Author Topic: 9 mo old throwing tantrums when feeding solids  (Read 2093 times)

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Offline NinNic

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9 mo old throwing tantrums when feeding solids
« on: March 24, 2015, 19:17:29 pm »
Hi,

LO has been very good at eating solids since around 6 mo. She has just turned 9 mo. She is not teething at moment and not sick. All of a sudden she has been throwing tantrums when feeding her solids. First I thought it was because she only wanted fruit so her favorite food would be porridge with fruit. Today at dinner she did not want to eat at all not even fruit. I'm BF morning, noon, afternoon, before BT and DF and solids morning and dinner. I haven't introduced meals 3 times/day yet as I wanted to go slow as she had some problems with pooing.

My questions are now:

Do I need to get worried that she is not eating enough? I don't want her to start waking at night from being hungry as I haven't BF her at night for some time now.

What do I do when she is throwing tantrums? Should I just skip meal altogether or offer something else?

She likes scrambled eggs, how many times/week is it safe to give eggs?

Is throwing tantrums during solids normal at this age? Is it just a phase?

I was planning on phasing out DF while introducing 3 meals/day, is it bad idea to do it now that she is not eating solids properly?

Really appreciate advice!

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Re: 9 mo old throwing tantrums when feeding solids
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2015, 22:18:55 pm »
Hi :)
Could you post her usual EAS times please?

It seems to me that as she has enjoyed solids up to this point there is likely something else going on rather than just not liking the food.  You say she is not ill or teething but might she be tired for instance?
Many LOs will eat more earlier in the day and may take a larger portion of their calories in the morning and afternoon hours rather than the evening. In particular the dinner time meal may be coming a bit too late for her.  It could be a simple case of tweaking her EASY, moving dinner earlier, or offering lunch instead of dinner (or as well as dinner as she is 9 months).
It may also be that she would like to have more control over her food - are you offering finger foods or a pre-loaded spoon/fork for her to self feed for example? The tantrums may be related to wanting to do it for herself.

There's no problem with offering an egg every day although personally I'd rather see a range of foods being offered rather than limiting her diet down to one or two foods she appears to have a preference for.

WRT weaning the DF.  This does not need to be linked to how many solid meals she is taking in the day. You are offering both milk and solids in the day and she has the option to take them. She either has the ability to go through the night without a feed or she doesn't. She will increase her calorie intake in the day hours to make up for the lost DF (she may not immediately but will after a few days) and if she is unable to then she will wake for a feed.  If this happens you can always reintroduce the DF but my guess is you won't need to. 

If she throws a tantrum at her meal, throws it on the floor or turns her face away, I would say something like "OK, looks like you've finished, lets clean up" wipe her down and take her out of her high chair, move on to another activity (or have a cuddle if she is still upset).  If she indicates she wants to return to the food I would give her that chance, before putting her in her high chair tell her something like "Oh, so you are hungry then. Let's enjoy our meal together. If you shout I'll think you are finished."  I would only let her return to the food once at each meal though, this doesn't need to turn into game of in the high chair out of the high chair.
You ask if you should offer something else - at each meal I would offer a couple of different things out on her plate or tray from the start of the meal and that's it.  I wouldn't start looking in the fridge for something different and then something else and so on.

Do you eat your meal with her at the same time? This can have quite an effect on what and how much LOs eat too.

Hope there are a few ideas there to get started.
Please do post your EASY and any further questions.


Offline NinNic

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Re: 9 mo old throwing tantrums when feeding solids
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2015, 19:46:32 pm »
Hi,

Thanks for your reply and all advice!  :)

Usual EAS at mo:
WU 6 am
BF 6:30
Breakfast 8:15
S 10:20-12:00
BF 12:10, 15:20
S 16:00-16:30
Dinner 16:40
BF 18:10
BT 18:30

I don't think she is tired as such. Today I was thinking that maybe she could be teething as she has been quite moody. Thing is she has been teething before and still eating solids so don't  know why she would refuse solids if she hasn't before while teething.

Do you think her dinner might be too late? It has been fine so far and she has been eating fine.

Yes you may be right. Usually feed her with a spoon. I started giving her more finger foods yesterday, she is interested in touching, smelling food but it's harder for her to eat much when finger food. Should I also give her spoon to feed herself? I do think she wants to be in charge. Should I stop feeding her with a spoon and just let her try?

Today she had very little finger food in morning. For dinner I had prepared porridge she didn't want it at all. I tried to give her some snack yesterday around lunch time and today, she was not interested at all.

When she doesn't have breakfast and dinner should I BF her instead? After breakfast she wanted to BF. At dinner she didn't but was hungry earlier for her BT BF. Should I feed her for dinner too if she doesn't take solids?

Usually I feed her before I have my own breakfast, but today I had together with her. Will try for dinner too but that is a bit trickier as I don't have time to prepare when on my own. I can always have something small with her.

Offline We Three

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Re: 9 mo old throwing tantrums when feeding solids
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2015, 19:55:48 pm »
TBH I wouldn't worry too much about this. Until 12 months all nutrition is breast or formula, and solids are for experimentation and exposure.  IIWM I would do as pp said and put things on her tray for her to pick up on her own.....pasta, pieces of baked sweet potato, bites of blueberry pancakes,  cooked carrot, soft pears, things that she can pick up and do herself.  Babies are so funny....my dd went on a hunger strike once and I switched to a different dish and she was all in again. She liked thinking she was eating MY food....LOL!

A change of scenery could be helpful too. maybe on your lap at the table, or see if she eats better when you're out and about like at the park or the mall or whatever. Sometimes I think they feel the 'expectation', and a change of venue or approach can help. 

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Re: 9 mo old throwing tantrums when feeding solids
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2015, 23:50:44 pm »
I don't think dinner is too late, besides she is sleeping until then.

she is interested in touching, smelling food but it's harder for her to eat much when finger food.
This is all great experience of food. There is so much more to food than just eating, if you think about adults how food is presented is half the meal, we 'eat' with our eyes and nose, we like a variety of textures and flavours, we like to talk about food, food is frequently the centre point of social meetings - so much more than just chewing and swallowing. So she is now learning all of these things, exploring food in her hands also gives her fine motor practice and lets her learn about the world around her, it's a new item to be explored.  I wouldn't waste huge meals by letting her 'play' with an entire plate full but there is no harm in a few pieces being moved around and mushed in her hands.  The odd bit might make it to her mouth for a lick or a gum on it.

If you observe her actions and listen to her sounds you will likely be able to follow her lead. it's not so much about 'stopping' feeding her with a spoon (as though this is no longer allowed) rather see if she'd like to have a go, maybe a spoon each, load hers and offer it to her hand instead of her mouth or lay it on her tray. Load another and offer to feed her too.  She will likely show you which she prefers.
Mine was very clear about who should be doing what. I did full BLW, all finger foods and self feeding and he was very clear to let me know when he was struggling and wanted my help (when food wasn't getting to his mouth fast enough because it was slippy for instance so I might hold it and he'd pull my hand and the food to his mouth)
Which leads me on to whether to BF or not when she misses a meal - follow her lead and I am sure all will be well.

WRT teething, babies seem to drool and teeth for ever and still eat, but we certainly experienced some phases of no appetite due to teething, she might be cutting a tooth or having a particularly painful phase. Mine liked hard foods during those times, bread sticks, a bit of fruit perhaps but he did go off his regular meals and he was always a food lover.


Offline NinNic

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Re: 9 mo old throwing tantrums when feeding solids
« Reply #5 on: March 27, 2015, 20:51:57 pm »
Thank you so much for all your advice!  :)

She has def been teething! Been so fussy whole week. Today for dinner she had her porridge for first time in several days. While teething only thing she wanted was bread which she could chew on, guess it was soothing for her teething.

Let's see what happens from now on.

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Re: 9 mo old throwing tantrums when feeding solids
« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2015, 08:05:59 am »
Sounds like she might be getting back on track :)
Let us know how you get on.