My 11.5 month daughter has always enjoyed a wide range of home cooked food, finger food and the occasional jar of dessert. For the past two weeks she has started to refuse almost all food, both cooked and finger food. I find it to hard to let her eat nothing so end up giving her the things I know she will take. She is breast feeding as normal.
My 11.5 month daughter has always enjoyed a wide range of home cooked food, finger food and the occasional jar of dessert. For the past two weeks she has started to refuse almost all food, both cooked and finger food. I find it to hard to let her eat nothing so end up giving her the things I know she will take. She is breastfeeding as normal.
The only food she seems to eat is cheese, fruit and some puddings such as jelly and yogurt. I have tried letting her feed herself but she is not interested unless it is jelly or something she loves. I have tried introducing new foods such as cheese on toast and eggy bread but she refuses these. She seems happy and content otherwise and is sleeping as usual. She is definitely hungry and asking to be fed before it is time but we try to wait until her mealtime. Even if she has not eaten for several hours and is asking for food, she still refuses the food that we put in front of her. I am finding this very stressful as I had feeding issues with her 2.5yr old brother, but he now eats well if a somewhat limited diet.
At first I thought it may be due to teething but now feel it must be something more.
Her breast feeding pattern has remained unchanged. The length of feed seems to depend on how much she has eaten at the meal preceding it.
Feeding details
7.30am: a few cheerios, 1-2 mouthfuls of toast, 1 strawberry, 5 grapes, and 3 tsps yoghurt
9.30am: breast feeds from one side 10-15minutes
12.00: 1-2 strawberries, 5 grapes, 1 packet Dairylea cheese strips or grated cheddar, jelly or yoghurt, 1-2ozs water towards end of meal
1.00pm: breast feeds from one side 5-10minutes
5.00pm: 1-2 strawberries, 5 grapes, 1 packet Dairylea cheese strips or grated cheese, 1 yoghurt or similar pudding 1-2ozs water towards end of meal
7.00pm: Breast feeds from both breasts for 10-15minutes
3.30am: Breast feeds from one breast 5-10minutes
Daily milk intake:4 breastfeeds over 24 hours
My daughter naps at 9.30-10am, 1-3pm and is settled by 7.15pm
Towards the end of the first year a baby’s growth rate begins to slow down, so the amount she eats will also reduce. It is easy to become worried and concerned over your baby who appears to suddenly stop eating most foods for no real reason. Having unrealistic expectations of how much your baby should eat at this age may increase the problem and meal times can easily turn into a battle of wills.
Rather than looking at each day’s intake of food, keep a diary for a whole week. This will give you a clearer picture as to what your daughter eats and how much it may vary from day to day.
By now your baby will be really aware of different textures and colours. As well as giving her finger food she needs to have her main meals offered to her separated out so she can see what she is being given. Serving food on a dish which has divisions can be useful at this age. For example, if you are serving shepherd’s pie and mixed vegetables separate out each item rather than mashing them altogether in bowl. All her food should now be chopped or diced into small pieces to encourage her to feed herself. Until her food intake increases again offer her very small amounts of food but with plenty of variety.
Babies of this age can become very independent, wanting to feed themselves rather than being spoon fed. Self feeding can be a messy business but, if you place a small amount of food in front of your daughter then let her get on with it, you may find she will be more inclined to try some of the foods she was willing to eat a few weeks ago. If she finds it easier to use her hands rather than a spoon let her do so. Providing she is making an attempt to eat the food rather than just throwing it on the floor then allow her to carry on feeding herself. If she becomes very interested in feeding herself she may allow you to put one or two spoonfuls in but don’t push her if she resists. Stay within sight of her but try not to hover over her encouraging her to eat some more. Trying to coax her too much will probably be met with refusal so remain matter of fact and calm. Once she has lost interest and is no longer eating any of her meal clear it away. If you are eating at the same time as your children keep chatting with your son as you enjoy your meal together.
When your daughter has refused the meal you have prepared for her it is very hard to not give in and offer food you know she will eat. Keep offering different foods and menus. A baby may reject a certain food one week and then accept it a week or so later. It does not take a baby long to realize that if she makes enough fuss she will be given what she likes best. This is how fussy eating develops. If your daughter is offered a very small portion of the meal and plays around with it but does not really attempt to eat it then remove her from her high chair. Knowing she will be hungry is very difficult to cope with but you could offer her a small snack such as one or two slices of apple or pear at a suitable time midway between meals.
Your attitude towards her eating is very important. It is disheartening to throw away meal after meal when you have spent time preparing it but you need to remain calm about her refusing food. Your baby will quickly pick up on your anxiety and this may make the problem worse. You are doing well by trying to stick with her set mealtimes even when she seems hungry before them. When it is time for her food use an encouraging upbeat voice when presenting it to her: “Scrummy, yummy fish pie today, hooray” is a positive statement rather than “I hope you are going to eat something today” which sends out a negative message.
The breast feed your daughter receives at 9.30am may well knock the edge off her appetite for lunch so offer this to her straight after her breakfast. Also, as she is still having a feed in the night this could affect her appetite for breakfast.