16 month olds and not eating

[newmum]

Driving me crazy!!! I know it could be a few things, getting back teeth, just had MMR and smaller appetite but it is a nightmare feeding LO at the moment. She eats breakfast no problem. Has some Plum baby Muesli and milk. Everyone is happy.
From then on it is a nightmare to get her to eat. Been like this for nearly a month. It's not that she doesn't like things - she will actually eat pretty much anything I give her flavour/texture wise, but she doesn't want to eat anything anymore.

Eg. Lunchtime (5 hours later than bfast is the earliest she will eat) and she just ate sweetcorn. That's it. Picked them up one by one and then threw the rest on the floor. The day before she had 4 spoons of cottage pie. that's all. If I try to push her a bit she will take it in her mouth, chew it and spit it out.

The only thing she likes is if I give her a plate full of small pieces of veg and she will pick a few and eat them. Still not a lot though.

By 2pm she is usually getting crabby so I end up giving her some milk because she is will at least drink that. Try again at 5 or 6 pm to feed her. Nothing. maybe one bit of something, or a clementine and that's it until bedtime when she has a bottle.

Sometimes she will eat some snacks through the day if she hasn't eaten properly but hardly anything. I am sick of picking it all up of the floor!! All the spitting out, shaking her head, crying. I am making sure she has liquids but not around the meal times so she fills herself up.

I saw she has two back teeth coming and her teeth do take ages but raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Any others not really eating like before?

 

[valentine]

Oh hun, I totally know how this feels - I was tearing my hair out with LO until a couple of weeks ago. I cried many times at the sheer waste of food, waste of cooking effort, waste of time and money and just general mess. I also felt like a bad Mum as I felt she must be going to bed hungry.

We've had a total breakthrough in the last week or so though, and its just been serving her food in a different way. She has NEVER liked a spoon, always wanted to feed herself so we have fed her for the past 10 months or so by placing food on her tray and giving her anything and everything she could feed herself - fine as true BLW. I would have loved to have been able to get some yoghurt or cereal and porridge down her but she wouldn't have any of it (being fed by us) and did NOT have the co-ordination to try herself. Just last week, I had a brainwave and served her spag bol in a bowl on her tray with a metal (with plastic handle) spoon and fork. She was full of grins and felt so grown up and fed herself the whole lot! The next morning she had cornflakes with milk and the bowl didn't end up on the floor (as I'd feared) but she was loving her independence. She just loves being treated more like a big girl I think and us letting her give things a go, we'd given up trying her with a spoon a few months ago as she just threw it across the room.

I'm sure you've already thought of this, so sorry if no help - but I just thought it'd help to share as it may be something similar. I know you know though that she won't starve, she'll eat what she needs to and most toddlers do go through a really picky phase. I do totally appreciate how frustrating it is.

Keep us updated.

Valentine Xxx

 

[newmum]

Thank you so much Exactly...the waste of food, waste of cooking effort, waste of time and money and just general mess... so frustrating.
I have noticed as well she is really trying to assert her independence too - has to have the same plate/bowl/fork etc as we have otherwise she throws it on the floor and starts waving and yelling for ours. A few times it has worked but then she goes back to the same thing again.
You LO is a bit older than mine isn't she? I noticed that mine often starts doing the things you mentioned a few weeks later so HOPEFULLY this will be one of those things
She loves lentil soup so I spent the afternoon making it while she was hanging off my legs and then when I gave it her she shook her head and spat it out and managed to get it down the wall. aaaagh

I will give it another go today - was encouraged by your reply, thanks. I know you are busy sorting out all kinds of stuff so I appreciate it,

 

[Lou]

I'd try soft veg sticks with something for her to dip them into, or fruit slices to dip into pureed fruit or yogurt or fromage frais She may even dip some bread into soup herself

 

[newmum]

I'd try soft veg sticks with something for her to dip them into, or fruit slices to dip into pureed fruit or yogurt or fromage frais She may even dip some bread into soup herself

Thanks. I tried this today. I feel really ill today but I made a real effort to try and win her round because she loves the picking and dipping thing....normally. Well, she dipped it all and licked it off and threw the veg on the floor Maybe a will just let her feed off the floor

 

[maria1976]

Im going throught this with Ruby at the momen too, I put food on her tray to eat and she will have a bit then throw the rest she had the mmr about 13 days ago AND her 2 bottom molars have just cut AND we have just got her in the cot fromcosleeping all this time. Shessoooooooooooooooo grizlly
Today all she has done is BF ALL day she doesntwant anything else at all,she doesnt use a spoon either,should I introduce it?

Funny though shed eat a bleedin chocolate button if I put it in front of her

Any advice appreciated, sorry for jumping on bandwagon

 

[newmum]

Hi Maria,
Yeah similar. She would just drink milk all day if she could. She also had the MMR last week, and cutting two back teeth at the top AND has stopped napping properly in the day. Then she is dead tired by 4pm and I have to keep her up for a few more hours
My LO wants to use the spoon and wave it, flick it and try to eat with it but she hardly gets anything in. When she is grizzly I am not sure whether it is the jabs/ teeth/ hunger/ or attention seeking.
It is really frustrating when I put her food in front of her and she shakes her head and says 'no' and then in German just to make it clear!
And if we eat with her she just waves and shouts for our plates and forks etc. Even if I give her them she pushes them off and looks for something else to have.
Driving me crazy right now. I hate meal times and always worry that she is hungry and therefore not settling.

 

[flowerpot]

I can't offer much advice that hasn't already been said, just wanted to say I know how you feel, since I started weaning 4 months ago charlie goes from loving everything one week to refusing everything the next. He constantly goes up and down on the growth chart. Fingers crossed it will just be a phase and she will start eating again soon.