eating few solids at 12 months - very worried!

[sillysmile]

We introduced solids at 8 months, and totally skipped over purees to finger foods. Now, at 12 months, my DD is still only eating a few bites per meal. She eats a large range of foods/textures, but just takes a few bites and then stops.

Would you be worried at this point? My pediatrician suggested occupational therapy, but I'm not entirely convinced that will help. She used to gag and throw up a few times / week up until 10 months or so, but now she does just fine. So SOME progress is being made in terms of her ability to chew/swallow, but she's still just not that interested in eating. Some meals she won't touch anything.

I've tried to cut down her daily milk intake so that she would be hungrier for meals, but I feel terrible making her hungry (and cranky) and not feeding on demand. It doesn't seem to help much, either, as she's just less patient in the high chair. Also, I don't think she's ever eaten enough to realize that eating solids will make her less hungry.

Anyone else have a LO who was slow to eat solids? Any suggestions? Should I "start over" with purees and graduated textures now that she can self-feed with a spoon (and some help)? Should I continue to try to cut down her milk? Or should I just let her eat solids in her own time and not stress?

Thanks in advance!!

[ShyDaisi]

I wouldn't start over with purees, and I wouldn't withhold milk either. She has already transitioning a bit. I would give her time. Micah didn't really get into solids until about 13 or 14 months (we started BLW at 8ish months, too). If your daughter is LOSING weight (not maintaining or gaining slow), I would be concerned, but not solely over quantity of intake. If you feed milk (breastmilk or formula) on demand, she will get the nutrition she needs. I would also stop stressing

[Honey693]

DD was close to that. It was very rare we got her to take more than 6 or 7 small bites of anything. She would nurse like crazy though so I wasn't too worried. She's 15 months now and about 2 months ago she started eating more. Now some days she'll eat 6 small meals and not nurse much and others she'll nurse like crazy and eat 2.

[Thursday Girl]

my middle daughter was just not very interested in food. she would have nothing to do with purees, the only thing she would let us feed her was yogurt. She had some finger foods, but like your daughter, she just wasn't interested. At 2 years old she was 90% breastfed...she weaned at 2 years 4 months and she is an extremly healthy 4 year old now. My other girls like to eat. they are all different. If she is growing well, meeting milestones, and always progressing I wouldn't worry about it.

[LadyCatherine185]

at 12 months DS was hardly eating anything either. then suddenly at 15 months it was like he discovered food. now at 17 months he asks for "snack! snack!" 5 or 6 times a day.

I would not be worried, nor would I withold milk. Is she BF'ing or drinking other milk? If not BF'ing I would look into some sort of supplements,etc to make sure she is getting all of the nutrients she needs.

[olien]

My DS is 17mo & not a great eater. Fruit & dairy mostly. I feel he drinks way to much formula/milk for his age. about 36oz + a day.
Just had a talk with the ped about this. He agreed there should be less reliance on the bottle for calories.

He suggested mixing water with the milk to reduce the amt of calories from the bottle per day. The volume will be the same - just less calories from it. He said if you give a bottle before bed keep that one full strength, but the rest dilute. After a few days he will realize he is hungrier than normal even tho his routine is still the same & begin to eat more. So far (2days) I think it may be working. He also said what he is doing is perfectly normal for his age & quite common, but I within 3 - 4 mo (so 20 - 21mo) if he isnt eating more to let him know.

BTW I questioned him about this when DS was 12mo & he said not to worry at all about the amt they are eating yet at that age.

[CrunchyChristianMama]

Another vote for not worrying. My DD was the same way and whenever I would start to worry it didn't help anything. She's now almost 16 months old and didn't really start eating a lot until I got pregnant and my milk supply dropped.

Your DD will eat when she's ready. She won't rely on bm forever (though it may feel like it now).

Just ask yourself... Does she look healthy? Is she meeting her milestones? Is she maintaining or adding to her weight? Is she growing otherwise?

If so, then relax and enjoy that she's just doing things in her own time.

[Red Pajama]

My youngest daughter didn't want anything to do with solids until 12 months. Then, it was very slow, just a few bites, and only a few foods.

She now eats quite a bit, and eats something at every meal. She still nurses, but enjoys the typical range of toddler foods. She's just over 26 months.

[naturechicplus1]

my ds was pretty slow to eat a lot at any one time. he snacked on the run a lot and nursed a ton. i agree with the others that as long as she's growing and at least interested in some foods, then keep offering good healthy choices (perhaps in new and different ways/formats), milk when she wants and she'll get there. my ds still has his days when he eats a lot and days when he seems that he hardly eats at all, but he's growing and thriving so I feel he's fine.

[makuahine]

My dd is almost 14 months and she still gets at least 75% of her calories (I would estimate) from nursing. She's never been very interested in solids and will only eat a few bits here and there. She is a BIG nurser, though, and has been gaining weight consistently so I try not to worry about it much. I figure she'll eat more when she needs to.

[flower16]

Another huge vote not to worry. My LO would not take a spoon, EVER. She did not even start picking at finger foods until 11 months, and we are talking teaspoon sized portions. At 12 months still BFing like a baby, still eating almost nothing. and I of course was also freaking out even though the pediatrician said she was gaining on her curve at her 1 year so nothing to worry about. But of course I still worried. but guess what, she just turned 14 months and started chowing down! and she started STTN most nights, and she started napping, she was a chronic catnapper before. So all that worrying for nothing. As all my friends told me, they will eat when they are ready. One recommendation that will make you feel better is to go to kellymom.com and find the link on extended breastfeeding. It actually tells you how much nutrition breastmilk provides in the second year and the average rate that babies will increase their solid intake. I believe it shows the average breastfed baby is only takin 10% solids at a year!

[azzeps]

Don't worry! Just keep putting it in front of her at regular intervals, and she will eat what she wants, in amounts that are right for her. Gagging is normal and it sounds like she's progressed past that, and that's exactly what you want.... progress towards eating the same things you do at the table. I tried to continually "challenge" my daughter as far as moving from puree to tiny chunks, to larger chunks, to whole, if she wanted it that way. Little by little. If you put pressure on her, she will possibly stop eating altogether. This is according to Ellyn Satter in her book Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense. It is a great read, IMHO.

[sillysmile]

Thank you SO much for all of the recommendations! It is so comforting to know that I'm not alone in this and that your babies all eventually started to eat solids, as all of the ~1yo babies that I know in real life seem to love eating solids.

I admit that I am probably more concerned since we switched DD to formula.. she NEVER latched on despite a lot of effort on both of our parts, and I pumped for 8 months before giving up. On 100% BM she was always a huge kiddo (>95% for weight, length, and head), and keeps getting bigger on formula (>99% for everything).

Since I feed on cue rather than on a schedule I AM concerned that I tend to overfeed her.. this seems to be possible with bottles/formula (but not BF) and is extremely frustrating. I worry that all of the formula may decrease her daytime appetite for solids as well as predispose her to obesity down the road. As you all can tell I'm a worrier I may try to water down some of her daytime bottles a bit as a PP recommended and see what happens.. and try to take your advice to not stress