18 Month old - Just not eating FOOD!!

[DGiessen]

I have read many posts , they are similar to mine but not exact.  My DS is 18 months now and is a refluxer.  He will eat his mashed up fruit but only of it is like a liquid, he will eat cereal, must also be runny, he will eat yogurt as well so long as there are no lumps in it..  He will eat bread, chips but that is about it. 

I have him on an iron supplement as he will not eat any meat.  He will NOT eat pureed food, only fruit.  I am at my wits end.  I have tried everything.  He does not like finger foods, he will only eat if we feed him.  If I make him finger foods like fish sticks or chicken, pasta etc he just throws it on the floor and walks away.  He will not sit in a high chair, he goes so crazy in it I am scared it falls over....

He has a good routine, and sleeps well, this is his routine but I do not think it is a problem...

06h30 wake and has a bottle
09h00 cereal
10h00 tea
10H30 bath and nap
12h30 juice
13h00 lunch - normally yogurt and fruit pureed
15h00 juice and biscuit
17h00 dinner - either cereal, yogurt or fruit
18h30 bottle
19h00 bed

I have spoken to his paed and he does not seem concerned at all, he says he is just a dairy baby and he will change in time...  Am I worrying for nothing?  He seems healthy but I do not know how I can get him to try other things...

Any ideas?

[Grace's Mom]

If you lo isn't waking up hungry and seems happy and healthy I wouldn't worry too much.  I know....easier said then done!   Mine isn't eating like she use to and I am just now relaxing more about it. 

I would reccommend giving what you know he will eat but also continue to try new things and things you thought he didn't like as he may change his mind one day. He may be trying to get a reaction from you so try to stay calm and eat with him so that he can see you eating as well.  Where does he eat if he's not in a high chair?  Can you get a big boy seat (a special seat ) that could encourage him to sit down and eat at the table (especially since walking around with food, etc. is a huge chocking hazard...not sure if that is what he is doing).

There are a few links under Eating for Toddlers on  how to get your lo to eat veggies and a link called What did your toddler eat today that may be able to give you some food ideas and advice from other mom's who may be going through a similar thing.

Good luck with the eating 

Melissa

[Two mummies]

Could it be that he isn't very hungry? He is still having a bottle in the morning and this could intefere with his apetite. Also I wouldn't give bottles/cups of juice before a meal as they tend to fill up on that and have no apetite for lunch.

Lesson we learned having a fussy eater ourselves is that getting her to eat anything other than a cream cheese sandwhich involves letting her go hungry when she refuses stuff we know she likes or has had before. The theory is when they ARE hungry they will eat and try things.

If he likes really runny food try introducing soups, we feed Riley canned soup without the lumps, they can be strained or pureed out. Chicken and veg is her fav and she sometimes has it from a cup. Letting her dip bread into it herself is messy but you'd be amazed how much soup goes down the hatch when it is soaked into bread!


Other little things that have worked for us:

-cream cheese on everything! Amazing that she won't eat a fish finger without cream cheese but smear a bit on each bite and she'll eat three in a sitting! Same goes for hamburgers.
-giving the whole intact piece of fruit worked when she wouldn't eat 'lumpy' puree...will sit and eat a whole banana if you just peel it...if you cut it up won't touch it!

Then there's the best trick but I think she might be on to us....we wash out and keep baby food jars and sneak other foods into the jars. She will eat it from the jar but not on a plate!

All in all feeding toddlers is an extremely stressful thing...it's 95% mental stress though as mostly our toddlers thrive despite our best efforts :-)

Soph

[Lucysmom]

Hi -

I am sorry you're having a hard time feeding your ds.  I have struggled with feeding my dd ever since we started solids.  Have things ever gone smoothly with him in terms of solids?  Or has it always been hard? 

It sounds as if he has texture issues with foods.  Like he can handle smooth textures and crunchy, but nothing in between.  You could try gradually to add some tiny lumps to his food to get him used to the texture.  I would highly recommend that you get the book "Just Two More Bites" as it really goes into great depth about helping kids with feeding difficulties.  And you may want to consider getting a referral to a feeding therapist.  I did this with Lucy and it helped me work with her. 

Please keep us posted.  And I send you lots of hugs and support. 

[Mom2katiebug]

I give my DD power shakes before bed and she LOVES them.  It's turned into a catch-22 though cuz now she wants them instead of proper meals.  She'll kinda' snack on her list of "acceptable foods" which is mostly fruit, dried fruit and crackers of some sort.  So even though she asks for shakes, I feel like she gets good nutrition from them, so I accomodate her.  Eventually she'll want solid foods - or at least that's what I tell myself!     I put a variety of things in her shakes including fruit purees (usually a strongish flavor like prunes), some protein powder (we're currently using rice to avoid wheat and soy), some baby cereal for thickening and some carbs, an essential oil blend (similar to flax oil), liquid toddler vitamins, some probiotics for her tummy (she's been on lots of antibiotics this winter), some miracle greens and hemp milk which has a nutty flavor and is packed full of nutrients.  We're avoiding dairy and wheat right now, but I did use yogurt, baby oatmeal and milk in the shake when we weren't.  You can experiment and add enough liquid to make it the proper consistency for your DS.

Good luck!  I know it's frustrating.  When my DD is eating a food she likes, it's flat out amazing how much she eats.  The rest of the time, I'm amazed at how much she doesn't.  I'm talking like 3 bites at a meal.   

[Jimbob]

Making a child go hungry to make them eat does not always work. I have know friends with children where it has made the situation worse. If I thought this would work in every case then I would definately have tried this with my son as he only eats raisins and drinks neocate advance. Of course I think there are other issues going on with James as he has lots of allergies and has never really been a great eater apart from when he was breastfed.

[DGiessen]

Thanks ever so much for your help.  Lucy's Mom :  yeah we have always had issues.  I will try the suggestions you have given and see what happens.  Paed also tells me I am overreacting but my DD ate so well and ate anything for me to now go thru this is heartbreaking...

[Grace's Mom]

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY!

[Lucysmom]

Hi -

I just wanted to get something clarified.  Will he eat finger foods if you feed them to him?  Or will he not eat finger foods no matter what? 

It is interesting that he wants everything so runny.  Refluxers tend to do better with thickened food.  For getting some protein in him, if you can find the soft tofu you could try mixing that into a fruit puree or whatever he likes.  The tofu just takes on the taste of whatever food it is paired with and if you use a blender you can get it very smooth.

Honestly, I don't think you're overreacting.  I happened to flip open that book I mentioned in my first post and my eye caught this immediately:  "If your child is not eating table foods by the first birthday, help is available.  Kids eventually learn how to eat table foods, although some need extra time.  Get a referral to early intervention or a feeding clinic."  pg. 155 Just Two More Bites by Linda Piette, MS, RD 

If your gut feeling is that you want help and need help with feeding your ds, then ask for the referral.  It sounds like he is developing an aversion to food (thus the high chair tantrums) and perhaps it would be best to get an expert opinion.  I hope that if that is the route you choose to go that your pediatrician will be understanding and supportive.  Let the feeding therapist tell you that you are overreacting, not the pediatrician!!!  They are the experts, not the pediatrician.

Anyway, I am rambling on, but you have been on my mind and I just wanted to get back to you.  Please keep in touch.

[Mom2katiebug]

Another way to get protein in is beans.  Try pureeing chickpeas or another bland bean with something he does eat.

[Lucysmom]

Another thing he might like is turkey bacon.  You can microwave it to get it really crispy.  It is not the best food nutrition-wise but it is ok in moderation.  My dd loves it.