..when she's "done" eating..she'll extend her hand towards whoever is nearby and "feed" us her food.. Today, I sat her in my lap and just put her up to the table and she didn't eat much..less than usual.

Thanks ladies..I'm just frustrated..but it's okay. She seems to be okay and makes it through the night okay.

Is it possible that they would go hungry? No, right?

[First Time Mom]

You're right, they would not go hungry! A hungry lo would not be a happy lo, I would imagine they would be crying non-stop and not be able to nap or sleep well. You  would know if she was hungry! I know you cut out the 4th bf recently, if you're really concerned about her eating maybe add the 4th bf back for now? Though I really think she's fine if she's bfing 3x, eating pasta, eggs, and fruit for the most part. Have you done plain yogurt or cheese? Have you tried offering her lunch earlier- closer to the 11:30 bf, so that she's hungrier at dinner time? Wonder if that would increase her appetite for dinner?

[Jiinx]

f you're really concerned about her eating maybe add the 4th bf back for now?

Hiya marian,
 I've thought about this several times. That feed was sometimes hard to get into her...she'd get distracted if we were out (and we usually are at that time) and I'd get frustrated. Having said that, I'm sure she'll happily accept it now..but I don't know. It's kind of a step back for me.

Have you done plain yogurt or cheese?

Oh, she adores yogurt. I would love to give her yogurt...however, she's super fussy and I don't know if it's coincidence ..but I sometimes think it's the yogurt. I think it may give her a tummy ache.. I have no proof yet so I keep waiting for the day she wakes up and is happy again She likes cheese...not consistently..likes cream cheese..not consistently..

I think she is hungry..she just doesn't want to eat anything at dinner time. I don't know, Marian. She's so inconsistent everyday.

awesome advice

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

We have this over here, too, Sarah.  Austin will go for days hardly eating anything and then he'll be good to go again.   So strange.  But the truth is that she is not going to starve herself.  We make Austin a meal, or if it's dinnertime he usually gets what we're eating, and if he flat out refuses and literally won't eat a bite then we'll make him some toast or cheese or something that's usually reliable.  But if he refuses Choice B, that's it.  He can eat what's there or have his milk or that's that.  Really, if she's hungry, she'll eat.  Toddlers are really good at self-regulating.  She'll get through it.