No more eating.... help!!!

Yup. I admit it. I need help getting my DS to eat.

He was always a good eater, eating everything and anything, then the big molars came in, and now his eye teeth.. and between that he's been sick with colds, croup, pneumonia, the list could go on and on.


So for a while there, the only thing I could get him to eat during the day was weetbix at breakfast, sangas at lunch, some fruit for snacks and my fried rice for dinner.

Then, he went off his weetbix. So we changed to vegemite on toast - which most times, he will finish. Just the one slice though.

He hasn't eaten his sangas for lunch for me for a few weeks now - I'm lucky if he will pick at a tiny piece and then put it down again.

He was still having his fried rice until the other night when he was screaming at me because he was hungry and I didn't check the temp of it properly and burnt his mouth. Now he won't eat anything that he sees come towards him at dinner time, he pushes us away and says its hot... even if its not.

SOooooo... he's hardly eating anything. Today I could put probably the amount of food that he has eaten on the palm of my hand and have room to spare. All he wants is liquid - juice, watered down cordial, milk. I started giving him the cordial when he had pneumonia to keep up his sugar levels because he didn't eat anything for about a week and I just wanted to get something into him.
Now - he doesn't like to drink water. ARGGHHHH.

I've tried just doing vegies in sticks, he just plays with it, tried doing vegies mashed up, he just throws it around the place, he's never liked meat, will eat a little bit of fruit.

I need help!!! He won't eat pasta, rice, or ANYTHING.

I keep joking that he is on a liquid diet, but seriously, he won't eat anything!!!!!! He has lost at least a kg from this phase, so he is around 11kg now. He screams the house down if he doesn't get something that he wants and at the moment, I just don't have the energy to fight him.

Please help. I'm scared he will be deficient in some vitamins because he does not eat properly like he used to. (Oh, and he has got three of his eye teeth through now, and is working on the 4th. I think this one is coming because we haven't been sleeping much.)

Please don't have any judgemental posts, because I'm trying to do my best here. I know it was bad to give him bbq shapes for dinner tonight, but seriously, he will not eat anything.

I just need some help. :(

I haven't been there - so I know nothing!! lol But just wanted to send you some :hug:s Hang in there!!
He will eat if he is hungry, so I suppose persistence is the key? Keep trying :)
Good luck anyhow hun!

Oh hun, no judgements here, my DD used to eat like a champ- fruit, veggies, pasta, caseroles....anything! But since having a cold, ear infections, chest infection and getting her eye teeth now, she's just soo fussy. And like you I have no energy to fight, and no motivation to try to keep on cooking her different things. I have just brought some tinned pumpkin soup, vegie soup and chicken and corn soup. I'm hoping she likes them. I know she loves pumpkin soup, though it was fresh when she had it. At least these things are healthier options. We were the same with the juice too, I was giving her diluted juice instead of plain water and now she demands 'duice' every day. So I am giving her less every few days, and eventually it'll be plain water again.
She's usually also guarenteed (sp!) to eat tinned spaghetti, packet macaroni and cheese, 2 min. noodles and sometimes tinned vegies and sausages. Not the best things for her to have but when I'm desperate for her to have SOMETHING at least there's that to fill her belly. I'm trying not to give in to her though, and be of the 'she'll eat when she's hungry' brigade, but I weighed her tonight and I think she's lost a kg or so too.....
My only advice would be to keep on offering him the foods you do just small amounts and frequently. If he hasn't eaten for the whole day, then offer something you know he'll eat even if it's not so healthy, like 2 min noodles. And ask your Dr about a baby vitamin. I meant to last time, but forgot. Most of the commercial ones are for over 2yrs. Or you can get milk with extra stuff in it too.

have you tried putting something in with his milk, like some banana or something - sort of like a smoothie?

sorry I can't be of more advice

Sharon - I don't know if it would fit through the sippy cup? I mean, I've never tried it (don't have a blender anyway... lol)

Kellie - thanks :hug: He won't touch 2 minute noodles, baked beans, spaghetti, any tinned baby food (we tried the other night as a last resort). I'm just so.. defeated.. you know? Oh, and he asks for "duice" as well ;)

He seems to have upped his milk intake, more than the three sippy cups a day, so I'm just wondering if I should NOT give him milk when he demands it and just leave food out for him (which I feel bad about - I mean, he's not an animal.. lol)

No wonder this baby isn't coming - too much stress in my house with another child not eating!!!!

Alexis - thanks for your support :hug: *mwah*

Mel, maybe with his milk, give him less and less in his bottles/cups, like 10-20mls at a time or water it down bit by bit, and I mean SLOWLY!! I tried this with DD and she could taste if I did it any more than about 15mls water every few days, little monkey! But eventually she seemed to stop wanting her arvo bottle and now only has one or two at night of 120-150mls.
How long do you try to feed him for? Do you eat with him, do you let him down when he tells you he's finished? Do you make a song and dance if he does eat? Do you let him feed himself?

Kellie - he feeds himself now, won't let us feed him. If we even attempt to go near the spoon he definitely won't have any!!!!! And he screams at us (stubborn little so and so!!)
I'm not sure how much milk is in his sippy cups - its not a huge amount. Oh and most of the time, we are eating on the couch behind him (yes, setting a good example of eating at the table I know) and he has his special little seat that he eats in, pulled up to the coffee table. During the day I get down to the coffee table and have my lunch with him, but he'll just pick at his food and then give me the rest of it...

Ahhh.. toddlers are frustrating.. :wall:

I've got a friend who's DD is a fussy eater, my DD was always a gutz.

She makes tomato soup, lets it cool down puts it in a sippy cup for DD to have. Just leaves it on coffee table or what ever and DD helps herself when she wants it.
You could try same with dif soups.

She also make "milkshakes" which was just fruit yoghurt mixed with milk and shaken up in something. She would let DD shake it up so that she was involved, thought it was great.

What about Milo or something in his milk, at least he is getting something in that. Better than nothing.

Don't stress he'll eat again, just keep offering it, if he doesn't take it offer him something else, even if it's shapes. He'll eventually eat again.

If your worried maybe look at getting some kids vitamins into him, if he's good with taking medicine it might help put your mind at rest.

HTH
Laura

I find that if DH and I eat dinner with her at the table, she will eat more than if it's just me or if it's just her at the table. Like tonight we had a baked chicken dinner and she ate most of it before tipping it onto the table and rubbing it in....
And I was thinking if you wanted to try with the smoothies, maybe get a cup with a straw, like a magmag cup, so even if it is a bit chunky he can suck it up.

Oh hun. :hug: Of course no judgement - it isn't like we can force feed these cheeky monkeys. Can you tell I have a fussy, picky small eater myself.

Do you think that because Aricyn has been sick lately he still might not have much of an appetite?? I know that because Izzy has been unwell she is only just starting to pick up again and doesn't eat a huge amount. One thing that we do here, on advice from my MCHN is not to offer more than one thing per meal. I was offering something for dinner and if she wouldn't eat it we would try something else, up to 2-3 times to get her to eat. Now if she refuses her dinner, we put it aside and try her yoghurt and fruit that she has every night after dinner, and then attempt her dinner again 20-30 mins later. This seems to have worked a bit because she now knows that she won't automatically get toast etc if she doesn't eat her dinner.

I've just today cut her morning bottle so she has one formula bottle a day at night, its 250mL and we just put in 50mL cows milk tonight ( I know a bit late!) anyway, I have noticed her appetite today has been HEAPS better so cutting a bit of milk might work.
Today she's had porridge for brekky with banana, half a tiny pikelet for morning tea, cheese spread and vegemite sandwich and some pear for lunch, sultanas, apricots and cheese for afternoon tea, half a jar of Heinz cr@p for dinner ( we are having take away ;)) and a tiny bit of yoghurt. This is a great day hun so take heart. I've also heard that they will not starve themselves so I would keep calm (hard to do) keep offering a variety of food throughout the day ( I leave her bowl of 'tanas' fruit and cheese out for most of the arvo- nothing wrong with grazing! ;) ) and see how you go. I would definately cut a bit of milk too if you can because he might be filling up too much. :hug:

ETA - Izzy's blog in my sig has 2 recent posts about food and toddler tantrums etc!! Heehee must be the time of year for it! :)

Laura - ewww. cold tomato soup.. even I would vomit from that.. pmsl!!!!! I guess I could try that, I don't think he has had normal soup, I've tried homemade and he just says "ooh hot..." and turns his face away. :rolleyes:

He will ask for cheese, so at least thats somewhat healthy.. and will eat a little bit of yoghurt.. and tonight with his milk he had half a crust of plain bread...

I do have sippy cups with a long straw that the stuff might fit through, he just has a habit of turning them upside down and making the stuff come out onto the rugs.. lol

Kellie - I might try your idea of getting us all at the table at the same time... worth a try anyway...

Thanks :)

ETA - thanks Tan :) Its nice to know I'm not alone....

I might actually have to try to get more stuff on the table that is suitable for all of us, cos he usually eats before we do.... and I make his meals separate to what we have..

I'll try to cut down on the milk (just scared that he will fade away to nothing!!)

You might be surprised with the milk babe, and if after a day or two you don't see a difference and still worried you can still give it to him again.
Forgot to mention too that I have been trying to get dinner on the table for all of us so I don't have to cook her a separate meal like I have been - heaps easier and she is less distracted if we are eating with her. :)

Not sure if you've tried him on pasta. My DS is rediculously fussy too, but I found a new organic pasta in coles in dinosaur shpaes that he loves. I make a sauce that's guarenteed to work (at least it does in our house when nothing else does!). It's easy easy. Chop up one apple, crush a garlic clove (great for immunity), chop half an onion, chop a small carrot and some zuchini finely, add this to a pan and saute off a little. Add some vege stock and a heaped spoon of tomato paste. Simmer gently untill all is soft and mushy, blend until smooth. That's it - too easy. It's yummy and when combined with dinosaur pasta shapes it's a winner!

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Laura - ewww. cold tomato soup.. even I would vomit from that.. pmsl!!!!! I guess I could try that, I don't think he has had normal soup, I've tried homemade and he just says "ooh hot..." and turns his face away.

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hehe not my cup of tea either, but giving it to him in something different that he is not associating with burning his mouth might work.

My DD eats cold baked beans out of the can, I almost wanna spew but she loves it.

Kids have weird tastes, he may love it lol

I'd be more inclined to follow his lead, it can take them a little for them to recover fully. Keep offering food, he will eat it when he feels he is up to it.

What about getting some Penta Vite, or similar supplement as well?

Lulu - never heard of Penta Vite? Just a vitamin I'm guessing?

Laura - I could try him on cold baked beans I guess.... ?

Kris - yeah he used to eat my tuna pasta bake, but even that is out of the picture now... won't touch anything like it (I had the dinosaur shaped ones too... :()

Yeah, its drops. I have mine on it esp when they get picky with food.

From the chemist.

just try him Mel, he can only say no, and if you try lots of stuff then your bound to find something that he likes.

Maybe when your getting it for him ask him if he wants it cold or hot. He'll obviously say not hot, then he can watch you put it in a bowl or what ever, so he knows whats coming he might be more likely to eat it IYKWIM.

Penta Vite is good stuff too.

I remember when DD was at this stage, I tended to amuse her with food. I got an old jelly mold the small ones and use to layer the colours .Putting mash potatoes as a layer then maybe some pumpkin mash and then some brocali mashed. She was also partial to gravy so that on the side use to get some vitamins into her.
Good luck, I hope it doesnt last for too long
B

Oh Mel just what you dont need to stress about at the moment hey.
Its probably just because he's been so unwell that his appetite hasn't recovered yet. My DS went thru this a couple of months ago - he didn't eat anything for 3 days just drank water & juice. I was advised to use Incremin (from the chest) which is an Iron Mixture but apparently also increases their appetite.
My DS's fav atm is Pizza Toast - toast with ham, pineapple, olives & cheese - He wont eat sandwiches for lunch but will put away 2 rounds of this.
Dont stress about it he wont starve himself when he is hungry he will eat and you're doing the right thing by not forcing it.
:hug: :hug: