My daughter hates food

[Frenzy]

I'm breastfeeding exclusively and at 6 months I'm struggling now. I started feeding her food at 4 months. I know that's pretty early but I was having other issues which made feeding essential. She had a thrush nappy rash and was pooing very frequently. It took me months to get rid of the fungal nappy rash and the only thing that really helped was feeding solids. Because of the nappy rash and also being on antibiotics at a very young age I think it has put her off food. I used to have to give her 2.5ml of amoxicillin at 10 weeks for 2 weeks and she hated it, followed up by a 1ml oral thrush treatment. I think this may have caused an aversion to things put in her mouth other than breastmilk. I tried to switch from breastmilk to formula at around 3 months as advised by the health visitor. It just didn't work. I tried breastmilk in bottles, teats that were designed to be nipple like, she just wasn't interested. I gave up. I started solids at 4 months much to her disapproval. I noticed her nappy rash started to clear up and continued solids much to my daughters disapproval but it fixed the bigger problem and the horrible nappy rash was gone. I suppose I should elaborate on this nappy rash. It was a horrific fungal nappy rash that appeared before we even left the hospital. I was back and forth to the doctors multiple times about it. I used countless creams. They gave me so many creams that just did nothing. Eventually I seen a specialist at the hospital. I got a very strong steroid cream and an anti fungal cream along with epaderm for normal nappy changes that helped things along the way. But the real success was giving my daughter solids. For 2 months now I've been feeding my daughter solids. She doesn't find it pleasant. She seems to hate food unless it's breast milk. I distract her. I put the spoon in her mouth. I feed her. It stops her nappy rash. This is a horrible experience. Does anyone have any advice for a situation like this? I'm scared I'm going to give my daughter a food aversion. She would just happily live off purely breast milk I think. This is very unpleasant for me but I know in my daughters case it is avoiding a much worse thing( horrific nappy rash). I just want my baby to enjoy food. She hates the experience just now. I know it's unlikely but would be very interested to hear any early weaning for medical reasons stories and help. Thanks everyone.

 

[SunnySue]

So sorry you are going through such a rough time.

I have no real advice other than to ask if you have tried blw/finger foods with her? Ds2 hated being spoon fed and refused to eat most of the time. But with finger foods he would sit and nibble away happily! It took some practice but he just seemed much happier feeding himself. We started with broccoli, cauliflower, carrott battons and banana and slowly built up. He is almost 2 now and loves his food lol. Good luck, hope things improve x

 

[TTT]

Have you tried expressing your milk and mixing it with purees?

If I were in your shoes id let her go back to bf only for a week and start a fresh. I would express milk and make a very milky baby porridge to start with. I used organix at first as it doesn't contain wheat or gluten and I weaned at 19 weeks and avoided allergens until very recently at 9/10 months.

Then I would slowly make the porridge thicker as she gets used to it. I would then mix mashed banana or stewed pear with breast milk as pear is very easy on the digestive system.

My baby had a suspected cows milk allergy and our consultant gave me the go ahead to wean but baby showed all the ready signs and was super interested in food. He loves food though and I haven't faced any problems in getting him to eat.

 

[TTT]

He does occasionally go off food when he's teething etc and I never push him. If he's not hungry I let him watch the dogs eat it. I also ask him to have his last one and he always will and I make sure it is his last one.

 

[Toni.C]

So sorry you've had a hard time.

I agree with the suggestions above. Have you tried finger food? My son loves soft pear, soft carrot sticks just so she can feel food and get us d to picking it up even if she doesn't eat very much.

You could also cook up fruit and veg and blend it down to a purée and add you breastmilk. Go back to the basics and see if she works up more of an apetite.

I'm use a combination of the above and also used the Ella's kitchen first taste book which has fantastic ideas and ways of weaning baby.