Help! Not interested in food

1stimer

Sat, Mar 12 2005, 1:17 pm

I think my 6 month old baby needs to start solids. He is waking up every two hours shock

at night - he used to sleep about eight to ten hours at night.

He puts everything in his mouth, grabs whatever I have, seems intensly interested when I eat. BUT when I offer him food (I tried with rice cereal), he just isn't interested. He grabs the bowl or spoon, takes a handful and smears it all over his (and my!) clothes, but he won't open his mouth to it.

What can I do? I wouldn't mind some sleep...

or will someone take him for a night!?! please!?! Wink

shoy18

Sat, Mar 12 2005, 9:21 pm

I have a 6 month old also I started giving him solids almost two monthes ago because he wasnt gaining enough. In the begining he'd cry everytime it went near but I offered it to him everyday and I found that oatmeal was the best he took that without crying. He wouldnt open his mouth I had to push the spoon in his mouth and he'd eat only when I started giving him baby jars did he open his mouth.
If you keep offering it to him he wille ventually take it, but ask your dr.

Pickle Lady

Sun, Mar 13 2005, 12:26 am

can I just say one word TEETHING. Hes probably teething. No need to force food down his throat if he doesn't want it. If hes gaining then leave it.

1stimer

Sun, Mar 13 2005, 2:05 am

Did I say waking up every two hours?? that must have been a good night!

it could be he's teething. is it true that teeth come in twos? because he just got his first tooth last week.

Pickle Lady

Sun, Mar 13 2005, 12:12 pm

My kids teeth really early, like 3 months and get their first teeth at 4 months. Teething is really really painful. If there are nights when he just won't sleep and is really kvetchy, I give tylenol and he passes out (thanks mom for putting me out of my misery) and both of us get a good nights sleep. My boys both got alot of teeth at once. If he wants to bit on something, give him something to bit on like a teething ring or a safe toy to bit on. Its totally normal for them to want to bit things but it doesn't nessarily mean they want food. My son is happier bitting his spoon than the food right now. Also another way to introduce foods is to let them feed themsleves. My son has the best time trying to put the food into his mouth.

The waking up at night and wanting to bit everything is so typical of teething.

ForeverYoung
Guest

Sun, Mar 13 2005, 1:47 pm

Quote:

also, he's not gaining so well

as Yehudis suggested, try other foods.

u also might consider supplimenting w/ formula

amother

Sun, Mar 13 2005, 5:48 pm

I pump b/c of work and at one point my milk seemed to be going down.
Over the weekend (basically Fri, Motzi Shabbos and Sunday) I pumped between feedings and it seemed to help up the supply.
Also, try feeding him different foods, as suggested -- and put a little on your finger to show him it's good.
I also had my baby waking up a lot at night and I started solids.... within a few weeks things seemed to improve with the sleeping (no 10-12 hours yet, though!!! and he's 8 months now!)....
Yes, could be teethign...My baby got his 2 teeth about 1-2 wks apart. If he's crying a lot...could be....if he has a cold, make sure it's not an ear infection like my baby had last week and kept waking up...
The problem w/ this age is there could be so many possibilities!

secretsmile

Sun, Mar 13 2005, 11:50 pm

My baby is 7 mos now k"h and he started rice cereal with pears in it at 5 1/2 mos. I think he ate it b/c he like the sweetness, also do you serve it to him warm they like it body temp. not room temp. now at 7 mos he eats chicken soup potato kugel and gefilte fish.

Good luck as for your milksupply I don't know if it works ....my friend once said 1 tbls. of sour cream a day makes the milk rich. I was also told beer (yuck). But again I did not try it myself.

1stimer

Mon, Mar 14 2005, 8:43 am

the prob is that he feeds so often, I can't pump in btw feeds!

I tried him on carrots - he liked it better than the cereal. (he sneezed in middle - you can imagine what a mess that made!)

does anyone know the hebrew for sour cream?

hisorerus

Mon, Mar 14 2005, 12:54 pm

Beer, they tested and found that the babies drank less when the milk was beer-flavored. Since the mother had milk left over, she thought she had produced more milk.

So that's one thing NOT to take!

1stimer, I hope you have a GOOD bib! Wink

(I like the ones that are like a towel with a hole in the middle)

hisorerus

Tue, Mar 15 2005, 2:00 am

Less messy... um....

Less cleanup, here's some tips that SOMETIMES work for me:

1) Put down a plastic garbage bag under the highchair
2) Use a SMALL spoon! (There's even a kind that claims to "grip" the food, forget who makes it)
3) GOOD BIB!!!
4) Before taking baby out of chair, remove tray, remove bib, wipe face & hands (I sometimes forget hands- oops!)

And face facts, kids will always manage to get past all of your safeguards and get baby food all over you and the house. The funniest (depending on who's on cleanup) is when they grab the spoon and send the stuff splattering everywhere, and then laugh.

Oh yeah, if you want to give cereal or whatever (depending on their age) to eat by themselves, give it BEFORE the mashed food, because otherwise, you get some interesting mixtures all over your house. (My experience, at least...)

Pickle Lady

Mon, Mar 21 2005, 11:22 am

Quote:

shaynarochel - u were right, he just got his 2nd tooth...

I just went through the same thing. My son was night waking and I thought he wanted to eat but he was biting the spoon instead of eating. Then more teeth came....there you go.

Best way to increase milk supply is feed them more often and so breast compression to get more milk out. remember girls its supply and demend....the more milk removed the more milk will be made.

ForeverYoung
Guest

Mon, Mar 21 2005, 1:20 pm

Quote:

remember girls its supply and demend

unfortunately some mothers can't keep it up starting around 5-6 mnths. Sad

Try more rest, more drink & proper diet

& I'd add solids and/or formula if all else fails

Also, montor your babie's weight every other week - to make sure there is enough food intake