DD really not eating much at all - need encouragment

[lmh2402]

i've re-read the child of mine book to solidify my resolve.

DD has been giving a hard time for the last few months and we had slipped into the bad habits of cajoling bites, tricking to get things in, literally clapping and dancing when she would eat a little bit of something.

but i can't do it anymore.

so, since the beginning of last week we've been offering and she eats what she eats.

problem is, she really has been eating very little.

she consistently eats a good breakfast - a scrambled egg with cheese, about 1/4 cup of whole fat greek yogurt and a piece of baked oatmeal. and she nurses when she first wakes up.

but it goes wildly downhill from there.

she drinks maybe 2/3 ounces of milk twice a day. she will eat some fruit for a morning snack and usually rejects crackers.

lunch we typically offer leftovers - so either a soup with beans or meat and veggies, or some sort of meat (today, offered a bit of pot roast). also always offer crackers and fruit. sometimes we'll also offer a slice of cheddar cheese.

this is pretty much the same for dinner except it's not a leftover main course.

anyway, she literally eats nothing of the main portion of the meal. not one bite. nada. has not eaten a bite in over a week.

she eats some fruit. not all of it. today she did eat a piece of cheese at lunch. she ate a few cheddar bunnies.

tonight at dinner she ate a quarter of a banana, about three bites of bread and that's it. nothing else. some water.

i'm really kind of freaking out.

am i making a mistake letting her go like this? i thought i had it bad with DS, but this is a whole different ball of wax.

thx

[amom526]

i've re-read the child of mine book to solidify my resolve.

DD has been giving a hard time for the last few months and we had slipped into the bad habits of cajoling bites, tricking to get things in, literally clapping and dancing when she would eat a little bit of something.

but i can't do it anymore.

so, since the beginning of last week we've been offering and she eats what she eats.

problem is, she really has been eating very little.

she consistently eats a good breakfast - a scrambled egg with cheese, about 1/4 cup of whole fat greek yogurt and a piece of baked oatmeal. and she nurses when she first wakes up.

but it goes wildly downhill from there.

she drinks maybe 2/3 ounces of milk twice a day. she will eat some fruit for a morning snack and usually rejects crackers.

lunch we typically offer leftovers - so either a soup with beans or meat and veggies, or some sort of meat (today, offered a bit of pot roast). also always offer crackers and fruit. sometimes we'll also offer a slice of cheddar cheese.

this is pretty much the same for dinner except it's not a leftover main course.

anyway, she literally eats nothing of the main portion of the meal. not one bite. nada. has not eaten a bite in over a week.

she eats some fruit. not all of it. today she did eat a piece of cheese at lunch. she ate a few cheddar bunnies.

tonight at dinner she ate a quarter of a banana, about three bites of bread and that's it. nothing else. some water.

i'm really kind of freaking out.

am i making a mistake letting her go like this? i thought i had it bad with DS, but this is a whole different ball of wax.

thx

have you ruled out constipation? Is she growing normally and no major health concerns?

Barring anything out of the ordinary, I would say this is fine and to just keep going. She is eating a good breakfast. I usually only expect my kids to eat one good meal a day. The rest are hit or miss. Young kids can go a really long time without eating a lot. My biggest concern at this point would be dehydration. But if she is hydrated, I wouldn't worry. If she starts losing weight, etc, I might start looking into things.

ETA: you could also try leaving a plate of healthy, filling snacks around somewhere where she could reach it. I do this when ds1 is not eating a lot, because it removes any hint of a power struggle.

[Green_Tea]

Does she have adequate energy? Is she bright eyed and happy? I would use these as my indicators, not quantity. My ped always said one good meal a day was all they really need. DD2 was never a big eater - on most days she ate less than you are describing. She lived to tell the tale!

[BabyBearsMom]

Is she losing weight? Dropping percentiles? Is your pediatrician concerned? If not, relax. Kids go through stages. DD1 is a great lunch eater but hardly eats a bite at breakfast or dinner. DD2 loves noodles and green beans and nothing else. I offer a nice variety of healthy foods and the eat what they want (although I offer a lot of noodles and green beans). IIRC your dd is the same age as my Dd2. That is just a picky fussy age. They start to get two year molars, they start to crave more control as they prep for the twos. Her eating sounds fairly normal for that age IMO.

The bigger question might be are you okay? You've had a lot of posts where you sound very anxious (or that is how I perceive it) lately. You sound very stressed. Please take it easy and relax a little bit.

[lmh2402]

she lost weight when she got pneumonia before Christmas and definitely hasn't gained it back. Her diapers are still a bit loose.

But she does have regular energy, I think.

I don't know...she's been a bit funky since being sick. She's also teething and dropping from two naps to one. so a lot going on.

I also worry about hydration b/c I feel like she's not drinking a ton, as well as not eating a ton. She has fewer wet diapers than she used to have. But she has tears and saliva. She's definitely not constipated. If anything, it's the opposite for at least three weeks or more - lots of very large, stinky, loose BMs and she has a bad diaper rash again.

ETA: BBM, thanks for the concern - I know you've mentioned it in a few other posts. I'm alright. Just managing a lot of "issues" right now with both kids, but I'm generally ok. thanks :)

[Philly Mom]

That sounds like a lot of food to me. My DD1 is more of a lunch eater or really one meal before her afternoon nap and sometimes that meal is next to nothing. She eats a lot when she wants and she tries different foods when she wants. Other times she won't. I would not make this stressful. Just keep offering a variety of foods. Some days she will eat it and some days she won't.


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[mikala]

Aww, hugs. Feeding concerns can be so hard because we all see it as one of the primary roles of a parent--feed them and keep them safe. It strikes us in some primal way when it seems that anything may be amiss.

Has she had her 18 mo appointment yet? If not, I'd stay the course and talk with your pediatrician then. You can look at her growth charts together and determine the next steps. Things may be fine or you may determine it's a good idea to test for anemia or sneak in some more calories with healthy fats to help her recoup from the illness and normalize growth. It sounds like she's getting a lot of healthy fats at breakfast but probably not as much from the crackers and fruit later in the day.

Was she on antibiotics for the pneumonia? If so, has she taken any probiotics? Based on your description of her diapers I'm wondering if her gut flora is all wacky from the meds and I'd consider a probiotic for a little while to help her reset and hopefully clear the rash. I've used Florajen kids and I think I've seen other recs on here for Jarrow and maybe one other brand.

[lmh2402]

yes, she was on abx. and/but, she's been taking probiotics everyday for forever - we use culturelle

she hasn't had her 18 mon appt yet

thanks for the feedback - i'm feeling better that everyone has said her intake sounds fine, so I just need to try and relax. it just stresses me out that she's eating less and weighing less than she used. ugh.

thanks all

[BDKmom]

My DD has been very up and down with eating lately, and she's the same age as your DD. For over a week, she only ate bananas, yogurt, and a few crackers here and there. Some days her lunch has been a fruit cup. That's it. Some days lots of milk and water, other days not much to drink at all. Teething throws her off. Traveling for the holidays seemed to throw her off. We just roll with it.

Sounds like her extended illness probably still has her out of whack. Just keep doing what you are doing. I'm sure she will pick back up with it soon.

[athompson]

I wouldn't sweat it at all. It sounds like she eats a very good breakfast. I'd mention something to your ped at the 18 month appointment if you are still concerned.

[candaceb]

DS went through a time when he was just too busy to eat. 2 things I offered just to get some calories in were a spoonful of peanut butter and smoothies - which also got fluids in him. My smoothies are very simple - equal portions of greek yogurt and milk, plus baby food fruit puree. If I'm lazy, it's a tube of Chobani Champions yogurt and an equal amount of milk. I just stir it up and serve it in a straw cup.