Baby refusing solid food - HELP!

[JennyE]

My 8 month old son has been eating solid foods since about 5-6 months without any problems.  As of two weeks ago, he was eating about 3-4 jars a day PLUS having regular bottles.  But for the past week, he has suddenly started rejecting all solid food.  He will turn his head, look down, clench his lips together, etc....  I've tried different flavors, giving him cheerios, mashing people food, etc... and he wants NO part of it.  He is still taking his bottle - but not any extra.  He's was sick last week and still has a stuffy nose - maybe that is playing a part?.  The nurse at my Dr. office said not to worry about it - but I am starting to get a little bit concerned.  He's seems otherwise content and  I don't want to force him to eat.  Anybody have a similar experience or suggestions?

[Sylvia.]

just keep offering food, offer different things at different times, dd was similar, any teeth on the way, also try leaving some food out on the table for help your self whenever, may work, i remember how concerned i was

[mum101]

Hi, If he's a happy munchkin otherwise, don't worry. My little one (even though she's a real foodie) has refused food at times with no real illness in sight.  Just keep it light hearted, give him a small sample of food and if he wants he'll eat it.  
Just keep an eye on him.  I agree having a cold could impact on his appetite.  He's drinking all his milk, so fluids aren't a problem by the sounds.  
cherio, char

[mumtobrandon]

My lo suffered from the cold and totally turned off his milk for two weeks or so. They do lose their appetite when they get sick just keep persisting it will improve after a little while. My son is eight months now.

[Lola]

M goes on and off her food often. She hardly ate any breakfast at all for about a month!! Teething really decreases her appetite. I have learned to chill because i know now that she will eat again when she is ready

[Jodiejo]

Hi Jenny, I feel your dispair - I'm so glad to have found this post - not that I'm glad you're son has gone off his food, but that my dd is not alone. Just since Sunday she has been refusing solids. We were out to dinner on Saturday evening and my dad fed her some fish and potatoes from his plate. She had just had a full bottle and some of the food lodge in her throat and caused her to gag a subsequently vomit up all the food and the milk. I was afraid that had given her a complex abou the eating but hopefully, like your son it will be just a phase. I have been trying her with new foods in case it was just that she was fed ip of the old ones and she did it a couple of spoonfuls for me this evening, but I had to let her hold the spoon (with my hand guiding it to her mouth) for her to even let me. She has been eating small amts of finger food. I felt that if she just got a taste of it she would eat it. Hope it sorts itself out for you. Keep me posted on when and how he goes back on them and likewise if I come up with a miracle I will let you know!

[geoffreyandme]

Glad I found this and not alone, my ds stopped taking his solids today..he will take a little of the sweet fruit stuff however. I don't think he's coming down with anything or teething at the moment. Maybe he's sick of the foods or something put him off. I will keep trying more things!

[andibig]

if this is any help-DD recently had a bad stomach upset and went off her soilds for about a week (just nibbling bits here and there). illness and teething really affects her appetite and it takes a while afterwards for her appetite to recover. and i know about teething as dd has got 17 teeth now .
as long as he is taking his milk then don't worry as its still the main source of nutrtion at his age and continue offering solids/finger foods at your normal times
HTH

[geoffreyandme]

i am still having troubles here...it's basically that he won't eat the savory stuff! he will eat cereal and fruits but not veggies and meat. he just refuses after one bite no matter what i try. any advice? i hope this isn't the start of him being a picky eater...he was eating everything and plenty of it!

[Emma1]

Could it be a will-power thing? 

Evie (10mos) doesn't like her normal meals this week, but will quite happily munch on a stick of cheese, banana or biscuit if she is feeding herself!  Perhaps it could be something to do with them showing their independence?

[geoffreyandme]

I get that feeling too....he's eating some solids now but sometimes still gets reluctant and I think he wants to move on to eating more independently...

[Emma1]

This morning I gave Evie toast to hold and while she was putting it in her mouth,  I snuck weetabix in too!! I managed to get a third in before she caught on to my sneaky trick!

For lunch today I'm going to give her cooked carrots and some turkey pieces.  Fingers crossed.... 

[sazza]

another one in the same boat here - we're at nearly 9 1/2 months and have been having problems for a couple of weeks now with both milk and solids - but weirdly the problems didn't start until AFTER he'd cut his first tooth (plus he had a cold at the same time, but didn't start resisting his food until the feeling-bad part was over and he had started coughing and sniffing - blocked nose maybe contributing?). he's started to drink a little more milk over the last couple of nights, but the solids remain problematic - same as geoffreyandme, gone off savoury but will eat sweet! i'm so worried about him getting a sweet tooth, as all my family have weak teeth and he won't let me near his tooth to keep it clean. i also thought it might be to do with boredom but he's resisting new foods just as much as the old ones. he's liking having finger foods but not the same things all the time and not new things either - it's getting really hard to know what he will reliably eat as it keeps changing!!!! i'm just trying to remind myself that he'll eat enough to stay alive (and hopefully enough to have enough energy for his busy-ness), and that he's in good spirits so he's not sick, and he's not waking hungry during the night so he must be getting enough, and hope like hell that i haven't made too big a deal out of it.....

fingers crossed for all of us...