13 month old refuses to eat everything

toypup wrote:
"Penny Gaines" wrote in message
...
elanamig wrote:
If I wouldn't interrupt him and put him in his high chair
(also with lots of persuasion), he would go the entire day without
asking for food (tried that too, hoping that eventually he'd tell me
that he's hungry)

At 13mo, how would he tell you he is hungry? Are you absolutely certain
you haven't missed his hunger cues?

At 13 mo, DS wouldn't eat if he wasn't offered food. He could go a whole
day without eating and he'd look fine. IL's took care of him one day and
didn't feed him lunch or dinner because he didn't ask for food. They said
he was fine and just fed him a few crackers.
I watch for the level of chewing of toys. If he starts to chew
aggressively, usually, he's hungry, and I'd offer food. I also put him
in his high chair every 4 hours. I tried not to offier him food unless
he asked (chewed on toys, or answered "Um, Um" to keyword "Eat") as an
experiment one day, to see if he'd get hungrier and eat better towards
the evening. He did not, and barely ate at dinner time. So on the
regular basis, I do sit him down to eat at least every 4 hours, and
sooner if I see that he's chewing more than usual.

I'd like to ask your opinion on the following:

I'm being somewhat pressured by my family to give DS formula. Their
reasoning is that if he's not eating regular food, at least he'll get
the vitamins, etc from formula. While I understand their reasoning,
I'm afraid that giving formula will only encourage his food strike. On
the other hand, I don't want to cause DS any harm by not making sure he
gets his nutrients. What do you think I should do? Formula or no
formula?

Thanks,
Elana

"elanamig" wrote in message
ups.com...

Jenn,
He'd play around with a spoon, stick in into the bowl of food, and dump
the content promptly on the floor. I'm resorting now to supplemental
formula feedings, because he looks thinner. Made an appt. with our
doctor to weigh/measure him.


There is such thing as the "toddler appetite slump" (do a google search)
where toddlers seem to live off of just air for a while. I know both my kids
went through it and it is quite normal. Just keep offering a variety of
flavors and textures at every meal.

It is a good idea for him to be weighed if he looks thinner but just know
that the appetite slump can be a totally normal stage. Let us know what the
ped says.

JennP.

"elanamig" wrote in message
ups.com...

I watch for the level of chewing of toys. If he starts to chew
aggressively, usually, he's hungry, and I'd offer food. I also put him
in his high chair every 4 hours. I tried not to offier him food unless
he asked (chewed on toys, or answered "Um, Um" to keyword "Eat") as an
experiment one day, to see if he'd get hungrier and eat better towards
the evening. He did not, and barely ate at dinner time. So on the
regular basis, I do sit him down to eat at least every 4 hours, and
sooner if I see that he's chewing more than usual.


You do realize that toddlers chew toys for teething and soothing reasons,
not necessarily because they are hungry? I would look for other cues like
onset of crankiness, making a certain noise (my dd would go "eh,eh,eh,eh")
HTH

JennP.

JennP wrote:
You do realize that toddlers chew toys for teething and soothing reasons,
not necessarily because they are hungry? I would look for other cues like
onset of crankiness, making a certain noise (my dd would go "eh,eh,eh,eh")
HTH

JennP.

Jenn, my kid was never much of a chewer. I never even got him to take
a pacifier as a baby. And when he's teething, he's salivating like
crazy, but still doesn't chew much. So I've been associating
aggressive chewing with hunger, and it's been working pretty well util
recently. But now he'd go the whole day without making any signs that
he's hungry. That's why I put him in his high chair every 4 hours.
Just in case he's hungry, and just not showing. But that's never the
case. He's just not hungry.

He'd take a bottle eagerly most of the time, though. Is that a sign of
hunger? Can I assume that if he's drinking (milk/formula/juice)
eagerly then he's hungry?

Elana

"elanamig" wrote in message
oups.com...

Oh, no, deliberately, 100%. He'd drop the food and watch it hit the
floor, and if I give him another piece, it would follow. He would make
no attempt whats so ever to even try to put it in his mouth.

He's learning cause and effect. He's most likely deliberately dropping
food because he likes watching you pick it up or get a reaction with you.
Honestly, everything you say does sound pretty typical of of the range of
behavior you can expect from a 13 month old.

One think I observed with one of mine, is that he would spend two or
three days apparently living on air, and then the next day or two eating
lots and lots. Keeping a food diary over a week might show that he is
actually eating more then it seems, because the eating pattern is so
uneven.

I'd give it a shot, though I'm pessimistic about it. It's a good idea
in general though, so I'll try. Thanks.

Stop being so pessimistic then! Unless there is something severely wrong,
he's not going to starve himself. My ped tell us to look at their food
intake over time, a week or several days. Forget aobut meal by meal or even
day by day. Of course, see your ped if you are concerned.

JennP.

"elanamig" wrote in message
ups.com...
I'd like to ask your opinion on the following:

I'm being somewhat pressured by my family to give DS formula. Their
reasoning is that if he's not eating regular food, at least he'll get
the vitamins, etc from formula. While I understand their reasoning,
I'm afraid that giving formula will only encourage his food strike. On
the other hand, I don't want to cause DS any harm by not making sure he
gets his nutrients. What do you think I should do? Formula or no
formula?

Only your ped can make real suggestions regarding his nutrition and
certainly if he is truly losing weight then actions may need to be taken.

However, I have a close relative who had the same problem with their toddler
at the same age. Their ped recommended that they supplement with Pediasure
(blech!) Guess what, at age 3.5 Pediasure is still a main staple of his
diet. I didn't formula feed, so I can't really make suggestions on that.

JennP.

"elanamig" wrote in message
ps.com...

Jenn, my kid was never much of a chewer. I never even got him to take
a pacifier as a baby. And when he's teething, he's salivating like
crazy, but still doesn't chew much. So I've been associating
aggressive chewing with hunger, and it's been working pretty well util
recently. But now he'd go the whole day without making any signs that
he's hungry. That's why I put him in his high chair every 4 hours.
Just in case he's hungry, and just not showing. But that's never the
case. He's just not hungry.

He'd take a bottle eagerly most of the time, though. Is that a sign of
hunger? Can I assume that if he's drinking (milk/formula/juice)
eagerly then he's hungry?

I'm not really sure Elana. I didn't bottle feed so I don't know the
frequency/quantity that you give. When you do give him a bottle, why do you
do it? Is he crabby? Is he giving you some type of cue that he wants it? If
so, and he takes I would think that he probably is hungry. I don't remember
from your OP, but have you tried offering food first? You do sound concerned
so I do think you should talk to your ped.

JennP.

JennP wrote:
"elanamig" wrote in message
Only your ped can make real suggestions regarding his nutrition and
certainly if he is truly losing weight then actions may need to be taken.

However, I have a close relative who had the same problem with their toddler
at the same age. Their ped recommended that they supplement with Pediasure
(blech!) Guess what, at age 3.5 Pediasure is still a main staple of his
diet. I didn't formula feed, so I can't really make suggestions on that.

JennP.
Jenn, thanks for your reply. It's ironic, but I didn't formula feed
either. I breastfed until recently, but I went back to work, and he
was eating pretty well with hardly any milk intake, so I figured it's
safe to stop. A month after that, he's back to liquid foods, and I
have no milk left, so formula it is...

I'm really trying not to encourage his behavior, but on the other hand,
I'm freaking out when he skips meal after meal, day after day. Perhaps
he's one of those babies who's not really bothered by hunger, and knows
that evenually mom will give in and will give him the bottle.

Elana