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How to get 1yo DD to eat!



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missmuffetsmum




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Mar 29 2020, 5:16 am
So DD will turn 1yo on Pesach iyH - my first child. Practically since birth she's been a difficult eater with many ups and downs. We struggled with nursing and she's been fully on formula since about 4mo, gaining weight beautifully. She started solids slowly at 6mo and seemed to be doing well, enjoying yogurt, cereal mixed with compot, potato kugel, fruit pieces etc.

However in the last few weeks, she's been refusing more than a couple of spoons/bites of whatever she's offered - you name it, I've tried it! There's not one carb/starch I can offer that she'll take more than a few bites of (not bread, pasta, rice, porridge, couscous, potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, crackers, pita, cereal etc), the only protein she'll eat is egg cooked in an omelette (but no more than one egg's worth) and her dairy is ok because her bottles at this point are half full fat milk-half formula. The only foods that I know she'll eat at the moment are grapes and the seedy insides of cucumber strips. Maybe some avocado. Not much nutrition in that...

She's been exposed to a variety of foods since she began eating solids, with varying textures, tastes, sizes, shapes and temperatures. When she was in daycare, she usually ate beautifully so at least I knew she was eating one decent meal per day. Now that we're stuck at home...

Until this point, she was having 3 x 4oz bottles spaced every 4 hours and a 6oz bottle before bed. This week I am trying to give her a 6oz bottle upon waking, a 4oz bottle midday and another 6oz before bed, hopefully to get her a little hungrier so she'll eat more.

She's also not great at napping, but that seems to be improving at this point bH.

Do any of the more experienced Imas have any ideas for us?
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amother
Lemon


 

Post Sun, Mar 29 2020, 5:24 am
As a mother of many, my opinion is to stop being in charge of her eating.

I read once that doctors say to measure intake over the course of a week, not a day. So chances are she's doing better than you think.

Put a variety of food in front of her and let her decide what to eat. Don't worry so much about the nutrition content. (Eggs and avocados are great, btw.) She doesn't need to be spoon-fed at this age. It's messier but she's more likely to eat if she's making the choices.

She's probably also relying heavily on the bottles for nutrition, which makes the amount she eats not as important. I never had any formula-fed kids so I can't speak for whether or not you might want to cut back and have her rely on solids more.

It's hard not to stress about what your kid eats or doesn't eat, but I don't even see any cause for concern here.
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Mar 29 2020, 6:34 am
amother [ Lemon ] wrote:
As a mother of many, my opinion is to stop being in charge of her eating.

I read once that doctors say to measure intake over the course of a week, not a day. So chances are she's doing better than you think.

Put a variety of food in front of her and let her decide what to eat. Don't worry so much about the nutrition content. (Eggs and avocados are great, btw.) She doesn't need to be spoon-fed at this age. It's messier but she's more likely to eat if she's making the choices.

She's probably also relying heavily on the bottles for nutrition, which makes the amount she eats not as important. I never had any formula-fed kids so I can't speak for whether or not you might want to cut back and have her rely on solids more.

It's hard not to stress about what your kid eats or doesn't eat, but I don't even see any cause for concern here.


THIS! All of it. I raised DD the same way, and my mom raised me like this.

My mom was basically force fed as a child. Finish your plate! Type of parenting. She had food issues her entire life.

DD and I have the same metabolism, and could be overweight very easily, but because we are allowed to listen to our bodies, we make much better food choices. Some days you are just more hungry than others, and some days you crave something, and the next day have no interest at all.

Just go with the flow and relax. Unless her weight starts dropping drastically, you're doing just fine. If you're really worried, ask your pediatrician if she needs vitamin drops. I doubt it, because formula is pretty well balanced as far as that goes.

Trust me, she is going to go through plenty of phases where she loves something for weeks on end, and then suddenly hates it. Usually after you've stocked up on her "favorites". It will drive you mad.

When DD was 5, I remember breaking down in the grocery store, and begging her "Just tell me what you will EAT!" She said "I don't know!" Banging head

She got over it, and makes very good food choices now. She gets excited over things like baked salmon and stir fried broccoli.
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amother
White


 

Post Sun, Mar 29 2020, 6:38 am
Have you tried giving a Squeasy Snacker or something like that for the baby to eat outside of mealtimes?
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amother
Pink


 

Post Sun, Mar 29 2020, 7:58 am
As long as she’s not starving, don’t dress over it.
My 1 year old loves eating by himself. Once he mastered eating with a fork he loves food that I leave on his tray in little pieces and he eats it. He eats much better like that then when I sit and feed him.

Some foods I do that with are French toast, peanut butter bread, chicken nuggets, potato kugel, olives, apples or orange small pieces. Make sure it’s not a chocking hazard for your baby. Bh my baby has a mouthful of teeth and handles these foods well.

I bz myself with other things, let him mash up and eat his stuff and put it in his hair.... and then mealtime is over. And Bh a lot was eaten.

I’m just sharing how my baby eats. Don’t know if it’ll work for your munchkin.
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DVOM




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Mar 29 2020, 8:47 am
My oldest, now almost 12, was a very picky eater. I would literally cry when feeding him, and the tension and frustration I felt, the failure as a mom, definitely created and exacerbated the pickiness that exists to this day.

Read Elyn Satter's work on the division of responsibility.

Put your baby in her chair, put a variety of food on her plate, and leave her alone. That's it! She'll become a wonderful eater, able to listen to her own cues about what does and doesn't taste and feel good, when she feels full or hungry for more.

I wish I'd been able to give this gift to my oldest. Thankfully, I learned about these techniques and the psychology behind it when he was about 5. I've been implementing them ever since, and he has slowly but surely been able and willing to taste and enjoy more and more foods.
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amother
Pearl


 

Post Sun, Mar 29 2020, 11:41 am
Since you have a history of feeding difficulties, I disagree with waiting or managing this on your own. A qualified feeding therapist will create a customized approach for you that does not entail force feeding or power struggles or anything negative surrounding feeding. In my experience, feeding challenges become much much much more difficult to treat the older the child gets. Age one is really perfect. Lots of therapists are now working via telehealth. I would suggest asking around in your area to find someone who comes recommended.
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amother
Smokey


 

Post Sun, Mar 29 2020, 11:52 am
It's hard, but you have to give up. She'll eat when she'll eat.
She for sure wont eat if she feels your stress and pressure.
Would she eat a smoothie? Maybe sneak some carbs in there?
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missmuffetsmum




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Mar 29 2020, 8:47 pm
Thanks for all your replies. I'm definitely trying not to stress about it and doing my best to make sure she doesn't feel pressured too. And I'm doing exactly what you're all saying - a variety of finger foods on her tray and letting her have fun. The mess totally doesn't scare me, that's what baths are for Tongue Out I guess if she's not losing weight then there's no cause for concern. And for the poster who mentioned teeth, she's only got 2 so she chews like a lil old lady Laugh
Thank you again!
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