and so far Abbie is winning!
Abbie (who is 10 months old) is getting really picky when it comes to eating. She ate baby food (stage 2 and 3) really well until this last week. I figured she was getting use to eating bits and pieces off of the table so now that is all she wanted. Not sure about that either...I have tried giving her the Graduates meals like the little o's in meat sauce, etc. but she is refusing those now too, even though they are out of a bowl and I don't present them like baby food. The only thing she does eat at this point is breads and gogurts and she drinks just fine out of a sippy cup. HELP! I am worried she is not getting enough healthy stuff and I don't want her to get use to the sweeter things. I have tried mashing bananas and other fruits and veggies and still no interest. She still has NO teeth so I am limited with what I can give her. I have thought about peanut butter, but I thought that was off limits until she was 1. She is nursing about 4 times a day but not for very long.
I have read this is a control thing and very common at this age, but how can I be sure she is getting enough? Do I wait until she is hungry enough to eat what is in front of her? Do I just give her whatever she wants? Anyone battle this before?
Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
17 comments:
Hey Tara! I have a hard time getting Austin eating anything so I feel ya! The doctor told me while he's like this to feed him whatever he will eat even if it is cheetos and fries! At this point they aren't worried about obesity. Another suggestion my pediatrician had was to keep dry snack foods that he will eat out all the time either by his toys or where he wanders. Hope that helps! My kids would never eat the graduates! Good luck! Are you going to come to Amanda's tomorrow?
NO...on the peanut butter! I found out after dealing with a peanut allergy that they are moving the age to 2. At least until the new vaccine comes out but that is still 3-5 years out.
My kids were the same way at that age. It isn't anything to worry about. Give her what she wants! Get one of those baby feeder net things. They are great. You can put fruit in them and they gnaw away without the worry of choking. And it feels good on their gums too!
And heavens...if you are still breastfeeding, she is getting all the nutrients she needs! Let her have her cake!
Tara, If you are worried about fruits and veggies, make her soups and shakes. I have found them to be the easiest way to get fruits and veggies into meals secretly. Use your gogurt and mix in a half a banana and some apple, or blueberries...you name it. You can even throw in a veggie and she wont know. Put it in the blender and throw it in a sippy cup.
Soups speak for themselves. You can add any veggie and meats even, and they all end up tasting about the same....
If she is still to picky after that, mix whole milk, or formula, even slim fast with the gogurt. Tons of vitamins.
Also, little bites of cheese or mixing small chunks of cheese in her yogurt is good. Sneak the veggies, protein, and fruits like a trojan horse. In something she already likes. : )
Hope this helps. If not, like Jenn said, kids will be kids. They won't starve themselves or overeat.
too, not to : ) ( makes me feel better )
As I have found with Stella, as long as she is still nursing she is most likely getting enough. Stella has been on 4 breast feedings a day (about 5-8 mins) and baby cereal for 3 meals. I was so worried too about the nutrition. After nearly 7 weeks I am again introducing other Gerber foods to her--now that she has been on Prevacid for a while.
The good news is that even durring that time she gained weight/height. But now I am stuck (until we get all of this figured out) breast feeding her. SHe is still learning the sippy cup--when she gets it I am starting her on milk and weaning from the breast.
Good luck!
Okay..... I am the crazy mom who just won't give into her kids! I have to disagree about giving her whatever she wants! She knows exactly what shes doing BOTH my kids did this and they just didn't eat until they were ready to eat what was being served. I have had so many mothers say to me" it starts young" if you nip in the bud now then she knows she can't get away with it. I would also make her fruit smoothies and maybe she is ready to eat what youre eating. She might want to be eating big? Not sure. I hope I am not coming off like a bad mom I just have such a passion about giving kids healthy things. Tara, I am sure she'll be fine she'll totally eat when she's ready. No worries sweet girl! You are the best mom. xoxoxo
BTW- You lucky girl!!!!!! Still breastfeeding...that freaking ROCKS!!!! So awesome!
I agree with Tiffany. Nip it now! My second, wouldn't eat ANYTHING from about 7months until last month (He's almost 2) and I never gave in. At times I felt like he lived on milk and yogurt, but everyone said not to worry and now he eats like a champ-whatever is served! It was a tough battle, but so worth it now! Good luck!!
Hey! Okay, I am in love with the Odwalla Superfood drink. ( I buy it from Costco because it is waaaay cheaper) I give my kids a cup or 2 a day and lately have been mixing in extra yogurt, strawberries, bluberries and spinach. My kids looove it and ask for it all the time. Also a trick that I learned from my sister ( you will think it is gross). She used to chew up food and take a little peice out and give it to her kids, so that they will get the variety and flavor without needing teeth to chew. Such as pretzels, hot dogs, grilled cheese etc.... I started that with my kids and it cut down on the cost of baby food as well. Jaisa eats way more variety and I think it is because of that and the fact that she saw me eat it and give her what I was eating straight from my mouth. Sounds gross, but it looks more appetizing coming from their moms mouth than a food processor.
Hey I'm having this exact same problem. Shay is so picky and I worry all day she is not getting her vitamins and protein. I think she lives on whole milk and a few bites of food every day. I'm searching for new ideas. This is my biggest challenge right now.
Lost my battle with Elle about the same age and am still trying to recover. Did get her to eat one bite of fruit tonight at dinner . . . small victory! How pathetic!
hey tara, my little one (15months) doesn't eat anything but yogurt and milk. some days I think I might be starving him, but then I think he'll eat if he wanted to...right?
NO teeth..that is crazy! It keeps them looking like babies though. Gotta love that.
I did the fruit smoothie thing with my oldest and he loved them!
good luck!
hey tara, my little one (15months) doesn't eat anything but yogurt and milk. some days I think I might be starving him, but then I think he'll eat if he wanted to...right?
NO teeth..that is crazy! It keeps them looking like babies though. Gotta love that.
I did the fruit smoothie thing with my oldest and he loved them!
good luck!
Some days Scarlett does this, and it drives me crazy! She goes through stages of things she likes, so some days it's just string cheese and those gross little crunchies and im ok with that! If she is still breastfeeding I wouldn't worry at all though. Have you tried eggs? Scarlett liked those at her age. Oh and she just got her first tooth last month (14 months) and she could just about gum anything! Seriously the girl can gum through a McDonald hamburger, steak and chicken cut up...You would be surprised at how tough those little gums are! haha Good luck!
Hey Tara!
I saw Erica yesterday with Abbie and she is just darling. I love the blue, blue eyes!
I think this is pretty normal. I would continue to try to feed her a healthy diet. I know it's hard when all they want to eat are a couple of things. Just keep offering her different things. She's obviously thriving and probably getting most of what she needs from nursing still, so I wouldn't worry too much.
I understand that no teeth problem. Amelia will be 1 next week and she has only two bottom teeth, which don't help much. At least she's still willing to eat baby food.
Hang in there! She is doing fine and this phase will pass before you know it!
don;t give up. Addie used to eat everything and then started the same scenario about 12mos. I went to babycenter.com for tips and I also started making it fun doing anything to fly that airplane spoon into her lil mouth. However, when I went to my ped. about it, he said she was doing fine, and most parents worry too much about it, when kids really don't need as much food as we think they need. At her age milk is still pretty important. I am sure you figure something out, your awesome!
I need your address to Vegas, I am finally sending baby anncouments out! - Camille
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