Very fussy eater
Show your support
Without stating the obvious as I am aware that she won't be breastfed until 18 years old. Just sharing my worries when I leave her for work so between 8 am and 5.30pm she has not a single intake of fluids. And the staff writes and says that she has breadsticks. Most mum would be freaked out, I think?
Hi @Alice. Hope you’re ok. My daughter is exactly the same so I’ve got to say I was relieved to see your post! She is 13 months too! And breastfed, never taken a bottle or dummy. We did baby led weaning and she started off quite well, she never really ate very much but she would try anything put in front of her! Now she is very fussy and it can change from one day to the next. She is a very busy bee and she’s always been that way, interested in everything around her and so sometimes I feel like sitting in the high chair and eating is almost a bit boring for her?! And these days she’ll look at something and won’t even put it in her mouth or if she does she just sticks her tongue out and lets it drip out! Almost like she doesn’t like the texture?! I can’t help but feel like I’ve done something wrong too. I’ve got a lovely group of mum friends with babies the same age, all of them eat so well and love their food. But! They are also all bottle fed and don’t have any milk in the day
Whereas my little girl (same as you) breastfeeds a lot still. She feeds to sleep at night, through the night and before naps! I find it reassuring that breastmilk is actually still the main source of nutrition until their 18 months? But then I worry like what’s going to happen is she suddenly going to just start eating more?! I find it really disheartening as well because I cook all of her food, I love making her lunches and stuff and she hardly eats any of it! I long for her to try things!!!! One thing I will say is that she’s recently gotten really good with using her spoon and so she is enjoying scooping food up and she will put it in her mouth and eat it. But I’m talking 3 mouthfuls of whatever I put in front of her 🙈 but it’s better than nothing! Will your daughter use a straw cup? We have a tum tum cup and my little girl has always got on with that really well. Xx
Sorry for all my messages! I wonder if she doesn’t like the taste of water? I’ve read you can add mint leaves, cucumber etc to water so it has more of a flavour? Or is it just refusal to even try from any other type of cup? XXX
@Stephanie sorry to hear you are sharing the anxiety! I totally see what you mean with the busy bee who did rather be interacting,exploring ... my little one gets better when we try and also sur around her and eat, trying to be more timed also seems to help sometimes... I also get the action of the tongue pushing away the food, and definitely agree that in general the texture is the issue. At nursery they said they will encourage more sensory play with more moist,gooey materials. I used to really try do baby led weaning but she didn't want to pick the food up. But I guess your daughter has been used to touch more...
I have heard about milk so many times being "the main source until they are 1 " hence my worry too... I completely have the same sad realisation with spending time and energy and being passionate about a new idea, almost sure it will work but it does barely... And we know how little time a breastfeeding mother have in a day. Luckily recently she has been sometimes not feeding from bedtime to around 5am but part of me was worried for my supply, but I was so tired I managed to work up to this new phase and she perhaps eats a bit more as a result...
Well done for the spoon, she used to really love exploring the tool but now I am encouraging her to use her hands and she barely likes anything creamy anyways... So well done as anyways they are not meant to eat a large quantity, I would be relieved if she did habe a few spoonfulls sometimes! She does not drink water or any fluids.. she used to sometimes accept to sip.in my cup, or with tge munchkin . We were adviced the straw one that pops out. She sometimes pits it in her mouth but I don't think she drinks... Will look into what you mean by tum tum.. So interesting to realise it also can be a temperament!
Oh great idea I will try that... for now it is almost impossible to get her to try liquid but we should keep trying! .no worries, at all, sorry I am doing the same, I am not used to open peanut these days and just read this bit by bit. Definitely sending strengthand understanding. I have a few friends in France who also have very keen to being breastfedbabies, and I keep telling myself it is the best she can have for now and we are both lucky to be able to keep this going at this stage... no wonder it is really overtaking. I explained to her that like everything in life, this will have a beginning amd an end though... it mught have helped me to word it and her to start to understand,too. Xxx
I felt the same that I had messed up but I think it’s normal. Not all babies but a lot are like this. Mine took to food immediately at 6 months and would eat everything offered to her with gusto. Then she got a bit fussier, and fussier, and then same as yours she got ill late last year and went off food completely. She’s still on and off with things and sometimes just screams for boobie and won’t touch a thing. It will come though, you don’t see 18 year olds bfing.