DS hasnt eaten for 3 months

[creations]

I'm just stopping by to cheer you on, I've looked at your thread a couple of times but didn't have anything to add - now I do:
you've already made progress YaY!!! 
Remember the small victories when things seem hard.
I would write it down - that he ate pasta again - and put it up somewhere where you can see it easily, maybe pinned to your fridge or similar.  Read it and count to ten on the hard days xx

It must be terribly worrying when a kiddie doesn't eat or limits their foods so much.

Like I said - here to cheer you on 

[jessmum46]

^^^^This absolutely   Well done!

[Katet]

I remember when I was dealing with food issues with my DS1, I decided that one new food a month was my goal & that really took the stress off the situation.

[CattyPads]

Thank you creations, I remember you from when I was last here, which its been a while as both my dss sleep through the night now!

Well I haven't had any more breakthroughs, he will just eat what he wants from the plate and ignores the other bits, but its only been 3 days so I guess I just carry on and not make a fuss, right?
I ask him if he wants to try, he says no, I say are you sure, he says no, then I drop it. He sits with us for the whole meal now.

I am so grateful for all your support, thanks again!

[creations]

3 days is a really short time.
Did you cut back the milk too?

I terms of what goes on his plate I would see it as a step in the right direction if he even ate a cracker rather than a breadstick, not that one is better than the other, they are both carbs and both probably a bit salty so in your mind it might not seem to be a big step as it isn't a proper meal but *to him* it could seem very different and just discovering that a new food is okay can lead to other new foods being tried.

Someone mentioned earlier about giving the desert at the start of the meal so LO doesn't hold out for it, I know it might not seem to make sense but it can be great to do that to get the appetite going. I did not have a fussy eater (thank goodness) but for a while I put a few sultanas on my DS's plate along with his normal meal which was the same as what I was eating.  He hadn't been holding out for sultanas but just didn't seem to have much appetite, and they got him going then he'd plough on through the rest of the plate.

[Lolly]

Sitting at the table for the whole meal is HUGE!! Well done! If he's not there, he can't eat so being there is half the battle! 

Three days is no time at all so yes, carry on without making a fuss, keep putting things in front of him it takes time! My two used to have blended pasta sauce ( meat based tomato sauce with lots of veggies), mostly because it stuck to the pasta better but gradually I blended less and less and just served it chunky. They used to eat the pasta and leave all the bits of veg but one day I realised they were both eating the peppers, mushroom and courgettes too. It didn't happen overnight that's for sure, but repeated exposure and no pressure does make them more likely to start eating things.

You can encourage him to pick up and smell foods too with no pressure to eat them, this can progress to touching to lips, licking, putting in the mouth briefly but not eating to taking a bite and eating.

Well done and carry on!

Laura

[Katet]

Sitting at the table for the whole meal is HUGE!! Well done! If he's not there, he can't eat so being there is half the battle! 

This ^^^

Having them at the table to see modelling is far more important than rapid change.

3 days is nothing if you've had him hardly eating for 3 months. Think about when they learn to talk... it really takes years, I mean yes a 3yo can speak, but can everyone understand, has he got an advanced vocab? If you think about it at 3yo he speaks maybe 10-20 of the vocab of an adult, so really expecting 10% of food is fairly reasonable. It's a learning process & it takes time.

[CattyPads]

Hi everyone

Just a quick update...we have had no improvement whatsoever  he hasnt tried anything new, he still pushes the plate away, only eats his yogurts then begs for ours. I am a bit disheartened.
Today, all day he had
brekfast 270 ml milk, a biscuit,
lunch 2  tiny breadsticks and two baby yogurts
noon snack a little ice cream,
dinner 270 ml milk.

I feel he is getting worse and worse.
thanks x

[Buntybear]

At dinner this evening did you offer him food he likes alongside maybe one new thing?

[We Three]

  Am I right that that is the US equivalent of 9 ounces of milk?  That's alot, and if it's full fat milk it's very filling. I'd cut that back to 4 ounces IIWM, so he isn't so full.  He has his milk upon waking, then I'd offer him food 45 mins later, and again I'd put several things on the plate.

  What would happen if the bread sticks had a little side of apple butter? Or cheese dip? Anything to engage him and make him curious. I'd say nothing, but put out the breadsticks, pick one up myself, dip it, eat it, smile, and walk away.

 ETA....I'd do this in a neutral place....a new place like his own table. Maybe the tray of the stroller when out.

 Since he seems like to like crunchy things, that is where I'd try to expand. When you say biscuit you mean cookie, yes?  I'd make some hearty cookies, oatmeal raisin or apple cinnamon cookies, or peanut butter cookies, at least then I'd know he is getting a new texture, and it's wholesome.

[creations]

I agree with cutting back the milk - a couple of people have suggested the milk is filling him up too much for him to be interested in other foods.  It is a lot of this age.  If it was me though I think I'd dramatically cut back that morning milk or even give the solids first and hold off on the milk until later, and then only offer a small cup as pps said.
It can be really surprising how appetite is effected in both young and older kids. My nephew visited (age 7, tall very active) and ate less at meal times than my (then) 4yo. The 7yo was eating half or even less than my DS I was astounded. But looking at his daily diet discovered sugary breakfast cereals, lots of full sugar fizzy drinks and juice, lots of sweets and lollipops. During the visit and with my influence the unhealthy foods were dramatically reduced and suddenly the kid was eating adult portions at dinner - the were a couple of meals the adults took small portions to allow him the amount he actually needed/wanted - that is until I increased the portion sizes I was cooking to cater for his new found appetite!
I know it is different with your LO, it is not fizzy drinks, juice or sweets, but this thread reminded me of the dramatic change I saw in my nephew and thought I'd share. Honestly none of us expected his appetite to be so greatly effected.
I really think cutting back on milk would mean your LO would be more interested in other foods and eventually proper meals.

[CattyPads]

Thank you, I will try it.
I was only going by the guidelines, in my country they say at 2 years old they should  have have a litre per milk per day, but if you guys think I should reduce it in order for him to eat I will try it. Because his paediatrician doesn't seem interested and says"it will pass".
thanks again

[creations]

Well, that's hard if you are trying to follow your local guidelines, I've never seen guides which suggest that much. It's about double (or more) what is recommended here.