My baby doesn't like food

Brit&Nate

It's always been a battle getting her to eat, but she's steadily gaining weight, so I try not to stress too much. She's now consistently eating 28-30 oz. a day along with 3-5 oz. of purees. The problem is, she doesn't really like much. The only sure bets are pears, blueberries and sweet potatoes. I am constantly trying to get her to try new things, but usually she's take the first bite and then she's having no more. She'll eat pieces of cheese or shredded chicken, but it's hardly enough to be considered a meal! Any suggestions??

Breezy.Lives

DS is not a big solids eater, but I have been giving him cheerios and puffed rice, and gave him mango cheeks (dried mango strips - nothing added) this week and he loves to chew on them.  Also, I just dip a spoon in stuff and let him have at it.  There is no getting a spoon in his mouth.  I can aim it, but he insists on actually putting it in his mouth.

So - puffed rice?  Cheerios?  More stuff she can grab onto and feed herself?

Brit&Nate

She does love cheerios, but I guess my biggest concern is come another three months, what if she still isn't into it?

Breezy.Lives

I have talked to a bunch of friends with older kids about it, and there was SUCH a wide range of when the kids really started eating - some it was 9 months they started stuffing their face, others it was closer to 18 months.  But everyone always reminded me that breastmilk or formula is supposed to be their source of nutrition for the first full 12 months...

I think you FF, and I assume you just replace formula with whole milk in that case, but I don't know.  I plan to keep nursing, so I am just not pushing the solids too hard - but I don't have to worry about a switch of any sort, kwim?  Anyway, I'm not much help on that score.

tmp-19077625001186

Is her food, food that you make yourself? DD loves certain foods to be made by me and others from a jar... for example- she HATES peas when I puree them, but LOVES peas from the jar... weird, I know.

Maybe you could try making some of her food?

For a few weeks she was not interested in food at all, then suddenly out of no where, she loves it again. Maybe it is just a phase???

 

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or perhaps you could mix her food with her milk?

I have also discovered that DD likes her oatmeal/fruit combo luke warm vice room temp or cold... when it is luke warm she motions me to feed her faster!

kylara111

Try not to worry about it.  Some kids just don't like to eat.  Really.  My DD was a horrible eater and even now as a toddler is just picky.  She literally had a roll for Thanksgiving while her 9m old sister ate like a pig.  Both are perfectly healthy and thriving.  Kids are all different.  I know how you feel though.  I worried a lot about #1 but she is doing fine.  It is interesting to see the difference with a second child now though.

thomas&lynn

DD is only 6.5mos but has been picky-ish about her food but I imagine some of that came from just starting out in general.

However, first, just try again in another week or so. She hated apples one week and loves them 2 wks later... Also, it's not like there aren't other green foods to try etc while she's hating something.

Second, mix the thing she doesn't like with something she does. For us, that is usually oatmeal or barley cereal because adding peas to barley dilutes the flavor quite a bit and makes it edible.  

Third, always try the food cold first (because it's more convienient if she takes it that way.....she'll take prunes cold from the fridge but nothing else like that), room temp next (90% of everything else is well-received at room temp), and then slightly warmed as a last ditch effort (this is how we get her to eat sweet potatoes and barley cereal).

MBZ

Just wanted to say I LOVE your Christmas pic of DD.  FWIW I have been so overwhelmed by the feeding thing that I have decided to let it be.  DD is almost 11 mos (9 corrected) and we've been doing purees since 6 mos! She didnt start eating much until about 9.5 mos, so it took 3.5 mos. Even now sometimes she eats, sometimes she doesn't.  Still taking 4 bottles.  It is so hard to do the 4 day rule thing.  And she is still learning the pincer grasp, so the only finger foods we've done are puffs and mum mums. I just keep telling myself things will fall into place and she wont be drinking a bottle of formula in kindergarten!  DD isnt really into many veggies, but will mow down most fruits.  I feel like I am always giving her the same damn thing!  GL!