Author Topic: Still refusing solids  (Read 2599 times)

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Offline Skadiver13

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Still refusing solids
« on: March 12, 2013, 13:15:01 pm »
Well sort of.. So my LO will be 10 months in 5 days and I thought this was just a phase but it's been over a month now. He refuses to eat after I get one or two spoonsfulls in him.  I've tried all sorts of different puree's etc. He wont eat anything over a level 2 texture. I can only get him to eat from a pouch where I squeeze it into his mouth while distracting him with a musical toy. I hate this as I wish he would enjoy his meal with us because at this point it's just a chore for us to get through. I offer pasta he wont pick it up. I offer cut up apples, pears etc in stick form and small bite form. He will play around with it but not put it in his mouth. I cut up cantelope and he'll bite on it but if a piece comes off he'll spit it out. He will pick up little cheerios and put them in his mouth but the minute he lets go and realizes it's in his mouth he'll spit it out. (He used to eat these just fine) I've offered him a full spoon and he just throws it. I'm pretty much at my wits end right now. When we're out at a restaurant and there is distractions etc he'll eat out of the pouch if I squeeze it in his mouth but still doesn't like the spoon.

I offer a bottle in the AM after he wakes 6-8oz. I've tried feeding him at 1hr after 1.5hrs after and 2hrs after to see if it's hunger related. So I feed him about 1.5hrs after bottle. Some days I can get him to eat a pouch (about 3-3.5oz) but that's rare. More like 1/2 a pouch. Then he gets a bottle after his nap and then lunch 1.5hrs later. Then a bottle after cat nap and bottle before bed. I want to drop that 3rd bottle and move the lunch bottle to after solids but I'm afraid if he wont eat more solids then he'll be hungry over night again. (just weaned that NF).

Just had  a doc appointment she said not to be too worried she sees a lot of boys slow to like table food till around 12-15months but on the same token shes telling me he should be weaned from the bottle by 12 months and only getting about 20oz a day.

I'm just worrying because he had such a tough time at first with reflux etc. He's MSPI so that limits us a bit as well. I've offered bits of chicken but he wont' eat them so he's not been getting any protein at all. I'm going to start pureeing chicken to see if I can at least get him to eat it that way.

thoughts??
My dreamed for Angel Baby DD (other than dreaded 40min naps) Born 4/30/16
Reflux, MSPI, Love my Spirited,textbook little munchkin DS Born 5/17/2012



**Siobhan**

Offline <Catherine>

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Re: Still refusing solids
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2013, 13:01:59 pm »
Bumping for you :)
Catherine x








Offline anna*

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Re: Still refusing solids
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2013, 13:04:34 pm »
Why not quit the pouches and give him finger food to play with and lick/taste? You just don't want to make meal times a battle and honestly I can't see a benefit in squeezing in a pouch with him distracted. Does he have snacks between meals? All you can do is offer him food, you can't make him eat and shouldn't try to. Do you eat with him/family meal times? This is a great resource: http://www.ellynsatter.com/to-15-months-feeding-your-almost-toddler-i-30.html





Offline Skadiver13

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Re: Still refusing solids
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2013, 13:43:28 pm »
Well I do give him finger foods at every meal. He gets a mix of fruits like apple and pear or cantelope. He gets veggies like peas and green beans, he gets cheerios and some chicken. I put small bits on his plate as well as long bits he can hold on to. The benefit of the pouch is getting something in him. He will not eat the solids on his plate he picks some of them up and sucks on them which is great but he wont swallow if he bites off a piece he spits it out. I don't force the pouch on him. If he didn't open his mouth I wouldn't squeeze it in there. The minute he starts fussing I stop. He does not have snacks other than since he doesn't get dinner yet he gets a rice cake at that time which he used to eat but now just plays with it and sometimes eats a bit.
I occasionally eat with him not every meal. It is just me as my husband is gone during the week from 6am till mos times 7 and Lo is already in bed. On the weekends we try and do every meal together.

Why not quit the pouches and give him finger food to play with and lick/taste? You just don't want to make meal times a battle and honestly I can't see a benefit in squeezing in a pouch with him distracted. Does he have snacks between meals? All you can do is offer him food, you can't make him eat and shouldn't try to. Do you eat with him/family meal times? This is a great resource: http://www.ellynsatter.com/to-15-months-feeding-your-almost-toddler-i-30.html
My dreamed for Angel Baby DD (other than dreaded 40min naps) Born 4/30/16
Reflux, MSPI, Love my Spirited,textbook little munchkin DS Born 5/17/2012



**Siobhan**

Offline new mum01

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Re: Still refusing solids
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2013, 17:02:56 pm »
I sympathise (and empathise) with you Skadiver13! My 9 month old also loves pouches, will accept some spoon feeding from me (pouches and yoghurt etc) but increasingly refusing my spoon feeding.

I read the resource Anna posted and thought it was great so decided to really try this at dinnertime tonight. Made lentil hotpot which DD used to like, then seemingly went off it. Served it up, I had the same, put a loaded spoon in front of her, she took it and was surprisingly adept with it, managed in total 2 spoonfuls in the mouth. then started fussing quite soon into the meal. Played with the broccoli and ate the tiniest bit then kept 'nearly' putting more in but deciding against it. Doesn't seem to care whether or not i'm eating with her! So what would you do now, leave it at that and move onto pudding? Or get one of the pouches out which you know she will eat!

i suppose the worry is that they will wake in the night, hungry! Or should we completely not worry about them waking hungry. This weaning lark is hard.

Offline ENMS

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Re: Still refusing solids
« Reply #5 on: March 13, 2013, 19:15:17 pm »
(((hugs))) Siobhan. I know how stressful it is :(

Have you considered feeding therapy? It does look like for whatever reason, he is associating eating with a negative experience.

Seeing an OT for feeding therapy did wonders for M.

Did he have more occasions of vomiting after eating his solid foods?
Elise



Offline ~inbalance~

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Re: Still refusing solids
« Reply #6 on: March 13, 2013, 19:42:13 pm »
Hugs!  My DS2 was just as you described and was very slow to come around to food in general.  It was well past 12 months before he really ate much at all.  I would try not to stress or worry about it.
Em
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Offline Lolly

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Re: Still refusing solids
« Reply #7 on: March 13, 2013, 19:57:25 pm »
My DS was very similar at this age too, with him it was the reflux. How is the reflux for your DS now - is it controlled?

I would swap to 3 bottles to be honest and that may give him more of an apetite for lunch, so do wake up, breakfast, lunch, bottle then evening meal after the afternoon nap and bedtime bottle.

Laura


Offline anna*

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Re: Still refusing solids
« Reply #8 on: March 13, 2013, 20:35:46 pm »
Sorry I hadn't got that from your previous post, that he's getting finger foods at every meal.

I suppose what I'm saying is, if you want him to eat other things than purees, don't give them any more. I know that sounds trite, but sometimes it is as simple as that. Of course there will be a percentage of little ones who have real trouble eating, motor problems or sensory, and if you suspect something more is 'up', then def go to the Dr about it to ask for a referral.

Ooh missed about 4 bottles. That might be taking the edge off his appetite. I started writing this ages ago and come back to find Lolly and Elise and Em have posted great advice, agree with all.

So what would you do now, leave it at that and move onto pudding? Or get one of the pouches out which you know she will eat!
I'd offer the same pudding as you would do if she ate a 'full' meal - no more no less! I'd call that a great success, to self feed two spoonfuls of lentil hotpot and a bit of broccoli! I'd not worry about waking hungry in the night until it happens. In my experience, they are pretty good at eating to appetite and it's quite uncommon to have NWs from hunger past a certain age.





Offline new mum01

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Re: Still refusing solids
« Reply #9 on: March 13, 2013, 22:03:39 pm »
Thanks for the encouragement Anna, I was so pleased to read it! I'll carry on then and try not to worry about her weight gain etc etc. She always eats loads of porridge for breakfast, about 6 tablespoons (happily accepts me spoon feeding her), I will be really interested to see how much she can manage to spoon feed herself!

I hope Siobhan also feels encouraged.. lots of useful posts here. I liked reading that some LOs don't really get going with solids until 12 mo +. I'd be interested to know how you get on, Siobhan, with giving your DS the spoon!


Offline Skadiver13

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Re: Still refusing solids
« Reply #10 on: March 14, 2013, 00:29:50 am »
Hi  to youas  all thanks for all the advice.  As for too many bottles he on a good day eats 28oz on a normal day 24-26 so I am just concerned about going down to 3 bottles. Kara has been walking me through it but I haven't bitten the bullet and done it yet because he was eating only 4oz for a couple days at his AM bottle. Then his top 2 teeth popped through so I know now that's what it was and he's back to eating ok in the AM. So I just need to bite the bullet and go down to 3 bottles.
Elise, I was just at the Peds for his 9.5month check up and she said not to worry about it? But maybe I should as she doesn't need to see him again till mafter his 1st birthday? He's stopped vomitting which I think was a gag reflex, he'll occasionally vomit after a bottle but I Think it was over feeding him and he hasn't done it in a while.

Laura, his reflux is under control I don't think it's that? He doesn't scream or act out in pain just simply refuses to eat it shakes his head and just wants to do something else.

Anna, thanks for the link.  I guess with his weight being only 10th percentile I"m just worried about it. I'm not worried about him waking at night hungry as I think he's past that as long as he gets his 24oz I think he'll be ok. It's just I'm not sure where to go from here. When he does get something in his mouth he starts drooling and then spits it out. He wont swallow it (although he did in the past)

New mum, it seems as if your LO is actually doing quite well with the amount she's eating. I'm lucky if I get can get Liam to eat 2 tb at a sitting, unless I'm squeezing it in his mouth. I'll try offering the spoon to him although he ends up just throwing it.
My dreamed for Angel Baby DD (other than dreaded 40min naps) Born 4/30/16
Reflux, MSPI, Love my Spirited,textbook little munchkin DS Born 5/17/2012



**Siobhan**

Offline ENMS

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Re: Still refusing solids
« Reply #11 on: March 14, 2013, 01:19:19 am »
Elise, I was just at the Peds for his 9.5month check up and she said not to worry about it?

Oh I'm sorry hon, I really didn't want to worry you with my comment.   :-[

I think it depends on how YOU feel about it, like Anna said. If you're really worried and nothing you try is working, then you can try feeding therapy. But as many other people have said, you can wait and likely it'll go away. I think you have to listen to your mommy instinct on that one  ;).

Just BTW, feeding therapy is not a big thing, just a 1h long appointment with an OT, she watches him eat and chats with you, and then gives you advice and stuff to try out at home. It was very easygoing.
Elise



Offline TracyP21

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Re: Still refusing solids
« Reply #12 on: March 14, 2013, 07:50:33 am »

Hi, just popping on to say my DS has gone completely off his food (except yoghurt or custard) when he is teething, whether the actual chewing was making his gums sore?  Once his teeth came through he went back to normal. 
I was worried about dropping from 4 to 3 bottles but I found that it helped increase his appetite and just distracted him with food/water to get him through the time he was expecting his bottle (that was the 3pm bottle).

Offline tweetie

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Re: Still refusing solids
« Reply #13 on: March 16, 2013, 06:27:00 am »
Hi Skadiver I stopped by  :) to give you support. My DD is over 9.5 months old and I offered her food last 4 months. It took us 2 months to accept breakfast and last two months we are "working" on lunch  ;D. She is BF and has 4 BF during the day and 2 in the night. For breakfast she would eat around 80 grams (in Europe we measure and they say that meal should be 120-200 gr), and for the lunch two teaspoons and yesterday - finally she ate 50 gr. After 1.5 months of offering fruits she accepted banana and now she really loves it so you guess how our breakfast looks like - banana in all combinations  ;D. When I realized she likes oatmeals then I would put oatmeals in all combinations - I am pretty sure you are doing the same I just wanted to describe it and show you you are not alone  :-*. I offered her finger food she would smash it make the mess and that was her meal  ::). It was frustrated but last maybe five days she started to chew so I need to give her one piece of banana (of course) in hand and then I feed breakfast (when I give her a piece of apple she throws it immediately on the floor  ::)) . I am still cheating  ;D, when she opens mouth for banana I put one small spoon in her mouth (at the end of the feeding) but she likes it she does not protest it  :). For the lunch she did not want to open mouth for a month, then I started to eat with her, or I would put her food with my finger in her mouth, I would take a little from her plate and eat it so things started to progress. She started to chew too. I found she likes crispy cakes made of different cereals (like rice cakes)-  for lunch she gets that in hand. She likes that very much and she started to chew that (of course I am watching her like an eagle  ;D since she is learning to chew) but it is fun for her and she started to open mouth more frequently for lunch  ::). Of course we are talking about "sweet" food like sweet potato, butternut squash, red lentil, the rest of things she does not like it (broccoli, cauliflower etc.) but I am trying to find something she will like. I will become nutricionist  ::). I smash fruits with fork since beginning I did  not blend it. For the lunch at the beginning I blended (I see she does not like some textures) but now if I blend I would blend just little bit.

My ped would say these are not a meals but I do not care. DD is healthy and happy - I think that is the most important. The thing that worries me that she will go to the day care and I want her to eat decent meals. However I realized I need to have patience and find the way she would have fun during meals.

O my ped was telling me that DD is not hungry enough and all that kind of things  ::). Since this is my first baby I was confused but after trying feeding at  different timings after BF I realized that it did not matter. When she accepted breakfast she would eat no matter was it 1.5, 2 or 3 hr after milk and before she did not want it at all IYKWIM?

P.S. sorry for my English and loooong sentences  ;D