DD suddenly refusing all solids - suggestions?

[*Kara*]

Hoping someone can offer some advice - I have a 7 month old daughter who started solids at just over 5 months. She has been doing great with purees/cereals and is starting to be okay with a bit of texture. But, for the last week, she has outright refused her breakfast! And yesterday, she added her lunch to the list of refusals. No change to what I offer her and I have tried a variety to ensure that she just isn't refusing certain things... She will take a piece of Mum_Mum and attempt to eat it, but her motor skills are not good enough to feed herself yet... I have also tried cutting her first bottle from 8 oz to 6 oz with zero change.  She is too young to do food then formula, but I worry that she isn't getting enough to eat now... she really hasn't increased her formula intake that much to compensate.

She is teething right now, but I have tried using gel/pain meds before with no effect.

Ideas?

[~inbalance~]

It sounds to me like it might be teething related, even despite giving meds.  Hopefully once the teeth are in she will start eating more again.  For now make sure she is getting enough milk, and keep offering of course. 

[*Kara*]

Thanks Martina!  That's what I have been doing... upping the formula I offer and I just keep trying with the solids.. it's just so frustrating!  When does the worrying end?!?!  LOL

[Sam-n-Max's Mommy]

Hey Kara - nothing really new to add, but agree with Martina. If teething is affecting S's eating, usually even medicating him doesn't help.  I remember this exact thing happening at the 7 month mark and worrying about it, but when the tooth came through he went back to normal.  I just let him drink as much formula as he wanted to compensate for what he was missing in solids.  Hope the teeth come through soon!!

[*Kara*]

Thanks Nicole   I really hope these teeth come in very soon... they have been up and down for 2 months now!

[Sam-n-Max's Mommy]

I know, it feels like it never ends.  Just when you think you'll get a break from them, more show up!

[Hedgehog17]

*hugs*

We have the same problem here - if DS's teeth are bothering him, nothing will convince him to eat 

Don't worry, she won't starve if she goes off her food for a few days, and her appetite will come back 

As for when the teething issues end... if you are lucky by 18 months, if not it could be 36 months 

[*Kara*]

Gross.  She is actually starting to get upset whenever I put her in the high chair and try to offer anything to her. So solids are gone for a couple of days and we will be playing in the high chair while I eat lunch/dinner   Bottles all the way!  Hmm, this could be easier!

[Mama_Mia]

Hey Kara, M has started the same thing. But he will feed himself. He wont let me feed him anything at all now, and he still isnt good at mashing foods in his mouth so he basically isnt getting much of anything for solids right now. I know he has a tooth coming in, so I'm hoping when it pops through he will start eating some purees again. But maybe I just created a monster by giving him finger foods.

[*Kara*]

Alexandra will happily eat on her own too... some things... but she doesn't have the dexterity to be very good at it yet... more gets mushed into her outfit that her mouth   She has had two teeth working their way up and back down and back up... for 2 months now... ugh.  Maybe the food refusal means that they are close though!  This is the first time she has ever refused food.

[lynseyr28]

Hi, My DD is 7 months and for the last week she has refused everything, solids and milk, however she seems quite happy feeding herself dry toast, pitta breads and some baby snacks.  She has slowly started to take solids from the spoon again but only if she has her own spoon to play with.  My nephew went through the same thing at about 10 months when he was teething but it does get better.  My DD has also just discovered crawling so she has far better things to do then sit still and eat! Just make sure she is having plenty of milk and/or water she will start eating when she is ready!