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One year old hardly eating!
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amother
Dodgerblue


 

Post Wed, Jan 18 2017, 6:37 pm
My one year old is completely off the charts in weight. (She was always small, but the last few months are bad, she is super underweight. I guess nursing isn't enough for her anymore) I am still nursing her around the clock. 2 or 3 times a night and every 3 hours by day. I started trying to give her food a while back, 2 or 3 months ago. She is so picky. She likes cheerios and cookies and French fries. She used to like american cheese too. But no yogurt, no mashed food, no banana, no chicken, no meat, I can't even remember what else she refuses to eat. She just clamps her mouth shut, and pushes my hand away or if I give her pieces on her tray she just dumps them. Lately some her nursing sessions are very short too.

I am totally out of ideas what to feed her. I have two things that need to be solved, her weight and getting her to sleep at night. I am so beyond exhausted!
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amother
Dodgerblue


 

Post Wed, Jan 18 2017, 6:51 pm
Yesterday I was so desperate. I tried yogurt, cottage cheese, and scrambled eggs from my plate for breakfast. She licked each and then refused to eat. I tried American cheese, meunster cheese, hard boiled egg, tuna and bread with cream cheese for lunch. She ate a drop of cheese, half a slice maybe. Supper was fish sticks and french fries and soup for the rest of the family, so I offered those to her. She ate one fry. I was so desperate I gave her an ice cream pop cut into pieces, and she ate more than half of that. I was thrilled she ate something! Then she nibbled some osem soup Mandel. Is this normal?!

Oh, I just remembered. She likes Bamba. She ate a handful for snack at some point during the day.

She also nursed probably 4 times during the day and 3 during the night.
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#1mama




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 18 2017, 8:20 pm
Maybe try reading a book to her while feeding or anything to distract her.
GGGGood luck.... I have a picky 11.5mnth too!!
Waiting to see others suggestions.
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bookie




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 18 2017, 8:25 pm
I am in the same boat with my eleven month old. Is she in a high chair or booster seat by the table? I just switched mine to a booster hoping that will help. She basically eats no solids only bottles. Sometimes she will eat if I give her my phone to hold as a distraction.
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amother
Dodgerblue


 

Post Wed, Jan 18 2017, 8:46 pm
No bottles around here either. She just chews the nipple, or outright refused to open her mouth.
I tried reading a book or playing with a toy to distract her. So far that hasn't worked.

Today was no better. Bamba she ate a nice handful, maybe a half a slice of cheese and a cracker all day. Till I gave her more ice cream for supper. I figured it's better than nothing.
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bookie




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 18 2017, 8:52 pm
amother wrote:
No bottles around here either. She just chews the nipple, or outright refused to open her mouth.
I tried reading a book or playing with a toy to distract her. So far that hasn't worked.

Today was no better. Bamba she ate a nice handful, maybe a half a slice of cheese and a cracker all day. Till I gave her more ice cream for supper. I figured it's better than nothing.


Is she teething? Today my baby ate a jar of pears Nd half jar of corn. Refused crackers cheerios chicken
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amother
Dodgerblue


 

Post Wed, Jan 18 2017, 9:27 pm
She might be teething, she has very few teeth. But I dont really see anything coming. Regardless, this has been this way since I started giving her solids, its not a new thing. and the no bottles thing, she has been doing since forever. She used to take a bottle only if she was desperate, and only if it was super warm almost hot, and only if you walked around and rocked her while she ate, and even then she would only eat 2 oz maybe, just until she was not starved anymore. She would rather wait till I came home to nurse. At some point she gave up bottles totally.
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amother
Mistyrose


 

Post Wed, Jan 18 2017, 10:29 pm
I don't know that I can help you because my one year old is a good eater.
Get baby on to sippy cup. Teach baby to drink from straws give diluted Apple juice Ice tea or water. Give baby milk. Not too cold not too warm.
When my baby isn't eating well, and I could tell he isn't feeling well, overly cranky, biting everything in sight, then I give Motrin and once it kicks in, I would feed him.
With some of my picky eaters, we turned on videos like uncle moishy or anything kid friendly and tried small soft chicken. Found distraction works wonders.
I thought most babies love yogurts! Give child a great toy while eating, balls go up and down, lights, music, etc.
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amother
Mistyrose


 

Post Wed, Jan 18 2017, 10:31 pm
Potato flutes are great too
Cheerios in milk/ Crispix or rice krispies in milk give time to get a bit soggy so no choking hazzard.
Fruit apple sauce strawberry, rasberry flavor
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libbas




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 18 2017, 11:01 pm
I heard that what counts most is calories for underweight kids, not necessarily nutritious foods. So if she likes bamba and cookies, give her that. She needs the calories more than the protein.
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lucky14




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 19 2017, 12:33 am
what has the doctor said? You can just call up and ask for suggestions on what to feed her so her weight will go up if you haven't spoken to them about this since she's started solids. Explain the situation. I'd assume your doctor would take a phone call about this.
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myname1




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 19 2017, 4:09 am
Have you tried plain pasta? My picky toddler inhales it. But not with anything on it- no sauce/butter/cheese/ketchup- nothing! Also rice cakes are good. Sometimes with ketchup or cream cheese, if I'm really lucky. Sometimes jam is also a hit. Also smoothies, but mine really loves fruit.
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amother
Seashell


 

Post Fri, Jan 20 2017, 8:09 am
libbas wrote:
I heard that what counts most is calories for underweight kids, not necessarily nutritious foods. So if she likes bamba and cookies, give her that. She needs the calories more than the protein.


This isn't true. My daughter was a preemie, then super underweight as a baby, and not gaining, and we had to take her to a top baby nutritionist at the top hospital.

The nutritionist told us that the most important things are both fat and protein. So make sure there is a balance of those.

And she told us that even for a very underweight child, try to avoid process foods, and try to avoid a lot salt and sugar.
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MyUsername




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jan 20 2017, 8:28 am
My daughter was like this when she was a baby.

There are 3 main issues with food that are important to take into account:
1) Texture
2) Temperature
3) Taste

Texture: My daughter was extraordinarily preoccupied with texture. From what your daughter agrees to eat (cheerios, bamba, cookies, soup nuts, french fries), it sounds like she likes the feel starchy foods that are a bit hard and crunchy but not hard to chew, and not more than slightly moist. This should help give you direction. For example, try:
a) pancakes fried in a drop of butter (you want them not to be greasy on the outside) - they have protein from the eggs, fat from added milk and butter/oil, and carbs from the flour. You could also add mashed fruits / veggies, but these sometimes make it more moist, which she may not like.
b) potato kugel or noodle kugel. Again, these have protein from eggs, carbs from potato/noodles, fat from oil.

Temperature: My daughter would only eat cold food. It didn't matter what it was, or even if it was objectively good cold. She would also only drink cold drinks. Some kids are the opposite and only want hot food. Some kids only want room temperature. See if you can find a pattern here and go with that, regardless of what the standard way of eating the food is.

Taste: My daughter only wanted food with a strong taste, and nothing boring. Other babies are the opposite, and like more neutral tastes that are somewhat sweet or salty. Keep this in mind as well, as it sounds like most of the foods your baby likes are not food with a very strong taste. If she likes cookies, try a healthier option of a homemade muffin, for example. Or vary it with other cereals.

Also, continue nursing around the clock as you are, just add in food - the worst thing you can do for an underwieght baby is to cut out breastmilk/forumula. And try to give her food before nursing, but don't wait until she's super hungry, or she'll be too cranky to try something new. Every 2.5 hours, sit down with her and give her something to eat. Even if she only eats a little, she'll eventually adjust to this schedule and will begin to eat more.

Most importantly, don't fight with her about food, or it will be a game. Put a plate in front of her with a few foods on it and let her eat whatever she wants. Even if she only eats one out 3 foods, she'll feel in control and will be less contrary. They know when we're stressed out about what or how much they are eating, and this either encourages them to be picky or makes them more oppositional to gain back the control. Eating should never be a control issue or a fight.

Lastly, a nutritionist that specializes in babies and toddlers is crucial to making sure that your baby is getting the right type and right amount of nutrients for her size and age. The one we saw really helped us, and my daughter's wait gain really picked up when we got specific guidance.
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amother
Dodgerblue


 

Post Fri, Jan 20 2017, 11:05 am
MyUsername wrote:
My daughter was like this when she was a baby.

There are 3 main issues with food that are important to take into account:
1) Texture
2) Temperature
3) Taste

Texture: My daughter was extraordinarily preoccupied with texture. From what your daughter agrees to eat (cheerios, bamba, cookies, soup nuts, french fries), it sounds like she likes the feel starchy foods that are a bit hard and crunchy but not hard to chew, and not more than slightly moist. This should help give you direction. For example, try:
a) pancakes fried in a drop of butter (you want them not to be greasy on the outside) - they have protein from the eggs, fat from added milk and butter/oil, and carbs from the flour. You could also add mashed fruits / veggies, but these sometimes make it more moist, which she may not like.
b) potato kugel or noodle kugel. Again, these have protein from eggs, carbs from potato/noodles, fat from oil.

Temperature: My daughter would only eat cold food. It didn't matter what it was, or even if it was objectively good cold. She would also only drink cold drinks. Some kids are the opposite and only want hot food. Some kids only want room temperature. See if you can find a pattern here and go with that, regardless of what the standard way of eating the food is.

Taste: My daughter only wanted food with a strong taste, and nothing boring. Other babies are the opposite, and like more neutral tastes that are somewhat sweet or salty. Keep this in mind as well, as it sounds like most of the foods your baby likes are not food with a very strong taste. If she likes cookies, try a healthier option of a homemade muffin, for example. Or vary it with other cereals.

Also, continue nursing around the clock as you are, just add in food - the worst thing you can do for an underwieght baby is to cut out breastmilk/forumula. And try to give her food before nursing, but don't wait until she's super hungry, or she'll be too cranky to try something new. Every 2.5 hours, sit down with her and give her something to eat. Even if she only eats a little, she'll eventually adjust to this schedule and will begin to eat more.

Most importantly, don't fight with her about food, or it will be a game. Put a plate in front of her with a few foods on it and let her eat whatever she wants. Even if she only eats one out 3 foods, she'll feel in control and will be less contrary. They know when we're stressed out about what or how much they are eating, and this either encourages them to be picky or makes them more oppositional to gain back the control. Eating should never be a control issue or a fight.

Lastly, a nutritionist that specializes in babies and toddlers is crucial to making sure that your baby is getting the right type and right amount of nutrients for her size and age. The one we saw really helped us, and my daughter's wait gain really picked up when we got specific guidance.

Wow! This was a really helpful post. I try very hard not to make food a power struggle with any of my kids. If you don't want to eat, you don't have to. But no noshing after supper...

But with this kid, I am so stressed about her weight (and exhausted, all my others were sleeping g through the night long before a year, with no special sleep training.)

Anyway, where would I find a nutritionist that specializes in babies? Never heard of that. I live in NY so if you have recommendations, I would appreciate it.
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amother
Babypink


 

Post Fri, Jan 20 2017, 1:23 pm
at 1 year I wouldn't start with a bottle. My baby is almost a year and drinks from a sippy cup very well. I only give water in there, wouldn't give apple juice - unless its to teach to suck through a straw. otherwise she nurses.
My baby also likes pasta a lot, it goes down really easy. And banana and avocado.
I also find if I feed her the same things I'm eating and she tends to want to eat what I'm
eating - or at least try it.
She doesn't want to be spoon fed anything, she has to feed herself so no jars or mashed veggies anymore. If I give her a spoon to hold she will sometimes put her food on the spoon to try to feed herself it becomes more of a game.
If I put the food on a plate she just dumps the plate on teh floor. I find if the food is on her tray directly it takes her so long to dump all of it she ends up trying something.
My baby is getting up now 1 -2 times per night to nurse. I think nursing babies just like to wake up. Plus she cutting her top teeth so its more like 2 - 3 times a week the past 2 weeks.
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MyUsername




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 21 2017, 3:13 pm
amother wrote:
Wow! This was a really helpful post. I try very hard not to make food a power struggle with any of my kids. If you don't want to eat, you don't have to. But no noshing after supper...

But with this kid, I am so stressed about her weight (and exhausted, all my others were sleeping g through the night long before a year, with no special sleep training.)

Anyway, where would I find a nutritionist that specializes in babies? Never heard of that. I live in NY so if you have recommendations, I would appreciate it.


Unfortunately, I don't live in your area, so I have no suggestions, but I'm sure others would know. We got a recommendation from my daughter's physical therapist actually.

We were also super worried about her weight, especially because her motor development was quite behind (hence the physical therapist). Generally, weight is not a huge issue, as long as they are meeting milestones, even if they are underweight. Because ours wasn't, the pediatrician even said I had to wake her up every few hours at night to nurse, even if she would have slept through. Thank G-d by 15 minutes her weight gain was steady (though she was still so underweight) and she was sick of being woken to nurse and started refusing, and we were able to stop this. So I know how you feel. But you can't make them eat more than they want to, and so maximizing the calories they do eat is really the only option. When it comes down to it, my daughter is still underweight, and even though she'll probably never be on the charts, her weight gain is steady, and we just let her be. We still use the tips we got from the baby/toddler nutritionist, who we saw until she was about 2.5 years old. And now that she's a kid, and not a baby/toddler, her weight gain is not as under the charts as it once was, because at this age the average kid doens't have their baby chub anymore. So it gets better. . .

Also, some babies, especially underweight ones, often can't eat a full meal in one sitting, and are better off with 5-6 small meals during the day, rather than 3 regular size meals. They have small stomachs! So don't stress out if she only eats a bit of food in one sitting, just try again 2-3 hours later. . .
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ra_mom




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 21 2017, 6:58 pm
We used a great nutritionist 8 years ago for this. Her last name is eluding me. I will look it up.
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ra_mom




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 25 2017, 12:43 pm
Chantzie Rosenberg
(917) 696-7985
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amother
Navy


 

Post Wed, Jan 25 2017, 1:02 pm
One of my children was like this and it ended up being sensory issues. We should've gotten OT.
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