12 month old stopped eating

[preggybelly]

My son who has just turned 12 months has started to refuse all food, other than plain sandwhiches, cheese, yoghurt, weetbix, snacks & fruit. He used to be such a great eater, all vegies, meet, salad, finger food etc. But now wont open his mouth or just spits it out. He does have molars coming, but i have even tried him on pureed vegies/meat but wont take it. Anyone else experience this sudden change? Is it a phase, or becoming a fussy eater & playing me? :(. One side of me wants to give in & feed him anything so he has food in his tummy, but another side wants to say "no more", eat whats there or nothing else incase it is a game. He still has formular morning & night. Im worried he isnt getting enough nutrients through food so delaying the full transition to only cows milk.

[Bennos Mummy]

Its a phase. My DS did the same and is getting back into the swing of things now.

Its so frustrating because you really want to make sure they are fed and are not feeling hungry but hey, if/when they're hungry they will eat eventually. Just keep giving him what he will eat and maybe just offer little portions of other things that you want him to eat that he's refusing.

[Sunnybambino]

It could be teething. My DD sloooowly got her molars and eye teeth over the summer and her feeding went out the window. She pretty much ate what your son is now eating - I guess they see that stuff as comfort food? Soooo frustrating. But I just repeated the mantra "This too shall pass" and kept offering a variety of foods, including meats, vegetables and fruit, etc etc. Since her last eyetooth popped through, her appetite has been enormous!! Last night she demolished a plate of fish, sweet potato and peas in about 10 minutes. So different to what she has been like when she would refuse to even look at food like that. Good luck, I hope it passes quickly.

[preggybelly]

Thanks MJAI
I noticed you emphasised the "slloowly" hehe. So i will go back to being patient & offering (even if he doesnt eat). Quick question, Did u need to supplement with toddler vitamins?

[preggybelly]

Thanks also bennosmum :) was it a slow phase for u aswell?

[Kooglekat]

Yep, happened here as well. Was impossible to get any food in at around 12 months. We just kept offering healthy stuff and tried not to worry too much (easier said than done I know!)

He is 15 months old now and eating really well again. :) Mind you he is so into his walking now that most eating is done on the move, not much high chair eating happening!

[Bennos Mummy]

Yes he jst gradually got back into it. Didn't jst wake up and decided to guts himself again that's for sure :-)

[shell90]

my little girl have been doing the same thing on and off for a couple of weeks. She also has her molars comming threw. When shes being really fussy I just feed her whatever she will eat, but I always try to get her to eat their healthy stuff I know she liked first likes grapes and ham samwhices.

Ham and other meat samwhiches are my way of getting as much meat (even if it is processed) into her tummy, I found she would also eat cold spagetti bolanase in her samwhiches as well even though she didnt eat the whole lot, it was still better than nothing.

My daughter also started drinking cows milk before she turned one, she just refused to drink formular. I think if you son is hungry he will eat, just try to make the naughtier foods the last resort and try all healthy possibilities first.

My daughter will eat one thing one day and not the other so just keep rotating things around.

Another thing I found was my daughter wanted to be eating what where eating at the same time we eat it. So in the morning I make scrambles eggs and feed her out of my bowl and she likes to feed me to.
You could try that for your meals as well : )

Hope it helps! :)

[Ferney]

yep my 13mth old has on and off weeks. one week she will eat whatever is infront of her and the next she will eat less than a bird. On the weeks she wont eat, i refuse to offer her anything else, when she strats spitting and throwing her food around i say "all done then!" and i clean her up and thats it. I went thru offering a variety of foods when she wouldnt eat something and that was a joke, it was setting me up for more problems in the future.
I do however, give her a little more cows milk on the days she has not eaten much at all. Say if she usually has 150mls i'll add an extra 50mls.
She still sleeps great and has numerous wet and dirty nappies so i know she is fine.

Maybe another tip to offer is have a plate of snacks out for him to help himself between meals.
I use a suction cup bowl and have it on a table at her height filled with saltanas, a few grapes and a rice cake. Sometimes cold meats (left over chicken or ham off the bone from deli) and cheese instead of sitting her upto a meal for something different.

I know how frustrating it can be when they wont eat what you give them! My DD is a tiny little thing and even 13mths later i still worry about her weight decreasing or becomming a problem! But then she will scoff everything on a different week and it sort of balances her weight out i guess.

Hang in there!

[JolyV]

Its a phase. My DS did the same and is getting back into the swing of things now.

Its so frustrating because you really want to make sure they are fed and are not feeling hungry but hey, if/when they're hungry they will eat eventually. Just keep giving him what he will eat and maybe just offer little portions of other things that you want him to eat that he's refusing.


Im totally agree with U. Words of wisdom:D

[preggybelly]

Im not on here often but though since im haviong a stickybeak around i will post a follow up. You were all perfectly correct. This period only lasted about 2 months (felt like forever!!!). Molars, eye teeth, and just fussiness. He is now 15 months and eating majority of things again. He seems to be picky with "somethings" like plain steam vegies grrrr but must take after me there :). Thanks again, and if anyone else is reading this with the same problem. There IS light at the end of the tunnel.

[elanora]

it's a phase. he's growing up. wll fix it himself.