Loss of appetite while teething - any experiences?

[Bababoo]

My 10 month old DD is a has a great appetite - is on 19oz formula and 3 good meals a day - mixture of self-feeding and spoon. Lunch and dinner yesterday were a nightmare - only managed to get a tiny bit of food into her for dinner. Breakfast today was ok but she's just refused lunch - had to give her a bottle which I haven't done in the afternoon for a couple of months now. She has two bottom teeth (has done for months) and two are on the way - I know she was in pain last night so I gave her some Calpol going to bed.

Does anyone think the teething and lack of interest in food are related or have experience of it - I'm really stressed and upset after lunch that she has now missed two meals in 24 hours...and I know dinner will be the same later. I don't remember her being like this when the first two teeth came through....

Any advice?

Thanks!

[michaeljacknnugg]

Yes, it's completely normal! If she wants more milk as a result, myabe you could offer that?

[Bababoo]

Gave her a bottle instead of lunch..just am stressed already about dinner later - she already has a bottle before bed, aswell as a good dinner - worried about her going to bed again without dinner - and waking up during the night for a feed (though I admit she didn't wake last night).

Is it a lack of appetite do you think or just the pain of something on her gums - how many days should it last before becoming an issue - she does eat good sized meals so I'm worried about her missing all that food - even with an increase in milk.

I'm rambling a bit - sorry - she got really upset at lunch and then I got cranky with her for throwing her food on the ground and then of course I felt horrible for being cranky when it's not her fault and I got upset - and there's another round of this to go before bedtime!

[michaeljacknnugg]

If she has a good milk intake, then that should provide the majority of her calories. I wouldn't worry about her intake as 'before one, food is for fun'. You could up the milk, or offer her soft things like yogurt, mashed banana etc. She may want to gum on something to help with the soreness.

All babies are different, mine went back to softer food but I know some who went off it completely. I think it's the soreness that causes the issue rather than a lack of appetite, but generally they make up for any deficit afterwards. Babies and toddlers don't starve themselves, no matter how much they worry their parents!

[Bababoo]

Thanks for that...I suppose I'm so used to her chomping down on everything in sight that it's a bit of a shock to see her so upset at the thought of eating things she normally loves...I'll increase her bottles by an oz or two and hope this is a short phase!

[Buttonbobs]

We had exactly the same, try not to worry. My DD is usually a great eater, but we can always tell when teeth are on the way as she really cuts down on food and only eats her favourites. I agree with MJ&N that you can offer alternatives including milk, and remember that the extra formula will be more calories than in the solid food she would usually take so this short term reduction shouldn't cause hunger really.

Could you try making ice-lollies or ice cubes of pureed fruit and/or veg to offer as the coolness may be soothing and she'll still get some nutritional value?

[Bababoo]

Relieved to hear others have had the same experience - good idea with the ice-cubes - she did eat up her orange this morning with gusto...it was cold so chewing on it must have been nice!
Think part of my stress is worrying that this period of food rejection will become a 'thing' - she has older cousins who have been fussy eaters since they were babies and I have worked really hard to introduce her to all types of flavours and foods in the hope that she will be a good eater - she has been great so far and the thought of that ending is heartbreaking.

I know this is an over-reaction to what at the moment amounts to two missed meals...add a sudden return to 5am wake-up times and maybe the exhaustion might explain the stress!

[Buttonbobs]

Some babies are fussy eaters and will turn into older children who are more fussy. But a fussy patch of a few days doesn't necessarily lead to a fussy eater. If you're really worried you could always try medicating with paracetamol half an hour before the meal and see if it makes a difference. Try not to worry though ((hugs))

[creations]

I see you already had lots of support but I couldn't read and not post. Mine also went right off food during certain teething phases (not all but some), here it could last several days and through those days I gave him anything he wanted that was still considered healthy. So I wouldn't usually give just sultanas or grapes for lunch because I don't consider that a balanced diet even though it's healthy food but if that's all he'd have when teething then fine, have them.
Mine loved something hard to chomp on, bread sticks he'd snatch at, and (not sure if they have these where you are) some sugar free baby/toddler biscuits I think they are 'Goodies' moon biscuits, quite hard. I think it's like a teether, something hard to gum can actually ease the pain.
Raw celery (a long stick so the strands can be held comfortably, not cut into little bits) is something I always suggest as it has natural local anaesthetic qualities but so far I've never heard of any LO accepting it

When the teething pain has passed she'll likely make up for any lost calories and eat your fridge empty. Try not to worry.

[Bababoo]

Thanks so much....think I am over-reacting a bit and causing stress for me and the baba when she has enough to be dealing with coping with sore gums.

Had a chat with my sister who is a midwife and a mum who said pretty much the same as you creations - rather than trying to get meat and veg into her let her have nice things that will be easy on her gums - she loves fruit and natural yogurt so I think a few days of extra bottle and cold fruit pieces will be ok (and will look for some of those baby biscuits) - by trying to keep getting her regular meals into her I might make a fussy eater where there isn't one - just a little baba with a sore mouth!

And you are right Buttonbobs - it's unlikely that a few days will utterly change her attitude to food - as my sister said she is far too interested in food to be put off longterm! I need to relax a bit and appreciate how she feels right now - my sister pointed out that some babies get really sick during teething phases so I need to put it in perspective.

Thanks so much for replying folks....feel much better about how to help her - and even worse that I got cranky with her earlier 

[creations]

Everyone gets cranky at some point, today was just your day.  I think sometimes it's easier to get cranky over something we know our LOs 'do well' because we have a set expectation so it throws us off course when they suddenly don't do as we expect.  I think all my cranky guilt has been over things DS does well and never over things he struggles with or hasn't learned to do yet.

my sister pointed out that some babies get really sick during teething phases so I need to put it in perspective.

At 10 months DS was admitted to hospital for 4 nights when he was cutting about 4 or 5 teeth at once and caught a virus/cold at the same time.  That was super scary.  When he was discharged with meds to be given day and night he had reverted to milk only and needed night milk feeds too, like a new born again. His solids had been so well received and varied before that illness and it took weeks of almost no solids before he started to eat again and it was little by little.  But on his first birthday he was eating out at a restaurant and trying everyone's various meals, huge portions too   Your DD will eat again, she will.

[Bababoo]

That's exactly what I meant by needing perspective...I can only imagine how stressful and upsetting having your LO in hospital must have been  - and then to start feeding all over again.

And I think you make a really good point about the things LOs do well - I had 'great eater' ticked in my head on the list of things to achieve and got a bit caught up in worrying about losing that...but she is only 10 months old and I kind of forgot that I need to listen to her...and relax!