13 month old has become fussy with food...AND has started waking early! Help!

[vmcdonald28]

Hi there,
my 13-month-old ds has been a great eater until very recently. He now shakes his head at some foods before they've even gone in his mouth! I feel as if i'm throwing away a lot of food just now - including meals he used to love. Also, it makes it difficult if we go out for the day - I end up just giving him milk and yoghurt, cos i know he'll definitely take it.

He's only got 3 teeth, so could it be that his gums are too sore? Or is it just a complete change in appetite?

He has also started waking up before 6am, and squealing to get up to play. he used to sleep till 7.30.
are the problems connected...?

Is this a common thing at this age? What should his feeding routine be by this stage? Please also note that he will not feed himself, so self-feeding snacks are out... 

His current routine (which has gone pear-shaped in the past few days) was......
8am - 1.5 Weetabix and whole milk. Usually refuses water/juice.
10.30 - 5oz whole milk, and a yoghurt
1pm - lunch, and water/juice
3.30 - 5oz whole milk and either yoghurt or custard or pureed fruit
6pm - dinner and water/juice
8pm - 7oz whole milk, then bed.

any tips...?
VERY much appreciated. x

[J & J's Mum]

My ds is 12 1/2 months and is refusing foods.  He also sits there shaking his head!!  He would eat yoghurt though until the cows came home!!  He's got his 2 bottom teeth through and now all of a sudden his 2 top are through, so I thought it might be his gums, but he'll quite happily eat quavers, so it can't be!!  It's so frustrating isn't it?!  I don't know what to do either.

[Marisa's Mom]

my 13-month-old ds has been a great eater until very recently. He now shakes his head at some foods before they've even gone in his mouth! I feel as if i'm throwing away a lot of food just now - including meals he used to love.

I know exactly how you feel cuz my 13 month old just started getting fussy with foods too, particularly later in the day & dinner time. Doesn't matter if it's food she used to love eating. She just refuses to open her mouth  for you to put it in. And if you do manage to get it in her mouth, the food just sits there, she does not chew/swallow it. She just cries, squeezing out big tears, it's as if I were trying to torture her or something. I'm hoping it's just a short phase they go through.

Could your DS be teething? (drools a lot more than usual?) ... I only ask this because my DD had difficulties eating during her last teething phase. I tihnk she found it painful to eat. She enjoyed eating colder easy-on-the-gums foods like yogurt and (cold) applesauce.

Anyways, we have been trying something different. Since we were having a hard time with her eating dinner, we decided to mix it up... give her her dinnertime food for breakfast. She used to get a waffle & banana for breakfast. For the last 2 mornings (yest & today), we gave her dinner (dinner mix & veggies) plus banana. We'd alternate spoonfuls of each .... one spoon dinner, then one spoon banana, then one spoon dinner, then one spoon banana. Ok, she's obviously not as excited about having her dinner in the morning, but she'll eat it, maybe because she knows that the banana is coming afterwards. I guess banana makes everything go down easier.    Yesterday I gave her (breakfast) waffle & yams for lunch. And I gave her (lunch) spaghetti for dinner. I think this has thrown her off, cuz she was a much nice eater yesterday.    We'll see what happens after lunch & dinner today....

I am also trying to cut back on sweets... maybe she has developed a taste for all the sweet foods and then doesn't want to eat the more savory foods. 

[vmcdonald28]

It's good to know we're in the same boat!

My ds had his MMR injection about ten days ago, and has been really off-colour the last few days. Maybe that's part of the problem too.

If only we could stop him waking at 5.20am on the dot!

[Marisa's Mom]

If only we could stop him waking at 5.20am on the dot!

Oh, that's early!  DD used to think morning started around 5:30-6am. Things got a little better after she started sleeping through the night, plus the recent time change +1hr helped a little. Now mornings usually start around 6:30-7am ... unfortunately a little too late for her to catch The Wiggles on TV though, it's her one and only favorite TV show. We put her to bed around 8pm too.

[vmcdonald28]

Lucky you! It's just so frustrating! He used to sleep till 8ish, then it gradually got earlier, to around 7am. But it just jumped to 5.20 for the past few days.

MAYBE it's cos he's not eating much, so wakes up starving...?

[George's Mum]

Hi - my ds is exactly the same!  He's just turned 12 months and has recently started being fussy with food and has been waking early for a couple of months now (although we've cracked that one now - we moved to one nap a day after lunch instead of a mid morning and mid afternoon nap.  He's took to it great and now wakes anytime after 8.00 am.  It was 9.20 am the other day - glorious!). 

George is only just at 12 months starting to have finger foods - he just didn't seem to know what to do with them.  However, Jacob's mum's post about quavers made me laugh out loud - that's him all over too!  I think they realise they have some control and are exerting it whenever they can.  George has also started to pick up his Cheerios in the morning and one by one drop them on the floor with an manic grin on his face.  He does it very slowly and looks me in the eye whilst doing it.  Then he turns his head to the side and smiles to himself.  It's hilarious.

I worry that he isn't getting enough variety in his food, but for now I'm hiding veggies in his sauces and he loves fruit (but only blended), yohurt and cheese.  Does anyone have any advice on how we can get him to eat fruit, veg and salad as finger foods.  He loves them cooked or blended, but seems frightened of a whole strawberry or piece of tomato.  Also, when is it safe to give things with skin on like tomatoes and sweetcorn.  On the rare ocassions he'll let me give him some, ds either gags or hides them in his mouth for hours.

Let me know how you all get on.

[vmcdonald28]

thanks everyone. ds has started sleeping till 7 or 7.30 again - i think the MMR was the issue. he just wasnt himself at all.

George's mum - interesting that george has only started finger foods. Adam won't put a THING in his mouth by himself. he wont even attempt it. it's only in the last 2 weeks that we've managed to get him to drink water from a cup (although we have to hold it for him!), rather than from a bottle. He has only started holding his bottle of milk by himself. And he's nearly 14 months!

The health visitor said he is lazy, which i thought was a bit harsh. He may well be, but it wasnt exactly helpful advice! I explained that he had never ever put toys in his mouth  either, so i suspect that it's just an instinct he doesnt have.

x

[George's Mum]

Hi - yes, Adam sounds very similar to George.  We also have to hold his bottle and cup for him - although ocassionally, he'll attempt to do it himself, so maybe we're on the right tracks.  Like Adam, he very rarely puts anything in his mouth and he never has done - even when he's teething.  He seemed to miss that whole mouth exploration stage totally.  I think he's very wary of putting things in his mouth, but that's ok - on the bright side, at least choking is less of a worry!  I'm not sure lazy is the right description - they're just not ready yet.  I'm sure when they are, there will be no stopping them!

[vmcdonald28]

George's mum, if it's any help to you -

For months, we have been putting Adam's bottle in his mouth, then guiding his hands onto it, so he is at least "helping" and understanding what he is meant to do. He gradually started to hold the bottle by himself, after we'd put it in his mouth.
Then last week, i put a bottle beside him, while i went to get a bib, and i kid you not, he was drinking it by the time i got back!! Still wont put a cup in his mouth, or feed himself, but it's an amazing start!