My 11 1/2 month old hardly eats anything anymore.?

Question

He'll still drink his bottles, and drinks about 20-25 ounces of his milk everyday. But he doesn't want to eat hardly anything else. At meal time he'll eat only a few bites of food and pushes the rest away. And these are foods he has liked in the past. He's not acting sick at all, he just doesn't really want to eat. Even the gerber puffs which he used to love, now will only have a few and not want any more.

This has been a few days now. Should I be worried that he's not eating enough?

Answer 1

Don't worry. It's normal. I would make myself a big plate of food and let my daughter eat off of my plate. That was she would eat more thinking she's eating mommy's food. Babies/toddlers will do this off and on. As long as they are still active and drinking, don't worry. Next week, he'll probably eat everything in the house. If he seems listless or doesn't have any wet diapers for awhile then I would call the doctor.

Answer 2

My 11 1/2 month old eats just about anything. He hates the baby jarred food so I don't give him those. He LOVES yogurt. Sit your daughter in her high chair with different finger foods (pieces of cooked pasta, cherrios, etc). She'll play with it for awhile, but she'll get a few pieces in her mouth. My son has about 2 and a half bottles of milk a day (morning afternoon and night time, the afternoon and night time one he doesnt always finish) other then that he eats regular food. What I am eating, he eats. Are you eating with your baby? Sit down and eat with her, she will see mommy eating and want to eat as well. When your feeding her, give it time. Dont think just because she's not eating right that second that she wont. Stay consistent when offering food. Don't give in and hand her a bottle. Keep offering the food. Every time she turns away, put the spoon down, wait until she looks ready, then offer it again. Keep doing that until she takes a few bites. Offer food first, then the bottle. My son usually eats his meals first, then he has a bottle after. Keep trying, she'll get the hang of it soon.

Answer 3

IIt is normal for young children to suddenly decide they will only eat a few foods and refuse everything else – including foods they loved yesterday. They may eat these same few foods over and over again at every meal, and will turn their noses up at anything new. This can also be a way he is exerting his independence ("You can't make me eat that") it may have nothing to do with the actual food – he is just testing your limits.

Tips on how to handle a picky eater:
· New Food - It will take numerous exposures to a new food, for a child to see it as familiar. When offering a new food, place it on the dinner table with everything else; don’t make a big fuss about it. After he's seen you eat the food a few times, he may feel more open to trying it himself. As he gets older and attends playgroup or nursery, his taste in food may broaden as well, he will see his friends eating other types of food that are different this may inspire him to eat new things, too
· Taste and Texture - Some children's have more sensitive tastes than others, he won't like the texture, colour, or taste of some foods and will often claim to dislike a food even if he has never even tried it. Sometimes a child can have an aversion to a food because it reminds him of when he was sick or any other negative association attached to that food type, if this is the case, don’t offer that food again until your child is a little older.
· Limit his options - If you say, 'It's dinnertime. What do you want to eat?' he will chose something familiar to him, instead you should say, 'Here's dinner,' he can then choose from the food offered. Do not offer an entire unfamiliar meal; serve a meal that includes at least one thing you know he likes. Introduction of a new food should be in small quantities, give him a taste before placing a whole serving in his plate, he won't feel overwhelmed - and it won't seem like wasting food.
· Involve him in food decisions- shopping, making his lunch, etc. It’s more likely that he will eat something he has chosen himself (the easiest way to do this is by letting him choose from a small selection of healthy foods you've already picked out!) Remember that it is his job to decide what he's going to eat (you can lead a donkey to water but you can make him drink) force wont work
· Variety –Provide him with a wide variety of healthy foods without a big fuss. Each mealtime should be in a positive, relaxed environment and must be enjoyable for everyone involved. A constant hovering over him during mealtimes will cause him become even more resistant to eating.
· Amount of food - It may seem like he can’t sit still long enough to eat very much during one sitting because of his short attention span, but children are good at getting what they need, even if it doesn't seem like much to you, he has an innate sense of how much food his body needs to grow and be healthy, trust your child to eat what he needs.

If you are still concerned about the decrease in eating do not convey your fears to your child, contact your doctor and discuss your concerns with him.

I hope that this helps you with your problem.

Best Wishes and Good Luck

Answer 4

This happen to me. Let me guess, you just switched to cow's milk. My son is 23 mo and from 13 mo until about 2 months ago, he wouldn't eat much. I just kept feeding him the balanced meals I was serving the whole family. He would eat one thing one day and turn his nose up the next. Just be patient and give him good food. He'll eat. If you have doubts, call the doc.
Good luck and best wishes.

Answer 5

it's good that he still drink his bottles. but then if he already started eating meals, you have to be worried. why don't you go to your pediatrician? and tell him or her your dilemma. maybe he had eating disorder that needs to be medicated. it's now or never, mommy.