thread: 8 month old refusing all food

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Oct 2008
    Victoria
    4,601

    8 month old refusing all food

    Is it normal for babies to go through stages where they refuse to eat any solid food? DS is turning his nose up at all meals, including finger food which he just drops. He was previously polishing off everything I offered so I'm finding this complete refusal very stressful.
    Do I keep pushing different things or do I just give him what he wants (which at the moment is just yogurt or banana!!)?

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Dec 2005
    6,706

    Completely normal. At least judging from my boy it is, anyway. It usually happens when he's teething.

    We just let him go and try to offer him foods we know he will eat. While it is stressful, we try not to turn it into a battle and force him to eat - if we've persisted in offering something he doesn't want for too long he tends to get into the habit of refusing food altogether.

    BW

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Oct 2008
    Victoria
    4,601

    Thanks so much for your quick reply. It's funny, he actually cut another toothy peg this morning!! Hopefully that was the reason.

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Sep 2005
    In the middle of nowhere
    9,362

    Sounds pretty normal to me. Makes for some sometimes though doesn't it?
    FWIW neither of mine really wanted anything until well after that age so he sounds like he's going great guns.

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Oct 2008
    Victoria
    4,601

    Thanks Kim. It is very frustrating He wouldn't even eat his toast this morning!!

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Dec 2005
    6,706

    It is incredibly frustrating, I know!

    For us, the food refusal has always ended with the appearance of a tooth, and both before and after he will end up eating more than normal so it's often really hard to keep up with how much he is likely to eat!

    If he was refusing food from a spoon, we would try to give him something that he could eat himself that is still fairly soft. Often bread rather than toast as it is softer. At times he was refused to feed himself and insists on mush from a spoon... If he rejects both we figure he really doesn't want to eat and we will try to make sure he has an extra bottle or something.

    I hope it ends soon, I really do know how stressful it can be.

    BW