Author Topic: 18 month old- hates food  (Read 7634 times)

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Offline lizzib45

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18 month old- hates food
« on: January 14, 2012, 04:20:07 am »
HI everyone. My DS is 18 months (today !) and he doesnt like to eat. We just stopped purees before Christmas. And found feeding him on our laps off our plates worked best than the high chair. But really I think he doesnt realize food fills him up. Thus far, the most he has eaten in 1 meal is 1 waffle (not kid size). Some days are good like that and some he might eat 3 bits all day. I havent even attempted giving him a fork/spoon yet- he isnt fond of feeding himself just yet. He will sometimes . He is on the small side so I worry alot about his weight. Any suggestions on how to encourage him to eat? I quit making him his own special meals as he needs to understand that he eats what we eat.
Side note: he LOVES milk. Chugs milk whenever he can. So we give him milk AFTER eating hoping not to fill him up on milk beforehand.

Offline *Kara*

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Re: 18 month old- hates food
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2012, 05:56:12 am »
Battle of wills ;)  Stick to your guns and he will figure it out :)  Babies won't allow themselves to starve.

How much milk does he get in an average day?



Offline ZacsMumme

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Re: 18 month old- hates food
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2012, 07:51:24 am »
Agree, also if he knows he will get milk to fill him up after eating and he loves milk he won't eat to get full up as the milk will do that KWIM? I suspec he's getting a lot of milk...FF, cows or BM?
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Offline lizzib45

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Re: 18 month old- hates food
« Reply #3 on: January 14, 2012, 19:55:20 pm »
Yeah he is getting 2 sippys during the day- 10 oz each- sometimes drink the whole thing sometimes maybe 8 oz? Then has 5-7 oz at bedtime. So yes he loves milk- oh cows milk. With his crappy eating we have mixed some pedisure in with his milk to make sure he is getting some more nutrients. We have his 18 month pedi appointment monday so anxious to see what he has to say. He has never been a huge eater even on formula. So i think its just him. I keep offering I just would have thought he would have figured it out by now.

Offline Shiv52

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Re: 18 month old- hates food
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2012, 20:34:03 pm »
I think the only way to get him eating more is to reduce the milk he gets.  From 6 months to a year the recommendation is 20oz of milk in a day which reduces as they increase their solids. they still need the equivalent of 1pint of milk in a day for calcium intake but after 1YO should be made up of milk, yogurts, cheese etc. 

He is still getting a lot of milk which is fine but if he's not eating solids then it is an issue.   I think you are doing all the right things.  Offer him table foods, don't make a big deal.  I would though keep him in his high chair and not on your knees.  I would reduce that milk down to maybe 3-4 oz and I would offer it as times away from meal so he isn't learning to refuse food and then get handed a big cup of milk.

Have you tried finger foods? My DD2 will not really entertain being spoon fed but will eat loads by herself. 

How was he with his purees?  Did he particularly like any of them?  Could you use them as a dip? 






Offline cuckoochick

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Re: 18 month old- hates food
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2012, 20:37:53 pm »
I would just keep trying to encourage him to try things. Make mealtimes a social occasion with you all eating as a family if you can.

I do think busy toddlers are often reluctant eaters. My nephew is a really difficult eater and my SIL had quite a bit of success having some things out for him to access as he was playing as he was also on the small side. Ultimately now though (he is just turning 3 and hardly eating anything) she has had to cut down on his snacks and really push mealtimes.

Good luck!




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Offline Mashi

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Re: 18 month old- hates food
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2012, 20:41:22 pm »
Agree with all above.  Also at this age, milk is not really a "meal" ie/ drank in large quantities, but a drink that goes along with meals and snacks. So to get that 20 oz per day, if you give it to him twice as 10 oz drinks, then that is two meals.  But if he has a small cup with 3-4 oz in the morning, a bit with his snack, some at lunch, some with dinner, etc etc then he still gets his milk intake in, but it is not filling him and replacing a meal.  It encourages more to eat and less to drink to fill him up.

At that age, we did a lot of "encouraging" to eat and I wish we had not.  It takes the control away from him and puts someone else to try to teach him how it is done instead of figuring it out.  It was well after my DS turned 3yo before we realised this  :-[ :-\  If I could go back in time, at 18 months I would have just put his food in front of him and let him do with it what he wanted...eat, play, smush, not eat, whatever.  And not comment, not say much about it, just allow him to figure it out.  Regular meals with regular snacks, and allow him the choice. The older they are when you turn to this approach the harder it is for them to 'get it' IMO.  But if you start it now when he is younger, it will take him a lot less time to decide to eat until it fills him up.  As you said he does not know that eating fills him up and you have no idea when HE feels full...you are just guessing. He needs to eat on his own and decide on his own what that feeling of "full" is and how he got there on his own. 
« Last Edit: January 14, 2012, 20:46:17 pm by Mashi »

Offline *Kara*

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Re: 18 month old- hates food
« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2012, 21:21:11 pm »
That is entirely too much milk at his age ;)  He only need two cups/500 mls/16 ozs a day and that includes cheese, yogurt etc.

If he gets two 10 oz cups plus 5-7 at BT that is certainly filling him up too much.  I totally understand why you are adding Pediasure, but it's a catch-22... it only serves to fill him up even more than plain milk, reducing his desire to eat even more...

I have learned through trial and error that you have to cut things first for them to take on more of something else... you can't wait for them to add in new things and then reduce something else... they only take in so much ;)



Offline lizzib45

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Re: 18 month old- hates food
« Reply #8 on: January 14, 2012, 23:23:07 pm »
Yeah we are buying him a little table and chairs for him to graze off of during the day. This morning he ate 1 bit of french toast. But didnt drink more than 6 oz after wards. For lunch he had fun with some mac n cheese adn a hot dog- yes I know its not the most nutrious but he eats it OK- and he ate a fair amount. I waited over an hour an gave him milk which of course he chugged down like its no ones business- around 7 oz in 5 mins or less. He wont have any more milk until bedtime. I guess I feel like reducing his milk will cause him to lose weight. he is continually in the 3-5% for weight so its a constant worry.I worry cutting milk wont do anything. his milk intake increased to that extent once I cut the purees out. Which he sometimes ate 2 jars per meal. but that was a struggle. you had to keep him distracted. I stuck him back in the high chair and let him play. we try to ignore him so its not added pressure for him to eat- which is hard for me as I need to know exactly how much he is eating(something I am trying to relax about). I never thought a baby/toddler would have such disinterest in food.

Offline lizzib45

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Re: 18 month old- hates food
« Reply #9 on: January 14, 2012, 23:25:55 pm »
Oh i forgot to mention, if we give him milk on his tray with food, he skips food all together and just drinks his milk. so thats why we give him his milk after the meal. at this way seems like he has more chances of eating? thoughts on this?

Offline ZacsMumme

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Re: 18 month old- hates food
« Reply #10 on: January 14, 2012, 23:46:36 pm »
What happens if you don't offer milk at all after a meal, but off more food ie a healthy snack an hour later? I really think he is reliant on e milk to fill up. Once he realizes food is good and fills him up he will e more willing to move from milk. You can even try some alternatives such as yogurt or a smoothie just to move closer to food without pushing the 'solids' as such.
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Offline *Kara*

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Re: 18 month old- hates food
« Reply #11 on: January 15, 2012, 04:17:05 am »
I agree with Sara - he is holding out for that milk :)



Offline Lemonthyme

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Re: 18 month old- hates food
« Reply #12 on: January 15, 2012, 13:09:24 pm »
I agree.  There's no need to give milk during the day at all IMO at this age.  I sometimes do as part of an afternoon snack when my son seems to be going through a hungry stage / growth spurt.

I'd say if he loves his milk, I'd just work with that and start introducing a 'milky' food per meal.  It might then not be too much of a change for him.  Also two snacks a day are often needed at this age too.

Some ideas for milky foods suitable at this age could include:

Breakfasts:
Oatmeal / Ready Brek
Bircher muesli http://mamacook.blogspot.com/2011/09/bircher-muesli-for-babies.html

Main courses:
Cauliflower cheese
Fish Pie
Chowder:  http://mamacook.blogspot.com/2011/09/cod-and-prawn-chowder-for-babies-on.html

Puddings:
A couple of tbsp greek yoghurt with half to one tsp honey added and mixed in
Yoghurt panna cotta: http://mamacook.blogspot.com/2011/05/yoghurt-panna-cotta-ok-for-babies-if.html
Sugar free rice pudding:  http://mamacook.blogspot.com/2011/08/rice-pudding-for-babies-and-toddlers.html
Here's my blog which is focussed on simple food for babies, toddlers and families http://mamacook.blogspot.com/

Offline Lemonthyme

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Re: 18 month old- hates food
« Reply #13 on: January 15, 2012, 13:10:16 pm »
Here's my blog which is focussed on simple food for babies, toddlers and families http://mamacook.blogspot.com/

Offline lizzib45

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Re: 18 month old- hates food
« Reply #14 on: January 16, 2012, 04:44:05 am »
thanks ladies. I still feel worried how to change this. Today he drank about 7 oz after breakfast- about 1.5 hours after. Then his afternoon milk he was kinda blah about I think he ended up drinking about 4-5 ounces- about 1.5 hours after lunch and with a snack. then he took 1-2 sips with dinner so he drank about 4 oz at bedtime.  so definitely a decrease but no increase in food. I know it might take time but when he is clingy and whiney he wont eat he only wants milk.So seems to be a disconnect with him, he doesnt realize food will make him full. it feels like I'd have to withhold milk all together to get him to understand before reintroducing it. He eats yogurt and cheese fairly well so he will get some milk products in. ah. i feel like I have failed at the food topic.