Why won't my son eat?

Question

I have a 15 month old and he doesn't want to eat anything. Just drink milk. I breastfed him until 12 months old and then he slowly started with not wanting to eat either table food or baby food. It worries me a great deal. His weight is currently 21.8 lbs. I have tried everything. The doctor said that he will eventally eat. I am just a little concerned. He is also taking supplemental drinks such as Nutren Junior a high calorie drink. Any suggestions.

Sincerely,
Nervous Mom

Answer 1

Sounds like a normal toddler to me!
Try offering the food before the bottle! When you know he's starting to feel hungry offer him some dry cereal or some cut up bits of fruit. Cut back a bit on his bottles so he's not drinking so much and has more room for the solids. Then offer the solids and perhaps some juice in a sippy cup instead of a bottle. He's getting old enough he should only be getting a bottle after meal times any way and starting to be weaned from the bottle all together! Slowly of course. If you start now you can have him bottle free by 18 months!

Answer 2

i had a terrible time with my first child, a little less with my second, and none with my third.rather it was different personalities or me learning from my mistakes i dont know. they are now 6,5 and 3 and the 6 year old is still way picky and goes through fasting phases. my 3 year old has had a rule ever since she came off of formula, she gets milk at snack times only and either water or juice with meals. and i never ever gave her her drink until her food was in front of her. my first would drink all her drink while i was making the food then not be hungry. also at that age they tend to eat more fingerfoods than anything else and they also tend to be nibblers. as someone else already posted leave healthy snacks around that are easily obtainable as silly as it may seem things like a bowl of dry cereal on a coffee table and things like that are a big hit, they walk by grab what they want and continue on. they will never starve themselves but i seriously think you need to cut back on the calories he is getting from his milk and supplement drinks . those calories get burnt too fast and hes not getting all the nutrients he needs either if hes filling up on that.

Answer 3

Because it's a stage and it will pass.
Too many opinions already.
Is he teething?
I definitely don't agree with the breast feeding at naps and bed til 2 years!!!! But that's just another opinion. And I have heard that it is very good til 12 to 15 months.
I also have a 15 month old. What kinds of foods do you offer? Maybe he wants something with different texture. Do you season foods so they actually TASTE good?
Also, usually mine is not hungry if he has just had juice or milk or formula, so there is more chance of him eating if you try food before......basically like adults.
The biggest input I have is, DON"T WORRY!!!!!!!! He will probably be fine. At least he drinks plenty of fluids!!

Answer 4

He's not eating food because he's DRINKING all the calories he needs. If you slow up on the supplemental drinks, and the milk, within a few days he'll be hungry for food. He will eat eventually, but you have to stop giving him all the high calorie/high protein drinks first.

Adults can drink Ensure, or protein shakes, all day and not want to eat solid foods, also. You won't be hungry if you are getting everything to satisfy your hunger in liquid form.

Answer 5

I had the exact problem with my daughter I breast fed her till she was 13 mo and ever since then she just wanted to drink milk or jiuce. I too talked with my Dr several times and she assured me that she waould eat when she needed to and that I should just try to limit her liuid intake untill she would eat some real food. She is now 3 1/2 and weighs 31 lbs (still small but healthy) She is still not a great eater but she is getting better.Try not to get too upset about it. It seems the more I push food the more she rebels. I have limited the amt she can drink though.

Answer 6

I had the same problem with my daughter. I took her to a nutritionist at 18 months (when she barely ate ANY solid foods) and was told to wait until she normally would have her milk and put solid food in front of her. Make it relaxed, give her a few toys. Then I would feed her less milk in her bottle each day until I reached the max I was supposed to give her (I think 24 oz.) Eventually she figured out that she could satisfy her hunger by eating food. You have to start this now before it's too late. It's going to be hard at first but it's the only way. If you try to feed him after he's had his milk he'll feel fuller and won't be as motivated.

Answer 7

That's right about them not starving themselves... After a year, appetites tend to slack off naturally anyway, because their bodies don't need quite so much to develop those important parts anymore. There have been many times in the last 8 months that i've worried about it too. But if your baby's still gaining enough weight, then it should be ok. The doctor will be concerned when/if the nutrition becomes a problem. My son's doctor sent us to a dietician when he wasn't gaining weight as fast as she thought he should. The pamphlet that we got from the dietician says that a serving of food should be one tbsp for every year (1yr=1tbsp, 1.5yrs=1.5tbsp, etc. yes you have to count the months, and try to add a little for each month) as long as you give them that much per serving, and offer a serving of 2 food groups for snacks, 3 for breakfast, and 4 for lunch and dinner, (more if they want it) then they are getting enough!!

Answer 8

When my daughter tragically weaned herself at 11 months, I tried everything. She was (and still is) a very picky eater, and I asked her doctor about giving her Pediasure to make sure she got all her vitamins and minerals. My doctor urged me NOT to give her those drinks, because they will REPLACE the food, not supplement them. The idea is that if she drinks those drinks, she will not be hungry and therefore won't eat. I would recommend not giving her those drinks, and watch her behavior and diaper output. As long as she is happy and active, wetting and pooping enough, she will be fine. Toddlers go thorugh a stage where they hardly eat anything at all. That's how they lose all that beautiful baby fat! Try to figure out what foods he does like to eat and just let him have those foods. Keep trying new things, of course, but don't be afraid to just let him have whatever he will eat (as long as it isn't candy, of course!) If however he starts to act listless and tired all the time, stops wetting his diapers, rapidly loses weight, or his behavior changes drastically, take him straight to the doctor; these are signs of dehydration or malnutrition.

Answer 9

my son is four and he still goes through these stages
They say to look at your son's diet over a two week period. There are times i am lucky if he takes 2 bites from his plate. But either way i always fix him a plate with a teaspoon of everything we are eating and encourage him to at least try it, one study i read said it can take up to 13 times of exposure to a new food before a child will even try a taste. I wouldn't worry to much as long as he continues to grow, and has energy to play, sounds to me like you have your bases covered, but perhaps you should try to offer him food before the high calorie drinks, this may increase your chances of getting him to eat table foods.
This stage shall pass and be replaced by another.
Please try not to worry, and blessings to you!

Answer 10

I think is just a phase that babies go through at that age. My daughter did the same thing, she just started eating more. During that time I gave her Pediasure to drink. She's now 18 months old and she weighs about 24 lbs. He eventually break out of it, but I understand your nervousness.