Posted by
tommytommy
18 yrs ago
My little girl is a few days off 9 months. She has never been a great eater but we have managed to get by. We have engaged various techniques to get her to eat such as getting a few spoons of solids into her and then when she stops eating using finger food as a diversion (you know, slipping in the spoon when she opens her mouth to eat the finger food) or using pureed fruit to disguise the veggies.
This last week she has pursed her lips shut to absolutely everything I have offered. She will nibble on her finger food but is even refusing to eat her beloved pureed fruit. I have tried everything (I think) to no avail.
Has anybody else had this problem? If so what did you do about it? Does anyone have any ideas of what I could try?
Oh, I forgot to mention that I have tried a wide variety of foods. She just wont eat! Aggghhhhh
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Babies will typically not starve themselves. If she needs the nutrients she will eat.
Is she still drinking milk/formula? Is she ok otherwise (playing etc...)? If the answer to both is yes you should pause the solids for a few days, perhaps a week. After that you reintroduce solids. She'll have forgotten what she was annoyed about. It is like a new beginning.
Don't pressure her too much. She'll just become more antagonistic. Patience. Eating should be fun.
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Agreed with axptguy38, especially don't push her, otherwise it will just turn into a cycle of eating at each meal with the tension. Could she be teething perhaps? Sometimes when they are teething, they just feel "off".
My daughter was a nortiously bad eater, even now at 5 she is very very fussy (we still pack vegemite sandwiches wherever we go!), but I used to just put something in front of her and let her play around with it, in the hope she might get some into the mouth.
Maybe a change of flavour? Heinz jar of Apple & Oatmeal is really nice (i used to like it myself just quietly). It was one of the very few things we had stocked in our cupboard.
If all else fails, wait and try again. As distressing as it may seem at the time, she will eat.
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Do you eat together as a family or does she eat her own meal with you there? Many kids feel uncomfortable with a parent/helper "hovering". Get your own plate and share a meal. You don't really have to eat, just pretend. We try to eat with our kids as often as possible. They typically are also curious of our food, which gives you a chance to introduce new things.
"Maybe a change of flavour?"
Indeed. Some kids just don't like bland "baby food" very much. Our #1 is fine with a bit blander fare. #2 has always preferred strong flavors even before she turned one. Soy and garlic marinated grilled salmon and mild chicken curry to name two examples.
Don't be afraid to introduce "adult" flavors. A nice mild lamb stew, some grilled chicken, pasta with pesto, avocado and so forth are just fine, as long as these are inced down to small enough pieces. Make sure you introduce her to such things early. When she turns two or so she goes into the "no zone" and will be much less positive.
My point is that children want to emulate the adults they see. Its a sneaky route into introducing healthy, adult fare and table manners.
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Thanks everyone. Some great suggestions.
My little girl isn't teething at the moment and everything else appears to be fine (happy in play etc).
I think that now that meals are an unpleasant experience for both of us I will try exptguy38's advice and call a halt to the solids for a few days. We don't get to eat meals together as a family very often due to my husbands work schedules but I can certainly eat with my little girl. I will try this as well as offering her some more "adult flavors" in a few days and see how we go.
Thanks again!
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You may want to purchase a great book called Babies & Toddlers Good Food. It is purblished by the Australian Women's Weekly Cookbooks and i have definitely seen it at taste.
It takes you through month by month what foods to give and also some great "family meals" that everyone can enjoy. I have a very old version and plan to update to the new one when my baby reaches the solid stage. Oh how i am not in a rush this time round!
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Great suggestion. I will grab a copy!
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One more thing. If a baby refuses one dish you should try it again a few days later. Some kids "just don't get it" the first time for some reason. If you get repeated refusals, try again a few months later. Palates do develop and change.
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