one year old refusing solids?

[TheAnalyticalMommy]

Hi! So I started my LO on solids at 4 months and he was more than ready and loved it! Now at 12 months though he has started to refuse solids most of the time if I'm nearby and will cry until u nurse him.

This is new and I'm not sure what to do! I don't mind the extra nursing sessions but since I don't pump anymore at work my supply is lower and he gets frustrated. It's also hard to nurse him around the clock which seems to be what he wants.

I was really looking forward to having the best of both worlds - some freedom and dome cuddld\nursing time.

I guess at least I no longer care about NIP!

Has anyone else experienced this? What do I do? TIA!

[Deleted]

Teething? Separation anxiety? Do you let him feed himself?
Sometimes refusal of solids is baby showing their preferences in life but sometimes it's a sign of allergies or intolerances the food hurts do they start to refuse to eat it. Are there any other signs or symptoms of interest?

[ellabee]

Are you doing purees, or letting LO self-feed? My DD started to refuse anything on a spoon, but will eat everything in sight if you let her hold her own pieces of food.

[fish8412]

Teething? Sick? Separation anxiety? Try offering different types of foods. What if your husband feeds LO and you are out of the house or upstairs? I'm sure it's just a phase. Good luck!

[TheAnalyticalMommy]

Hmm yeah it could be separation anxiety. He's always been VERY attached to me though eh does just find if he doesn't see me.

He's always had a combination of purees and pieces of food (BLW). I usually offer him pieces of whatever we're eating first and then if he refuses try giving him apple sauce or yogurt now. Sometimes it works but less and less lately.

I don't think it's an allergy or a reaction to feeling hurt - when he refuses it, he doesn't even try it. He just automatically turns his face or shakes his head no.

i'm just worried he's not getting enough. When he went for his 12 month checkup they said his iron levels were lwo. From what i understand, he should be fine on iron from BM if he was having BM exclusively. That's making me think that he can only be low if he's not getting enough from BM and solids combined... plus it's frustrating. He just throws food on the floor automatically. The waste is crazy and so surprising given that he did great before.

[casey]

How frustrating, right?

We did BLW with my girl, and we've had so many ebbs and flows. There were (and still are - 19 months) days/weeks where she eats next to nothing and days/weeks where she eats all the things and days/weeks where she goes on pouches and blueberries only (she never had pouches until after a year).

I noticed that the ebbs and flows seem to go along with development and teething. When she's working on certain things, she might go backward in other areas. And, she most definitely has OPINIONS about how things are. She's jsut silently stubborn about it.

After one particularly difficult strike, I realized that she wasn't eating because she wanted to be at the table with us - not at the high chair next to the table with us. After another, I realized she wasn't eating because she wanted regular plate. After another, it was that she wanted sauce for dipping. After another, it was that she wanted the real fork and not the toddler fork. One day, a food can be her favorite, and the next the sight of it results in blowing raspberries and tears and headshaking.

I always try to give her what we have and just not make a big deal about it. I've also tried to make sure there is at least one element of the meal I know she'll usually eat. That way, she gets variety, but there is still something to fill in the gaps. If a lot of time goes by and she hasn't eaten what I think is enough, I sometimes break out the berries, graham crackers, apple, or pouches. I'm especially likely to do this if I think she's teething or sickish. I don't like to eat a lot of stuff when I don't feel well either.

Sorry, I wish I had better advice other than to say this sounds very much in the normal camp to me.

[TheAnalyticalMommy]

Thanks casey! It's good to know that this isn't abnormal!

When he was about 11 months old he was showing no signs of self weaning and i would joke that he missed the memo but secretely it made me happy that he stll wanted to nurse.

Now though, it's frustrating because i don't think he's getting enough to eat. He also only just started using pouches - and here i thought i had avoided them!

[Shoe Crazy Me]

I second teething. My LO would nurse more and eat less when he was teething or not feeling good. I can always get a smoothie in him. Have you tried that?

Whatever it is, welcome to the wonderfully frustrating world of trying to get a toddler to eat!

[mama2a]

Feb 17, 2015 21:59:36 GMT -5 casey said:

After one particularly difficult strike, I realized that she wasn't eating because she wanted to be at the table with us - not at the high chair next to the table with us. After another, I realized she wasn't eating because she wanted regular plate. After another, it was that she wanted sauce for dipping. After another, it was that she wanted the real fork and not the toddler fork. One day, a food can be her favorite, and the next the sight of it results in blowing raspberries and tears and headshaking. 

Casey, when I had a similar question a few weeks ago I think you were the one to mention that your DD wanted to eat at the table with you. My DD went for 1 week being super fussy at dinnertime and not eating which in retrospect I now chalk up to just being really tired and wanting to go to bed. I don't know why the sudden change, but it's better now. Nevertheless, I tried your trick of getting my DD out of the high chair and having her feed herself from my lap. It wasn't ideal, but she wound up eating everything on her tray! That to me said that her unwillingness to eat was because she was just inconsolable sitting in her high chair by herself, but once I was able to calm her down in my lap she was able to focus instead on eating. Obviously it wasn't a sustainable practice, but still interesting to see how it helped.

[TheAnalyticalMommy]

Thanks girls! he's been biting me occasionally so yeah... might be teething!

He does sit in his high chair right up against the table but lately i've been letting him use his tray. Maybe i'll go back to letting him eat off the table and see if that helps!