DD#2 not a good eater and rolling over a little trickier than with #1

DD#2 started rolling over from back to her belly last week, we were all excited and broke out the video camera, she did it a number of times on several different days so it wasn't a fluke. However, she'd lay on her belly for a while and then SCREAM bloody murder. She cannot get roll onto her back from her belly and absolutely hates being on her belly for long periods of time. Now the last several days, she has not rolled over at all. She will roll to her side, but will not go onto her belly. I'm a little concerned b/c although I know they are all different, DD#1 was rolling as a form of getting around by this age and by that I mean she'd roll from back to belly and over to her back and start the process all over again as a means of going where she wanted to be. #2 seems to have good neck stregnth and even tries to sit forward when on our laps.

Next issue that is completely new. We've been trying to spoon feed cereal and fruit. Granted I get that a few weeks ago when she had RSV she may not have been in the mood, but it seems like ever since she has not been interested. She sleeps through most of the "feedings" we wake her for bottles of formula since she's on such a spaced out feeding schedule, but we usually try cereal and fruit about 2 hours after her first bottle and 2 hours before her last bottle of the day. Today she slept from 10:15-11:15 and at 12 she needed a bottle so I thought I'd try the food at around 2pm (she has formula every 4 hours due to reflux), she slept till after 3pm and was due for a bottle at 4pm. So finally at 6pm we gave her some cereal and fruit... she was nothing but cranky during the whole ordeal, spit out most of the food and I put her on the floor for floor time and she passed out. She sleeps from about 8:30pm till 8:30AM, so she's getting plenty of rest at night. We have a ped appt tomorrow so I'm going to ask what is up. I was mixing the fruit and the cereal and she wouldn't eat it, then started doing cereal with formula (like when we first started) and give her fruit after last night and she did better, she seemed to like the applesauce without the cereal and isn't too fond of the rice cereal or the oatmeal cereal. The only fruit she'll even try is applesauce. She cried when I tried bananas. DD#1 was such a good eater and also slept well at night but was not such a heavy day sleeper like this one. Granted #1 was at daycare at this age, and #2 wasn't as bad with all this daytime sleeping when she was in daycare. A few weeks ago in daycare she'd catnap like 20 minutes here and there, but this is crazy. I'm not sure if I should be waking her for cereal and fruit and have a feeling if I do I will still not be successful getting her to eat, as when she is cranky she is just stubborn about it. She refuses to open her mouth for food feedings, I usually have to make her laugh and quickly get the spoonful into her mouth. If she's in the mood she may open her mouth a little for applesauce, tonight was not one of those nights, I ended up tossing the cereal and sticking most of the applesauce in the fridge.

With all that said, and despite being born 5 lbs 11oz, she is like 75th percentile for height and weight and growing. So malnurished I do not thinks she is. I'm just not sure how to get her into food or if it's even an issue quite yet. I have heard that some feel a baby shouldn't even start spoon feeding until 6 months of age. #2 is a little over 5 months at this point and a few weeks ago when she was in the hospital with RSV she was over 15 pounds.

Re: DD#2 not a good eater and rolling over a little trickier than with #1

my dd is 6 mos and was born at 8 13...she weighs 15 lbs now...so as long as the ped doesn't think the food thing is an issue, don't kill yourself (or her since she will associate it with bad things too!) they all get it in time...thank goodness!

Re: DD#2 not a good eater and rolling over a little trickier than with #1

I have to say it sounds like she's just not ready for solids yet. Some babies just aren't developmentally ready until 6 months. At this age the solids are really just for practice anyway, so try it at meals- just keep your expectations low. Eventually she'll get it. I found that if I timed feedings around the same time her older sister was eating helped a bit. The whole "monkey see, monkey do" thing.

I stopped comparing my 2 girls (17 months apart) a LONG time ago because it drove me crazy. Not only do my kids look completely different, they are polar opposites in virtually every other area as well from milestones to personalities.

Re: DD#2 not a good eater and rolling over a little trickier than with #1

Yael is around the same age (born 7/17) - and she isn't even rolling yet, so I have no advice there. I can tell you, it's hard not to compare because at this age, Alex was rolling around, laughing hysterically, grabbing toys, putting them in her mouth... Yael is JUST starting to grab toys and bring them to her mouth, but overall she really is a much more mellow kid, not as interested in rolling and moving around as Alex was at the same age.

As for food - we started a few weeks ago, and Yael seems to love it, but the truth is, every baby is different, and the food itself isn't absolutely necessary at this age, it's only to get them used to eating with a sppon and used to eating textures. If she's totally uninterested and keeping her mouth closed, I would stop and try in a few weeks. It really sounds like she's simply not ready yet for food, and pushing the issue may make it even worse

Message edited 12/28/2009 7:35:39 AM.