Do babies / toddlers go through phases of refusing food?

[momm]

11.5 month old - a previously good eater - now blows quite forceful raspberries when the spoon comes near the mouth. This has been going so strong that he has not eaten any solids for two days. This is the kid that used to eat three meals a day.

He still nurses well.

So now, is this a phase? He seems active, pooping and peeing well.

is this something that will go away, or need I take him to the pedi?

Anyone BTDT?

[JTsMom]

Is he teething? That's what usually does it around here.

[indigo99]

My 2yo goes through phases of eating really well and then refusing to eat, and he isn't getting any bottles/nursing to make up for it. One week he'll love a food, and then he won't let it near him the next so... I dunno.

[daisymommy]

Thats about the age when my children started refusing to be spoon fed. I figured out they wanted to do it themselves. Try giving him some rounds of banana, or soft pieces of fruit, veggies, to eat by hand (his). You may be surprised to see him start eating again.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

to answer the question in subject line: YES, absolutely.

DS was always a GREAT eater. then around 12mo he started refusing to eat. sometimes it would be due to teething, other times when he had a runny nose/cold and the congestion would make him gag. he started walking well at 11 months so i think that was part of it..he just didn't want to take the time to sit down and eat.

nowadays, there are sometimes when he essentially skips 1 meal a day or so bc he doesn't want to stop playing. i think that is very common with toddlers. pretty much every toddler i know has this problem...kid doesn't want to eat, wants to keep playing..you'd think they'd never eat at all unless you begged them to. at ds 18 month appt the ped said this is very common and totally normal. he said that at this age, if you can get one really good meal in them per day, you're doing a great job.

i also find that not forcing them to eat for one meal (if they're not that hungry), will make them hungry enough for a later meal so that they will eat a lot. for example lately my ds has barely been eating breakfast (i get him down to eat, he eats a little and then squirms and begs to go play). i stopped trying to force him to eat and just let it be. then usually for dinner he totally chows down and eats a ton, including broccoli, meats, other veggies,etc. works for us.

i also find offering a very wide variety of food helps. i agree with PP, one day he will love something, the next day he will refuse it. toddlers eating habits are usually very random, annoying and inconvenient... i've learned that's pretty much normal. :)

[crl]

We definitely have phases. Sometimes related to teething or illness and sometimes not. My dd has never liked to be spoon fed. I'd definitely try offering finger foods and some different things. But I wouldn't push it or worry much unless there are other symptoms or it goes on for more than a few days.

Catherine

[eno0609]

Thats about the age when my children started refusing to be spoon fed. I figured out they wanted to do it themselves. Try giving him some rounds of banana, or soft pieces of fruit, veggies, to eat by hand (his). You may be surprised to see him start eating again.
:yeahthat:

This was around the age or earlier that our DC wanted to feed themselves , so if you're feeding him yourself maybe try letting him do it himself. Since he's still nursing and active, I wouldn't worry, in my experience if they're hungry they'll eat.