Help...why is she not eating

Hi mummies,


Can u pls advise why my 7mos old bb suddenly losing her interest in solid. When i first started her solid last mth, i remembered her liking so much that she finished up her food so fast. but now, the amount she take reduce and she taking a long time to finish up her food. The worst part is she refuse to open her mouth for me to feed her.


What should i do now? Initially when she was taking more solid, i do not need to breastfeed her after meal. but now, i have to as she is not eating enough so she will want milk after solid.


I try to vary the food and the texture, but that don seem to interest her too :(


really appreciate yr advise.


tks,


felicia

Hi Felicia,


How's your babies health, any sign of a cold? There are lots of bugs around, my children haven't been eating well this past couple of weeks due to tonsillitis.


If there doesn't seem to be anything physically wrong perhaps you could try some new foods. Does your baby prefer sweet fruits or vegetables?


Good Luck, @@

my daughter did exactly the same thing at around 7mths it was just a phase, i was also really worried, just make up a small amount of food and let her eat what she wants and then remove her from the high chair as meal times shouldn't be a drama. You don't want to put her off for when her appetite does return.

hi all,


i gave her congee, rice cereal, mashed potato and all these usually mixed with some meat or veg. She will juz have a few mouthful then slow down subsquently, showing no interest in her food anymore.


I hv not tried pasta as i thought she might b too young for that. will prob give her when she 8-9mos old.


I really hope tis is just a phase and soon her appetitte will return again.

Just curious, but are you deliberately trying to wean her? Because normally you would give the solids after breastfeeding, unless you are trying to wean. Breast milk is a complete food and solids cannot match it. The baby really only needs solids when their milk no longer meets their needs. You will know when this is, because they will act hungry and will WANT solids. If you are breastfeeding, you really don't need to worry about solids at just 7 months of age, I had one that realy wasn't interested in solids until she was about 14 months! (Fortunately, she was my second baby and I had confidence and LLL support to listen to her rather than the "experts".) It sounds as if your baby is sending you a clear signal about what she likes and what she doesn't like. Since she is getting all the nutrition she really needs from her milk (assuming she is normal weight and thriving developmentally), try to follow her lead about what she is ready for. I know this can be hard, but tune into your baby rather than the experts! Keep meal time a completely pleasant time of experimentation for her and social time to be with you, not a time of battling with mommy about what should or should not go in her mouth. The last thing you want is for food to become a device for her to have power over you, because it's a battle you won't win. Also, this specific advice wouldn't necessarily hold true for a bottle fed baby, because formula isn't the same and you do introduce solids on an earlier schedule if you are formula feeding. On the other hand, the general advice to keep meals pleasant and not let food become a power struggle holds true for any baby!

PS -- why these foods with lots of empty calories but little or no significant nutritional value? Some of the early foods I gave mine were minced up meat, well cooked veggies (sweet potato, squash, green beans, peas), fruits chopped into finger food size pieces. Babies love to pick up foods with their fingers, but you can't give them anything they can choke on, so be sure to cut grapes in half! Mine particularly loved blueberries but that's hard to find here. For things like rice cereal, you can mash some ripe banana into it, mix up with a little breast milk or formula, give the baby a bowl and spoon, and let her "have at it" all by herself! She will feel very proud and independent when she gets to do this by herself. Afterwards, you just clean her up and wash her hair and the floor all around!

yes i was hoping to wean her off the lunch n dinner feed if she can take a full meal of solid. But tat don seem to be the case now since she is still ready to be weaned. so i continue to breastfeed her after feeding solid. My concern is if i breast feed her first, then she will hv less appetitte for her solid food. Tat is the reason why i do it vice versa.


I really appreciate yr advise and will keep meal time as pleasant as possible.


Btw, how many times were you breastfeeding yr girl b4 she is 14mth old or b4 she has more interest in solid?

Hi Fel!


My boy is 9 months today, he has been on solids since 5 months as doc advised due to low milk intake.


Not opening mouth: that is a VERY CLEAR sign that your child has had enough of whatever you are trying to feed. DO NOT force feed, it will make feeding extremely unpleasant next time. but i personally feel that even if baby has had enough of what you have been feeding, she could still be hungry and is seeking some variety. not asking you to try 101 different types of food in one meal but you can offer milk as you do or offer her some fresh fruits mixed with plain yoghurt, etc. my boy is a good eater and he always has some fresh fruits with yoghurt after his lunch. so if for any reason he hasn't had much of his main meal, i am not too worried as he has taken something else. babies do like variety, do not feel like you have to finish that huge bowl of food that you have set in front of her...it will only stress you and your baby out.


amounts: not all babies eat the same and not even the same amount for every meal! on this forum, some posters like crj, her kid eats like what 200 (or is it 300ml of food) per meal. mine eats not too much for brekkie, very well for lunch and ok for dinner. if you find your baby is eating extrememly well for a particular meal, ensure that she is getting her daily intake of protein and other crucial nutrients from that meal. so that if she does not have a great appetite for the other meals, you don't have to stress.


types of food: i suspect my baby is vegetarian. we have been doing meat since 7 months but he is not as taken with the meat dishes i prepare compared to his fav recipes like cheesy leek, sweet potatoes and cauli. every baby is different so try a variety of foods...you probably have but it will take time to suss out baby's likes and dislikes.


what i've shared above are stuff i have read in the baby food books i have and found that it actually applied to my kid. super baby foods by ruth yaron and annabel karmel's recipe books and gina ford's weaning guide are my weaning essentials. i don't folloow everything the books say, i take bits and pieces that will work for my kid. don't follow a single expert wholesale, you will wind up tearing your hair out if your baby doesn't progress the way the expert says.


the other posters they mentioned finger food and self feeding...that is something you should encourage too. it will be messy but it could very well be that your baby is fussy because she is frustrated that she is not participating actively in her own meal! and as a mom, you do get a kick out of seeing how your little one is able to pick up that slice of fruit and self-feed...they grow so fast!


good luck! we didn't and still don't have much success with milk drinking but he is doing very well with solids and i think we are really enjoying the weaning experience, which should be a fun thing for most mums and bubs!