I don't understand it. My baby turns 1 tomorrow and won't eat anything from me, but he'll eat from everyone else. When I get the spoon or bottle near him he starts screaming. today was a real struggle getting any food in him so I took him to my mother-in-laws for help. I first tried to feed him, but when the spoon or bottle got near him he would start screaming. I couldn't get 1 bite of food in him or a sip of milk (from bottle or sippy) But when my mother-in-law sits down to feed him, in 10 minutes he's scarfed down 4 oz of sweet potatoes, 2 oz of mixed fruit baby food, and a tons of mashed potatoes and gravy. He eats at such a hurried pace it's like he's starving.
I don't know what to do. I'm his sole care giver. My husband is at school all day trying to graduate. So it's just me. What do I do? am I missing something?
Note: I haven't forced him to eat, I've tried every varied of food known to man that can be mashed, and when he shows he's not happy with feeding I stop so I don't scar him from eating, and we have ruled out any medical problems with his pediatrician. He gets weighed every 2 weeks because he won't put weight on.
Please help!
Why not put bits of food on his tray and let him feed himself? Just little cut up portions that aren't hot. Shaped noodles, small pieces of fruit, etc.
http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/ can give you ideas.
Try finger foods. My kids didn't let me feed them after they were about 10 months old. I just cut up their food and placed it on the tray and let them feed themselves.
For the most part they ate what I ate. So I would make a plate for myself with enough food for both of us. Then I would put a small amount of food on their tray. When that was gone I'd add more.
You could also try making a plate of finger food for yourself and sitting on the couch. He might be curious and sit next to you and want to try something ... especially if you seem to be enjoying it. I "tricked" my kids into trying many things by showing them how much I loved the new food.
so stop feeding him. give him finger foods, and expect that there will be some mess while he figures it out.
khairete
S.
Hi, at that age kids like to be more independent, have you tried finger foods or foods he can grab? and letting him bring his spoon to the mouth him self. Also, I would just chop up his food instead of mashing it, and give more table food as opposed to baby food from a jar, it could be that he is ready for a change as he is getting older
Updated
Hi, at that age kids like to be more independent, have you tried finger foods or foods he can grab? and letting him bring his spoon to the mouth him self. Also, I would just chop up his food instead of mashing it, and give more table food as opposed to baby food from a jar, it could be that he is ready for a change as he is getting older
I agree with AV and Jennifer.
Mine lost interest in being fed. I did cut up (very small) pieces of food. Then feeding became fun. Just make sure he can chew it up.
I did little cubes of just about everything - I would cook till softened. I also had a baby grinder. So anything that they couldn't yet chew fine enough, I ground up.
I also didn't make a big deal about set mealtimes. One of mine in particular was a grazer. I didn't worry about bad habits, I just made little fun bowls of mixed cut up foods (all healthy) and he'd nibble away happily. By the time he was a toddler, he was eating with us at the table.
Try an actual cup. You'll have some spills to begin with, but see if that helps.
Or those cups that aren't sippy cups, but old fashioned, with just a spout (but they don't have to suck). One of mine used those to graduate from bottle to cup.
Hope that helps ... I just adapted to my kids as they went through stages.
** I also let my babies play with the spoon and experiment feeding themselves when they lost interest in me feeding them. But grandmas do have the magic touch sometimes - I know my mom does :)
Good luck :)
He's just turned one, lay off the baby food. Keep feeding him formula until he's ready for food. It's not nutritious at this age anyway, it's just practice. Hasn't the doctor recommended some kind of fatty formula if he isn't gaining weight?
Perhaps you need to ask for help until he's older...I know it's painful that he won't eat for you but he must have something in his system.
Start making a daily trip to someone's house where he'll eat. A trip to grandma's in the afternoon or evening and a trip to a friends house in the morning. If he'll eat there twice a day that's a good start.
Please know there is something going on that's him, not you.
