She doesn't want to eat!

[ChildByGrace]

DD is just over 1. At the moment she isn't liking her food and I don't know what to do. She eats her breakfast no problem. And she'll start her lunch but after about 10 mouthfuls she won't take any more. It isn't that she doesn't like it.
I'm very reluctant to give her sweet stuff, which I know she'll eat, because I really want her to have food that is good for her. She also has 3 breast feeds a day. Also she isn't a really plump baby so it's not like she has loads of fat stores to use. Oh-and she seems to be sleeping ok

I don't know what to do-any advice

 

[Prisca982]

Hey there,

My DS is just 2 and I've worried and worried about his eating over the past year. I've learned:
- toddlers have days when they just don't want to eat, for whatever reason. If they refuse food over several days I'd worry; if it's just one meal, or odd days then it's just normal toddler behaviour. They'll eat when they're hungry - I find it helps to look at my son's week. Usually he'll have a day or two when he's not interested in food, but another day or two when I can't seem to fill him up.
- DS often won't eat when he's teething. It upsets his tummy, and also I can't imagine the pain of chewing on swollen gums so I give him soft food - yoghurt, banana and cereal. The fact that your daughter eats breakfast (cereal?) suggests this may be a factor in her refusal to eat.
- Try not to worry! If you become stressy about her mealtimes you could create an issue in the long run. If dd refuses food just say, 'ok'. Take away the plate and try again later. I promise you she'll eat at some point!!! (Also, once I kept on encouraging my ds to eat when he really didn't want to; turned out he had a bug and threw up about an hour later poor thing! I felt so guilty!)

Blessings!!

 

[bliz]

See your daughter's fist? Her stomach is about the same size. It sounds like she's getting enough. How's her growth?

 

[ChildByGrace]

Prisca - thanks. It may well be teething as I know she has been cutting at least one tooth. Although having said that the lack of wanting anything other than her cereals has been going on for about 4 or 5 days.

Bliz - thanks. I haven't had her weighed in the past few weeks but before than she hadn't been putting on huge amounts. She's not a really chubby baby-in fact someone I know who's a nurse saw her a few months ago and asked if she's ill-although I do think she has filled out a bit since then.

She did actually eat her dinner lasted night so maybe she's ok. It's just so hard when you have one child who eats everything in sight and one that would rather not eat at all

 

[TCat]

neither of my kids have ever been big eaters, both are slim and active and very healthy. My Pedi suggested that as long as their activity level is good, they are getting milk and juice each day and sleeping well not to worry. Offer lots of good choices and know that they'll eat what their bodies need not what we insist which can lead to bad habits in overeating later on.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

Your child seems to eat more,than the little guy in my siggy,I'm lucky to get him to eat a couple bites,at a meal.I read don't make feeding to much of a issue,As long as you offer food,liquids and milk,the child should be fine.Any ways he love to pretend to eat,says everything is delicious,until it's time for him to actually eat it,I just shake my head in my mind,then I turn and role my eyes,so he can't see it.He seems to be healthy though,the doctors never comeplain.

 

[Birbitt]

I have just been through this very thing with my now 16 month old. From 10 months to 13 months he loved food and ate as much as he could get his hands on. At 14 months he began 'picking' at his food and eating barely 5 bites per meal. At about 15.5 months he finally decided food was worth eating again and perked up and started eating anything he could again. I think it's just normal, she's maybe just realizing that life is more interesting than food, and once the novelty wears off she'll go back to eating as she should and in the meantime she'll be fine, if you are still breastfeeding her then no worries she's getting everything she needs!

 

[ChildByGrace]

Thanks. She is eating better than she was so she may of been poorly. However it's only jar food that she'll eat. If I try food I have made she won't eat it. This evening I made little pasta stars with tomato sauce and she refused it all - she will eat the equivalent out of a jar!!!! We are trying to wean her off the jars as jars aren't something she can go on eating longterm

 

[twob4me]

We went through the same thing with our daughter when she was a toddler. She's 13 yrs old now. Our doctor said that it was normal for kids to not eat at times. They'll let you know when the are hungry.