Still having trouble with solids

[Skadiver13]

sorry maybe vegan cheese has soy products - just thinking out loud here).

Yes most if not all vegan cheeses are soy.  We'll be doing a milk trial but not till he gets back with DH from vacation I just coudln't tackle that and weaning the reflux meds and the 2-1

Do you think it is because food makes him feel unwell? Or do you think it is more behavioral-related (sorry this may not be the right word, I can't find the right one as english is not my first language  )?

I think it's behavior related. He is a very strong willed little boy. He wants what he wants and doesn't want what he doenst' and will let the whole world know. We weaned the morning dose but not the evening dose. I wonder if maybe that could be it but he doesnt' act like he's in pain and he drinks his bottles ok (althlough has been stopping after 4oz.) I don't think it's reflux though, no wet burps, no hiccups, no vomitting etc.

When my DS is being super picky I always revert to blueberry pancakes because he'll eat those every time. 

One of the reasons I reposted yesterday was I tried homemade blueberry pancakes.. Even dribbled a little real maple syrup on them to make them enticing. Didn't want them. :/ If you can send me that muffin cereal recipe I have baby cereal that is milk free. just can't get him to eat it by itself, never could.

Smoothies he might drink yes.. That's a great idea I hadn't thought of that. Would I put it in a sippy or just spoons feed it? How would i make them? He likes his coconut yogurt that's my go to snack even though it gives him loose stool it's a good snack for him. I'll stick to giving him fruit for a snack as well.

[creations]

You could try smoothies (and his milk too) with a straw rather than sippy or bottle.  Sometimes access to a new 'tool'/toy is enough motivation to keep at it.  I had to take away a new cup from my DS because he drank so much water from it he refluxed and vommed it all out   I had to be careful with introduction of the straw too and limit what he had with it because he was so into learning a new skill.  Worth a try if you haven't tried before.

Have you tried going back on the morning reflux meds? Is it something you really don't want to do?  The one time I tired a reflux meds wean was disastrous and took me about 2 weeks before I worked out what was causing the problem. And I'd reduce it by such a small amount you wouldn't think it could possibly make any difference at all. As soon as I went back full dose he was fine again (now trying again a year on!)

[Skadiver13]

He loves his sippy with a straw but refuses to drink anything but water out of it :/ and he likes to take the water and let if fal lout of his mouth lol. But he may take a smoothie from it if it tastes good so I'll try that. What were the signs that it was reflux? I'm not getting any classic signs. His sleep during the day is fine. No coughing, wet burps, hiccups etc. which all were signs when he had reflux. I haven't tried giving him the morning dose but I guess I could? It' sjust he's been off it for almost 3 weeks now. He still gets 10mg at night before bed.

[creations]

The signs weren't clear enough to me to work it out fast enough but his sleep was disturbed and a little bit of hiccuping. It's silent reflux so it was very rare for him to be obvious and bring up a lot of food/milk/water.
Hmm...has the solid feeding been worse in the last 3 weeks then or has this been going on much longer?  He used to have a good variety of foods didn't he?  now more and more limited?  Does it coincide?

[ENMS]

I think it's behavior related. He is a very strong willed little boy.

In that case I really think an OT can help. They have such amazing tricks. It would have to be one specialized in feeding therapy though.

from my own personal experience: offer often, in various settings. For a 'normal' kid with no food issues, it can take up to 20 times of offering a food before they accept it. So it could be much more for your DS.  My DS was so cautious for a long while. He just recently started to be more open towards new foods.  Don't be stressed, try to be as easygoing as you can. Give very soft food because it is easier to chew and since he has not eaten a lot in his life yet, he will need to practice because he can master chewing harder foods (for example one of M's safe foods was green beans, the OT made us give him canned green beans to help him practice since it is really soft and now he's onto just regular cooked green beans - the canned ones were just for a transition, they are pretty much void of nutrition but the goal was really just to get him to eat them). Really just offer, offer, offer. Our issue is breakfast and M is not eating a few cereals standing on a stool with his bowl on the big table. He loves it. It'snot ideal and it makes a mess sometimes, but at least he eats a little bit.

I've also noticed both my kids always eat much better at daycare than at home. I think it has to do with distraction, and also seeing every other LO eat too.

As for reflux meds, this may be unconventionnal, but although I can say that M absolutely needed them as a baby, he did much better once I weaned them at 10 months. He started eating better shortly thereafter. Reflux meds make the stomach less acidic which can make digestion more difficult. So if there is reflux of course they may be needed, but if he doesn't have reflux, the meds can actually cause some trouble for him. Just a thought. However if he has been worse since you weaned the AM dose, then probably reflux is bothering him

FX he likes the smoothies!

[Skadiver13]

For a 'normal' kid with no food issues, it can take up to 20 times of offering a food before they accept it. So it could be much more for your DS.

He's actually refusing food he used to love that's what I'm most worried about. I introduce new food all the time if he doesnt' take to it I don't stress about it If all he eats is pasta and peas than so be it as long as he's eating it. My concern is with the amount does that make sense? I do keep offering new things hopeing he'll take to them at some point like he did with avacado.

I didn't realized canned veggies were void of nutrition? Taht's all hes eating as it's softer.. I can do steamed aspragus he'll eat that, but the steamed peas are still too chewie if that makes sense?

Yeah I wish I could eat all our meals out LOL, he'd eat 10X better. I'm going to take him out to lunch today to give us both a break. Although he did eat well for breakfast. It was just peas and pasta but he ate a bunch of it so I was happy.

Any recipes for smoothies? I've never made them.. I need to buy a blender. Going to do that tomorrow.

[ENMS]

didn't realized canned veggies were void of nutrition? Taht's all hes eating as it's softer..

(((hugs))) I didn't mean to be rude hon. But the vitamins are not very present anymore in those canned veggies. It's definitely better fresh but until he can handle it, then go ahead with the canned ones.

As for refusing things he previously liked... I think it can be normal for some LO's but it's hard to tell. It could be reflux, or teething, or just that he doesn't feel like it anymore. It's so hard!

[Skadiver13]

Oh to weren't rude at all. I just didn't realize it. It'd just also more convenient. What about frozen are those ok?

[ENMS]

Yes I think there are more nutrients in frozen vs canned. Not an expert, but I think frozen are sometimes more nutritious anyway since they are frozen within minutes or hours of being picked.

[Skadiver13]

Ok, we'll go that route. steamed veggie it is ..

[ENMS]

They may be harder to chew for him, so if you see problems don't hesitate to go back to canned. Although they are less nutritious, at least they are good practice.

[Skadiver13]

ok thanks. I think if I steam them for a bit longer they may become softer.

[creations]

I think the canned veg are lower in nutrients because they are basically overcooked. tbh if you need the food really soft for him to accept it then you'll be over cooking any way even with fresh food yk? Although steamed is better than boiled.  Sometimes convenience is needed and it sounds like it's a worth while route if it helps in the long run.

wrt stopping eating foods he used to eat, my DS has no allergies (just reflux) and he certainly stopped eating the variety he used to eat, at around 1yo.  It was almost like from 6 months to 1yo everything was tried and tested, clear likes and dislikes but always willing to give it a go. After 1yo though so many things he just refused.  We don't have a super limited diet but the drop in variety was enough for me to notice it and to be concerned about certain food groups (protein and milk).  This doesn't mean you are worrying unnecessarily because I understand about the weight gain (lack of) but just agreeing with pp that it can be normal for this to happen.  I think when you have a LO with difficulties like this it can feel uncertain what is the intolerance, what is reflux, what is teething, and what is normal toddler.

Really interesting to hear that reflux meds wean can help with eating. I wouldn't expect that.

[ENMS]

Really interesting to hear that reflux meds wean can help with eating. I wouldn't expect that.

I certainly don't think it is the norm. But if he doesn't have anymore reflux, then the meds are just lowering the acidity of the stomach, for no reason. And acidity of the stomach is necessary for the digestive process to begin, and to work well. That is what M's chiro had explained to me and I have to say I was skeptical but it did end up working out for us. But I knew by then that his reflux was pretty much history, yk? I don't think I would've attempted it otherwise

[Skadiver13]

I did see a difference in his eating when we stopped the morning needs it did help good poops become former, less undigested food in his poops etc. I honestly don't hunk of reflux related as he signed his afternoon bottle with no issues. I still wonder if he's holding out for his bottle though. I post breakfast about 30 min after we get up. Then about an hour later he's whining, and clinging anything for his bottle. He is only drinking about 5oz but he really wants it.b same with his afternoon bottle but less so. And he still gets as bt bottle. He was about 2 weeks ago getting about 22-24oz a day now we're set about 20.