Food/eating

My DD is 8 months old (3.5 weeks premature). I've been feeding her foods since 5.5 months and it's not getting any easier. She really just doesn't seem to enjoy it. It's like feeding an octopus with the hands swinging at the spoon. (I swear they multiply!) I will cut up banana (her favorite) and put it on her tray- she just plays with it. I've tried puffs, watermelon, mango.....she eats them all, but won't feed herself. If I put a puff in her mouth, she will eat it- she will even open her mouth when I open the can- she just won't do it herself. I spoke to my pediatrician about my concern with this and he said if it's still an issue at her 9 month checkup, we might need to consider seeing a feeding therapist. So, of course, I'm in a panic. Anyone else go through this??

Re: Food/eating

I am a little confused by your post it seems two issues one she wont eat food herself but will let you feed her and two when you try feeding her with a spoons she swats it away ?

for her not picking up food I would give it to her and just NOT Feed it to her. see if she eventually will pick it up. obviously feed her other food by spoon and when done offer her finger foods like puffs. I think eventually she may pick it up on her own.

As for the swatting my DS did this for a couple weeks. I just gave him something to hold while I fed him the lid to the baby food, a toy, ad extra spoon. it was the only way I could get him to eat but it was a short lived phase for him I am back now to be able to feed him without giving him something he is 7.5 months

Message edited 8/6/2014 2:47:43 PM.

Re: Food/eating

Thank you for the reply and sorry for the confusion. I was just off the phone with my ped and just started typing.

Yes, 2 separate issues with the food. The one is her fighting us when trying to eat (not always, but often). The second is her not feeding herself. I could leave it there all day- she plays with it but it never makes it way to her mouth. She will put the Mum Mums in her mouth- maybe because they are bigger?- but not anything else. I have tried cutting up her favorite fruits into bigger pieces as well, but she just plays with it. I tried to do hand over hand to show her how to put it in her mouth but she pulls her hand away.

Food/eating

She's only 8 months so I wouldn't worry about her not feeding herself. Just keep offering because she will get it

As for the swatting. I always gave ds his own utensil to hold. Kept him busy while we got food in. And he learned to use utensils pretty early since he always had one.

Give it time. IMO no need to panic

Re: Food/eating

There is no need to panic and it is a little far fetched to think you would need to consider seeing a feeding therapist this soon. The pediatrician was probably being extra cautious and just saying that presuming it would get better by that next appointment.

Are you feeding her at times she is actually hungry? It sounds like she might not be hungry and are showing signs that she is full/not interested altogether. Otherwise, every child swings at the spoon. I would put down puffs/cheerios so she has something to try and pick up on her own. Also give her a spoon of her own to swing around. It usually reduces the movement and then you can feed them easily since they are preoccupied. DD was like that. I just put utensils in her hand and all of a sudden feeding was a breeze. And like a pp said, she learned to use utensils at a very young age. It worked out perfectly.

A child can but isn't "supposed" to feed themselves before a year-- so don't worry yet. By 12 months this situation will be so completely different you probably won't even remember posting this.

Re: Food/eating

DD was a terrible eater. She too would swat her food away. She didn't start feeding herself until close to 10- maybe 10.5 months. Before that age (and for a bit after) skipping meals was a pretty regular occurrence with her. It got to the point where just putting her in her high chair was enough to set her off. I didn't push her. I didn't want her to have a long term aversion to food or the act of eating.

I also didn't introduce finger foods until after 9 months. She wasn't ready so I waited for her to let me know. Once she started giving me cues (refusing purées, reaching and showing an interest in what I was eating, and eating small pieces of food out of my hand) we moved to finger foods.