Support thread for moms of picky eaters - Part 2

[Mom to M&M]

Sarah - two bottles already today (before tea) is quite a bit at 14 months. How much milk and yogurt is he having? He might be filling up on dairy and not hungry for food?

[lilly_kitt]

Hi

He had a 7oz bottle to go back to bed this morning (after his brekkie), he had a yoghurt as part of breakfast. Another one then after lunch to go to bed again.  Yoghurt is the only thing he will eat at the moment as he has 6 teeth (including molars) on the way.  I dont know what else to try with him as he just shakes his head and puts his fingers in his mouth.

Sarah
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[Mom to M&M]

So how many ounces of milk is he getting a day, not counting the yogurt? I'd cut the milk/bottles back to 16 ounces a day tops - preferably less if he's getting two yogurts a day also. Are you trying to medicate before meals?

[lilly_kitt]

Hi

Thanks for the response, he had calpol before lunch today.  He also has a bottle through the night which I need to stop (waiting for a week off to tackle that one).
One a 1 nap day he has 2 x 7oz bottles through the day (and one through the night), on 2 nap days he has 1 more.  He's on toddler milk.

Sarah
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[Mom to M&M]

That's really a lot of dairy, Sarah. If he knows he's going to get that much he'll certainly hold out of that. And toddler milk/formula is really filling - why is he on that instead of regular milk?

[lilly_kitt]

Hi

Health visitor suggested it as his diet wasn't that great and for the extra iron.  I would love to get him on full fat cows, but not sure how to make the transition.

[Mom to M&M]

He has no incentive to eat well though if he's filling up on a lot of toddler milk plus yogurt. IMO you'd be better off limiting him to say 12 ounces full-fat milk plus 1 yogurt a day. When I switched DS (and back when DD) from formula to milk I did it pretty quickly - one bottle at a time just switched over. Others mix the formula and milk and slowly make it more milk/less formula.

If you're concerned with his iron intake or other nutrients a multi vitamin might be better...

[lilly_kitt]

Hi

Thanks, will try half and half to start with for a week and then cut it out completely.  He has multi vitamins every day aswell.
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[Dree]

This message goes out to all those mothers who want to tear out their hair because their child won't eat.

My dd was the pickiest eater ever. I mean ever. I had to mix pureed fruit in her veggies when she was an infant. She used to vomit after almost every meal because of texture. I had to soak cheerios in milk in order for her to eat them. It took many months before she could eat a cheerio.

We have come a long way. She is gonna be 5yrs old in May. She tried cashew nuts for the first time on our very recent vacation. She loved them.

So to all those mommies who are about to loose it. I say don't. They will get over it. It takes lots of patience. We still have our moments but my dd does eat. and yes they live on air...LOL !!!

(((HUGS )))
Dree 

[irishprettykitty]

Mine is living on ricecakes at the moment! Tearing my hair out is an understatement

[Brock~Tahlia~Mummy]

Thanks Dree! And I agree with PP! Tearing hair out is def an understatement!

Hi Sarah, I found DS eats more on regular milk rather than formula. I'm
not sure in ounces but my DS has 250-300mls of full fat milk perday plus yogurt or cheese or custard. but when he was 14mos he was having 1/2 full fat milk 1/2 formula
around 450mls perday.

Thinly sliced Colby cheese is working well here!
So is eating on the run - litterally! He's been doing well as long as he is doing something while eating! He's still fussy but if I get the right foods on the run he actually eats!!!

[Dree]

In order to keep my sanity. I introduced vitamens when dd turned 4yrs old because I was convinced that she was not eating a balanced diet. According to her ped she is doing great. But the ped also advised me that is was completely okay to give her vitamens. She does the same with her own kids.

So, I introduced the princess gummi bears vitamens. She loves them and asks for them every night. I keep them on a very high shelf because I read a child can get very sick if they eat alot of them by accident.

So, I say introduce vitamens to your LO's...if your ped agrees.

Dree 

[lilly_kitt]

Hi

Well I finally bit the bullet and stopped his middle of the night feed, if he wakes he just has bait of water.  And the same to go down for naps.  This has made him eat more for brekkie, but have found he eats next to nothing for lunch and then has a big tea !!!

Sarah
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[Brock~Tahlia~Mummy]

Great news Sarah! It may take a few days to really kick in? My DS will "generally" have either lunch or dinner, not both  unless he wants to suprise me!

I'm also giving multivitamins- I used to only give it for 2 weeks following illness due to
him not eating much. Back then he ate really well loads of fruit, vegies, meat you name it he ate it! Not now??? Any way I also offer MV at night. I'm going to the chemist today so I will check the name of the multivitamin that also in so posed to increase appetite? Just on case anyone is interested?

This eating on the run is going well but it's a bit of a pain! Better than stressing about not eating though...
I've been mixing in fresh berries in to his yogurt and I missed a blueberry skin, oops he spat it out and has been on a yogurt strike for 1 week! I tried today and he ate the yogurt reluctantly...

[irishprettykitty]

I give up. Morning sickness is so bad that I can barley cook anything and Finn is refusing to eat anything. HELP!!!  How can I get my LO to eat healthily when I can't eat at all. Am so close to giving up except I refuse to let him end up like his cousins. (they only eat chips with gravy and toasted pancakes and icecream)
How can I get good food into both of us (well three of us) right now?