Not eating enough

[*Chels*]

Hi
I have an 11 month old son who is still breastfed.
He was going well on solids but has been sick a few times this year.Hes just had an ear infection so was on antibiotics for 2 weeks.
He went off food,and would throw up if he had anything,obviously coz he had alot of phlegm buildup in his throat.So he was just on the boob ALOT.
Now hes better,Im trying to get him back on solids but Im having a hard time.
He really only eats food when he can feed himself,he wont take it off a spoon.Thats fine,but I only have a few finger food ideas.Im worried hes not eating enough.
Im really worried hes not getting enough nutrients,and Im stressing he will get iron defecient.
How can I get him back on solids?Now hes older I want to cut out the breastfeeds but he wants it all the time!!
Any advice would be great,thanks

[the pero clinic]

Dear Chels21,

It can be hard to re-wean a bub after they have been unwell and become used to extra breastfeeds or bottle feeds! If your son is wanting to feed himself there are a variety of finger food options that you can try – nearly everything can be a finger food for a 1 year old!

See a recent reply to a similar question about finger food ideas under Fussy Eaters (Finger Foods?? Posted on 15/9/06).

You may also like to encourage your son to try feeding himself with a spoon. It will probably be quite messy to begin with, but by taking turns at using the spoon you will at least know that half of the food is making it into his mouth.

It’s great that you are happy to encourage him to self-feed, as it’s a much better alternative to not eating solids at all.

the pero clinic