Baby Food Blues!

[emily kates mom]

Hello All...

Just wanted to see if any of you have had this problem: Emily Kate does GREAT with her bottles. She likes baby food OK, but is sooo.. hard to feed. DH and I have to put on a full-fledge stage show to distract her enough to get her to open her mouth to eat. If we are not performing for her (i.e. singing, etc.), then she will turn her head or even push the spoon away. She is quite opinionated about it![;)] I wonder if it has anything to do with her reflux? I guess I am just super - paranoid about her not geting enough nutrition. Ever since she was born, the nurses & dr.s kept telling us how inportant it was for her to get her nutrition. She's doing fine weight wise - 9.5 months/16 lbs. /25 percentile[:I].

1) Am I crazy to worry about this?

2)Is it normal to have to put on a show when feeding? Does anyone else have hidden drama talents you never knew about? (HA - j/k [:D])


Thanks,
Allison

Mommy to Emily Kate
3lbs. 7 oz.
Born 9/23/03
**2 months early due to preeclampsia.

[arj]

Allison,
No, I don't think you are crazy. I'm kind of in the same boat, though the entertainment doesn't even work for us. What can you do?? My son is very similar. LOVES his bottles, "so-so" on the food... He was doing great at first, eating everything we put in front of him, but as he approaches the 1 year mark the pickiness is starting to surface. I noticed that Emily Kate is 9 1/2 months-is she showing interest in feeding herself finger foods?? Evan loved it when he could finally pick up pieces of fruit, veggies and bread and feed himself. He refused being spoon fed. He is about 21 pounds at 1 year, which puts him I think around the 25th percentile as well, so I know what you mean about being concerned with the nutrition and getting enough. He eats like a bird, and I don't think that he's eating enough, so we try to just add a couple of snacks and more milk (just started that tonight)/formula to get the calories. I think that you just have to experiment. Good luck!

Allison (28)
DS-Evan, 7/19/2003. PE at 40 weeks

[deerhart]

Yes its normal. Even my kids would turn up their noses at som e things and we had to do some fancy footwork (airplane sounds anyone LOL). The key isn't necessarily how much they eat at that age, but just getting them used to eating food.

We always fed the boys the foods they liked to encourage them eating, which was usually fruits and we also stopped when they started pushing the spoon away and turning their face. We took it as a sign they were either full or done with the food (we wanted to start teaching to eat only until full). Since for most kids the bulk of their calories still come from the bottle this is okay. You might also try giving the food first and then the bottle.

Both of my boys were on table food around 9 1/2 to 10 months just because of how much they ate and how well they did on other foods and continued to ask for our stuff (including just grabbing it off our plates).

Alot of it is about them becoming comfertable with the new thing their mouth is doing as it changes, new foods, new textures, teeth etc.., and meeting their growing needs.

GL
Erin

Moderator - Parents of Preemies
Missouri State Coordinator
Mommy to Alex (4)and Mason (1 1/2)
Law Student - 1 year done, 2 to go

[emily kates mom]

Allison, (GREAT name by the way!![:D])

We have also tried the finger foods. We have tries Cheerios, Biter Biscuits, the "wheels" that Gerber makes, Zwieback (sp?) toast, and other finger feeding baby foods. She is just not intrested. When she DOES try feeding herself with any of the above, she does this comical "shuddering" (shakes her head with a sily face) and acts as if we have just offered her lemon juice or vinegar![:p] She's a silly girl! I just hope she'll outgrow this and learn to like food.

I am glad to know that you are in the sane boat! [:)]

Allison

Mommy to Emily Kate
3lbs. 7 oz.
Born 9/23/03
**2 months early due to preeclampsia.

[emily kates mom]

Oops!
That should say "same boat", not "sane boat"! LOL[:I]


Allison

Mommy to Emily Kate
3lbs. 7 oz.
Born 9/23/03
**2 months early due to preeclampsia.

[jaxsmom]

Hello Emily Kate's Mom & All

I just have to say I totally know what you are going thru with the hard to feed..... Jaxon is sooo hard to feed and every time he goes into his high car he starts to scream.... He loves his bottles though.. Jaxon too has sever reflux and is on meds but they don't seem to be working.. I think the reflux does play a factor in the lack of interest to eat.... Jaxon is 12.5 mths and at his last GI appt he was 19.3 pounds, I think thats around 5 percentile.... I am very concerned about whether he is getting the proper nutrition...

I guess I went off rambling and didn't answer the questions: first off your are definately not crazy to worry, I worry all the time.... Unfortunately I don't have any hidden drama talents, but please feel free to share yours.... Jaxon just screams maybe the drama would help .. Sorry I wasn't much help in the advice department but we are in the same boat

Cheers
Dana

[:D][:)]

Jaxon's Mommy
Born June 25, 2003 @ 34 weeks 4.6 lbs; PIH, elevated liver enzymes & IUGR