Not eating!

Erinvp120

My DS is 19 moths old and is refusing to eat! He used to eat pretty well, and now I'm lucky if he eats some Cheerios for breakfast, a yogurt for lunch and whatever I'm desperate enough to give him for dinner. I hate the thought that he's going to bed hungry. Any suggestions?

dufferoo

Here's a passage out of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding that I always refer back to when I'm stressing about how my baby's in a not-much-eating phase:"Toddlers are notoriously sporadic eaters. Their appetites decrease during this time- first because their growth slows greatly from that of the first year, and second because they are often too busy to eat... Parents who worry about how little their child eats may be tempted to persuade, trick, or even force her to eat more. This turns meals into battles and may be the start of long-term eating problems... You are responsible for what your child is offered to eat, where and when it is presented. She is responsible for how much of it she eats." Sorry it's kind of long, but I think the point is just to trust that your kid will eat what he needs!

tbmadeamistake

I second PP, your LO will eat when he's hungry.  Make sure to keep snacks available for him to grab and go and then trust that he's making sure he's eating what he needs to.  He'll let you know if he's hungry!

Mrs.LKA

DS is going through the same thing. I keeps health snacks easily available for him and offer whatever we are eatting at meal times. There are days he eats a lot and others that he just picks at food here and there. If you are concerned about it or if he isn't eatting at all you should talk with his doctor. Hang in there, this to shall pass as he grows.

liambeansmom

leftie is right. Also it could be a growth spurt and sometimes my spawn likes to eat a lot or not a whole lot. if it becomes anymore of a concern for you I would follow up with your child's pediatrician. 

blu-eyedwife

As the others have said, sometimes toddlers eat a ton, other times they eat barely anything. It should give you some comfort to know you're not alone! Today my son had a bite of pear, half a bowl of cereal, a smoothie, a mozzarella stick, some raisins, and half a tamale. That was all day. Another day he might have eaten all that and more. Just keep offering and he'll either eat or he won't. And if he goes to bed hungry one night, I promise he won't starve to death. And try to remind yourself, like everything else about toddler-hood, this is just a phase!