I'm getting so stressed with her eating

[loz]

I am getting so stressed with the whole feeding business. Basically Emms has never had a big appetite but was having 3 reasonable meals most days. Lately she has been refusing to eat much that is spoon fed to her. So I am trying to give her more finger foods which she seems to like. I give her roasted veg, cubes of cheese, pieces of ham, tomato, banana, pear, breadsticks, rice cakes etc and she does feed herself but the quantity of what she actually eats seems small. I try and give some mashed foods as well, but she doesnt have very much.

Why I'm getting stressed is that Emms will only eat a certain amount at a meal time and then seem hungry later. Tonight she had her food and then seemed hungry and had more breadsticks, ricecakes, bread, cheese and some weetabix through the evening.

Why cant she eat all she needs in a mealtime? I cant feed her constantly during the day can I? I just feel like our day is a round of feeding her and getting her to sleep

 

[DebbieM]

Hey hun.

Luke recently started doing this too and was losing weight each week. I was getting stressed but just followed his lead and allowed him to eat as and when he seemed to need it. If he didn't eat, I didn't force him.

He eventually started eating again toward the end of last week and is doing so well. He's scoffing almost everything we give him. Three good meals a day and we're still following his lead.

That's all I can suggest you do hun. Good luck. He will start eating well again.

xxx

 

[-Kelly-]

I would try and follow her lead if you can, even if she seems to want to graze all day. Babies are very good at knowing when they are hungry and when they are full and I think ignoring that instinct that tells them to stop by encouraging them to carry on eating can cause problems when they're older. Their stomachs are only very small at this age which may mean she wants to eat little and often.. personally I would go with it and as she gets older she will probably start eating more at mealtimes, but still need snacks inbetween.

Try not to stress about it though, they're so perceptive and if we're not relaxed about mealtimes then it can make any issues even worse.

 

[loz]

Thanks, I will just have to plough on and try and give her more when she wants it. It's so hard and tiring, I just dont think I'm a very good mum at the moment at all, I'm so stressed about everything! It doesnt help that I have very little sleep and am full of cold. Poor Emms with a stressed out mum!

 

[beanie]

Seren was (and still can be) a grazer, would eat all day but hated meals etc. I justmade sure she had plenty of nutricious snacks such as cheese, boiled eggs, crackers, fruit, veg sticks etc so she would getting all she needs. I really wouldn't stress, your baby knows what she wants. Seren now eats three meals a day but will still have days when she just wants to snack.